I am caregiver for my 84 year old wife who has some dementia and is unable to walk because of weakness. She is also incontinet for urine and bowel movements. Sometimes, the feces cover her vaginal area and triggers another UTI. Right now we are in the hospital because her bacterial infection is now in her blood. She will be released today but will need to continue the IV antibiotic drip for two to six weeks to be sure her heart is clean. Is there any way to protect her vaginal area from contamination?
My mom has had chronic diarrhea aa long as I can remember. I think the uti's were causes by insufficient cleaning so also talkes with her doctor about somehow controlling the diarrhea. The doc had her start taking a probiotic, we use Walgreens "Super Probiotic". That works very well to control the D, sometimes too well. In the past six months an ER visit was required because of, for lack of a better name, constipation. I think her brain is not transmitting the signal to her on having to push to have a bm. You see, for years a bm for mom was even less strenuous than turning on a water faucet. The stool consistency after receiving enemas in the hospital was certainly nothing to be constipated about! I hope we do not end up having to stop the probiotic! That is another problem entirely.
And we had my mom on a cranberry supplement and the real unsweetened cranberry juice. About six months ago the urinary frequency had increased significantly. Up to three times in five or ten minutes. Back to the urogynecologist who told me to stop the cranberry juice and supplements as they can cauae the frequency symptoms that we were experiencing. With cranberry stopped, frequency returned to normal.
Good luck, it is a very tricky and risky infection to try to keep up with!
D-Mannose is a natural sugar that binds with E. coli bacteria in the bladder, and then both are excreted in the urine. Because D-mannose is absorbed so little, it has essentially no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. There is quite a lot of information about it online.
What causes a C-diff infection?
these good germs have been killed by an “antibiotic” you may be taking for a different kind of infection, C-diff may grow in your intestines and cause horrendous diarrhea. This is called a C-diff infection. "C Diff" is she is on too high a dose...and that my dear is a NIGHTMARE!
Your intestines have many “good” germs in them that help you digest food. A C-diff germ enters your body when you eat or swallow something that has C-diff on it. The germ moves to your intestines. A healthy person with a normal immune system and normal “good” germs may not get sick. But if your immune system is weak or these good germs have been killed off by an “antibiotic” you may be taking for a different kind of infection"
Good luck, all good ideas above especially cleanliness.
I have suffered from UTI's since childhood off and on, which at one point called for a bladder irrigation to clear out all bladder infective residue... that worked for years until recently... when UTIs started bothering me again related to incontinence...to the point of having to consult a Urologist... who Rxed a strong $45.-- copay broad spectrum Antibiotic Cefdinir - which I researched before going to the drugstore - finding a slew of side-effects. I then asked the druggist if we could wait until the culture results are in on Monday.. {of course, dumb stuff always happens on weekends} ...but on that Monday the dear Walgreen Pharmacist called and said the Doc stated the infection proved to be E-coli, which is treatable with a $5.-- copay antibiotic - Keflex -, with much fewer side-effects... The untreated weekend I spent drinking lots of vinegar water 1000c filtered water to 30cc 5% Applecider Vinegar - the urinary bleeding stopped, required only 2 doses of "Prodium", same as "AZO" =[ Phenazopiridine Hydrochloride 95mg tablets] which turns your Urin orange and kills the burning pain.... Can’t find it now, but read that one dear blogger gives AZO to their loved one daily... hmmm,
In my experience I've been told and IT STATES IN THE LIERATURE ... NOT TO USE AZO or PRODIUM [both are phenazopyridine Hidrochloride] for LONG-TERM, { i.e. daily} !!! !!! I THINK THAT OFTEN FOLKS THINK IF IT IS JUST AN -OTC- [over the counter] ITEM , IT CAN BE GIVEN WITHOUT Dr. o.k. !!!... AZO is just a pain-pill for the bladder with some nasty side-effects if given long term. ...So please check this out with your Mom’s Doc. It will not kill bacteria !!!
