Possibly the second most common complaint from middle aged women is about their unruly bladders! They leak, they dribble, they empty at the worst times, and even if the symptoms are not so severe as that, they are a confounded nuisance.
Bladder malfunctions in a normal woman are an excellent example of what is known as a conditioned response. When you open the door of the toilet, the bladder is already getting itself toned up for a big muscular effort to empty itself. After you have had a couple of vaginal births, or even just getting older and losing tone in your pelvic muscles, the problem can arise more easily. I have also noticed that women who have always had a slight build, and have kept trim waistlines without much trouble (yes, such women do exist!) she may never have had to hold in her stomach, never had to worry about a bulging belly, and so the bigger girls have the advantage of having better abdominal and pelvic muscles, which helps their bladder control.
Re-training your bladder so that it does not automatically decide when to empty is a chore, but not a long or arduous one, and so is well worth doing. If we look at the syndrome I have called “your bladder knows you’re home”, then we can use this as a model for re-training in other ways.
Sometimes you drive into your driveway at home, have barely got the shopping bags out and the key in the door when already your bladder is starting to leak. You rush to the loo,
Iucky to get there in time and heave a sigh of relief. If you do not re-train this bladder it will start earlier and earlier in the cycle of home-coming, and one day will let you down. The way to do it is to start well before the response sets in, i.e. at least two blocks away from your house. Slow down and stop the car. Squeeze your bladder tight and decide you do NOT want to go to the toilet. Then start up the car and hold on to both your bladder and the thought that you DO NOT WANT to go. Arrive more slowly than normal. Stay in place in your car for a moment and renew your wish to NOT GO to the loo.
Once you are in the house, you can then go to the loo at a measured pace, instead of the usual rush to get there! If you repeat this exercise several times a week, you will find that your bladder is tamed into submission!
So let’s talk about the various other types of bladder problems that can arise.
Firstly there is the really common condition called stress incontinence, which the TV adverts are referring to as “light bladder leakage”! This is where the tight exit muscle from the neck of the bladder has been traumatised by any one of a number of factors, including long labours, recurrent infections, slack muscles generally, etc. The bladder neck cannot hold up an amount of urine effectively if there is any additional pressure such as coughing, sneezing, jumping or running. There will be some drips escaping, maybe even more than drips. This condition can be helped in some women by pelvic floor exercises, but the recently developed TVT or “sling” operation has been a blessing. If it is appropriate in the case, it will fix the problem. The only thing is, it is not always going to be appropriate, after volume testing of the bladder.
Then there is the symptom called urge incontinence. This is where the bladder holds the urine ok until there is the urge to go to the toilet, when bingo, it’s too late! If this occurs outside the home it is extremely embarrassing and the woman needs help urgently. Urge incontinence is more difficult to treat, and needs time and patience to train the bladder to hold more urine before hitting the “go” button and releasing it’s load!
Then there is the problem of recurrent UTIs, or urinary tract infections. For some reason women in middle to later years do seem to get more than usual numbers of bladder infections. Sometimes this will be because any one infection is not adequately treated. The villain in this scenario might be the woman herself who, having felt better, did not take the last few tablets in the course! No, none of us ever did such a thing?! Or, the problem may be that the doctor, having assessed the UTI himself may have thought it unnecessary to send a sample to the laboratory, and simply made an educated guess at which antibiotic would be effective. If the guess was wrong, the infection persists.
My policy with UTIs is: if the woman (and it usually is a woman not a man) has not had a UTI for over two years, then I will guess at the antibiotic once, but she must take the whole course. Then if it comes back, she must have a sample of urine sent to the lab to check what infection and what antibiotic we are dealing with. Then after the whole course of tablets has been taken, wait three days and repeat the urine sample to be sure the infection has completely cleared.
An interesting story comes to mind. When I was practicing in North Fitzroy, in Melbourne, I had a group of patients who were not keen on medical treatment but nonetheless asked if I would undertake any investigations for them, to arrive at a proper diagnosis, but leave the treatment to them. I thought about it and said I would agree on two conditions: that they would not hold me responsible for the outcome, and if I said it was a matter of life and death that they would agree to let me treat them.
