Friday, November 5, 2010

Alternative to Cranberry Juice in Recurrent UTI: D-Mannose and Proanthocyanidin scahet

Millions of women world wide suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections.The symptoms are usually burning urination,freqency of the urination and pain in genital region or lower back region.The physician usually sends urine for culture examination and starts antibiotics either for 5-7 days duration or gives low dose antibiotics for long time for suppression of the annoying bacterial flora.The recurrent infections if due to some causative factor like diabetes mellitus(altered immunity),stones,prolapse,dry vagina(due to post menopusal changes),pregnancy needs to be looke into.
The suppressive antibiotic administartion usually causes cure in 70% of the cases but as soon as the antibiotic is stopped some 30% of the women suffer from the recurrent UTI.
Some strategies like cranberry juice or lignonberry juice is being started for most of the patients but the effect of such preventive measures is not clear and diabetc patients are not suitable for these medications as the quantity to be taken could be 250 ml to 500 ml daily.
To prevent adherence of the bacteria to the urogenital mucosa D-mannose and proanthocyanidin can be taken regularly.Sachets available in the market like Ugiclean sachet can be dissolved in glassful of water and can be consumed 4-6 times a day.It is safer in diabetic patients also.
D-Mannose is a natrurally occuring simple sugar which without alteration is filtred by the kidneys and reach the bladder.On reaching the bladder it allows the fimbria of E-Coli to preferrentially attach to them rather than the bladder mucosa.This forms a slipper complex ; and can be voided easily.The proanthocyanidins helps to buid immunity as it is 50 times more powerful than Vit E and 20 times more potent.
In a study conducted by Dr Michael Blue,Oklahoma 66 % of the women with recuurent UTI had culture negativity.In a related study 80% of the painful bladder syndrome patients had relief.

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