Multiple Bladder Infections

I agree peeing immediatley after sex should really help.. Also in addition to drinking plenty of water, she should drink cranberry juice. That helps to balance the acidity level and keeps infections away. If she doesn't like cranberry juice there are cranberry pills she can take, they have them at the pharmacy. When I was in my early 20's I had issues with frequent bladder infection or UTI's, I was able to get it under control by drinking cranberry juice and water.

My daughter had chronic bladder infections for two years. A friend told me that her husband was having a similar problem. His doctor told him that it might be the allergy medicine he was taking (Claritin), which my daughter was taking at the time. She has not had another bladder infection since I took her off the Claritin! The 'specialists' I took her to didn't seem to know about this.

She needs to pee both before and immediately after sex. She needs to (of course) wipe front to back when she uses the bathroom.
When I had a string of UTI's in a row, they did do a dye test to make sure there were no kidney or bladder abnormalities, then prescribed a low dosage of antibiotics for 30 days to allow the bladder lining to heal completely, as it is very easy to get an infection when the bladder s still healing from the last O.. HTH.

tell her to drink cranberry juice and water...
NO SODA OR CARBONATED DRINKS!!!

bladder infections can lead to kidney infections. If not treated properly.

If she and her husband are having sex regularly - then she needs to go to the bathroom right after sex - sorry - no cuddling - and go to the bathroom and clean with a warm, wet washcloth.

If she hasn't had children yet - she should go to a urologist to see if her urethra is slipping or she has a bladder problem - it's possible that even without child birth - her bladder is slipping or has moved (because the tendons and ligaments have been stretched - this happens when people hold their bladder for too long) and her bladder is not getting completely emptied when she urinates..

hope this helps!!

Here's a simple answer that changed my life after years of extremely painful, scary baldder infections. This came from a FEMALE urologist after seeing many male doctors, including a urologist.
Urinate after sex! Every time.
Bacteria from sexual activity can be pushed up into the bladder, causing infection. Urinating cleans out the bladder and urethera, preventing the infection.
Also, wiping front to back (my M. didn't teach me!) is helpful.
The antibiotics that clear up a bladder infection can cause an imbalance and lead to a yeast infection which can contribute to the next bladder infection. It is a nasty vicious cycle I hope she can break.

A lot of people have advised your niece to pee before and after sex which is great advice. I'll take it a step or two further - tell her she should shower before sex to get rid of any possible fecal matter that's hanging around. She and her husband should also be careful of spreading any fluids to her urethra (sp?) area. Tell her to drink lots of water to flush her system out regularly.

My 22 year old unmarried daughter has had a similar experience with bladder infections just recently. Her gynocologist stressed that she needed to drink lots of water in this extremely hot summer, no sodas, tea and lemonade are OK. She also has her taking cranberry capsules daily, which contain more cranberry than the cranberry juice usually available in grocery stores. By keeping a water bottle with her at all timesand taking the cranberry capsules, my daughter has had no more bladder infections. I hope this can help your niece. We bought the cranberry capsules at Walgreens, two bottles for the price of one.

the number one cause of bladder infections in young women sex.. just married = lots of sex. lots of bladder infections.

I saw a specialist at that age.. had a kindney ultrasound.. and s cystoscope.. (a lighted tool to look into the bladder)... no problems were found.. it is very unlikely they will find a problem

have her pee before sex,, pee after sex... drink cranberry juice.. drink water.. do not drink caffeine.. and have less sex..

They are very likely to be caused by not urinating after intercourse. This might be an uncomfortable subject to bring up with her but when I was 19, just like her...the same thing was happening to me. My OBGYN told me what I was doing wrong and the only time I get a bladder infection is when I forget to go afterwards! Before she spends the money on a specialist, have her give this a try. Bacteria gets pushed up into the urethra during intercourse and it needs to be flushed out within 10 minutes or so.

