I know it’s long but it’s worth the read.
To my fellow frustrated catheter users -
My name is Francesca and I've had M.S. for 30 years. I started using a foley in ‘01. For the first 6 yrs I did fine, using an 18Fr and changing it once a month, no clogging or bladder infections. Well, sometime in '07 that all changed. I started having frequent bladder infections and constant clogging from sediment. I tried irrigating, drinking more water (already drinking 100 oz/day), graduating to a 24Fr, D-Mannose and cranberry pills, and eventually taking a daily Macrobid to prevent infections. None of these helped. It got to the point where I was getting a bladder infection every 2 or 3 months...even though I was literally living on antibiotics. And I felt like I was losing my mind with having to change my clogged catheter sometimes after just 2 days.
My doctors were not helpful. The thought of living on antibiotics for the rest of my life scared the heck out of me. I also felt I was becoming resistant to Cipro and Levaquin, having been on them so many times.
Fast forward to June 2012. I developed a severe bladder infection, landing me in the hospital for 11 days. The culprit bacteria was MRSA, a dangerous "superbug." I didn't know it then but this turned out to be my 'blessing in disguise'. A friend mentioned my MRSA infection to her friend, Dr. Fred Bisci, a wonderful holistic doctor. I'm giving Dr. Bisci a plug here because if not for him I would still be suffering with bladder infections and clogged catheters. He said I should look into ionic silver (a natural antibiotic), specifically www.silver100.com.
I checked it out and decided to try it. I spoke with the chemist who developed the product to ask if I could safely take it daily for the rest of my life. He said it is totally harmless, all natural, and 100 times more powerful than any pharmaceutical antibiotic. This obviously sounded too good to be true but I was so tired of infections and disappointments after trying “remedies” that didn't help, that I bought a bottle of ionic silver. Shortly after, I happened to see my urologist. I asked if he had ever heard about ionic silver. He said, "No, but at the hospital we use silver coated catheters because silver is known to have antibiotic properties." Hmm, would have been nice if I knew this 11 years ago… I never even heard of silver coated catheters before. Anyway, I realized I might be on to something so I looked into 'silver catheters'. There is a lot of research showing that using silver catheters reduces the incidence of bladder infections.
So I bought a few and started using them and taking ionic silver. Not only have I been free of bladder infections (my urine is always clear now and I’ve not been taking antibiotics), but my clogging problem is almost totally gone. I still see some sediment so I'm not sure if it is a lesser amount or if the silver coating is preventing it from sticking. Either way, I am feeling so much better, I can't believe it. If I feel like my flow is slowing down (rarely) I just irrigate with sterile water. I now sleep comfortably, without worrying if I'll make it through the night...what a relief.
For anyone who would like to research or try what I've been doing here's the info you'll need:
**Please understand I am not promoting any product or website and there are no clinical trials verifying the safety or efficacy of ionic silver. I'm simply letting you know what I'm doing...
CATHETERS - 24Fr Bard silver coated catheters ($12.95 ea.) which I buy here:
I am on Medicare, and they provide me with 2 silver catheters/month, which is plenty. I buy some myself because I like to keep extras on hand. They are pretty expensive but worth every penny.
IONIC SILVER - Because I trust Dr. Bisci I use the brand he recommended, Invision. You can research it here: but don't buy it from that site. You can get it much cheaper ($28.00) here: I use the recommended dose (1 drop/10 lbs. of body weight) once a day. I'm about 130 lbs. One bottle lasts about 2-1/2 months. I recently had surgery, so for 10 days post-surgery I took 2 doses/day. If you are going to purchase through Vitacost you may want to join . You will get 6% cash back when you link to Vitacost through Ebates.
WATER - I drink about 4 liters (140 oz.) per day, almost half within 4 hrs of going to bed. I also keep a bottle on my nightstand.
Here is my email:. I would like to ask anyone who tries this method to let me know if it helps you or not...just a short note. Also feel free to write if you have any comments or questions. I am not sure how soon or frequently I'll be back on this site but my email I check daily. Please put "ionic silver" in the subject.
I hope this helps others. Good luck. .... Francesca.
