I didn't enter this forum in a while but I just wanted to reply to fern question. I battled the infection for a long time. I might have had it for many years before being diagnosed through the culture. As you probably read my post above it was enterococcus and I tried all types of antibiotics given by my doctor. After each treatment the enteroccocus culture count went lower at around 40% but antibiotics did not work at eradicating it. After a few weeks it would go right back up to 100%. I started reading all studies done so far on this bacteria and possible alternative treatments. I learned that enterococcus is responsible for all " interstitial cystitis " and that the condition doesn't actually exist but is the bacteria creating the symptoms.
I also learned that enterococcus has the ability to form biofilm around itself for protection. Biofilm it is very hard to kill and eliminate and I also learned that antibiotic alone can't destroy biofilm. By the way, biofilm can't be tested but when an infection is present for a long time there is always biofilm. I started searching for biofilm disruptors and I found some. The best one I researched is "interface". I ordered it on line, pricey but I had no choice. I started taking it together with natural antibacterials. The idea is to take the interfase to eliminate the biofilm but at the same time to kill the bacteria. I chose apple cider, horseradish, garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne pepper. So I started making my own cocktails with the above ingredients and I would drink it daily several times a day while taking the interfase. I also made some drastic changes with my diet where I gave up lots of animal products including red meat and dairy and replaced it with a mostly plant based diet and whole foods composed of beans, grains, greens, fruits , nuts and seeds. Absolutely no sweets, actually for sweets cravings I would eat cranberries and dark chocolate only. It was the hardest thing I ever done but I was desperate to get better and that's all I had in mind. I did this for almost a year while I continued taking the interfase and the antibacterials, I went through several bottles of interfase. After about a year I went for another test. Enterococcus count was down at 5%. Not completely gone but that was the lowest so far so a great achievement considering previous treatment with antibiotics failed.. My doctor said that I should continue doing what I'm doing. So I stopped the interfase because it can drain the body of minerals but I assumed that biofilm was already destroyed so I just continue taking antibacterial supplements as I described, and recently added herbal teas , juniper and bearberry which I read are very good at fighting enteroccocus. I am also taking turmeric, oregano oil, cranberry, bee pollen and goldenseal supplements. Overtime I discovered that all natural antibacterials work best when taken together. Besides the interfase formula what also helped me the most was the apple cider. It has amazing results at fighting any type of bacteria or viruses. I am now free of symptoms so I am procrastinating having the culture checked again since nothing bothers me anymore but once I will I'll post an update of the results. I hope all of you find a way to get better and while I am not giving medical advice I am happy to answer any questions.
Forgot to add that I am taking a probiotic every day to help rebuild friedly bacteria.
I am posting an update to my original post above that today I received my culture test result and it's no longer positive for enteroccocus. However, just a few days back I started experiencing some urgency so I thought I was having a flare (months after feeling ok), that's what prompted me to go and have the the test done. So the urgency I think it's related to the irritation of the bladder as a result of all the antibacterials that I am still taking. I will continue taking them for a while just to make sure that this horrible bacteria doesn't return. I read that it has the ability to " hide" deep into the bladder tissue waiting for when the environment is favorable to start attacking again. I will start adding herbs that help reconstruct the bladder wall like marshmallow root, etc.
TINA- How is your progress? Were you able to fully kick the bacteria to the curb? I'm in the early stages..
Did you ever rid yourself of Enterococcus faecalis ? I need help.
I too am still struggling after having enteroccucus faecalis... took 3 antibiotics. Tests shows negative results but im left with urgency and burning. Im taking marshmallow tea, monolaurin (from coconut), and lots of water. After i go to the bathroom I get an immediate urge like I need to go again. Sounds like TINA'S approach might have worked and we have to be patient... its hard. Im going to start oil of oregano again. Hoping its not IC - but I've read people can heal from it. You just have to be more cautious. Thoughts?
Are you using condoms? I'm finding a link between using condoms and getting UTIs, I've read that most lubricated condoms have spermacide on them which can cause e. coli to grow more easily and can set off your normal flora. I'm also noticing that everytime I get a uti that I'm also constipated, which will also cause a UTI. i wish i had known this years ago. I hope this helps. best!
Hi there,
My situation is similar to yours, reoccurring UTI's after sex and endless rounds of antibiotics. I had a scan of the bladder and kidneys to ensure no stones / blockages and bladder emptied correctly. I became resistant to 2 common antibiotics and only Keflex worked. d'mannose to ease symptoms.
