How do you prevent and treat UTIs? 🤔 Preventing and Treating UTI after Spinal Cord Injury - livingablebodied.com/preventing-and-treating-uti-after-spinal-cord-injury/
My recommendation from experience is go to an Infectious Medicine Specialist if you get a bad or a lot of Urinary Infections and have an Indwelling Catheter like I do.My regular Urologist here did the IV Antibiotics and I had a Nurse here to do it but it didn't work and they really didn't know what to do about it after that. So my Grandma made me go to that Infectious Medicine Specialist and he started me on that Methenamine Hippurate and Cranberry and Vitamin C supplements and it saved my Life. But it is something that I need to do for the rest of my Life now because it could happen again.
Good content 👍🏾I've been a C5 C6 incomplete since 1983. One thing that helps me is 2000 mg of vitamin C every day I've had a few bad bladder Infections. They were due to really not drinking water over several days for whatever the reason was. i've been in a wheelchair for 40 years. Water and vitamin C.👍🏾 Good Info keep up the good work.
Another tip for any other quadriplegics with indwelling catheters or SPs when getting scanned for bladder stones. Get a box of 50 to 60 ml catheter tipped syringes and a small bottle of saline solution along with something to clamp your catheter so as not to let anything drain. Heavy duty office paper clips work wonders. Whenever you go to get your sonogram, x-ray, or CT scan you can fill up your bladder with as little as 30 mL of saline solution and clamp it off. The reason for this is because people with indwelling catheters have their bladder collapsed onto the catheter balloon and the machines have trouble discerning where the bladder and balloon are so having your bladder inflated just a little bit creates enough of a gap between the 2 for the imaging people to see if there's stones or trash.
@@masonx54 at some point I've had so many different types of imaging that I started proactively suggesting the CT scan since that seemed to be the one they got the best results with over the years. Heck if you're able to get an MRI that would be even better as long as you don't have any metal objects or implants. A few years after I was hurt I was able to get them to remove the main bullet and some of the shrapnel but there's still some left behind so I can't do MRIs.
I use a catheter valve (Coloplast) this is easy and safe. It attaches onto the catheter and acts as a tap. They are sterile and quick and easy to use. As soon as the scan is over you can release the tap and empty you bladder into a leg bag.
My Urologist did a Cysto with a Camera to check out if I had any problems with my Bladder and they have Irrigated it with Sterile Water many times and clamped it off so you are right about that. I have syringes and sterile water at home to because sometimes my Catheter can get clogged with mucus plugs and I need to be Irrigated. And they will Irrigate me again when I go in to get my Catheter changed next week.
I am sure that you know that this is one of the most helpful Videos you ever made so thanks. I know all this stuff but it helps to know what other people are doing about it and you can help other people who are new to this to maybe get less Infections now.
Other ways: Hiprex 3 x a day with vit C if you catheterize, daily bladder irrigation with 5ml of white vinegar in 100ml of water, saline bladder wash out daily, Microdox bladder wash, a few other ways too it takes tome to find what works for you
I've been an incomplete quad for 18 years. Had an indwelling cath for almost 2 years until I got a suprapubic cath. The supra definitely helped with changes. Used to get terrible bouts of AD from just having it changed. UTIs have been 99.9% of all my dysreflexic problems. In 2012 I went from getting it changed every 4 weeks to 3 weeks with the doc adding Tobramycin bladder washes to help kill off infections. I tend to get bladder stones every 5 to 6 years so I have to get a cystoscopy to clean those out when that's the case. I don't really drink anything other than water. Lots of water LOL. I probably drink anywhere from 4 to 5 of those bottles you keep holding up. I don't normally get sick from UTIs or even basic bladder infections. My dysreflexia is normally the telltale sign I have something going on. Regular urine samples sent in along with CT scans once a year to keep clear of stones help fight infections. And lots and lots of water LOL. I'm a C5 C6 from a gunshot wound to my neck. I don't normally have dysreflexic issues but when I do they tend to be pretty extreme. It would have been nice if early on I could have tried those disposable bags but it was never brought up and at this point given my issues my bladder can't handle the stress of attempting to get used to those. Definitely is a battle but I feel pretty good about current developments in the scientific community. It's kind of under the radar at the moment but you should check out Nervgen Pharma. They're making moves and hopefully within the next few years people like you and I will be able to not have to worry about infections or not being able to use our hands. Glad you're doing well dude. Keep up the good work.
