Hello people!

This isn't a topic I'm super comfortable discussing so publicly, but it's too late to call my doctor at the moment and I'm going insane with this UTI that flared up rather suddenly and I'm just looking for some of your experiences. It's pretty rare that I get UTIs but I've read they are pretty common in the months after surgery for various reasons.

For any of you out there that have had UTIs after bariatric surgery, what medications/remedies did you use that worked? Were there medications your surgeon forbade you to take based on absorption issues? Were there any methods you used besides medication that helped relieve some of the pain?

It turns out (based on recent studies) cranberry juice is actually not effective in ending a UTI, though it can prevent them. I don't think my stomach can deal with cranberry juice yet anyway, even watered down.

Here's hoping some of you can help me even a little bit. This is really, really no fun and extremely uncomfortable.

Thank you

I'm not post op but I have had a bad time with UTI's when I was pregnant with my last baby and I developed kidney stones from the infections so it's vital for me to catch and treat them ASAP. I reeeeaallllly severely dislike cranberry juice, but I found pills called Cran clearance at our local Whole Foods that has the therapeutic properties of cranberries without the nastiness and in a concentrated form. I had a UTI over a long weekend and double dosed on the Cran clearance and by the time Tuesday of that week rolled around, it had cleared up. I still went to the doctor to make sure it was absolutely gone, but the Cran clearance really helped. The pills are rather small too so, that might be doable for you. Research or no, it worked at clearing it up over the 4 day weekend we had. You can also get this stuff made by ago I think, that lessens the burning pain of a UTI and colors your pee bright orange til you can find relief either via a doctor or the Cran clearance.

I also use the cranberry extract pills even after I get a uti and they help tremendously with discomfort. The utis I get tend to be antibiotic resistant, so I keep the pills just in case. I got a uti 4 mons postop from probably not drinking enough. I did go to the after hrs clinic to be safe because surgery was too recent to not be concerned. Just remember to keep your fluid intakje upo as close to your surgeon's goals as you can.

The risk for UTI after surgery usually goes up because you more than likely had a catheter during surgery and there is always increased risk after that. I would too recommend the cranberry pills, not sure if there is chew-able form (assuming you aren't suppose to take tablets or capsules right now) but I would think so. Increasing your water intake should help flush it out as well. Good luck! They medication that helps with burning and discomfort is called pyridium by the way and I'm pretty sure you need a prescription for it.

Azo makes an over the counter version of peridium.

Great post as I feel this coming on.

I second the pyridium, if you can take it. The cranberry pills work 'in theory' because they contain an ingredient that keeps bacteria from sticking to the bladder and urethra lining. However, as you mentioned, several studies have found that cranberry juice and cranberry pills don't contain nearly enough of this ingredient to be effective. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence for cranberry, but the science just isn't behind it.

Pyridium (generically known as phenazopyridine hydrochloride--the active ingredient in Azo that you can find in any US drugstore) is actually an anesthetic that coats your bladder to relieve pain. It also turns your pee neon orange, a normal and expected side effect. It is a very small pill with no capsule, so if you're allowed to take pills at this point, I don't imagine swallowing it would be a problem. Is there an on-call nurse that you can reach through your program to see if you would be allowed to take this over the weekend until you can be seen? The box will tell you not to take it any longer than two days--this is because a UTI needs to be treated with antibiotics and you don't want to go that long with an untreated infection.

Alternatively, they might just recommend that you head up to an urgent care for a urianalysis and antibiotics. If you can't take oral antibiotics, they might give you an injection and call it a day. I'd give them a call, if not tonight, then first thing in the morning. UTIs are no fun.

I developed one as well about 2-3 weeks ago and I'm about 7 weeks post op now.

Went to my primary care doc and she gave some Cipro (antibiotic). I'm not thrilled about taking those but it's rare for me so I did and cleared right up. I've only had a uti once before and they are not fun. I hope you are feeling better!

I called my surgeon and he called me in a liquid antibiotic. And it's done great for my UTI. Just FYI: for any future gastric beginners. And they made the flavor taste good for me.

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