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    Safe soap for recurring UTI's.

    I always thought Dial soap was supposed to be the safest soap for women. I keep getting these UTI's and am now wondering if Dial might be causing them. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
    Marti




    The only cure for insomnia is to get more sleep.

    #2
    I don’t think it is the dial soap. Have you seen a urologist to rule out the possibility you are retaining urine. If you are not emptying completely the bacteria in the urine double every half hour. This can be serious. It is also easily remedied by cathing.

    Bummer! I wrote you a detailed story on everything I learned from my journey and it disappeared.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by palmtree View Post
      I don’t think it is the dial soap. Have you seen a urologist to rule out the possibility you are retaining urine. If you are not emptying completely the bacteria in the urine double every half hour. This can be serious. It is also easily remedied by cathing.

      Bummer! I wrote you a detailed story on everything I learned from my journey and it disappeared.
      Thanks. I've had several urine labs which show blood in the urine, with and without infection. Then we went on to an ultrasound which shows tiny calculi in both kidneys. I am on the schedule for a urologist next month. But in the meantime I'm pretty sure I have a new infection.. again. I'd be glad to read your story. Thanks again.
      Marti




      The only cure for insomnia is to get more sleep.

      Comment


        #4
        Hi marti,
        I am surprised to hear that soap is causing you to have recurring UTI's . My urologist found that I was retaining urine in my bladder, which would cause my recurring UTI's . I haven't completely stopped the UTI problem, but I drink a glass of 100% cranberry juice with 2000 mg or 3000 mg powdered Vitamin C, daily stirred in. That seems to worked for me ! Check this solution with your doctor . Good luck !

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by marti View Post
          I always thought Dial soap was supposed to be the safest soap for women. I keep getting these UTI's and am now wondering if Dial might be causing them. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
          marti

          I don't know anything about Dial soap causing UTI's, either.

          To help prevent UTI, I use pure Vitamin C powder, stirred in water (1 scoop is 1000 mg).

          This is supposed to acidify the urine, which helps to prevent the growth of some types of bacteria.

          Take Care
          PPMS for 26 years (dx 1998)
          ~ Worrying will not take away tomorrow's troubles ~ But it will take away today's peace. ~

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by JerryD View Post
            Hi marti,
            I am surprised to hear that soap is causing you to have recurring UTI's . My urologist found that I was retaining urine in my bladder, which would cause my recurring UTI's . I haven't completely stopped the UTI problem, but I drink a glass of 100% cranberry juice with 2000 mg or 3000 mg powdered Vitamin C, daily stirred in. That seems to worked for me ! Check this solution with your doctor . Good luck !
            I don't know that soap has anything to do with it either. I just keep remembering the thing about baby powder causing cancer (I think) and had a thought that maybe soap coming in contact with strategic areas might be a problem. Pulling at strings. Thanks.
            Marti




            The only cure for insomnia is to get more sleep.

            Comment


              #7
              Summary of my story:

              Was getting infections. Went to Urologist. Said I was retaining urine. Had to measure every little bit of liquid that I drank and measure my pee for two weeks. Tried double voiding. Was sent to physical therapy(a very humiliating experience). Took those pills for men. Appointment after appointment.

              Finally came the big test. I can’t remember the name of it but it is when the urologist looks inside your bladder. He had me pee before so it would be empty. Then he went to drain the rest out into a 750ml container. It filled up and it kept going and going all over him all over the floor. He screamed to his nurse “help!”. The total that came out was three liters. Normal is 250ml.

              What he saw inside my bladder was that it had been stretched out to the point of almost breaking. He yelled at the nurse, “teach her to self cath right now!” It was a hassle but a tremendous relief to be able to get all the urine out. It was also very empowering.

              But I was still getting constant infections. So the doc put me on 50mg of macrobid a day. Without his blessing-only because I saw the ads on TV about catheters- I learned that I had the right to demand sterile single use catheters. It was a major fight but I did it. It was also tricky finding the right catheter. Most of them have ragged edges.

              About 5 years later the infections started again. Right now I take methanimine and 1000mg time release twice a day. That seems to work pretty well because it changes the PH in the urine so infections can’t thrive.

              That is good you are going to a urologist. It sounds like there might be something serious going on.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by palmtree View Post
                Summary of my story:

                Was getting infections. Went to Urologist. Said I was retaining urine. Had to measure every little bit of liquid that I drank and measure my pee for two weeks. Tried double voiding. Was sent to physical therapy(a very humiliating experience). Took those pills for men. Appointment after appointment.

