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?
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.
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.
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!