I have long included in daily drinks that Mayonaise Glass Jar-full of 30cc-5% Vinegar to almost 1000cc Water. I also religiously use the Hydrogen peroxide soaked 1/4 to 1/2 papertowel after each void... I also use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol at times... which tends to burn a bit, but dries so fast.. and gives me the feeling of total cleanliness....It and HP also kill the Urin-ODOR. ... I had one small flare-up, that I fought off by drinking 3 Jars Vin-water/day for 3 days... and I have remained UTI free for this past year. The pH in your bladder is one of the most important items to maintain and citrus fruit is not on my menu very often.... Vitamin C can be gotten from other than citrus fruits. When you are UTI prone, that is just one of the foods to cut back on... and like many meds. the elderly take, require one to stay off Grapefruit also. !!!
Also I saw and liked one suggestion, which is to use the bedside commode for sitting purposes, that way the whole area stays cleaner... and can be better monitored... The seat on Bedside Commodes, can be changed from a hard one to a soft material, to increase comfort while sitting. It is a hard road at the end of life... and I appreciate this site to help us with it......... I do wish you all well !!!
#2: Regular cleaning. Bathe her perineal area either with a shower or a bath twice a day. Make sure it is dry after cleaning.
#3: As soon as she has a bowel movement, change her diaper & clean her up. Do not let her sit in it.
Are the doctors sure that she has bacterial endocarditis (infection of the heart muscle) due to this UTI? If she has bacterial endocarditis, she should not be discharged from the hospital.
It sounds like you need some help. Look into getting an aide into the home to help you out with bathing & other tasks.
That it also worked for UTIs I found out 50 years ago..... It takes some time to get used to, yet in my case I can't stand plain water anymore, it causes me nausea, if I have to drink a lot of it as one does when UTIs cramp one's style...
but Applecider-Vinegar is a taste one can get used to, and none of my grandkids now mind an occassional sip from my water bottle with a 1/2 tsp in it when it's really hot outside... One additional point is that water treated that way will stay fresher and more bacteria free in hot weather, than plain old tap or flitered water sitting around for hours..... I wish you well..!!!
1]... it depends on the toilet paper,... when made wet with liquid cleansers... some toilet paper will tear at once...then ou have the mess on your fingers...
I have always used 1/2 paper-towel, which allows a stronger more cleansing wipe motion and can be folded to use twice +tossed into a plastic bag lined wastebasket... [the plastic bags from grocery shopping] which can be twisted shut to keep the smell at bay during the day]
And if you see Hydrogen peroxide in large bottles [As I did at Walmart] that is the least expensive item with which to wet those 1/2 paper towels and affect a stronger bacteria killing clean wipe, than any soap and water use.
HP is like water in that it takes a bit to dry on the skin, but that is what you want... Applying the liner or a folded papertowel while the skin is still damp, prolongs the bacteria-killing effect... which is also what you want.... HP wipes are available, [good for traveling] but more expensive...!!!
and ...oooh... the body part to be protected from the E-coli critters always present in stool - is the Urethra, not the vagina as much, The urethra is short, leads up to the bladder sphincter , which is no longer closing tightly, which makes one "incontinent" [leaking out], and at the same time allows those e-coli bacteria to crawl up [leaking in] more easily into the bladder, settling in at the bladder wall and causing continuous low-to high grade UTIs... , meaning UTIs keep flaring up... depending on the acidity level [pH] in your bladder... and here is another often misunderstood item.... Folks think that citrus fruit is acidifying, when actually during digestion turns your pH alkaline, which does not help kill bladder critters... I am sorry, wish it did... google it !
So if you drink cranberry, the acid of which is helpful, mixed with alkalinity producing OJ, they cancel each other out... depending on the ratio of each used in that drink... it will certainly weaken it's effect. I think you own immune system came to your rescue, thank goodness.
What is a good idea and has worked for me... is Cranberry Juice with a few drops of 5% Applecider vinegar... up to 30cc [2Tbsp], if you can stand it in juice or water or use it in salads, dressings, stews other food items.... Applecider
Vinegar is a natural , not a distilled product... it will form a vinegar-mother floating in the bottom of the bottle if older... like a foggy cloud.
If that was put into Apple juice it will turn it to vinegar also after a time... So you do NOT want to use white distilled Vinegar. There are books available on the benefits of Applecider Vinegar...... I never got one...I just use it as told above !!!