Things went along well for some time until a young woman came in, heavily pregnant, with the dipstick in her urine showing a bad urinary infection, with blood, albumin and leukocytes all positive. Her urine was sent to the lab but I told her that as she was pregnant, I really had to insist she have treatment as the baby might be harmed otherwise. She begged me to give her 24 hours to treat it herself, and as she had clearly had it for more than that anyway, I agreed but insisted she come in the very next morning for review.
When she arrived the next morning, the dipstick was entirely normal! No blood, no leukocytes and no albumin, and she had no symptoms either. I was shocked. I asked her what she had done, and her reply has stayed with me and helped many a patient since then. She said she had cut up three cloves of garlic into tablet sized pieces and swallowed that amount three times a day. Since that time I have had great respect for the antibiotic effects of garlic and recently, having been caught on a weekend with nothing else to take for a UTI, I was very glad I had a good stock of garlic in the house!
So, you can see that bladders are often troublesome, but none of the problems above are without remedy. The one that is Extremely Difficult is the condition known as interstitial cystitis. This is an inflammation (not infection) of the substance of the bladder wall. The causes are not well understood, and the treatment can be very tedious and not always successful. I have not tried the garlic treatment, but it might be worth a go for any of you out there with this ailment.
Thankfully modern uro-gynecologists are more sympathetic to women’s bladder problems than in the old days. As a young doctor I can recall being very shocked to hear an old-style gynae say that neurotic women eventually develop mythical bladder symptoms but it was all in their minds! Wish I could get him now by the scruff of his rude neck…. I’d give him a piece of my mind, I can tell you!
This has Been my favourite medical article ever. I get urine infections every couple of months. I can’t walk or get off the toilet for hours when it hits and get terrible fever with it. Sometimes it comes back as if there is no infection so could I get the inflammarion you just mentioned? I desperate to help my poor urinary tract. It is so difficult to live with.
Thanks for writing this article
I tried the garlic and it worked …my question is”How long do I do this?” Taking the garlic 3 times
a day for how long? when I am taking an antibiotic that is a doctors rx I usually have to do it for 10
days. In the article it did not state anything longer than 1 day. I do feel better…but I am concerned
that the infection will come back if I don’t do the garlic longer than one day. Could someone please
write me back and let me know “HOW LONG” I need to take it………Thanks
Hi Geri
3 days maximum & if it still persists make sure you go & see your GP.
Happy New Year 🙂
Regards
Maura
Your very welcome Melissa, I’m very happy it helps.
Warm regards
Maura
I did not know about talking the cloves.you can also tie the garlic clove en insert in your vagina.
I have been diagnosed with colonized ecoli infection in my bladder following numerous back fusion surgeries. Will garlic supplements help me from having utis?
I wanted to post on your site because I just cured a UTI with garlic! I’ve had many Uti’s in the past 7 years, at minimum 2 a year. So when I started getting the beginning symptoms of one 3 days ago, I found your blog and read about the pregnant woman who cured here’s wih garlic. What I did that morning when I felt it start was take 2 probiotics (5billion CFU each) and 2 allicin extract capsules (450mg each). I only took the 3 cloves of raw garlic five hours later because I hadn’t yet read your blog :). I also used a whole peeled clove as a suppository in the vagina, thinking it might help the bladder thru the vaginal wall. During this time I was also taking 2,000mg of D-Mannose every hour, just in case the microbe causing my UTI was E.Coli. So by 3:30 that afternoon, about 6-7 hours after my symptoms had started and progressed, I began feeling NO symptoms! The burning in the urethra, the stinging sharp pain during urination, the pressure over my bladder and the urgency were gone! I did go to my MD’s clinic to leave a urine sample for urinalysis because I wanted an antibiotic on standby just in case the garlic wouldn’t help. Needless to say, I did not fill my prescription when the RN called to say the urinalysis showed I had a true infection, and I told her I had no more symptoms :)! So I took three more cloves of garlic cut in pill size at 6pm that night and three more right before bed. I also took out the garlic suppository before bed. And took another probiotic and allicin capsule before bed. I woke up the second day still symptoms free and by now I had a regimen in mind:
2 probiotics + 2 allicin capsules + 3 cloves raw garlic (all swallowed in the morning)
Raw garlic clove suppository for 12 hours max
3 cloves raw garlic (in the afternoon)
1 probiotic + 1 allicin capsule + 3 cloves raw garlic (all at bed time)
I drank Lots!!! Of water during this time to keep my urine as light yellow/clear as I could! After the second day, I got the results of my urine culture, Proteus Mirabilis (a gram negative bacteria normally found in the intestines). It was a full blown UTI and by God’s grace I found your blog and cured it with garlic! I have to share my ordeal to hopefully help others use garlic instead of antibiotics to help heal their bodies.
