We have tried every prescription doctors recommended like Methanamine Hipp and Myrbetriq, any supplement I could research , like D-mannose and cranberry tablets. Has anyone out there had any luck keeping these under control? I was thinking I would try a bidet next to see if that would help. It seems like every UTI makes here dementia worse. I wonder if getting delirium from UTIs over and over can cause dementia.
I had UTI’s for years. Took all kinds of antibiotics, became resistant to some, got sepsis, was miserable. I got a new urologist who believed in prevention and keeping a healthy bladder & urethra. I have not had a UTI since and, believe me, I am much happier.
it can be done.
Is she wiping the back (anus area) separately?....
or is she wiping from back to front?
There's a possibility she could be infecting herself ...getting the feces on her urinary area.
Yes, frequent URIs can cause dementia like symptoms.
My daughter suggested I drink Alkaline water. She pays for it to be delivered to my house in 1/2 gallon bottles. (I think she didn't trust me to buy it, but if she purchased it, she hopes I will feel guilty if I don't drink it :-). So far, that and Cranberry pills have helped me. I have some D-mannose, but haven't tried it.
I do find that since my bladder is tipped, I often don't void all the way. So, drinking a lot of the Alkaline may help keep my urine diluted. I don't mean gallons, just being aware that I need to drink often.
I have to wear some light pads which I change often. Too, my sewing/computer room is next to a bathroom, when I get up, I just go to the bathroom before doing anything else.
I hope you find something for her.
Repeated UTIs can affect the kidneys. I was threatened with this, but I don’t know how it affects re-infection.
It may be that your mother is re-infecting herself. The antibiotics fix what is in the bladder, but perhaps she still has bugs around the area. If I had that problem now, and couldn’t wash or shower thoroughly, I would wipe the areas with a disinfectant (and I’d check with the chemist about a disinfectant that would be OK for the skin). Try everything, is my advice!
A few responses talk about scent. Don't put scent anywhere near the vagina anus or urinary openings. Let things air out.
But most importantly, there is a direct route from the anus and related areas to the female urinary tract and vagina and that needs to be stopped. After every bowel movement she needs to be cleaned thoroughly with warm water rinses and a gentle towel.
Also, anything with fake sugar can irritate and cause symptoms of a UTI in younger people too. People go for years with urgency, then they can't urinate when they get there, or they have leaks and a lot of it is fake sugar. They'll tell you one is better than the other but all of them have the same effect. Caffeine, caramel color in sodas, soda waters, sometimes even spicy things can irritate the urethra and make it feel like you need to go frequently and urgently. Try removing those things out of the diet if the bacteria culture comes up negative.
I didn't know about the dementia symptoms until after I started taking care of my mom and doing research but I can say for sure that people don't suddenly become senile over a short period of time. That can be from the UTI for sure, unless it's super sudden, which is more likely some sort of stroke.
For every woman reading this, the US doesn't use bidets as a matter of course and I think this is a major problem. Anyone who does laundry in the US knows there are often stains left behind and this means that there is fecal matter remaining on your skin. Feces are stickier than most people think about. If a bird pooped and it landed on your arm would you use a paper towel to wipe it off and that's it? No, you'd need water and that's the same for human feces as well. Sweat, which is natural, will carry that feces to your other openings. It travels. I won't even mention thong underwear because they need to be considered decorative only, and used very briefly, if ever.