                Finally came the big test. I can’t remember the name of it but it is when the urologist looks inside your bladder. He had me pee before so it would be empty. Then he went to drain the rest out into a 750ml container. It filled up and it kept going and going all over him all over the floor. He screamed to his nurse “help!”. The total that came out was three liters. Normal is 250ml.

                What he saw inside my bladder was that it had been stretched out to the point of almost breaking. He yelled at the nurse, “teach her to self cath right now!” It was a hassle but a tremendous relief to be able to get all the urine out. It was also very empowering.

                But I was still getting constant infections. So the doc put me on 50mg of macrobid a day. Without his blessing-only because I saw the ads on TV about catheters- I learned that I had the right to demand sterile single use catheters. It was a major fight but I did it. It was also tricky finding the right catheter. Most of them have ragged edges.

                About 5 years later the infections started again. Right now I take methanimine and 1000mg time release twice a day. That seems to work pretty well because it changes the PH in the urine so infections can’t thrive.

                That is good you are going to a urologist. It sounds like there might be something serious going on.
                Wow, bet that doctor never assumed again how much urine someone was retaining. Once I went by ambulance for an SVT (supraventicular tachycardia) attack that I wasn't able to get under control at home. Once at the ER, they had IVs in both arms and I kept telling the nurse I really
                needed to pee. Finally, somebody decided to do a straight cath and I had one of those overflow that surprised the cath nurse. They didn't get another holder in time, and somebody had to
                call for "clean up" in ER bed 4.

                As far as UTIs, there's nothing I've tried that works forever. I've had a year with no UTIs only to be followed with a year of back to back UTIs with nothing having changed as far as my UTI prevention.

                I've used cranberry (pills, and straight unsweetened juice), d-mannose, vitamin C (1 gram at a time), Methenamine Hippurate, cathing (told by one doctor that cathing would control them) then told by a neuro-urologist, at a top university, that the reason we (us "cathers") we're getting UTIs is because we cath, LOL. Trying to play the "blame the patient" game. There are plenty of those kind of doctors, some are more subtle in their blame, most blame game doctors ease up once you get a diagnosis.

                I've monitored my urine and made sure the PH was 5 all day. From going to my urologist for years, I know on my flow meter, I pee about 250 ml of urine and retain about 250 ml. Nothing we've tried changed that, including Flomax (a man's prostate drug) Doxasosin, which is used for HBP and for prostate issue (all I'll say about that med is I would have gone broke from buying pads...there was absolutely no control, every step and I'd fill a pad) and after whittling the dose down to 1/4 of a pill and still having the effect, it went in the trash bin of urological meds.

                Not meaning to be a downer, just saying, if you find a combo that works for you, stick with it and maybe it'll work for you, so hang on to it.

                But if the one regimen you're on quits working, there are plenty others to try...or maybe you'll be blessed and never have one for a year...just go with the flow (awful pun.)

                I'm off to my GP tomorrow because I got a UTI on the weekend, went to my favorite walk in. They ran the culture and called me back to say I need to change meds (even though I've had some relief, it's not the right med.) So I'll go to my GP with the report from the lab, and let her pick another antibiotic that works. I've been on lots on antibiotics this summer ( pneumonia issues) and she'll know better what to pick.

                Most important advice, make sure you don't self medicate before you get to the urologist. Taking an extra antibiotic you might have hanging around from your last UTI will ease the pain, but it'll throw off your culture results to know which med to treat you with for this UTI. Try not to use AZO before the dr. visit, otherwise they won't be able to read a strip ( and they can run a culture even though you've had AZO, but its just easier to deal with the burn until you give a specimen to the med office, then take the AZO) You can buy the strips to test your urine, just like the doctors, but there are pros and cons, and unless it's a constant problem probably a waste of $$$ because you open them they start to degrade and have a short shelf life.

                Hang in there all you MS UTI folks...it is estimated that of the people with MS, 80% have bladder issues...we're not alone.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I like that when you said we cath to avoid UTIs and then we cath and they say we got UTIs because we cath. Both are true. Maybe a better answer would be we got UTIs because we have MS.

                  There is another very important reason to cath. If urine is retained it can back up into the kidneys gradually destroying them. When I learned that, I cath!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I started having UTIs when I was 4 years old. I spent most of my childhood seeing Urologist and on medication once a month. I had one Urologist that would cath me after voiding (once a month) and I always had residual urine...retention.

                    To this day I still have retention and I have never self-cathed. It's been 54 years of dealing with retention and my kidneys are just fine.

                    Retention means there is residual urine that just sits there collecting bacteria. Making sure a person is drinking plenty of fluids, especially water helps flush the Urinary Tract. Soda/pop is not helpful if a person deals with UTIs and/or retention and is not good for the kidneys. When MS is causing UTIs and retention it is more complicated and not as easy to deal with.

                    rdmc, I had been going in quite a bit for what I thought was a UTI and it always (most of the time) came back negative. The pain I was experiencing was very real but no infection.

