My Experience With Chronic UTIs - Closeup of backside of model in brown panties holding a UTI Supplement

My Experience With Chronic UTIs

 Words By: Michelle Sabado (she/her) @zerowastesunflower

 

I’m working my first of three night shifts as a nurse when I have to run to the restroom. I make it just in time, but my urethra is already burning while I pee. The pain is a 10/10. I wipe, but thankfully there isn’t any blood on the tissue yet.

 

Another UTI.  

 

I’ll have to go to urgent care in the morning to get antibiotics. I’ll just have to drink lots of water in the meantime and bear the pain while I pee. This time, I have bladder spasms and even though they are more of a discomfort than a pain, they are constant and annoying AF.  

 

By the end of my shift, I’m bleeding when I pee. This means the infection has reached my kidneys. Pyelonephritis. Not good. But I’ve caught the infection in time so the oral antibiotics will still work for me.  I have developed pyelonephritis several times over the years. When you don’t treat a UTI with pyelonephritis, you can develop acute or chronic kidney disease or even kidney failure. The infection travels into your bloodstream and it can affect your other vital organs. This requires hospital care and IV antibiotics. As a nurse, trust me, you don’t want this to happen! 

 

Read More: What Causes UTIs?

 

I got my first UTI in college during my freshman year. I’m 28 now and I’ve had at least one UTI every year since then. I’ve made all the lifestyle changes possible, but they still occur every year.  When I got my first UTI, I wasn’t sure what it was. I was experiencing burning with urination and an urgency to pee. I visited my university’s clinic and saw the nurse practitioner. Thank goodness for her great care! I had to pee in a specimen cup for a urine analysis and was prescribed antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) and phenazophyridine which alleviates pain, discomfort, and burning in the urinary tract. I’m not sure what caused my first UTI exactly, but the nurse practitioner advised me to wash down there with only water or a gentle soap such as Ivory. Scented bath products can cause irritation to the urinary tract. She also emphasized that the female anatomy contributes to frequent UTIs because the female urethra is shorter than the male urethra and the urethral opening is close to the anus where UTI-causing bacteria can be found. 

  

As I’ve gotten older, managing my health has become more and more of a priority. Managing my vaginal health goes hand in hand with managing my mental health. I suffer from anxiety and having a UTI is so debilitating. After ten years of having chronic UTIs, I decided I needed to add another step to my routine for UTI prevention. That’s when I found Momotaro Apotheca.  

 

Address infection at the source naturally: Shop The UTI Supplement

 

Momotaro Apotheca is unique in that they have several organic, plant-based, and cruelty-free products to help you manage your vaginal health and sexual wellness. Their products are gentle enough to use every day. They have topical and ingestible supplements to fit your body’s needs. They have a salve, probiotic, suppository, tonic, and even body oils, in addition to the supplement.

 

We spend so much money on skincare, so why shouldn’t we invest in our vaginas just like we do our faces?  

 

Momotaro Apotheca is also unique in that they donate a portion of their proceeds to nonprofits and charities that support women and their sexual health.  

 

Read More: Philanthropy & The Organizations We Support

 

I have only tried their UTI Supplement, but I can attest that it has helped me, both in the prevention and treatment of my UTIs. I’m not that great at sticking to a daily routine, but when I took the Supplement every day, I was UTI free for 2 months. I fell off the wagon when life got busy, but I jumped right back on as soon as the next UTI came.  

 

The star ingredients in the Supplement include Uva Ursi and Marshmallow Root, Oregon Grape, Cranberry Fruit, and D-Mannose. Instead of being an antibiotic, the ingredients of the UTI Supplement carry out the bacteria through urination. It prevents UTIs from occurring by having antimicrobial properties and prevents bad bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder.  

 

Read More: D-mannose and Cranberries for UTIs?

 

I wasn’t brave enough to treat my UTI with just The Supplement instead of antibiotics, but I do think I’ll try it the next time around, especially if I’m working and it’s the middle of the night. It’s been about a week since I finished my antibiotic course, but I was still experiencing discomfort. Taking the Supplement cleared it up right away.  

 

For prevention, I just take 1 capsule a day. If you have a UTI, Momotaro recommends taking 2 capsules 2-3 times a day. I’ll be carrying the UTI Supplement with me everywhere from now on. I also want to add Momotaro’s Probiotic into my daily routine. Hopefully, with Momotaro Apotheca’s products, I’ll have a happier vagina in 2023.  

  

Here are some of the lifestyle changes I have adopted to prevent UTIs: 

  1. Drinking lots of water throughout the day. 
  2. Wearing only cotton or bamboo underwear. 
  3. Avoiding thongs and g-strings.  
  4. Avoiding skin tight clothing, especially made with synthetic material. 
  5. Changing out of sweaty clothing as soon as possible.  
  6. Using only water to wash down there.  
  7. Peeing before and after sex.  
  8. Showering after sex.
  9. Wiping from front to back. 
  10. Stopped holding my pee. This is a constant struggle when I’m working, but I’m improving on it.  
  11. Avoiding scented products like soaps, pads, and tampons. 
  12. Eating foods with probiotics such as yogurt.  
  13. Managing my stress better as stress can weaken your immune system and put you at risk for developing UTIs. 


And here are some other important tips for you:  

    1. Finish your entire course of antibiotics and take your doses on time.  
    2. Take a cranberry-based supplement, such as Momotaro Apotheca’s UTI Supplement.  
    3. Take a probiotic made especially for the prevention of UTIs, such as Momotaro Apotheca’s Probiotic.  
    4. Visit your primary care physician annually and have labs drawn to check your kidney function.  
    5. If you get chronic UTIs, have your doctor order refills of antibiotics so you can just have them refilled at the pharmacy when you need them again.

     

     

    Meet The Author

     Michelle Sabado has been a nurse for 6 years. She is currently studying for her Masters in Nursing Informatics. She loves talking about sustainability, clean beauty, slow fashion, and small businesses on her socials @zerowastesunflower. You can subscribe to her blog at michelledana.substack.com. She has lived in sunny south Florida her entire life. She enjoys playing tennis, bumming it at the beach, reading, and writing poetry. You can also read her writing on Collective World. She hopes to publish her first poetry collection soon. She is eternally grateful to Momotaro Apotheca for helping her stay UTI-free! 

     

     

    Further Reading:

    Questions About UTIs You're Too Afraid to Ask

    Comparing 3 Common Vaginal Issues

    How to Prevent Vaginal Infections by Tara Michaela

    5 Best Vitamins for Vaginal Health

     

     

     

    Momotaro Apotheca and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. 
All material on Momotaro Apotheca is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition.

     

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