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Recurrent urinary tract infections can be very hard to fend off, so we are interested in this reader’s success with a simple supplement. Women who are susceptible to this problem will recognize the increased risk of an infection following sexual relations.
Q. I have been using odorless garlic supplements to prevent and fight bladder infections (UTIs).
I am one of those women prone to urinary tract infections after sex. (Studies show that women such as myself have a deficiency of a bacteria-fighting enzyme in the cells lining the urethra).
More than 20 years ago I got tired of suffering frequent UTIs despite urinating and drinking water immediately after sex. So I began using garlic. My regimen is to take four Kyolic capsules with a full glass of water immediately after sex and then four more the next morning (about eight hours later).
This practice has prevented numerous UTIs for me, since I had half a dozen annually before adopting it. If I begin to feel urgency and frequency (symptoms of an infection), I immediately begin taking four Kyolic Formula 100 capsules with a full glass of water every four hours until the symptoms are gone, plus two more doses after that.
I have only had one UTI per year using garlic this way. I decided to try the garlic when my urologist wanted me to start taking an antibiotic every time after sex or to take on a low dose of antibiotic daily. That idea was unacceptable to me! Other women should check with their doctors before trying my regimen themselves.
A. Thanks for providing the details on how you use garlic. Some research indicates that garlic has antimicrobial effects (International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, Sept. 2009; FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, March, 2010; Food Science & Nutrition, March, 2015).
We couldn’t find any clinical studies, but there are two case reports of recurrent UTIs responding to an alternative treatment containing garlic along with parsley, L-arginine, probiotics and cranberry (Case Reports in Medicine, online Dec. 21, 2014).
Helene
IL
Joey Green’s “Amazing Kitchen Cures” says to try water-dissolved Alka Seltzer when UTI symptoms rear their ugly heads. It works more often than not. Have tried d-Mannose several times, but usually have to start antibiotics after several days when the pain gets too bad. Will garlic abate thee symptoms when ab aren’t working? How much and how often?
Kathy
Michigan
I’m post-menopausal and am wondering, does anyone get bladder irritation after showering? It doesn’t feel painful like a UTI, but there is frequency and sometimes urgency to urinate after I take a shower. I don’t use a lot of soap down there and rinse thoroughly. If anyone knows how to remedy this, I would be most grateful. Thanks.
Chris H
Atlanta, GA
I have been getting a UTI after having sex for quite some time now and I have been at such a loss as to what to do. I have researched everything I could find and finally from the peoples pharmacy, I am able to find help. The garlic really works and now I will add the D-mannose as well. UTI’s are the worst and have made life really miserable for me, so I am really excited about finding this info out!
mimsie
USA
I agree with this woman’s suggestion. I too started taking odorless garlic (Kyolic liquid which I put into empty gelatin capsules). I had constant vaginal yeast infections prior to doing this. I took 2 full capsules every day for years. The infections completely stopped.
Grammapat
wisconsin
D Mannose taken daily also seems to be effective for preventing it’s. I take it every day. My issue is the prevalence of this problem for those of us who are a bit ‘long in the tooth’. The brand I take also contains cranactin.
Elizabeth
I wonder if dryness of the tissues, plus the fact that sometimes the urge to drink fluids diminishes with age, contribute to UTIs being so prevalent/problematic in older women?
Cecelia
Chicago
I have had great difficulty swallowing pills. My UTIs have been both e-coli and strep B related (not together). Any suggestions for strep B? I take two cranberry supplements every day.
Kat
United States
I will try the garlic; I’ve unsuccessfully tried D-Mannose, both in capsules and the powder, taking it repeatedly for days following the onset of symptoms but wind up getting an antibiotic when I’m still having pain and frequency after 5 days of this routine. At that point, I can’t take it anymore and cave in. But I’ll give the garlic a shot.
Sue
IL
My sister takes a cranberry capsule daily, a garlic capsule, and D-Mannose after sex and the next day. It has worked for her. She said she also tries to urinate before and after sex and wash after sex. Drink plenty of water also.
Carrie
Wisconsin
I can’t take garlic because I have daily acid reflux and can’t take heartburn drugs because they caused serious side effects. But I’ve had very good luck preventing urinary tract infections by using cranberry caplets (400 mg) and drinking a LOT of water. Cranberry juice gave me very bad reflux, so I couldn’t drink it. Very painful heartburn. But my doctor suggested cutting a cranberry caplet or pill in half, taking it with food twice a day and drinking plenty of water. This has worked quite well for me. For those who don’t have heartburn issues, you could take more cranberry pills and juice when you feel an infection coming on. But it also seems to help to drink a lot of water to help flush any infection out of your system. I drink enough to keep urine very pale yellow or clear . And the cranberry is acidic, which also helps fight the infection. Worth trying. It helps me a lot.
Fran
Clovis CA
Re garlic for UTIs, I have successfully used unsweetened pure cranberry juice (I get at Trader Joes) to knock them out totally for the past 15-18 years. If I ever feel one coming on, I immediately drink at least 6 oz of pure cranberry juice. I have had to add filtered water to it since it is very tart. But I follow up and drink the entire bottle (with added filtered water) over the next day and it stops it in its tracks.
Sara
Seattle, WA
I used to get multiple UTIs after sex. It was awful. I began a regime of careful washing (with soap and thorough rinsing) before any sex activity, both me and my partner, our private areas and our hands. It made ALL the difference. No more UTIs.
Chris
Great article, I’ve personally seen amazing results with garlic. Anyone interested in herbal remedies should definitely check out the ebook 10 super herbs that will change your life forever. You can download it for free here: tensuperherbs.com. I bought a few of the herbs from the book and my life has changed completely
Susan
Portland
I have become increasingly skeptical of the frequent use of antibiotics. They wreak havoc in our guts and contribute to the development of drug resistant bacteria. So after the umpteenth UTI, one after another, I decided there must be a better way. A Google search turned up numerous suggestions, but D-Mannose powder seemed to offer the safest and easiest alternative. Supposedly it works by making the bladder inhospitable to the E. coli bacteria. Several doses later, I have been free of UTI’s ever since. I have only needed to use it one more time when I noticed some frequency. I think the antibiotics never quite eliminated the bacteria, but the D-Mannose powder gives it no place to land. My doctor was amazed.
Elissa
Boynton Bch, FL
After a women purges her bowels, she should wipe herself from front to back. This will limit the chance of getting waste in her Virg.
DS
TX
I wish I had seen this twenty years earlier! Less than five years ago I found that D Mannose is a great help, and now I take a daily capsule containing cranberry, D mannose and a probiotic. Eating fermented foods is also helpful. I am getting packed for an extended trip and I intend to add garlic capsules since I will not be able to get kefir or homemade sauerkraut. Thank you fellow sufferer and thank you People’s Pharmacy!
Ron
Balch Springs,Tx
Garlic is definitely a good antibiotic. I remember on two different occasions when picking up trash around my rent house, that I was bitten 8 or 10 times on my hands by fireants. None of the bites became infected! Previously all fireant bites would become infected every time without fail. I had been taking an odorless garlic capsule daily. The only drawback is occasionally a capsule would become stuck in my throat causing much irritation. Eventually I stopped taking the capsules for this reason.
Nancy
USA
Bless you for sharing this information. Good Luck!