You have been a quadriplegic double the amount of time as me. I have not heard of a cystoscopy. How does it work? I have drank water so much that I can only drink a few sips of pop because it's so sweet. Autonomic dysreflexia is a blessing and a curse. Haha Wow, NervGen Pharma? I haven't heard of that. I hope you are right! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@masonx54 a cystoscopy is when they go up through your wazoo and clean the stones and trash out of your bladder. I tend to have kidney stones which feed into bladder stones and once there's stones in my bladder, infections tend to stick around until they remove the stones. Every once in awhile I might enjoy a Pepsi, hot green tea, or coffee but it's once in a blue moon. I was 3 months into my 20th year when I was injured so it's definitely been a minute LOL
I am on the Vitamin C and Cranberry and I think that it helped me get less Infections. When I get an Infection I get really bad Spasms day and night and that is how I know that something is wrong.They tried to give me a Supapubic Catheter two years ago too for a better quality of life but were not able to do it. Years ago I had to have Bladder Augmentation Surgery because my Bladder spasmed so much the walls got so think that they thought that my Kidneys would fail So because of my Surgery my new Bladder was set too far back to make a Supapubic Catheter work but he tried. So I am stuck with this Foley Catheter now for the rest of my Life.
@@masonx54 You have never had a Cystoscopy yet? I just had another one last year. It is when they go in with a Camera to check out if you have any problems inside your Bladder like polyups.I do really not like having it done because I am laying on an Exam Table with five people there and a Camera stuck inside my Bladder and you are awake. For me it does not hurt at all but is just really awkward. I am sure that they will be doing it for you too because everyone who uses Catheters are at high risk of damage to our Bladders because of the Catheter being there. I guess if they find something early enough they can Treat it better. For me they took out my Foley Catheter and put in the Scope and after they were done they put in a new Catheter. For me it is like they are doing Surgery on me but I am awake because so many people are in the room when they are doing it. You need to tell yourself that they are just doing their Jobs to over the awkward part and to the Doctor and Nurses there it is no big deal to them.
@@Quadsly I just had a Cystocopy last because with my situation I am at a higher risk of damage to my Bladder and I was having Spasms more so they wanted to find out if something was wrong with it now. It is not the greatest thing in the world to have done but they change my Catheter every month so I am used to people working on me. But with that Scope inside me it was like a Car they were working on in the Garage.
Love your ch. Fairly new to it. You gave some very good suggestions that I've heard by my Dr. But why did you direct us to another link for your best way to prevent a UTI? Why not just tell us in THIS vid???
A couple of reasons. I want a dedicated video for that particular way of preventing and treating UTIs, and it also helps with the CZcams algorithm. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Well since yesterday I am back on the antibiotics again. I started to have really terrible Bladder Spasms and my Catheter kept clogging up even after Irrigation. So my Urologist Office made me go to the Emergency room and the person who normally changes my Catheter came there and changed it.They wanted it changed and to get a Sample but in Urology a Doctor needs to be there when they do it and he was not there yesterday so they did it in the Emergency Department by the person who normally changes my Catheter in Urology every month. I never expected to have to do it that way but they wanted it done as fast as possible.
@@masonx54 Thanks. It is only my first day on the Antibiotics but my Bladder Spasms have calmed down so I think that it is starting to work and that is good.They just started me on something because it was so bad and took the Sample and will let me know if it needs to be something different. It kind of sucks because you are doing good and then this happens. But I had to do what my Urologist Office wanted because if you wait too long it will be harder to Treat me and they and I know that. I am sure that you know that it takes a couple of days to know if it is working.