After talking with friend who had another friend going through the same thing, she said the other couple had started using condoms and she was no longer getting UTI's. Well, thankfully this worked for me. As long as we use condoms I do not get UTI's anymore. While I am thankful to be out of that loop of pain & antibiotics & stress, ultimately my boyfriend and I would like to not use condoms.
Could be worth mentioning i am possibly perimenopausal, he has had a vasectomy and we are both scrupulous about hygiene and hair removal to ensure the e-coli is not coming from the anal area. Yes, my urine culture came back showing E-coli.
I'd like to know if anyone else out there had had this experience with UTI's. Ie, Condoms actually preventing the infection? My bf is negative for all STDs. Next step is to try and get a private semen analysis and urethral swab to rule out any bacterial infections.
Hi there,
My situation is similar to yours, reoccurring UTI's after sex and endless rounds of antibiotics. I had a scan of the bladder and kidneys to ensure no stones / blockages and bladder emptied correctly. I became resistant to 2 common antibiotics and only Keflex worked. d'mannose to ease symptoms.
After talking with friend who had another friend going through the same thing, she said the other couple had started using condoms and she was no longer getting UTI's. Well, thankfully this worked for me. As long as we use condoms I do not get UTI's anymore. While I am thankful to be out of that loop of pain & antibiotics & stress, ultimately my boyfriend and I would like to not use condoms.
Could be worth mentioning i am possibly perimenopausal, he has had a vasectomy and we are both scrupulous about hygiene and hair removal to ensure the e-coli is not coming from the anal area. Yes, my urine culture came back showing E-coli.
I'd like to know if anyone else out there had had this experience with UTI's. Ie, Condoms actually preventing the infection? My bf is negative for all STDs. Next step is to try and get a private semen analysis and urethral swab to rule out any bacterial infections.
hi there,
I've just seen your post and funnily enough I'm the opposite. Condoms are preventing my UTI's. I wonder if this is unusual. Ours do not have any spermacide on them. We do use a natural water based organic lube with and without condoms, so that's not been an issue. I'm definitely trigged by something in my partner.
Hi there, I have found this forum today and I think I might be able to help you out I know its been months, I'm not sure if you still have problems or if any other person sees this that it can help you or someone you know out
This bacteria is Gram -Positive
You Can have a UTI and not show on the UTI test kit for nitrates in your urine.
It also can thrive in an alkaline ph . It builds a biofilm around it to protect itself
Coconut Oil breaks down Biofilm
Herbs that kill it: Holy Basil
it seems you keep being reinfected because friction (sex)
will break it down in the bladder and alert the immune system that you have caught something when all long it never left, you just got rid of it of some of the bacteria, your immune system thought it was gone but it was not.
I'm curious where u fill your antibiotics? Is it walgreen's by chance?
you might want to try good old fashioned penecillin. macrobid and penecillin are the only things that work for me. amoxicillin has never worked for me and doctors have told "its the same thing from the same family" and I say "I don't care if amoxicillin gave birth to penecillin...it doesn't work.
I have had the worst time with urinary infections. I just went to the doctor on 2 days ago and she wouldn't treat me because I have began to self treat and it ruins my urine cultures but I feel like I have to self treat because if I don't I get VERY ILL. If its a standard uti with the burning and clenching at the end then macrobid works but now after chronic infections it immediately gets nasty and goes to my bladder or worse....and need penecillin. I went in 2 weeks ago and got macrobid and it helped but I didn't feel like it was completely gone so sure enough 2 weeks later its back so I took 1 macrobid I had left in morning and went in that day. They want to blame me for it not going away for self treating but clearly I wouldn't be doing that if the infection would clear up. They have sent my urine to see if bacteria grows a couple of times and it always comes back ok? Last fall I went in right after my period because something didn't feel right and my urine was fine so I go home....it gets worse...I self treat but doesn't go away.....I wait until I'm super sick to go in.....sure enough...infection...get macrobid....uti symptoms go away....BUT my body was still sick. I sat in the chair all day and didn't have an ounce of energy and when I would get up to do the bare minimum my heart would race, my body felt heavy, and my head would pound. It was scary and awful and it took months to feel normal again so I don't care what they think, I will do whatever it takes to avoid that situation again. I'm trying to figure out why they can't catch the infection before I'm so sick AND why the antibiotics aren't working. And its NOT from self treating because I didn't start that until I realized I was on a roller coaster and every time I would go in they say its fine when I know its not. I read on a blog that you can ask your doctors office to order these particular uti tests to help track the bacteria and insurance will pay for them. I also had a nurse practitioner say it sounded like pid but I don't have std and I let them waste time testing anyway. So if it is that