You are a pretty good detective Lori, I salute your efforts and successes. I had about 6 utis last year, 3 of them requiring hospitalization and fancy new (to me) drugs Zosyn and _Vancomyosin_ (http://www.jci.org/cgi/reprint/114/9/1181.pdf) , and finally in November I told the doc to remove what I thought was the offending part. I had been using a condom catheter since 1967 and figured it was doing me just fine even tho it allowed me to retain about 300 cc in my bladder. I was sure foleys were a much bigger possibility for introducing utis into my system. Now since my _orchiectomy_ (http://www.beavercleaver.net/orchiectomy_slides.htm) and the use of a foley (a bunch of them actually) since 11-2007, I have had only 1 or 2 minor utis. I now seem to be noticing cleaner output since using collidal silver, alka seltzer, and vinegar some great home remedies for _Bladder Infections_ (http://www.otan.dni.us/webfarm/emailproject/bladder.htm) . Dave In a message dated 10/2/2007 12:52:42 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi Danny, You and I have been talking (around 2 years now?) about the chronic UTIs that we both have been plagued with. But it seems like you have not had very good luck with competent doctors. Neither have I but I finally found out that "the culprit" were those very big, big bladder stones that had been sitting in growing in my bladder for years and kept growing. Anyway, you said that you have had a bad UTI for a month now! If it is "bad" then I must assume it has gone systemic and you have been running a fever with severe chills for a whole month? Something does not sound right. Not to mention being extremely dangerous!!! In other words... what the F***? have you or the doctors than waiting on/for? After a whole month... you just got urine culture results today which only take three days (on the outside)? Just before, and after, having my bladder stones removed a year ago this past May... the bug that came after me twice in 2 months was Pseudomonas. It is one of the worst ones and both times I had to be treated with IV antibiotics via a PICC line at home. Again, you and I have discussed these ongoing UTIs both on list and off list. There must be some source, or culprit, causing your chronic infections. Mine was bladder stones but it has to be a process of elimination kind of deal. And only you know your body best! You already know that I have had repeated serious UTIs such as Pseudomonas. Yes, it is very depressing not to mention life-threatening. And going through an entire month ... how in the world did you let it go that long if it WAS so BAD? My fevers that bad really quick and I thought I would die before ibuprofen in some sort of antibiotic began kicking in. Then finding out that Pseudomonas has been growing in there the whole time? I would began to think that your urologist OR even your regular physician... sits around reading comic books rather than trying to help you! As far as how many times one can use the IV drugs before the bug gets resistant to them it is really academic if you NEED them anyway. My greatest fear with all my troubles ALSO was the fear that the bugs were growing more and more resistant. After all... when you have to resort to IV antibiotics... that is scary enough! There is nothing left to resort to. This is what leads me to think that your position does not give a rat's ass about your well-being. How you describe it... this is dead serious and something not to just brush off again and again. Also, like I have told you so many times... you might need to travel to get a better urologist and one really cares about your well-being! This quack that you keep going to has not been very helpful... has he? Therefore, because these things can get quite serious... you better get real proactive real fast. If I sound like I am yelling at you or preaching to you... maybe it is because that I care more about you than your doctor does! Tough love if you want to call it that. :-) I was so upset when I got a Pseudomonas infection AFTER having my bladder stones out and my doctor was not happy either. *I* finally found the answer on the Internet. To be brief... I found out that by me eating a banana a day... that amount of potassium was severely altering the pH of my urine. It was staying too alkaline (7.5 or more) when it should be much more acidic to keep the bugs away (ideally a pH of 6). After I stopped eating bananas... wala! I have not had an infection since! Who would have ever thought? My doctor was unsure why we could not get my pH number lower even by taking cranberry capsules, drinking cranberry juice and other acidic juices. She (my Urologist) was pretty impressed that I was able to find out the information that I did. My body was not going to be able to take many more infections and the bugs were just getting stronger and stronger and that would ultimately lead to my demise. That is the second time the Internet information has saved my life. Anyway, Danny... please heed my advice to go get a damn new doctor! Also, have your pH checked if you have not already. If your urologist is competent, as well as the medical technicians who tested your urine, they should be able to provide you with what your last pH was during the culture. Just call and ask because it is usually part of the lab report. If not... insist on finding out even if you have to give them a new specimen and ask for that specifically. Good luck buddy! Lori Michaelson C4/5 complete quad, 27 years post Tucson, AZ On 10/2/07, Danny Hearn <[EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) > wrote: Hi all.......I have had a bad UTI for a month now, I just got the results of a Urine Culture today, and they told me I have psuedamonas bacteria infection and are going to contact my Urologist because only I.V . drugs can fight it. Since i've had a supra-pubic catheter put in 7 years ago --- this is the ( 3rd ) time i've had this type bacteria, that will probably require I.V. drugs once again. It is very depressing, Has anyone else had repeated serious UTI's such as Psuedamonas??? We are wondering how many times one can use the I.V. drugs for this before getting resistant to them.......I don't know what options there are..I will ask my Uro Doctor but he seems to not know a lot on the subject. Thanks, Dan H. Dave _Visit My Home Page_ (http://www.users.qwest.net/~daveoc/index.html) ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