I've been a quad for 33 years. I pretty much stopped having UTIs when I stopped drinking sugary drinks. The excess sugar in your urine provides food for the bacteria. I used to drink tons of cranberry juice and it just did not work. But any form fruit juice has too much sugar in it
Yep you are correct. I'm closing in on 30 years too. I came across the diet cranberry juice with very little sugar. Drink a little in morning and a little before bed....saw significant reduction of utis 🤘
Yeah, I don't recommend drinking cranberry juice because I think it has too much sugar in it like you said. I mainly drink water and milk. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I have a Foley Catheter and I went to an Infectious Medicine Specialist and he put me on METHANAMINE HIPPURATE and I guess that it was what they had before antibiotics and the acid is supposed to fight getting Infections. And he has me take Cranberry like you are holding and probably got at Walmart twice a day and Vitamin C supplements four times a day spaced apart. I had one really bad Urinary Tract Infection where the first course of IV Antibiotics failed and why I need to do this because I am at high risk of Sepsis now and not making it next time. So you can do the Vitamin C supplements thing too with your Cranberry and it will only help you and check it out with your Urologist.
You should ask your infectious disease doctor about Tobramycin bladder wash irrigation. I've been doing it since 2012 and it's made life a hell of a lot better than it was for the first 6 years I was injured.
@@masonx54 Normally I would never share it but maybe I can help someone else with what they did with me. I thought that if you can share stuff like that I guess that I can too if it helps people.
@@masonx54 That is great to try because you are like me with getting Infections and they are making me do everything now to avoid getting bad ones now.I hope that your Doctors know that you are doing this because they would be so Proud of you man. You really Impressed my Urologist and person who does my Cath change when my Oxybutynin wasn't working and you thought that I should try Mrybetriq now or Botox Injections. They agreed with all of it and went he is right about all of that and went with your Professional recommendations and started me on Myrbetriq now and Botox Injections later on if needed. So thanks for your help Doctor Mason.
Good video...but SPCs are way safer than ICing because with an SPC, there is bacteria introduced once a week as opposed to 5 times a day. Insurance companies also do not allow enough catheters...so are they the reason for UTIs? I think so because this means more $$$ to pharmacies and hospitals and doctors. D-Mannose always confused me because they say that's good for the bladder...but anything ending in '-ose' is a sugar...and they say sugars are bad for UTIs. It's sad the world today is so money-oriented as to encourage the sale of something by exploiting someone's lack of a science background. If you know more about D-Mannose...please enlighten me. Because it's a sugar...so why would they promote it?
The human body can't metabolize or store D-mannose. Since the body can't digest/absorb D-mannose, bacteria attaches to the sugar and leaves the bladder when urinating. D‐mannose also creates a non‐stick surface on the bladder wall, as well as around the bacteria. It is thought that the bacteria is then expelled when urinating, thus preventing the growth of bacteria which leads to an infection inside the bladder or urinary tract.
If it's only every other 2 months you should ask your doctor about Tobramycin bladder irrigation. I used to do 3 times a week but now only do it twice a week. Supposedly you could even do it once a week or once every other week. You basically put it up through your catheter using a catheter tipped syringe and clamp it off for 20 to 30 minutes. Kills bacteria and flushes the bladder out. Between 2013 and 2018 I could probably count on one hand how many times I had a bladder infection that caused issues.
My Infectious Medicine Specialist wrote a Prescription for Gatorade and I have to drink it all the time now because you are not supposed to be dehydrated so you are right about that.
When I get my Catheter changed they flush me and I have irrigation supplies at home to do it. My Catheter can get clogged sometimes and need to be irrigated.@@masonx54
How do you prevent and treat UTIs? 🤔
Preventing and Treating UTI after Spinal Cord Injury - livingablebodied.com/preventing-and-treating-uti-after-spinal-cord-injury/
My recommendation from experience is go to an Infectious Medicine Specialist if you get a bad or a lot of Urinary Infections and have an Indwelling Catheter like I do.My regular Urologist here did the IV Antibiotics and I had a Nurse here to do it but it didn't work and they really didn't know what to do about it after that. So my Grandma made me go to that Infectious Medicine Specialist and he started me on that Methenamine Hippurate and Cranberry and Vitamin C supplements and it saved my Life. But it is something that I need to do for the rest of my Life now because it could happen again.
Good content 👍🏾I've been a C5 C6 incomplete since 1983. One thing that helps me is 2000 mg of vitamin C every day I've had a few bad bladder Infections. They were due to really not drinking water over several days for whatever the reason was. i've been in a wheelchair for 40 years. Water and vitamin C.👍🏾 Good Info keep up the good work.
