This Special Sugar Helped One Woman Cure Her Chronic UTIs
Mary Kidwell sat in the ER hooked up to an IV — again! The Sheldon, Illinois, retired surgical nurse had been suffering with chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) her whole life. She never knew when they were going to hit — she’d just suddenly start feeling the telltale pressure and heaviness in her bladder and find herself urinating more often, which became increasingly more painful.
Mary got infections so frequently for so many years that by the time she retired at 71, oral antibiotics had stopped working and cultures showed she’d developed resistance to all but one medication, which had to be given intravenously. The treatments were administered every day for two or three consecutive days. Between traveling time and the hour hooked up to the IV drip, the process was very time consuming. I can’t and won’t spend my retirement in the hospital instead of enjoying time with my family and friends, Mary thought desperately. I need to find another solution.
A Surprising Alternative
Not long after, while visiting a friend who also suffered from chronic UTIs, Mary asked her how she treated them. Her friend said when she felt symptoms start, she’d take a D-mannose supplement, explaining D-mannose is a type of sugar that occurs naturally in the body as well as in some plants. From what she understood, the body eliminates D-mannose through the kidneys and urinary tract, where it is thought to attach to the harmful bacteria that can cause UTIs, flushing them from the body and stopping infections in their tracks.
Mary was excited and hopeful. But before self-treating, she consulted a urologist as well as an infection control specialist. Both doctors said they’d heard good things about D-mannose and encouraged her to try it.
“It can’t hurt,” they both enthused.
So Mary ordered Harmony D-mannose Urinary Tract Balance & Cleanser capsules with hibiscus (Buy on Amazon, $29.99). D-Mannose is also available as an inexpensive powder. From then on, when she felt a UTI coming on, Mary took two 800-mg. capsules once a day, and within two or three days, her symptoms had stopped.
“Usually, I only need one dose to start feeling better, and I’ve never had any side effects,” Mary says. And today, Mary has been using D-mannose for seven years and hasn’t been to a doctor for a UTI since. “I have my life back,” the 78-year-old beams. “I can make plans without worrying that a urinary tract infection will change them, I’m saving about $2,400 on treatments each year and I’m enjoying time with loved ones. I couldn’t be happier!”
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Save on Healthcare (Buy on Amazon, $12.99).
