I started getting recurrent UTis. Never been a problem before until I started Tysabri last May - had one in August and then three in last month. In the last month, I have needed two courses of antibiotics to clear up each infection so they are nasty ones that do not resolve easily. the jury is out as to whether in fact any have cleared up - it could be one infection that has lingered on and not responded to treatment. My GP is having me scanned to check I am emptying properly but since I have never had this prob until on Tysabri - and have heard this is a common side effect - my money is on Tysabri.
Anyone had this problem - and how have you coped? I feel so ill with these infections - but I do not want to give up Tysabri! Grateful for any experiences and nuggets of advice (by the way I am drinking gallons of water and cranbery juice but apparently to no avail).
Hi
I’m similar to you I’ve been on Tysabri for about 18 months and have had plenty of UTIs this year. I’d take some antibiotics which would clear it up, but then a few days later it would come back. I was UTI free for a few months over the summer but I’m back in the same position now - I’ve had a couple courses of antibiotics, but it’s come back each time. I dropped off another urine sample today for testing so I’ll see what the results say. I think I might ask for a longer course of them rather thanthe usual 5-7 days they give me, to see if that properly kills it off.
I take a daily low dose of antibiotics as well, which has helped in the past but seems to have been less effective this year. I also take cranberry tablets, which are much stronger than the juice and also don’t have the unhealthy suagr or sweeteners of the juice, and also cheaper in the long run (I get them from bigvits.co.uk). Again, I think this helps, but not as much as I would like. Ho hum.
I hope we get them cleared up soon as the infections knock us down a bit.
Dan
Many thanks for your reply. Depressing isn’t - until I suffered with them, I have no idea just how debilitating a UTI could be!
Many thanks for replying.
Many thanks indeed for your reply.