I appreciate you sharing your method! You're a veteran! Thank you for watching and commenting!
My pleasure family if you ever need to ask a question feel free I've got the knowledge and I'm more than willing to pass it along.👍🏾
Another tip for any other quadriplegics with indwelling catheters or SPs when getting scanned for bladder stones. Get a box of 50 to 60 ml catheter tipped syringes and a small bottle of saline solution along with something to clamp your catheter so as not to let anything drain. Heavy duty office paper clips work wonders. Whenever you go to get your sonogram, x-ray, or CT scan you can fill up your bladder with as little as 30 mL of saline solution and clamp it off. The reason for this is because people with indwelling catheters have their bladder collapsed onto the catheter balloon and the machines have trouble discerning where the bladder and balloon are so having your bladder inflated just a little bit creates enough of a gap between the 2 for the imaging people to see if there's stones or trash.
I appreciate you sharing that tip! They always have issues reading my kidney ultrasounds for some reason. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@masonx54 at some point I've had so many different types of imaging that I started proactively suggesting the CT scan since that seemed to be the one they got the best results with over the years. Heck if you're able to get an MRI that would be even better as long as you don't have any metal objects or implants. A few years after I was hurt I was able to get them to remove the main bullet and some of the shrapnel but there's still some left behind so I can't do MRIs.
@Quadsly I have plenty of metal myself. I brought home more hardware than the ball team. Haha
I use a catheter valve (Coloplast) this is easy and safe. It attaches onto the catheter and acts as a tap. They are sterile and quick and easy to use.
As soon as the scan is over you can release the tap and empty you bladder into a leg bag.
My Urologist did a Cysto with a Camera to check out if I had any problems with my Bladder and they have Irrigated it with Sterile Water many times and clamped it off so you are right about that. I have syringes and sterile water at home to because sometimes my Catheter can get clogged with mucus plugs and I need to be Irrigated. And they will Irrigate me again when I go in to get my Catheter changed next week.
I am sure that you know that this is one of the most helpful Videos you ever made so thanks. I know all this stuff but it helps to know what other people are doing about it and you can help other people who are new to this to maybe get less Infections now.
That's my goal, so thank you!
Other ways: Hiprex 3 x a day with vit C if you catheterize, daily bladder irrigation with 5ml of white vinegar in 100ml of water, saline bladder wash out daily, Microdox bladder wash, a few other ways too it takes tome to find what works for you
I appreciate you sharing more ways to prevent UTIs! Thank you for watching and commenting!
Great information Mason, thanks, saving this video
You're welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting!
I've been an incomplete quad for 18 years. Had an indwelling cath for almost 2 years until I got a suprapubic cath. The supra definitely helped with changes. Used to get terrible bouts of AD from just having it changed. UTIs have been 99.9% of all my dysreflexic problems. In 2012 I went from getting it changed every 4 weeks to 3 weeks with the doc adding Tobramycin bladder washes to help kill off infections. I tend to get bladder stones every 5 to 6 years so I have to get a cystoscopy to clean those out when that's the case. I don't really drink anything other than water. Lots of water LOL. I probably drink anywhere from 4 to 5 of those bottles you keep holding up. I don't normally get sick from UTIs or even basic bladder infections. My dysreflexia is normally the telltale sign I have something going on. Regular urine samples sent in along with CT scans once a year to keep clear of stones help fight infections. And lots and lots of water LOL. I'm a C5 C6 from a gunshot wound to my neck. I don't normally have dysreflexic issues but when I do they tend to be pretty extreme. It would have been nice if early on I could have tried those disposable bags but it was never brought up and at this point given my issues my bladder can't handle the stress of attempting to get used to those. Definitely is a battle but I feel pretty good about current developments in the scientific community. It's kind of under the radar at the moment but you should check out Nervgen Pharma. They're making moves and hopefully within the next few years people like you and I will be able to not have to worry about infections or not being able to use our hands. Glad you're doing well dude. Keep up the good work.