then how did I get it? Sex has also triggered my symptoms but after 25 years together were not exactly goin at it. My period seems to trigger symptoms. I had my son at 20 and had an episiotomy. I remember healing for a long time and I also remember wiping in the bathroom and a finding a piece of feces and not being sure exactly where it came from if u know what I mean? After I struggled with constant yeast and bv infections. it really affected me and my sex life due to confidence. Then in my thirties I started using a lactic acid vaginal wash and using rephresh gel after sex to keep my bacteria straight and I was confident and fresh, having the best sex of my life. Then I started having stomach problems including an ulcer and chronic constipation. My doctor blamed my constipation on a medication but I have been taking it for 10 years so why would it suddenly cause this? Several days past and I didn't realize I hadn't had a bowel movement and it was horrible. I had to call into work, I couldn't sit down, pacing back and forth fighting through cramps and thought I was gonna pass out when I finally went!! This was around the same time I started with these uti infections. I'm wondering if I have a rectocele somewhere allowing bacteria where it doesn't belong? I also just put together that about 10 years ago I had chronic sinusitis and took antibiotics for a year straight before having surgery.....and I had just started filling scripts at walgreen's because our town had just got our first store and I quit filling my penecillin there and went back to shopko because walgreen's crap wouldn't work. Since I moved here I filled my scripts at 5he nearest pharmacy which is walgreen's and forgot all about it until recently. My first script for macrobid was actual macrobid, then I started getting the generic and I noticed a big difference and I told the doctor, so keep that in mind? I plan on switching to a hometown pharmacy to find out. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome 🙏
hi Belle, i too had an infection (enterococcus faecalis). Took antibiotics after that and tested again after 11 days (sperm examination) which came out to be clean meaning that i would be fine but it left me with something i can describe as abdominal pain or even lower than the abdomen which i speculate must be the bladder. This area under my stomach is swelled and for more than 1.5 - 2 months and the pain doesn't go away. Did you have any symptoms like swelling under the abdomen or so ?
Thanks a lot.
what is interface? could you please sent me a picture of it?
I have a very complicated UTI since years now. Like most of you, it started as a "honeymoon cystitis" as they call it but now I dont think it's any more related to just sex. I am resistant to all oral antibiotics except one, but somehow that doesn't clear the infection. So every bout of UTI i get, i have to be put on iv antibiotics. 7 days of iv antibiotics seemed to work.
So I was just managing ok until summer 2020 when i had another bout. A number of oral antibiotics were given by doctor this time, nothing worked so finally had 7 days iv infusion but this time my infection came back just 10 days after completing my iv antibiotics course. This was in october 2020. I was so fed up by now. I had all UTI symptoms - frequency, urge, stinging and burning but no fever so i started living with symptoms and decided against any more antibiotics. The culture was still positive with multi drug resistant bacteria Klebsiella pnemoniae. I continued taking cranberry tablets, D-mannose and Hiprex but nothing seemed to help. I cut down on sugar and tea, i dont drink alcohol neither smoke but nothing seemed to help. Then in December 2020 my infection escalated to kidneys. i became very poorly with very high fever, headache, body ache etc and was admitted in the hospital and once again put on iv antibiotics. This time for 14 days as 7 days hadn't worked last time. i felt better although not 100% but life seemed to be in a bit of a control. Also i would like to mention the horrible thrush i get after getting iv antibiotics is a story for another day. In the meantime my doctor booked me for rigid cystoscopy under general anaesthesia as he would be dilating my urethra and also taking a biopsy of my bladder. The cystoscopy took place 10 days ago. I was given iv antibiotics just before the procedure as a prevention (cystoscopy can trigger a UTI) and also given oral antibiotics to take home for 5 days. Now post procedure my UTI symptoms are back- frequency, urge, stinging and burning sensation and i am back to the square one. The biopsy results are awaited. The bladder tissue culture grew Enterococcus (first time ever since i had UTI) and seems like i will be again put on another bunch of antibiotics. i am so desperate to get better. i am so sick of being sick all the time. Also the urologist said my bladder lining was all red and inflamed but he never said it could be interstitial cystitis because he says we diagnose IC only if we do not find any other cause. In my case they say it's the bacteria but my gut feeling is that it's both IC and bacteria. I have the symptoms even when i am clear of infection so it has to be IC. Any thing that has worked for any one to get relief from the symptoms?
hi tina,
hope you are well.
I was diagnosed 4 months ago with enterococcus spp. uti. did you manage to treat it, as I was on 3 course of antibiotics already.
thanks!!
Winifred, dud they do a urine culture to rule put bacteria bcs thats what seems to be Belle's problem?
also, I'm interested to know what meds were your instills, ?
Elizabeth, what probiotics? thanks.xx