I’m not sure if the d-mannose helped with this UTI because all I’ve read about it says it works only against E. Coli caused UTIs, but until I got the results of my UA I didn’t know what bug was infecting me, so I was taking it hourly that first day and every three hours the second and third day. Good thing the only side effect was gas 🙂 oh, that’s when the garlic I was swallowing raw started smelling :-/…I did start smelling a bit like an Italian Restaurant after the second day :).
So, now it’s day 4 and I still have no symptoms of a Uti. I will continue the probiotics and allicin capsules for two weeks because I want to be sure this is well treated. I’m going to take 2 probiotics and 2 allicins in the morning and 1 of each before bed.
I really hope this post helps some one else!
Dr. Maura,
I forgot to thank you in my last comment for your blog :)!
I also have a small update, I got another UA at my MD’s clinic this afternoon , and it wa all negative! In less than 72 hours the UTI is cured :)!
Thanks again for the information! I will be sharing it with all the women I know who suffer from urinary tract infections.
Fantastic news! An oldie but a goodie!
M x
Hello Dr. Maura,
I am 26 and have Interstitial Cystitis and recurring UTI’s. I have been taking d-mannose as a preventative for UTI’s and was wondering if garlic capsules would work just as well as actual garlic. I am hesitant to start taking a low dose of antibiotic regularly, so I am hoping I can exhaust all options before doing so. I take acidophilus, and d-mannose regularly, and will add garlic capsules if you think it would do the trick! Thank you!
~Morgan
Dr. Maura McGill
About the garlic, three garlic cloves a day or three garlic cloves three times day (9 garlic cloves a day). I get UtIs too a couple of times a year, and I would like to treat it myself, because I don’t want to use antibiotics.
Thanks for this article! 🙂
I had symptoms of a UTI this morning, wasn’t at home but I had Greek kefir so I drank that, my symptoms (urgency to void & achy pain in that area) subsided, although they didn’t go away, & I got thru my day. At home tonight i’m feeling my symptoms flare up again, as I have to make frequent trips to urinate. I don’t have insurance so I opened a jar of organic, minced, garlic and swallowed about a tablespoon. I’ll do the same tomorrow & report back. I hope this works!
I felt UTI symptoms, opened a small jar of minced organic garlic, swallow down a tablespoon with water last night & took three more “doses” spread out over the day today. I now don’t feel any symptoms, I’ll finish the jar tomorrow & be sure to always keep a jar of minced organic garlic on hand in the future! TY!
Been having serious pain right below my lower abdomen. Very close to my vagina. It feels sore and very painful particularly when I want to pass urine or stool or even sit down. It affects my waist and anus. Is dat the symptom of. A urinary tract infection? Which type? And can I use garlic for it because I want to do dat right now! I will report back but I still need to know.
Definitely got the menopause going on .. embracing it, naturopathic remedies etc .. under control except for the new episode of cystitis!!! So doing my head in and I’m in a new relationship but we’re the same age so he’s very understanding!! So in desperation I stumble across this and am enlightened about the GARLIIC!!! Always known its benefits but really not for this this!! Basically persistent cystitis , with the pressure, the endless urination, feeling blahhhhh ,… so punishing and annoying as you would all know! Inserted garlic vaginally …. the miracle of healing started! Seriously wonderful stuff ,,, no stinging , just don’t poke it up there too high .. do this in full trust .. it’s just what nature provided ,,oh yeah and when I went back to my lady doctor she knew all about it and highly recommended this practise .. Garlic is highly anti bacterial and no side effects … except tad garlicy smell .. Happy to share x
Hi, would garlic tablets work.. Thanks for your reply.
For how long shall I keep the garlic in the vagina? Overnight, or a few hrs or minutes? Because the info differs from a website to another. Thank you!
Thulla,the garlic should be left in your vagina overnight.
I tried the garlic in vagina and it worked, garlic tablets didn’t work. The smell is there but at least the pain went fully away!???? thanks everyone, does anyone have ideas on how to get clear skin around neck? Also how to effectively remove little moles around neck? ????
