If you’ve ever suffered from a urinary tract infection, also known as a UTI, you know just how awful they can be. The pain, the burning, the spams, it’s enough to send you to bed or keep you in the bathroom for hours or days. You’ll do almost anything to get rid of it. Like yesterday.
I know the feeling very well. I’ve had UTIs off and on for most of my life and the usual stuff like cranberry juice never did much for me. But luckily I found 2 natural ways that worked wonders to improve my UTIs quickly. And for the record, I always check with my doctor just to be safe and you should too.
Ever since I had my children, I started getting occasional urinary tract infections. About three years ago, I had a particularly painful stubborn infection and since I did not want to go on antibiotics (it really messes with my system), I tenaciously searched for a natural UTI remedy.
That’s when I learned about D-Mannose
. I bought some and within a few hours after taking a dose, I began feeling better. It has worked every time except once to improve my UTIs without needing antibiotics. (The one time I did need antibiotics, my doctor figured out I had a special bacteria strain that D-Mannose couldn’t help. That’s why you should always consult with your doctor.)
What is D-Mannose?
D-Mannose is a natural sugar found in certain plants and fruit, like cranberries, apples, berries, etc. It goes straight through the body, with very little of the sugar absorbing into the blood stream. Bacteria loves D-Mannose , so the E. coli bacteria that are responsible for about 90% of UTIs, releases it’s grip from the bladder wall and attaches to the tasty D-Mannose sugar instead. Then it simply passes out through the urine.
Why can’t I just drink cranberry juice?
Cranberry juice doesn’t work very quickly and when you have a urinary tract infection, you want fast relief. In my experience, d-mannose worked faster and more effectively.
Also, while cranberry juice can be great for bladder health, it usually has a lot of sugar. Sugar that bacteria thrive on. And since regular sugar doesn’t pass through your body like D-Mannose , it encourages the bacteria to stick around instead of leaving. So while some aspects of cranberry juice may be helpful, the high sugar quantity often outweighs that advantage.
How I use d-Mannose:
You can buy D-Mannose as a powder
, which you simply dissolve into water (it’s sweet) or capsules
. I personally prefer capsules because it’s more convenient.
If I even feel a twinge in my bladder, I take 1000mg of D-Mannose right away. I know this has saved me from a number of UTIs.
If a bladder infection does set in, I take 500-1000mg of D-Mannose every 3-4 hours throughout the day. This relieves my symptoms within 24 hours, though it’s usually within a few hours.
The Second Natural Option for UTI Symptoms
Two years ago, my doctor recommended that I take a herb called pipsissewa for UTI prevention. This was after I experience a UTI that did require antibiotics.
Now, I take pipsissewa every time I feel the slightest twinge and after sex. I think this herb has helped even more than d-mannose and it’s cheaper too.
The tincture (liquid) form is best – I recommend this one.
A couple of other things to help…
A couple of other things to help…*Bacteria thrives on sugar, so try not to eat any (or minimal) sugar when you have a urinary tract infection. If you frequently get UTIs, you may want to consider reducing your sugar intake altogether.
*Drink lots of water since it will help your body and the D-Mannose flush out the bacteria more quickly.
William Sweeney says
I have never heard of this as a remedy for a UTI!! Love that it is a natural remedy option.
Indira says
Bacteria do NOT love D-Mannose. In fact, they do not digest this at all. This remedy works because it prevents many of the common pathogens that cause UTIS from adhering to the urethra and bladder wall and prevents their advancement within the urinary tract, allowing them to be flushed out.
Erika says
Hi Indira, thanks for the information. Do you have links related to what you’ve shared? I’d love to update my post.
Kristi says
I am always on the look out for natural way to fix things as I hate to take a bunch of yucky stuff. Thanks for the post as I had not heard of D-Mannose before.
diane says
I have had a couple really bad UTIs recently. I will have to check this out! They are miserable to deal with!
Scott says
We’ve always used the cranberry juice remedy, but didn’t consider the sugar effect. Will have to reconsider!
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I need to look into this because I get UTI’s frequently. Normally I just drink cranberry juice and if it’s not better go tot he doctor.
Margo says
Although it is a good idea about the supplement that has worked for you, there are plenty of people who get uti with all other different bacteria other than E. coli. D mannose only works for E. coli .. Unfortunately.. I would suggest for people to check with Doctor every time for a while to check urine culture and if that person truly gets uti with E. coli the most, then this supplement could work..
sameer says
Hi, very helpful and interesting article thanks for sharing.
http://www.onhomeremedies.com/natural-home-remedies-for-urinary-tract-infections/
elena says
i will buy this right away and try ! thank you for all that research !!
marissa val says
If you get UTIs, the Lady Soma Cranberry Concentrate is a godsend! Take as soon as you feel one coming on and keep taking 3x/day, wait 45 mins, then drink a ton of water, and you should be UTI free without needing antibiotics. Obviously, your mileage may vary and this is not a doctor’s advice, but it has worked for me and saved me tons of money in copays and antibiotic prescriptions. Great to have on hand for those of us who are UTI prone.
Marcia Rush says
Where can I buy some
Erika says
I buy mine from Amazon. This is my affiliate link: http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-D-Mannose-500-mg/dp/B008OXYD1C/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=livingwellmom-20&linkId=f75df7776aa02611e122e35c294400c8&linkCode=ktl
Tay says
Thank you for this!
Happy Mommy of 6 says
I have personally struggled with uti’s for 15 years. I have been on more antibiotics than any one person should ever have to be. (which causes a whole host of different issues on it’s own) My husband found this about 6 or 7 years ago and it’s truly an amazing product. I haven’t had to take any antibiotics in years. My life has completely changed, thank God for this product. I told my urologist and pleaded with her to pass it on to her patients like myself who have a constant battle with uti’s. I just take a dose after sex and if I get any bladder or kidney pain I take a few consecutive doses. This stuff is amazing so thanks for getting the word out!!!!
Erika says
I’m so happy to hear it’s worked for you too! Yes, it’s amazing and has saved me over and over! I now also take Pipsissewa, an herbal tincture that works just as well if not better for me. I’ll have to update this article with that info as well since that may help other people too!
Glad you’re doing well.