You have been a quadriplegic double the amount of time as me. I have not heard of a cystoscopy. How does it work? I have drank water so much that I can only drink a few sips of pop because it's so sweet. Autonomic dysreflexia is a blessing and a curse. Haha Wow, NervGen Pharma? I haven't heard of that. I hope you are right! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@masonx54 a cystoscopy is when they go up through your wazoo and clean the stones and trash out of your bladder. I tend to have kidney stones which feed into bladder stones and once there's stones in my bladder, infections tend to stick around until they remove the stones.
Every once in awhile I might enjoy a Pepsi, hot green tea, or coffee but it's once in a blue moon. I was 3 months into my 20th year when I was injured so it's definitely been a minute LOL
I am on the Vitamin C and Cranberry and I think that it helped me get less Infections. When I get an Infection I get really bad Spasms day and night and that is how I know that something is wrong.They tried to give me a Supapubic Catheter two years ago too for a better quality of life but were not able to do it. Years ago I had to have Bladder Augmentation Surgery because my Bladder spasmed so much the walls got so think that they thought that my Kidneys would fail So because of my Surgery my new Bladder was set too far back to make a Supapubic Catheter work but he tried. So I am stuck with this Foley Catheter now for the rest of my Life.
@@masonx54 You have never had a Cystoscopy yet? I just had another one last year. It is when they go in with a Camera to check out if you have any problems inside your Bladder like polyups.I do really not like having it done because I am laying on an Exam Table with five people there and a Camera stuck inside my Bladder and you are awake. For me it does not hurt at all but is just really awkward. I am sure that they will be doing it for you too because everyone who uses Catheters are at high risk of damage to our Bladders because of the Catheter being there. I guess if they find something early enough they can Treat it better. For me they took out my Foley Catheter and put in the Scope and after they were done they put in a new Catheter. For me it is like they are doing Surgery on me but I am awake because so many people are in the room when they are doing it. You need to tell yourself that they are just doing their Jobs to over the awkward part and to the Doctor and Nurses there it is no big deal to them.
@@Quadsly I just had a Cystocopy last because with my situation I am at a higher risk of damage to my Bladder and I was having Spasms more so they wanted to find out if something was wrong with it now. It is not the greatest thing in the world to have done but they change my Catheter every month so I am used to people working on me. But with that Scope inside me it was like a Car they were working on in the Garage.
Love your ch. Fairly new to it. You gave some very good suggestions that I've heard by my Dr. But why did you direct us to another link for your best way to prevent a UTI? Why not just tell us in THIS vid???
A couple of reasons. I want a dedicated video for that particular way of preventing and treating UTIs, and it also helps with the CZcams algorithm. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@masonx54 Ahhhhh smart man. 🙏🏾💪🏾👍🏾
Haha I actually forgot to put the link in the description, so thanks for the reminder. It should be there now if you want to check it out!
Well since yesterday I am back on the antibiotics again. I started to have really terrible Bladder Spasms and my Catheter kept clogging up even after Irrigation. So my Urologist Office made me go to the Emergency room and the person who normally changes my Catheter came there and changed it.They wanted it changed and to get a Sample but in Urology a Doctor needs to be there when they do it and he was not there yesterday so they did it in the Emergency Department by the person who normally changes my Catheter in Urology every month. I never expected to have to do it that way but they wanted it done as fast as possible.
I hope things get better for you soon.
@@masonx54 Thanks. It is only my first day on the Antibiotics but my Bladder Spasms have calmed down so I think that it is starting to work and that is good.They just started me on something because it was so bad and took the Sample and will let me know if it needs to be something different. It kind of sucks because you are doing good and then this happens. But I had to do what my Urologist Office wanted because if you wait too long it will be harder to Treat me and they and I know that. I am sure that you know that it takes a couple of days to know if it is working.
Yes, I do. I recommend ordering some Comfort Tea because I'm almost certain it will help.
Oh your timing is awesome...I have the very worst kidney infection ever. Of course it's probably more related to my SPC.
Dang, I hope that gets better soon!
@@masonx54 same here...I feel much better today. But the last few days...jeese😵💫.
