To those of us who have endured them, the sheer mention of “UTI” sends shivers down our spines. If you've never had UTI, take a moment to count your lucky stars because it’s something I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemies.

Here’s a little bit of background

UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) occur when bacteria enter through the urethra and attach themselves to the lining of your urinary tract. Despite your body’s natural defense mechanisms to flush bacteria out, sometimes these bad boys stick around and begin to cause issues. UTIs are very common, especially in women.

Typically, you can tell you have a UTI by your symptoms, which often include:

• Pain and/or burning when urinating

• Pain in general urethra/vaginal area

• A frequent urge to urinate, even if you can only pass a small amount

• Cloudy-looking urine

• Blood in urine

• Pain in your abdominal area

• Weakness and fatigue

If you’ve never experienced a UTI, you might read these and think it’s no big deal, however, they are seriously one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever experienced.

During the Summer of 2016, I experienced my first UTI. I was newly married, had just moved to California and didn’t have health insurance yet; I knew something was wrong, but just crossed my fingers that it would go away on its own (*spoiler alert*: It didn’t). After a month and a half of symptoms, my amazing mother in-law took me to a local walk-in clinic, where I was given an antibiotic to get rid of the infection. The antibiotic helped clear up my UTI symptoms—until it came back. And let me tell you, it returned with a vengeance. Long story short, I ended up going through THREE rounds of antibiotics before I was in the clear…or so I thought.

After that experience, I started getting UTIs more frequently. Sometimes I was able to flush them out by drinking a LOT of water, but other times I was not so lucky. I saw doctors and PA’s and it was always the same routine: Tell them I have UTI symptoms -> explain that this is a recurring issue -> pee in a cup -> get prescribed antibiotics -> wait for lab results -> Repeat the next month when it happened again.

At this point you might be wondering, “Isn’t there something you can do to prevent them?” YES there absolutely is—and I was doing ALL OF IT (prepare yourself for TMI). I stopped wearing thong underwear and was wearing breathable cotton. I was very diligent to wipe from front to back. I stopped using “feminine soaps”. I was peeing immediately after intercourse. I was drinking a lot of water. I was drinking cranberry juice and taking supplements. I was doing everything right, but nothing seemed to prevent these UTIs and it was starting to impact my quality of life.

When I met with my medical doctor to discuss how these infections had become chronic, I was only given one option to help prevent future UTIs: Take a low dose of antibiotics every single day of my life to prevent full-blown future infections. There was ZERO chance I was going down this route. I knew that antibiotics would slowly eat away at my microbiome, which was my biggest shot of keeping my immune system healthy. I was starting to lose hope until one day, my mom sent me a blog article (much like this one) that talked about this supplement called “D-mannose” and how a young women had found victory after years of chronic UTIs. My interest was piqued.

My Holistic Solution

D-mannose is a type of sugar that is found in fruit juices like cranberry, blueberry, peach and apples juices. Although it is technically a “sugar”, it does not get broken down and stored into glycogen, nor does it impact blood sugar levels. It does, however, filter through the kidneys and collect into the body’s urine. D-mannose also differs from refined sugars in that typically sugar disrupts the natural flora of the urinary tract, whereas D-mannose nourishes it.

How does it help UTIs? D-mannose helps prevent & treat UTIs by adhering to the bad bacteria that causes infection in the urinary tract & flushes it out of the body.

“If D-mannose is found in fruit juice, can’t I just drink juice?” The amount of D-mannose in fruits & fruit juices is very small, meaning you would have to consume a large amount of juices to reap any benefits. It also means you would be consuming a large amount of fructose, which could potentially cause more harm than good when it comes to UTIs. This is why I buy concentrated D-mannose. Concentrated D-mannose comes in a white powder form that you add to water (they also make capsules, but the powder much more cost effective); it’s both clear & relatively flavorless, besides being a tad bit sweet. I use D-mannose as a prophylactic after every trigger event. I add 1 teaspoon of D-mannose powder to half of a glass of water. I try not to drink any more water for about a half-hour, that way the D-mannose can attach to bacteria, rather than getting too diluted to the point that it misses it.

I have been using D-mannose for the past 9 months, and every time I have used it I have been in the clear from developing a UTI. If that doesn’t convince you that it works, this might: There was one instance in the last month where I forgot to take it…and guess what? The next day I had UTI symptoms! But, I was diligent with drinking a lot of water & taking D-mannose at least once a day & it cleared right up—no need for antibiotics!

My UTI protocol

When I find myself having UTI symptoms, here are a few things I do:

• Take D-mannose multiple times a day

• Drink a LOT of water

• Avoid the 4 C’s: Caffeine, Carbonation, Citrus and Chocolate

• Wear cotton underwear—no thong!

• Make sure I’m consistent in taking a pro-biotic supplement

• Avoid eating sugar (this does NOT mean eating zero calorie artificial sweeteners!)

• Avoid drinking alcohol

IMPORTANT:

If you still have UTI symptoms after a few days, see a doctor or go to a clinic! While solutions like D-mannose, anti-bacterial essential oils or other home remedies can be helpful to some, It’s important that you do not let a UTI go too long without seeking help (like I did), as it can move to your kidneys & cause even more problems! I am not a medical professional and cannot give you medical advice, but please please take care of yourself & do take antibiotics if that’s what you need to do.

D-mannose has seriously been a life-saver for me! I am so happy that I am no longer spending money on co-pays, taking time off of work or most importantly, I’m not filling my body with antibiotics on an ongoing basis—truly revolutionary for me! If (God forbid) you find yourself struggling with UTIs, I hope D-mannose offers you the same relief that it has for me!