Speak to the doctor who is prescribing the antibiotics and ask for a rethink. Much will depend on what is causing the utis. It would be a mistake, I think anyway, to complicate matters by bringing in someone else who hasn't been involved in her history.
I can't possibly know this, but bear in mind that it might be the same uti not having gone away properly rather than six different beasties. Anyway good luck - ask for a clear explanation and an actual plan. You should get these without too much effort; and if you don't, despite polite persistence, then that's when you change doctors!
We had good luck by asking mom's GYNECOLOGIST, not her regular MD forbadvice (there are also genito-urologists). Mom's gyno recommended a probiotic that targets the pH in the genitourinary system called re-pHresh and a vaginal suppository every 2 weeks. It really worked!
My MIL (85, in LTC) was also getting a lot of UTIs. Once she was clear of an infection we provided her facility with a non-prescription supplement called D-Mannose. It has significantly reduced the amount of UTIs she gets. I would also look into the Re-pHresh BarbBrooklyn recommended.
If your mom's had that many UTI's in three months then the doctor is not treating them right. They're not giving her a strong enough antibiotic and she's not taking it long enough. She's getting so many because the original infection was never cleared up so it keeps recurring. I had a homecare client who was bedridden and totally incontinent in diapers 24 hours a day. In three years she two mild UTI's. Many elderly with dementia get them all the time because they're personal hygiene is often neglected. It's so important for them to wash daily with soap and water and not stay in even damp underwear or pull-ups. Your mom needs to see a different doctor because the one treating all these UTI's is not giving her the right antibiotics or the right kind.
If the prescriptions are being done over the phone then this is part of the problem. She needs to have a culture done to see what antibiotic is needed. She is probably being given a "broad spectrum" one (my RN daughter calls them) and its not working.
The last UTI my Mom had I took her to the ER. They catherized her and removed all the urine in her bladder. She was then put on an antibiotic she was allergic to. The one she ended up having cleared her up. A probiotic was suggested and cranberry tablets, not juice because of the sugar. My Mom never again had UTIs her last year before her passing. The D-Mannose that Geaton suggested was suggested on the forum by a member who is a Nurse and swears by it.
One of the reasons older women get UTIs is because they don't completely void. It has to do with the bladder dropping down. It was said recently on the forum that leaning forward helps you void more completely. Its hard to tell a Dementia patient to push. So, you just have them sit a little longer hoping they get the "feeling " again. Getting as much water in them you can helps. If she is incontinent making sure she is changed ASAP and cleaned up well. I always used Huggies for babys. They are bigger and thicker than those lady brands.
Please try D-mannose. There was a time when I was getting more than four a year and my doctor was threatening a prophylactic antibiotic daily. I tried D-Mannose as a last resort; as an RN I don't really believe in vitamins or supplements. I had no hope it would work, but in more than a decade I have not had a single UTI. It works a bit as cranberries do, to keep bacteria from adhereing to the bladder wall, but is a simple pill or powder and is taken once daily. As it is cheap it is worth a try. Capsules are large but tasteless and can be opened and put in liquid. They are about 32.00 for 100 capsules. As that is more than a three month supply it is pretty cheap. I get mine on Amazon, Source Natural, but I imagine they are about the same. Good luck.
Hello! Have you tried a molecular PCR Urine test? It is so much better than the regular urine test and can measure more than one bacteria at a time. It may be that she has more than one bacteria growing and they are only seeing and treating for one.
I can't possibly know this, but bear in mind that it might be the same uti not having gone away properly rather than six different beasties. Anyway good luck - ask for a clear explanation and an actual plan. You should get these without too much effort; and if you don't, despite polite persistence, then that's when you change doctors!
I had a homecare client who was bedridden and totally incontinent in diapers 24 hours a day. In three years she two mild UTI's.
Many elderly with dementia get them all the time because they're personal hygiene is often neglected. It's so important for them to wash daily with soap and water and not stay in even damp underwear or pull-ups.
Your mom needs to see a different doctor because the one treating all these UTI's is not giving her the right antibiotics or the right kind.
The last UTI my Mom had I took her to the ER. They catherized her and removed all the urine in her bladder. She was then put on an antibiotic she was allergic to. The one she ended up having cleared her up. A probiotic was suggested and cranberry tablets, not juice because of the sugar. My Mom never again had UTIs her last year before her passing. The D-Mannose that Geaton suggested was suggested on the forum by a member who is a Nurse and swears by it.
One of the reasons older women get UTIs is because they don't completely void. It has to do with the bladder dropping down. It was said recently on the forum that leaning forward helps you void more completely. Its hard to tell a Dementia patient to push. So, you just have them sit a little longer hoping they get the "feeling " again. Getting as much water in them you can helps. If she is incontinent making sure she is changed ASAP and cleaned up well. I always used Huggies for babys. They are bigger and thicker than those lady brands.