I've been a quad for 33 years. I pretty much stopped having UTIs when I stopped drinking sugary drinks. The excess sugar in your urine provides food for the bacteria. I used to drink tons of cranberry juice and it just did not work. But any form fruit juice has too much sugar in it
Yep you are correct. I'm closing in on 30 years too. I came across the diet cranberry juice with very little sugar. Drink a little in morning and a little before bed....saw significant reduction of utis 🤘
Yeah, I don't recommend drinking cranberry juice because I think it has too much sugar in it like you said. I mainly drink water and milk. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I appreciate you sharing that information. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I have a Foley Catheter and I went to an Infectious Medicine Specialist and he put me on METHANAMINE HIPPURATE and I guess that it was what they had before antibiotics and the acid is supposed to fight getting Infections. And he has me take Cranberry like you are holding and probably got at Walmart twice a day and Vitamin C supplements four times a day spaced apart. I had one really bad Urinary Tract Infection where the first course of IV Antibiotics failed and why I need to do this because I am at high risk of Sepsis now and not making it next time. So you can do the Vitamin C supplements thing too with your Cranberry and it will only help you and check it out with your Urologist.
You should ask your infectious disease doctor about Tobramycin bladder wash irrigation. I've been doing it since 2012 and it's made life a hell of a lot better than it was for the first 6 years I was injured.
I recommend using this: czcams.com/video/qHOfUd2LLcM/video.html
I appreciate you sharing that.
@@masonx54 Normally I would never share it but maybe I can help someone else with what they did with me. I thought that if you can share stuff like that I guess that I can too if it helps people.
@@masonx54 That is great to try because you are like me with getting Infections and they are making me do everything now to avoid getting bad ones now.I hope that your Doctors know that you are doing this because they would be so Proud of you man. You really Impressed my Urologist and person who does my Cath change when my Oxybutynin wasn't working and you thought that I should try Mrybetriq now or Botox Injections. They agreed with all of it and went he is right about all of that and went with your Professional recommendations and started me on Myrbetriq now and Botox Injections later on if needed. So thanks for your help Doctor Mason.
Good video...but SPCs are way safer than ICing because with an SPC, there is bacteria introduced once a week as opposed to 5 times a day. Insurance companies also do not allow enough catheters...so are they the reason for UTIs? I think so because this means more $$$ to pharmacies and hospitals and doctors. D-Mannose always confused me because they say that's good for the bladder...but anything ending in '-ose' is a sugar...and they say sugars are bad for UTIs. It's sad the world today is so money-oriented as to encourage the sale of something by exploiting someone's lack of a science background. If you know more about D-Mannose...please enlighten me. Because it's a sugar...so why would they promote it?
The human body can't metabolize or store D-mannose. Since the body can't digest/absorb D-mannose, bacteria attaches to the sugar and leaves the bladder when urinating. D‐mannose also creates a non‐stick surface on the bladder wall, as well as around the bacteria. It is thought that the bacteria is then expelled when urinating, thus preventing the growth of bacteria which leads to an infection inside the bladder or urinary tract.
@@masonx54 thanks.
👏💜👍🙏🤗♿️
#ForeverPromotingPositiveDisabilityAwareness
Thank you for watching and commenting!
My Dad wesrs a cindom urinal should i change ut every Day
I have not used a condom catheter but I think changing it everyday would be best. Thank you for watching and commenting!
A gallon of water a day🤘🏼 Yet, I have a super pubic catheter so I get to experience at least one bad UTI, every two months.
How often do you flush that out? I don't know enough about them.
If it's only every other 2 months you should ask your doctor about Tobramycin bladder irrigation. I used to do 3 times a week but now only do it twice a week. Supposedly you could even do it once a week or once every other week. You basically put it up through your catheter using a catheter tipped syringe and clamp it off for 20 to 30 minutes. Kills bacteria and flushes the bladder out. Between 2013 and 2018 I could probably count on one hand how many times I had a bladder infection that caused issues.
I appreciate you sharing that information!
My Infectious Medicine Specialist wrote a Prescription for Gatorade and I have to drink it all the time now because you are not supposed to be dehydrated so you are right about that.
When I get my Catheter changed they flush me and I have irrigation supplies at home to do it. My Catheter can get clogged sometimes and need to be irrigated.@@masonx54
My Urology recommended Macrodontin 50mg once a day.
I have not heard of Macrodantin. I appreciate you sharing that information. Thank you for watching and commenting!