more prone to infections

Hi

I know we get told we're prone to infections as diabetics as we're considered to be immune-compromised. But for me I have a bladder condition which seems to be causing me retention problems which means I'm even more prone to urinary tract infections than usual with the diabetes. Also I have IBS-D which means it probably doesn't help with preventing uti's. I'm currently being investigated again for yet another suspected uti as my pain level has been quite bad and all my vital signs are elevated, which includes my BGLs.

My current urologist did a urodynamics test on me which is a test that measures how your bladder works. The last part of the test she filled my bladder with water (that was so **** painful for me) whilst they have me standing on this special bed so I'm off the ground. Then they hold this contraption to you and wait for you to pee it all back out while they measure everything your bladder is doing. That didn't work one bit and I'm sure the nurse had a sore arm from waiting. So I was made to use the commode and I had to move very slow because they had all these sensors in me... well again couldn't get anything to come out hardly at all. My urologist was very frustrated and said we've filled your bladder and you should be able to pee it back out but your muscles aren't responding. I said yeh well this isn't unusual as I've told you before... I get retention. She said well that can't continue to happen because it causes infection. She tells me that she will need to teach me how to use a catheter.

I told my GP what my urologist told me about having to use a catheter and my GP said no way that makes you highly prone to infections also. I just shook my head and said so diabetes makes me prone, my bladder condition makes me prone, and now you're saying the catheters will make me highly prone? Omg do I have to live with constant uti's? I'm really worried about this as I don't want my kidneys getting damaged and winding up on dialysis. I've been hospitalised several times with kidney infections already.

I wish there was a solution. These diseases are so **** frustrating. It seems to me that they work against each other too a lot of the time. When I get infections my BGLs are hard to control. Likewise when I get migraines or have hormone issues my BGL's are hard to control. It basically means I spend a lot of time sick and trying to figure out how to make everything happy. I know my docs are trying to figure out how to help... they don't always talk to each other though and see the whole picture.

Anyone else relate? Do you have a similar experience?

Galja said:

I think a lot of women can relate and have eventually had that horrible test. I hope they also cultured you for some kind of bacteria or fungus.

If you do not have an anatomical abnormality congenital or acquired, there are old fashioned remedies. My own mother once was put on this horrible diet of only 100% pure grape juice for three weeks to get cured of a really bad case.

The most common, though, and as a diabetic you have to taken the unsweetened form of it is cranberry juice. I have done this for a day or so by buying a couple pounds of fresh cranberries (or fresh frozen), boiling them in an equal volume of water for a few minutes, straining and drinking the juice (which can be cut with water) and eating the pulp. This is not as delicious as dried sweetened cranberries but it sure works. Here's a website that talks about how cranberry works

http://doctormurray.com/health-conditions/bladder-infection-cystitis/

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Hi Galja, thanks.

I am not able to use the normal remedies unfortunately. Cranberry is a big NO for people with interstitial cystitis because it is acidic. Interstitial cystitis is the bladder condition I was referring to and it is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder for which there is no cure. It is not caused by bacteria or fungus, they do not as yet know the cause. I'm having to be careful with my diet though and there are a lot of things I can no longer eat or drink. I can't have citrus or anything with citric acid and most fruits aside from bananas, pears, blueberries. I can't even eat some of the 'safe' foods that are recommended for people with the condition. It is a tricky disease to manage because everyone with it is different and we don't all tolerate the same things, etc. Treating it is the same... very hard. Basically just imagine pouring lemon juice or vinegar directly onto a wound... that's what happens when we eat or drink the wrong thing. My bladder lets me know about it within an hour by giving me a lot of stabbing pain and various other symptoms. Of course it isn't just diet that upsets it. But having a UTI in addition to this disease is difficult because bacteria is making the inflammation even worse.

But yes, you're right, for people who are able to do so, cranberry is supposed to be helpful in preventing bacterial urinary tract infections.

well just got result in yesterday, and another infection to treat. I'm not getting a break and it's making diabetes real hard to manage.

Galja said:

Dear Mep,

Have you tried diluted kefir? It is not acidic. Forgive me for my stupidity in not understanding interstitial. Last thing I want to do is to tire you.

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No, I've not tried that, although I do use probiotics in capsule form. I'm not supposed to eat yoghurt, so not sure kefir would be good as it is a type of yoghurt isn't it as it's fermented? I'd say if it is fermented it would have acids in it. I've also had people recommend I try mannose as well but that is also used to treat carbohydrate deficiency and it is derived straight from glucose which means that it would raise sugar levels, so not a good option either.

But as mentioned normal remedies don't work because I live with constant uti symptoms every single day since mid 2013. I don't get any break. My doctor has decided he needs to do a urinalysis on me every couple of weeks to make sure I don't have infections. This time I happen to have one again. But equally I get 'flares' with the bladder condition and they are painful too. I was placed on a 6 month antibiotic preventative course last year and I managed to stop getting any bacterial infections for a while. As my doc said to me yesterday, I go through periods of uti's then periods without although I'm still in pain the entire time no matter what. But every time I have a urinalysis done it comes back with high leucocytes which is considered to be an abnormal test result.

I've had so many different type of tests though. It's just something they don't know the cause of and therefore they struggle to treat it. I do my part by avoiding trigger foods and being careful not to do activities that aggravate my symptoms. But just grocery shopping does that for me usually. It is very annoying and I apparently only have a mild case of the disease. Some others with this disease are in the later stage of it and experience severe pain and they're bedridden. Apparently the pain of this condition is equal to stage 4 cancer patients pain. I've met a few online who have had to have their bladders removed because the disease has destroyed their bladders. I'm hoping and praying the disease doesn't progress on me. I find it quite uncomfortable as it is. The pain it causes has me crying in my sleep sometimes or wakes me and keeps me awake along with my other stuff I deal with.