d-mannose

Two years ago I began developing urinary tract infections, or UTI for short, every time I had sex. My infections were painful and severe. To address these chronic UTI's I was prescribed a daily regime of the antibiotic Macrobid. Like a lot of prescription drugs, Macrobid has a generic form. This generic form is called nitrofurantoin and is what I took.

My use of Macrobid/nitrofurantoin caused severe damage to the joints, nerves, tendons, ligaments and muscles in my arms, and landed me in the emergency room. I also developed a myriad of other reactions to Marcobid/nitrofurantoin including peripheral neuropathy, numbness in my arms, numbness of the skin on my arms, numbness in my fingers, rash, fatigue, breathing problems, dizziness, tingling sensations, photosensitivity that resulted in painful red swelling of my arms, pain in the area of my gallbladder, and really too many others symptoms to list. This was all part of an allergic reaction to this drug.

After a year of the Macrobid therapy I tried both Cipro and Bactrim, both commonly prescribed antibiotics for the treatment of UTI's. Both of these prescription drugs exacerbated the condition of my arms so I stopped taking them.

After over a year of taking the damaging antibiotics, I felt hopeless and thought I was going to live with cystitis for the rest of my life and would never be able to have sex again. I was ashamed and terrified by all that was happening to me.

After a year of combing the internet looking for a cure for the cystitis I was experiencing, drinking gallons of cranberry juice and popping cranberry supplements (which, like many uti suffers, actually made my symptoms worse) I stumbled upon an obscure testimonial by a woman who had experienced the same thing I was going through; bladder infections every time she had sex. Her situation was resolved when she began taking the gylconutrient D-mannose.

The gylconutrient d-mannose is a naturally occurring sugar found in several plant species including cranberry and aloe vera. D-mannose can be taken in powder form or in capsules. D-mannose is safe and has no side effects. Even diabetics can take D-mannose as it does not elevate blood sugar levels; it's not that kind of sugar.

D-mannose has a unique relationship with the E-coli bacteria. Instead of attaching itself to the bladder wall, which causes infection, E coli will attach to the D-mannose. D-mannose also facilitates the detachment of E-coli bacteria that have already adhered themselves to the bladder wall. In effect, with my direct experience, D-mannose can both treat and prevent bladder infections.

Unlike antibiotics, the E-coli bacteria will not become resistant to D-mannose. Where antibiotics "kill" the E-coli bacteria, D-mannose attracts the bacteria and prevents it from remaining inside the bladder where it can cause infection. Your body then naturally flushes the E-coli from your bladder upon urination.

I felt so hopeless about my situation last year that I didn't believe something as simple as this D-mannose sugar could help me, but I decided to try it anyway and bought some online.

The first time I tried D-mannose it, it worked. And a year later, it continues to work. I have not developed a single bladder infection since taking this miracle sugar. I went from having a severe bladder infection every week, to having none at all. I can finally have intercourse without the fear of infection and horrendous side effects of antibiotics.

To prevent my bladder infections I take ½ teaspoon of powder D-mannose in water prior to having intercourse, another ½ teaspoon shortly afterward, and another ½ teaspoon several hours later. As a daily supplement, I take 1/2 teaspoon of d-mannose in water in the morning when I get up an another 1/2 teaspoon in water before I go to bed. Depending on your body's needs you might need more or less, everyone is different.

I have tried the brands Waterfall D-mannose, Swanson D-mannose, NOW D-mannose and Clear Tract with the same success. Because it's the first one I ever tried, I am preferential to Clear Tract and usually use that.

My UTI trigger was intercourse but other people develop E-coli related urinary tract infections for different reasons. The elderly, children, people with varying paralysis and those with compromised immune systems can all develop bladder infections, and many have experienced relief by using D-mannose. When you know what to look for you can find such personal testimonials on the internet, do your own research, and make up your own mind.

Western medicine was unable to provide me with the information I needed or a safe treatment for my UTI symptoms. I had to do the research myself and suffer for a long time until I finally found a safe answer. I was so excited the success I experienced with D-mannose that I returned to my doctor to tell her all about it. As a Western Medicine proponent and classically trained Western physician, she had never heard of D-mannose, and chalked up my experience to "spontaneous" remission or cessation.

It is my hope that by writing about my personal experience with cystitis and D-mannose that you or someone you know will be helped. I know what it's like to suffer with the pain of bladder infections and the negative side effects of antibiotics. But now I also now know the joy of a safe and natural treatment!

I wish I had known about D-mannose sooner. Maybe this will reach you or a loved one in time.

D-mannose changed my life.

It has been over a year since I ingested the antibiotics to treat my UTI's and I still experience flare ups of the side effects. These flare ups happen at random times and can last for days or weeks at a time. This is all to common phenomenon for so many people who have taken not just the Macrobid/nitrofurantoin that I did, or Cipro, or Bactrim, but a whole spectrum of other antibiotics as well. And it doesn't stop with antibiotics. Too many people to count live with the side effects of various prescription drugs and other treatments they've received from Western Medicine.

Sometimes people who have experiences chronic urinary tract infections also develop a painful, distracting and perplexing disease called interstitial cystitis, or IC for short. This disease is challenging to treat and varies widely from person to person, but there is a lot people can do to help themselves control the symptoms.

I believe I have developed interstitial cystitis as a result of both the chronic urinary tract infections I had and due to my use of antibiotics. I am just beginning to understand more about this disease and hope to ease it's frustrating symptoms over time. I have developed a informational page about interstitial cystitis in which I have included information on treatment options, symptoms, support groups and books and supplements that can help control the disease and its symptoms which you can view here.

The more I learned about what was happening to me as a result of the antibiotics, the more I needed to learn and help myself try and recover. Information on what was happening to my body, especially how to address it, was extremely difficult to find, when I could find any at all. It seems the pharmaceutical companies have little interest in informing people as to what they can do to recover from the toxic effects of their drugs.

I read a lot of testimonials from people suffering both the effects of prescription drugs and the skepticism or outright disbelief of their prescribing doctors. Lives that have been permanently changed for the worse. Many of these individuals were like me; they were seeking a cure for the toxins swirling around in their bodies. An antidote, anything that could help them reclaim some of the health they used to feel. One woman I read about called Procter & Gamble Pharmaceutical Company to ask if there was an antidote to Macrobid or how to get the toxin out of a relatives' system. She reported being told that there was no antidote and no way to get the drug out of one's system.

In my continuing research into Macrobid/nitrofurantoin, I have learned and tried some things that I will pass along to you. One of the first things I learned was that Macrobid/nitrofurantoin can severely deplete the body of B12, and antioxidant compounds like glutathione, produced by the liver to combat free radicals. I have since increased my B12 supplementation but the glutathione is another matter. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant manufactured by the liver. The liver creates the compound using a number of precursors such as cysteine. While glutathione supplements are available but research shows that they are not well absorbed by the body. Instead, providing your body with the building blocks it needs to manufacture glutathione, like cysteine, may be the best way to increase its levels.

In addition to helping humans, d-mannose can also help other animals suffering with bladder infections. From horses to cats and dogs, d-mannose can be safely used to help our animals friends. Visit here, here and here to learn more.

Also, there is a great video on the list here called "Urinary Tract Infections: the #1 Reason Cats Go to the Vet!" where the veterinarian, Dr. Mercola, talks about d-mannose's effects on not only cats, but dogs and horses. Please take a look, so far it's the only video testimonial I have found by an actual veterinarian attesting to d-mannose's beneficial effects on animals.