Bladder infections caused by E. coli, a common bacterium, return in as many as 30% of women apparently cured by antibiotics. Until now, the reason was not always clear. Bacteria may be able to survive antibiotic treatment for bladder infections by reverting to an inactive state.
According to the researcher's laboratory experiments, the number of bacteria reproducing dropped to zero within several days of antibiotic treatment.
Not all the bacteria were killed, though. The test showed that about 3% of the bacteria were still present in a dormant state after treatment with ciprofloxacin and about 7% lingered after treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Even after a month of antibiotic exposure, 10 million of the original 1 billion bacteria remained.
The investigators conclude that antibiotic treatment does not successfully kill all the bacteria participating in the infection and may, in fact, encourage many of the bacteria to persist in a resting state.
Current treatments for bladder infections, they suggest, may, therefore, not be adequate and this phenomenon may account for many of the repeat infections.
101st meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Orlando, Florida May 29, 2001
I normally find a simple sugar called d-mannose, along with following the food choice program is all that is necessary to control these infections.
In the past, d-mannose has been difficult to obtain due to costs and manufacturing capabilities. The pure, high-quality form has just recently become commercially available as a natural supplement, and now I can finally offer it to you!
ClearTract D-Mannose is not a drug. This nutritional supplement occurs naturally in peaches, apples, and berries. D-mannose is a rare saccharide found in some plant and food substances -- and we even produce it in our own bodies. Non-toxic and safe, ClearTract D-Mannose:
The mannose actually adheres to the receptors on the lining of the bladder that attach to the bacteria. This forces the bacteria to slide right off and into the toilet. It is amazingly effective, but you must remember it is only a Band-Aid, though a far safer one than prophylactic antibiotic use or cranberry juice.
It is important to note that if D-Mannose is not working, you will want to consider the use of an antibiotic, as the infection can spread into your kidneys and cause some very serious damage if left untreated.
If one needs to go on antibiotics Macrobid is my favorite choice as its systemic absorption is limited and it tends not to cause yeast overgrowth. However, if you go on any antibiotics you should go on some beneficial bacteria (probiotics).
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