Hope this regimen of utter cleanliness and pH care helps some folks to get and stay rid of UTIs... wishing you all well !!!
Improper wiping can cause them...just one 'slip' and you're cooked. Another thought I'm having some of our elders have prolapsed colons, i.e., the interior lining of the colon turns inside out, and this, too, could cause a transfer of bacteria which can make it's way up the vaginal area.
These are serious infections if not controlled. Temperature goes up, which may be one of the causes as to why dementia patients seem to act out more when they have one.
Once again, you cannot just drink regular cranberry juice because of the sugar content. The point of the cranberry tablets, unadulterated and the unadulterated cranberry juice that's pricier is found in this explanation from WEBMD...I've also read the clinical research paper re the pros/cons. It's still up for grabs whether or not it really 'works', but I can tell you it's worked for me.
"Researchers now believe that cranberries contain substances that prevent infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls. There are a couple of different theories about how exactly cranberries do this. Some studies show that certain antioxidants in cranberries change the bacteria so that they can't stick to the urinary tract. Another idea is that cranberries create a Teflon-like slippery coating on the urinary tract walls that prevents E. coli from getting a good grip.these will line the bladder, urethra, and whatever else with the necessary "
There is not much cranberry product in plain old cranberry juice. As far as I'm concerned, a person might as well just drink water (which I do, copiously) but I realize the oldest of the older people don't like drinking water. I also realize they may not want to drink the real stuff from a shot glass, quickly. That's why I'm recommending the cranberry tablets. These infections cannot be taken lightly. They are painful, they are dangerous.
As you well know, it's better to prevent them ... have you asked the doctor for preventative measures? In my younger days, I was given preventive measures. Bactrim was the drug of choice. I can't see why a low dose of this wouldn't help, but I'm not a doctor. I did so well on this, I can't imagine why a doctor wouldn't offer a low dose in this age group who is most often sitting in what causes the problem.
Last year, I had a series of no less than six. In January, I decided to try what I never thought would work...AZO Cranberry Tablets. These are available in larger quantities online. It's been almost five months since my last UTI. They are easily swallowed small capsules.
Also, Google '100% Cranberry Juice'. You need the cold pressed variety with no sugar. I used to drink a shot of this twice a day from an actual shot glass (the stuff is nasty and needs to be taken quickly). While you can dilute it in water, I believe it's best taken in one shot. It's not cheap, with the price being anywhere from $10-30 dollars. My urologist suggested the $30 bottle, but I believe he may have owned stock in the stuff :) I chose the $10 bottle. Some supermarkets have it. I'm sure whole foods has it, along with other 'organic' products.
So, it's either the cranberry drink or the tablets. I'd go with the tablets.
Also, look on WebMD (just saw this when I googled Cranberry Juice) and can't post the url here. They have an explanation as to why this may work.
2nd major issue: MD in Nursing Home not attuned to Natural Interventions. This to me is the major reason for unintended but inevitable damage in healthcare, and I struggle to figure out how and where to write about it. It is prejudice and bias on the part of the MDs and academically trained and licenced professionals. Yes, some caregivers who use natural remedies don't know technical names, nor internal body processes - but some pay attention, take notes in natural language, note small signals of change and continue what led to those, and even more importantly, if a risk area becomes apparent, they know this must be addressed promptly, to preserve many key elements, not just the health of the frail individual, but their sanity, for they benefit when immediate needs are addressed, and lose confidence and ties to relationships around them, when requests and needs go unattended. MDs prescribe meds, which can help immediate symptoms, but exacerbate side issues, like creating cravings or adding the very anxiety they are supposed to fix. Good, competent, respectful relationships among clients and all care parties - that must include the voice of those doing direct care, not just supervising them - natural language and remedies matter, and the people who see needs and address them matter. Unfortunately in healthcare, those people are not invited to meetings, no one asks to listen to their reports and sift through for key risks that arise - their reports are simply filed, saved in case of later legal challenge. Many natural caregivers, like midwives or alert home care aides, are the first to see new risks, but if they complain that the supervisors are not addressing them promptly enough, they are branded as troublemakers and are removed or quit. Waste and demoralization of all natural carers - including the family members at home - all insights need attention and tracking, not just those described in numbers.