Had uti symptoms last night and I know what they are because I have had several this year alone. Read this article thought I’d try the three clothes of garlic. Along with drinking lots of water and cranberry juice I woke up this morning without any symptoms. I will continue this course for 48 hours I think and see what happens.
Does the garlic sting in the vagina? Can I just chew the 9 cloves and get the same benefits or is the other part necessary to get kid of the uti. For some reason the d mannose has made me feel worse. Does it mean it’s working or should I stop taking it? Thank you all..I’m in so much pain!
I just want to know the exactly times of taking a garlic, if ever that someone had a simple UTI because thers no symtoms it felt but says on the lab it has UTI, hmmmm… is it 3x a day? Or 3x a week? (One garlic not whole .) thank you
This garlic is realy gud or any other side effect its taken by too much in a day…mam plzz suggest mee bcoz last two yr m so mch sad abt tht so mch medicns I had tke..bt reslts nthing my pus cell increase soplzz could u help me
Am so happy to have come across this post! I am 28 weeks pregnant and have had a Uti caused by Proteus mirabilis for the last 2 months. 2 different anitbiotics later and I still have it. Just last week I went to my gynea and he prescribed me the THIRD type of antibiotic. At this point I decided any medicinal treatment for this uti is not going to work. So have been buying cranberries and putting them in the blender and drinking up to 3 glasses a day. Now that I found this post I just tonight started with the treatment which seemed to work for Laura
– 2 probiotics + 2 allicin capsules + 3 cloves raw garlic , three times a day.
I have some pain in my left kidney at the moment so really hoping that in a few days this will all be sorted. Will post an update as time goes on. Goodluck to all the other pregnant women out there with utis! I hope to post an update that it worked 🙂
Hi 2 days ago i went to the doctor and he said i have a UTI and he prescribes an antibiotics..but my question is can i used garlic as another medication even im taking antibiotics..i ate 2 cloves of garlic crush in my empty stomch in the morning and in evening before i eat..is it good ..thank you
Can either be done if you’re pregnant? 9 cloves per day through the mouth or garlic suppository in the vagina
I have been infected with a UTI which have grown resistance to most anti biotics. How do I be free from this. I am male, sorry for coming here to just females. But a brother needs hels
I have UTI how long does it go away when eating garlic following by water
One of “Mother Natures” natural antibiotics. I very seldom get a UTI, but when I do, raw garlic is my 1st choice instead of antibiotics. After 3 days of treatment with garlic and extra vitamins, I use the Azo test strip again to make sure the infection is gone. It’s never let me down.
Michelle
I got uti on the Monday and couldn’t start my new job. I started eating raw crushed garlic and by Tuesday my symptoms had gone but I stopped taking it as I didn’t want to go to work on Wednesday smelling of garlic. Wednesday morning at 4am it came back so I have started taking it again 3 cloves a day 3 times a day . I am going to G.P. To get a sample sent away and some back up antibiotics and have told my new employer I will be in Friday.
But determined to get rid of it with garlic as it worked six months ago; I think you just have to give your body time .
I would be interested to know if anyone has been successful with garlic capsules. I think it has to be raw garlic and I read somewhere you should cut them open and leave for 10 minutes before eating ??? Has anyone heard this ?
It is now 7.30am and my symptoms feel a little better.
Will keep u posted.
I
I have had cysitis on and off for the past year have been on a low dose of antibiotics.I.saw the consultant 2weeks ago.and now the cysitis has come back.So I am trying garlic.and cidar vinigar.I have taken 3cloves already tonight.I will put some cloves in my virgina tonight.
can I include cranberry powder as well as the garlic.and cidar vinegar.and how do I deguise the smell while I am taking the garlic.and even when you are finished it takes.quite a while to leave my body.
Hi I have tried Apple cidar vinigar and garlic I took 1tablespoon of cidar vinigar and some water 3times a day plus 1clove of garlic lunch time and 3cloves at night also cranberry powder.and still I became worse so unfortunately I had to take the antibiotics again which I did not want to do.I am really disappointed.
Hi I do not see what I wrote about the garlic treatment.
I have tried the treatment of the garlic and apple cider vinegar.
I was taking I table spoon of cider vinegar with water three times a day,plus garlic I clove lunch time and 3 cloves at night.
and I am not better.in fact I am worse.I had to go to the docter to get some antibiotics.
also when I put the 3 cloves in the virgina it stung badly.