Chronic UTIs

J

JackieJ

Newcomer
Hi everyone,
Having a flare , pain while urinating and looks like another UTI or I think so. Have bladder pressure these several days and I'm just starting to research this TMS. Is this TMS or legit infection ? I know how it happened but wondering if others cured themselves from chronic UTIs, not pelvic pain in general without positive cultures.

Thanks
JJ
 
Hi @JackieJ and welcome. The answer to your question is that stress and emotional distress go hand in hand with inflammation, and long-term exposure to chronic inflammation will weaken the immune system. You can recover your health if you can establish equanimity, and reduce, eliminate, or at least learn to live with and accept the many sources and types of stress that we're exposed to in the modern world instead of allowing them to destroy your nervous system. If you had any source of past trauma, especially childhood adversity, your path to equanimity is likely to be more complicated, but it can still be done.

It's all connected, but the hard part is that there is nothing that is black and white about the mindbody connection, especially with all of the new information coming out about the inflammatory process.

Look up stress and inflammation for a start. Read The Mind Body Prescription by Dr John Sarno, or his last book The Divided Mind. And look into our free Structured Educational Program which is on the main TMSwiki.org site. Then keep us posted on your progress!
 
Ok thanks I will do that. Currently reading The Pain Deception and following YouTube videos.
Now you're saying a UTI is not bacteria but inflammation due to stress or stress lowers immunity ? I was under quite some stress but do get chronic UTIs si ce going in menopause snd many experts say due to lower estrogen etc. Have suffered greatly with this as had many limitations and giving up on intimacy and having a drink et.
Are you also saying the fear creates more symptoms ? I guess I'm still not exactly clear and sure what the distinction is because cultures are mostly positive.
I know all these success stories I've heard of pelvic pain or IC are mostly pain with no.positive cultures so that's why I wasn't sure if this is TMS or not.
Also how can I avoid or not fear the symotoms or like them when it is so uncomfortable and the pulsating pain etc..very annoying.
I am also not sure whether to take things for it for now I'm taking minimal things to help out including water and baking soda.
I guess my question is do I ignore or try to get better physically and mentally?
I have had traumas and ptsd from family stressors for sure!

Thanks,
Jackie
 
Jackie, it's unfortunately not as black and white as the human mind always wants things to be. You must let go of the idea that it is always either "TMS or not TMS". Quite often there is no such clearcut delineation.

The mindbody connection covers an enormous variety of conditions comprised of widely varying combinations of the ways in which our minds can affect our bodies. Instead of being black and white, it's many many shades of gray.

What you are likely suffering from is an immune system that is weakened by stress. A weakened immune system is more susceptible to bacterial and viral and parasitical, etc, incursions. This is a medical and physiological fact.

It's a good idea to become educated about the role of inflammation in our health. Inflammation is part of our body's natural stress response, designed to help us survive just long enough to breed and raise the next generation in the primitive world. Inflammation, in the right amount, is a function of our immune system. But it was not designed for the constant stress of the modern world. Too much inflammation weakens our immune systems, as well as causing many other problems. Many, if not most, of us live with constant low-level stress even if we are lucky enough to live physically very safe lives. Regardless of the many different sources of stress, we are in fact making ourselves sick from it. Medical and mental health practitioners all say that we are experiencing a world-wide epidemic of stress-based conditions as well as mental health problems, just within the past decade, especially the last four years.

We can't prescribe treatment for you; all we can do is say that if your medical professionals are not prescribing urgent treatment, then you have absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by letting go of the obsession with receiving a medical diagnosis, at least for now, and approaching your issues from a mind body perspective. Open your mind, be flexible and curious about this new information, and go at it with a goal of regaining equanimity. Do our free Structured Educational Program on the main tmswiki.org website.
 
Ok got it. I agree mind body connection is so.imporramt. just been hearing symotoms here pf pain which are not chronic for me but other symotoms. I'll take a look at that.
Thanks for explaining.