**Moderators Note: Per MS World rules your email has been removed from this post. You may place your email on your personal page for people to email you. The same holds true for the websites**
To my fellow frustrated catheter users -
My name is Francesca and I've had M.S. for 30 years. I started using a foley in ‘01. For the first 6 yrs I did fine, using an 18Fr and changing it once a month, no clogging or bladder infections. Well, sometime in '07 that all changed. I started having frequent bladder infections and constant clogging from sediment. I tried irrigating, drinking more water (already drinking 100 oz/day), graduating to a 24Fr, D-Mannose and cranberry pills, and eventually taking a daily Macrobid to prevent infections. None of these helped. It got to the point where I was getting a bladder infection every 2 or 3 months...even though I was literally living on antibiotics. And I felt like I was losing my mind with having to change my clogged catheter sometimes after just 2 days.
My doctors were not helpful. The thought of living on antibiotics for the rest of my life scared the heck out of me. I also felt I was becoming resistant to Cipro and Levaquin, having been on them so many times.
Fast forward to June 2012. I developed a severe bladder infection, landing me in the hospital for 11 days. The culprit bacteria was MRSA, a dangerous "superbug." I didn't know it then but this turned out to be my 'blessing in disguise'. A friend mentioned my MRSA infection to her friend, Dr. Fred Bisci, a wonderful holistic doctor. I'm giving Dr. Bisci a plug here because if not for him I would still be suffering with bladder infections and clogged catheters. He said I should look into ionic silver (a natural antibiotic), specifically www.silver100.com.
I checked it out and decided to try it. I spoke with the chemist who developed the product to ask if I could safely take it daily for the rest of my life. He said it is totally harmless, all natural, and 100 times more powerful than any pharmaceutical antibiotic. This obviously sounded too good to be true but I was so tired of infections and disappointments after trying “remedies” that didn't help, that I bought a bottle of ionic silver. Shortly after, I happened to see my urologist. I asked if he had ever heard about ionic silver. He said, "No, but at the hospital we use silver coated catheters because silver is known to have antibiotic properties." Hmm, would have been nice if I knew this 11 years ago… I never even heard of silver coated catheters before. Anyway, I realized I might be on to something so I looked into 'silver catheters'. There is a lot of research showing that using silver catheters reduces the incidence of bladder infections.
So I bought a few and started using them and taking ionic silver. Not only have I been free of bladder infections (my urine is always clear now and I’ve not been taking antibiotics), but my clogging problem is almost totally gone. I still see some sediment so I'm not sure if it is a lesser amount or if the silver coating is preventing it from sticking. Either way, I am feeling so much better, I can't believe it. If I feel like my flow is slowing down (rarely) I just irrigate with sterile water. I now sleep comfortably, without worrying if I'll make it through the night...what a relief.
For anyone who would like to research or try what I've been doing here's the info you'll need:
**Please understand I am not promoting any product or website and there are no clinical trials verifying the safety or efficacy of ionic silver. I'm simply letting you know what I'm doing...
CATHETERS - 24Fr Bard silver coated catheters ($12.95 ea.) which I buy here:
I am on Medicare, and they provide me with 2 silver catheters/month, which is plenty. I buy some myself because I like to keep extras on hand. They are pretty expensive but worth every penny.
IONIC SILVER - Because I trust Dr. Bisci I use the brand he recommended, Invision. You can research it here: but don't buy it from that site. You can get it much cheaper ($28.00) here: I use the recommended dose (1 drop/10 lbs. of body weight) once a day. I'm about 130 lbs. One bottle lasts about 2-1/2 months. I recently had surgery, so for 10 days post-surgery I took 2 doses/day. If you are going to purchase through Vitacost you may want to join . You will get 6% cash back when you link to Vitacost through Ebates.
WATER - I drink about 4 liters (140 oz.) per day, almost half within 4 hrs of going to bed. I also keep a bottle on my nightstand.
Here is my email:. I would like to ask anyone who tries this method to let me know if it helps you or not...just a short note. Also feel free to write if you have any comments or questions. I am not sure how soon or frequently I'll be back on this site but my email I check daily. Please put "ionic silver" in the subject.
I hope this helps others. Good luck. .... Francesca.
**Moderators Note: Per MS World rules your email has been removed from this post. You may place your email on your personal page for people to email you. The same holds true for the websites**