Q. For many years, I’ve been plagued with bladder infections. I had infections in November and December 2000 and started getting another one last January. I read in a novel about a woman taking vitamin C for this problem, and I began taking 6,000 mg per day. Not only did the vitamin C stop the infection in January, I have not had one since. What are your thoughts on this treatment?
A. My initial thoughts are that you may have found an excellent treatment for your bladder problem.
Bladder infection, also called cystitis, is one of a group of urinary-tract infections that are among the most common problems seen by doctors.
Acute cystitis is an infection of the bladder caused by a relatively small number of bacterial species that are strong enough to grow in the urinary tract. The infection is most commonly due to coliform bacteria, especially E. coli.
Bladder infections are common in women, especially those of childbearing age, but may also increase after menopause. Because of short urethra, many women have recurrent infections. The infection is relatively rare in men and often is due to an infection of the prostate.
The infection usually travels up through the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. Women may get cystitis as the result of sexual intercourse. Another potential infection source is catheterization of the urethra.
Symptoms of a bladder infection include urinary frequency (without any increase in daily volume), urgency and difficulty in urinating. A burning and painful sensation while urinating also is common. The urine often is cloudy, and blood can be seen in as many as 30 percent of people with this infection.
The infection and its symptoms often disappear on their own. But when symptoms signal onset of the infection, short-term (one to three days) antibiotics are usually effective in treating uncomplicated cystitis.
Trimethoprin-sulfacethoxazole or cephalexin are commonly prescribed antibiotics. A recent study has suggested that a single dose of ciprofloxacin may be as effective as multiple doses of other antibiotics. Also, a variety of drugs are available to treat the symptoms, especially the problems in urinating.
Cystitis usually responds well to antibiotic treatment. If improvement is not seen in a few days, additional testing may be needed.
Prevention and self-care treatment also are important. Cranberry juice is well known as being effective in controlling urinary-tract infections.
The mechanism of action is unknown, but a component of cranberry juice acidifies the urine, which has an antibacterial effect. Also, there’s some evidence that components in cranberry juice reduce the ability of bacteria to adhere to the lining of the bladder and urethra.
The writer of your novel is on the right track. Among its many other health care attributes, vitamin C has been shown to be effective in the prevention and self-care treatment of urinary-tract infections. The mechanism of action is probably similar to that of cranberry juice; vitamin C also acidifies the urine.
Daily doses of 6,000 mg are probably higher than needed. Doses of higher than 1,000 mg a day may cause diarrhea, kidney stones and changes in menstrual cycle, so be on the lookout for those symptoms.
Also, you may want to consider gradually reducing the dose to find the lowest effective dose for prevention and increasing the dose when an infection shows up.
Drinking plenty of fluids also is essential for prevention and treatment. The flushing action of the water washes away many bacteria from the urinary tract, allowing the body’s natural defenses to deal with the rest. Bacteria can be flushed out by urinating just after sexual intercourse.
You probably have what is called recurrent cystitis (episodes of more than twice a year). If at some point the vitamin C and other self-care preventive measures don’t seem to be working, you may want to ask your doctor about taking low doses of antibiotics.
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Write to Allen Douma in care of the Chicago Tribune Health & Family section, 435 N. Michigan, Chicago, IL 60611; or contact him at [email protected]. This column is not intended to take the place of consultation with a health-care provider.