Jackie
 
First I'd say make sure you are doing all the anti-UTI things in your life:
- drink lots of water
- pee before sex and after sex (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP EVEN IF YOU ARE TIRED)
- don't hold your pee when you have to go
- when you pee, make sure you empty your bladder fully. It's those last drops that can harbor bacteria.
- make sure you are changing your underpants daily or more often if they get yukky
- change menstrual products frequently
- wipe front to back so any bacteria from your poop area goes away from the peeing area
- And thank the gods of fertility that you don't have to use the evil diaphragm for birth control

If you are doing those things and you are still getting a lot of pressure in the bladder area, feel like you have to pee, or light burning then I'd re-read Jan's post and consider if unknown stressors and TMS style issues are causing either the feeling of a UTI or the weakened immune system that is not dealing with the bits of bacteria that are in that general vicinity.

And just a quick reminder/disclaimer, when I say drink a lot of water, don't go into hyperdrive and drink two gallons at once without peeing.

Best of luck. Hope you feel better. Been there and thankfully haven't had one in years.
 
Thanks , just had a flare, had been having chronic Utis last 3 years or so, have done MANY things including those and am in menopause so excluding some of those.
I believe there is sone embedded bacteria in the bladder , they become resistant to antibiotics pr alternative treatments. But what I've done last year has helped a lot.
But question is why did my immunity lower: stress, hormones etc
Now I know Dan painfreeyou says dont try to fix it, it's derived by fear, don't obsess about it, try to teach your mind you're safe.
My main confusion was if I don't do anything could go to my kidneys and ofcourse thats our main fear. Also bladder pressure is so so uncomfortable..its not that I was seated but was a noying !
Did you cure your UTIs with some pf these techniques? Please share. Thanks
 
JackieJ said:
Thanks , just had a flare, had been having chronic Utis last 3 years or so, have done MANY things including those and am in menopause so excluding some of those.
I believe there is sone embedded bacteria in the bladder , they become resistant to antibiotics pr alternative treatments. But what I've done last year has helped a lot.
But question is why did my immunity lower: stress, hormones etc
Now I know Dan painfreeyou says dont try to fix it, it's derived by fear, don't obsess about it, try to teach your mind you're safe.
My main confusion was if I don't do anything could go to my kidneys and ofcourse thats our main fear. Also bladder pressure is so so uncomfortable..its not that I was seated but was a noying !
Did you cure your UTIs with some pf these techniques? Please share. Thanks
Click to expand...

Although I'm a strong TMS supporter, I wouldn't ignore urinary tract infections. You can often head them off if you catch the early symptoms and wash them away with drinking extra water. Don't do the cranberry juice, that doesn't work as well as water. If it gets where you are getting blood in your pee you need to get antibiotics. Do NOT take that pill that masks the symptoms...I forget what it's called but it turns your pee orange. Only take that if you are also taking the antibiotics.
Sulfa drug antibiotics, specifically BACTRIM was my urinary tract antibiotic of choice. The others didn't work well.

When you say "chronic UTI's" do you mean getting UTIs frequently or do you mean the FEELING of a UTI perpetually?
UTIs from bacteria are not something that stay low level. Either you have a UTI and need to get antibiotics or else the symptoms will worsen and worsen and worsen until there is no way you aren't getting antibiotics -- or you don't have a UTI. If you perpetually feel uncomfortable in that area but it's not something progressing then I would make a guess it's not a urinary tract infection.

EDITING TO ADD: I solved UTIs with antibiotics and then prevented UTIs by living by the list I wrote in the earlier post.

PS. Perimenopause and Menopause can also give you all kinds of weird discomforts.
 
I am dealing with the same thing and find it extremely frustrating. I've done everything I can to prevent UTIs. This is an issue that I fear always hoping in the back of my mind will I get another uti or is this finally the end of them. I take cranberry capsules with special pac cran and drink water. I gave up even decaffeinated green tea but not sure it made a difference. I was able to heal my back pain and carpal tunnel with Dr. Sarno's books, but no antibiotics were involved. With a UTI you are stuck getting antibiotics. This is fearful for me because it can't be ignored.
 
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