                    I had used cranberry in the past with no help with UTIs but I thought I would give it a try again. Cranberry helped. What I believe might be happening is something is causing irritation and cranberry seems to calm the irritation down.
                    Diagnosed 1984
                    “Lightworkers aren’t here to avoid the darkness…they are here to transform the darkness through the illuminating power of love.” Muses from a mystic

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by marti View Post
                      I always thought Dial soap was supposed to be the safest soap for women. I keep getting these UTI's and am now wondering if Dial might be causing them. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
                      I'm going to disagree with most people here and suggest that, yes, soap could be contributing to your UTI's.

                      Try and bathing with just water / no soap -- consider an Epsom salt bath, or a baking soda bath. Epsom salts are detoxifying and relaxing They provide magnesium for your body. Baking soda can help remove odor, bacteria and toxicity.

                      If you feel a need to use soap, maybe an all natural, unscented liquid Castile soap. Available at health food stores and on Amazon, if you can't find it otherwise.

                      A preventative that you could add to your routine is to take one daily dose of a D-Mannose supplement . Also available at health food store or Amazon. In capsule or powder form. Cranberry has also been said to be an effective preventative, but I haven't found it to be effective for me.

                      If you suspect that urinary retention might be your issue, I've read that, to encourage urination, place a few drops of peppermint essential oil into your toilet water. The vapor from the oil will contact the perineum to increase urine flow. Don’t apply essential oils directly to the skin without diluting.
                      ~ Faith
                      MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                      (now a Mimibug)

                      Symptoms began in JAN02
                      - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                      - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                      .

                      - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                      - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Mamabug View Post
                        I'm going to disagree with most people here and suggest that, yes, soap could be contributing to your UTI's.

                        Try and bathing with just water / no soap -- consider an Epsom salt bath, or a baking soda bath. Epsom salts are detoxifying and relaxing They provide magnesium for your body. Baking soda can help remove odor, bacteria and toxicity.

                        If you feel a need to use soap, maybe an all natural, unscented liquid Castile soap. Available at health food stores and on Amazon, if you can't find it otherwise.

                        A preventative that you could add to your routine is to take one daily dose of a D-Mannose supplement . Also available at health food store or Amazon. In capsule or powder form. Cranberry has also been said to be an effective preventative, but I haven't found it to be effective for me.

                        If you suspect that urinary retention might be your issue, I've read that, to encourage urination, place a few drops of peppermint essential oil into your toilet water. The vapor from the oil will contact the perineum to increase urine flow. Don’t apply essential oils directly to the skin without diluting.


                        Thanks so much Mama. Lots of good advice. Things I should have thought of myself. You are a wealth of information! I am on another round of antibiotics and will be tested again before I see the urologist on Aug 6th.
                        Marti




                        The only cure for insomnia is to get more sleep.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by marti View Post
                          Thanks so much Mama. Lots of good advice. Things I should have thought of myself. You are a wealth of information! I am on another round of antibiotics and will be tested again before I see the urologist on Aug 6th.
                          You're welcome, for the information.

                          Some of what I know, I learned here.

                          I've also made connections with various people in the natural health arenas, as I've pursued answers and health for myself.

                          And, there's always Google - lol. If I look for reliable sources, the internet can be a good place for information.
                          Last edited by Mamabug; 07-29-2019, 02:43 PM.
                          ~ Faith
                          MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                          (now a Mimibug)

                          Symptoms began in JAN02
                          - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                          - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                          .

                          - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                          - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by marti View Post
                            I always thought Dial soap was supposed to be the safest soap for women....
                            Dial? I always thought that was harsh. I have no experience with UTIs, but dermatologists recommend Dove, Cetaphil, or Neutrogena for facial cleansing. Maybe an "extra gentle" unscented version of one of those?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I never take a bath, always shower. I suffered with UTI's for years, pre and post MS. I saw a urologist early on and he said Macrodantin wasn't curing the infection. So I'd always ask for Cipro. Now I have trouble with my achilles tendon (years of Cipro for UTI and Levaquin for sinus infection). That last UTI was a doozy that lasted months. The doc cultured it, and macrodantin ordered up. It cleared the infection. I drank a little 100% cranberry juice daily for years, but now only a few times a week when taking a medicine. I haven't had a UTI for years, even when sitting in hot tub often.
                              Brenda
                              Adversity gives you two choices in life: either let it make you bitter, or let it make you better! I choose the latter.

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