This is not scientific but it worked for me. I had bladder infections so bad that I was peeing blood. Scary. My husband had a vasectomy and we were having very frequent sex again. But I have not had an infection for decades since I stopped having sex the week of my period. I was reading in the Old Testament and it said that women had to refrain from sex for 7 days after the first day of the period. I thought back and remembered how scary it was to have so much blood in my urine, especially since I knew my period had recently ended (probably just a couple days). So I just decided that I would find other things to do than intercourse until the 7 days were up. I tried to urinate after sex but sometimes I was just so tired and/or relaxed. That has brought back the infections either.

If I drink carbonated drinks it effects my bladder. Even one soda a day. I get the tinkles like an old lady. Where its really easy for me to pee on myself. I know other women that say the same about soda. Also cranberry juice works great for bladder infections. Drink lots of water and avoid juices and other drinks other than water and cranberry juice (or concentrated pills) for a couple weeks to see if that clears it up. Good luck.

Too much alcohol and/or caffeine and not enough water can trigger it, so can wiping from back to front instead of front to back (fecal matter can cause contamination.)
If she has no money or insurance please tell her to go to planned parenthood. That's what I did at her age, they were a God send!
ETA: they sell some over the counter pills that might work if the infection isn't too bad, have her ask the pharmacist (I forget what they're called?)

Well, sorry to hear it! But a few questions...is she taking all of the medications the Dr is giving her? and correctly? I know it's a "duhhh" question but really can be an issue if she isn't. Second, depending on where she lives, there are some free clinics that can send you to a specialist and the fee is based on your income. There are several people out there without insurance and it's going to get worse before it gets better....but, if she's had this problem longer than just a month, she certainly needs to be checked out. Also, the advice from others is great. Lots of water, and cranberry juice helps. It could just be that she has tangled with a very strong and resistant bacteria. Make sure the antibiotics are based off the sensitivity results at the clinic. Some docs will prescribe a basic antibiotic to start and then due to their busy schedules, not get back to the pt about changing to one that is susceptable. Good luck and hope this helps!

In addition to the suggestions below, she also needs to use bleach when washing her underwear and bed sheets.

I was having this same problem. My answer came when I went to a female nurse practitioner and she asked the question "do these blader infections seem to come after you have rlations with your hubby. My answer was yes. She said it is very common and is called honeymoonsestitis. In other words the sex, condoms, lubricant or bodily fluids associated with sex can cause bladder infections. She gave me and antibiotic to get over the infection and the another one that you take one pill after intercourse to prevent another infection. Tell hr to check with her general practitioner and check it out. I have been infection fre now for 3 months.

Hope this helps!

Causes of bladdar infection: infrequent urination, holding urine, poor hygine, wiping back to front, frequent sex, dehydration and I am sure there are others. I used to get them frequently when I was in 4th grade as my teacher would not let us go to the bathroom. (terrible right) I finally got permission from the PRINCIPAL to get up and leave when I needed to, which was not often. Then I had a time right after I got married. ;0) had to go to the doc and get a antibiotic on my honeymoon. fun.

I have learned that once you get a bladder infection or UTI that the bacteria never leaves your body. So you must stay hydrated. always wipe front to back. You are supposed to go pee before AND after sex (how romantic) Although I could never do both. Cleaning with any thing down there other than MILD soap and luke warm water can make matters worse. Especially around her monthly she should take extra caution cleaning up. Possibly using a luke warm wash cloth when she goes potty. Cranberry juice and supplements may help. Make sure it is not cranberry juice cocktail because it is mostly sugar and wont help. Be careful about using too much cranberry or other acidic products because they can burn the lining of the GI an Urinary tract if you consume too much (which would be a lot, but it happens). I hope she feels better soon.

Tell her to up her water intake...and to start taking Cranberry pills and drinking cranberry juice. My oldest daughter has had issues with Bladder infections over the years and this seems to at least help cut down on their frequency. I don't think a specialist is indicated after 2 bladder infections...I am wondering if the FIRST bladder infection never really got cleared up and just re-occurred???
Have her talk to her pharmacist...he/she can give her some really valuable insight into the problem