D-Mannose for UTI Prevention and Treatment
I am super stoked to be sharing this particular post with you! Not only does it fall into our natural/home remedies series, but it provides information about an OTC treatment option for urinary tract infections (UTIs).
I cannot begin to tell you how many patients approach me with discomfort written all over their faces, looking for a way to rid their bodies of the classic symptoms of a UTI. Upon conversation with a good friend of mine, I became introduced to a very decent natural remedy that helps prevent AND treat UTIs.
The natural supplement name: D-Mannose!
What is D-Mannose?
It’s simply a sugar that is similar to glucose (a component of table sugar) and a natural substance found in our bodies, particularly in the urine.
How does D-Mannose work to treat or prevent UTIs?
D-Mannose passes through our bodies mostly unchanged, with the rest being excreted into the urine. When it reaches the walls of the urinary tract, the D-Mannose molecules attach to certain target spots that would normally be occupied by the bacteria causing the UTI. In other words, the D-Mannose molecules remove the bacteria from their target spots, which helps clear up the bacterial infection. The displaced bacteria is washed out of the body by our urine.
D-Mannose also appears to prevent the bacteria from attaching to their targets, which in turn, helps to keep the infection from occurring in the first place.
The catch is that D-Mannose seems to only work for the E. coli bacteria; there are several types of bacteria that cause a UTI. The good news is that E. coli causes a majority (about 80-85%) of the cases of urinary tract infections. If D-Mannose does not seem to be working for you, then you can assume that your UTI may be caused by a non-E. coli bacteria and an alternative treatment option should be considered.
What is the recommended dosage for D-Mannose?
The simple sugar is available on the market as a capsule and powder.
A typcial dosing regimen to treat a UTI using the powder would be one teaspoon dissolved in a liquid and taken every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days.
To prevent a UTI, a common guideline is to dissolve one teaspoon of powder in a liquid and drink it up once a day!
The capsule form may have directions like: take one to two capsules by mouth twice a day with water.
NOTE: These directions are going to vary from person to person and on the product that is purchased!
Is it okay to take D-Mannose if you have diabetes?
It sure is! I know, sounds funny because it is a natural sugar, but because D-Mannose pretty much goes straight to your urinary tract (unlike glucose, which is metabolized), it will not affect your blood sugar levels.
Since D-Mannose is not regulated by the FDA, is it safe to take?
So far, it appears that D-Mannose is a safe alternative to your traditional antibiotics. A couple of side effects include loose stools and bloating.
Please do remember that since it is a supplement and not regulated by the FDA, the product may contain significantly more or less of the active ingredient per dose than what is listed on the product label!
Where can I find D-Mannose?
Since D-Mannose is pretty much an unknown entity in the world of pharmacy or traditional medicine, it may be difficult to find. If you’re lucky, you may find it at a health food store, but your best bet is to locate it online!
That just about wraps it up! Just be cautious when trying to self-treat a UTI. It may still be in your best interest to take a trip to your doctor’s office -keep that in mind anyway.
I would love to hear about your experience with D-Mannose. Definitely leave a comment below to share your thoughts! Yup, you can always e-mail me at Cate@getpharmacyadvice.com too!
And just as a side note, we put together a video course that will guide you through the many ways you can save money on your prescription meds. The best part is it’s absolutely free, and the second best part it’s instantly accessible! Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
Thanks for the info. After reading more about d-mannose it seems like a good treatment for the common uti bug. Previously I have used cranberry juice which has helped somewhat but had the side effect of being high in digestible sugar. I will definitely try it after consulting with my Doctor first on how best to approach use related preventation vs cure.
I thank you, too, for making this kind of info available. I actually have used d-mannose before, & it worked amazingly well for me. I wish I’d known about it sooner! I tend to get a UTI after sex, even if I drink lots of water & take cranberry pills immediately afterwards. With health insurance, having to go to the doctor & get rounds of antibiotics got quite old. Not to mention the annoyance of having to take a urine test each time, when I’ve had more than enough to recognize the symptoms. When I recently didn’t have health insurance, D-mannose was a lifesaver for me. I got a bottle at my local Whole Foods & now I keep some in my medicine cabinet. I think it’s a much safer & gentler alternative to constant antibiotics. I’m so glad that it’s becoming more widely known.
I just wanted to say that I suffered with UTI’s for most of my married life. I found D-Mannose and have been antibiotic free for several years now. It’s a great product. I have several friends who have suffered with this problem as well and encouraged them to give it a try. They are hooked! It works! It really does!
I have been suffering for years with chronic UTIs & it has only gotten worse. Missing work, in bed for days, weeks. Just wondering why??? I felt ready to take out whatever insides are the problem & wear the bag on the outside. Yes. I AM serious.
I was recommended d-mannose yesterday & it seems like a miracle!!! I am reading these great reviews hoping & praying that I have finally found a cure.
I have migraines, spinal stenosis, arthritis, nerve pain & more. Uti or IC pain is much worse!!! Whoever discovered this stuff… Thank you!
hi i am a 66 year old female the last 5 years i have had lots of utis i have gone to dr. after dr. also went to urologist an was diagnosed with ic which is a terrible terrible bladder diease. i was haveing problems an my dr. was out for the week so i tried the d-manose i have used it now for 3 days an i am feeling great no pressure or burning it has to be the d-manose as i have tried everything else under the sun with no results. im am so excited about this product i shall tell my urologist about it . i found my d-manose at the mr. nutrition health food store it is 100% i was told to use the pure 100 per cent kind. the brand name is now an i am very happy with the results it was 25.00 for 3 oz bottle of powder i take one teasp morn an 1/2 teasp at noon then 1 teasp at night so far i have not had any stomach problems i will keep this on hand an use it all times . im so thankful i found this product. i can truthfully tell you until i found this product my quality of life was in a very sad state. i cried all time now i am up cooking laughing an takeing care of my sweet grand sons an my husband .
Thank you for your advice on the D-Mannose for prevention and maintenance of UTI problems. It seemed too good to be true. However, the explanation of how the compound works appealed to my reasoning. I didn’t want to have to schedule an appointment to get into the VA to see a doctor and possible have to wait up to a week. I looked for an alternative treatment and found you. It was too late at nightnlast night when I found the information so in the meantime I had read that by taking a tsp. Of baking soda and 12oz. Of warm water and drinking it, that would take away the pressure and sharp razor blade sensations until treatment could be administered. I did exactly that. That was at 4 am this morning. By 4:30 am I must have been sound asleep. I went to the vitamin shop and purchased the D-Mannose capsules for $30 (160 capsules) and have taken a total of 9 today. The symptoms are gone. I really wish I had known about this much earlier. It would have prevented lots of time spent at the doctors, wait time in the docs office and unnecessary labs, etc. Thanks again.
Hi!I am 57 and after a very bad episode of uti when i was young which went to my kidneys things were quiet,until last year when i started having uti each time after sex.Two weeks ago i did the dmannose treatment and it really helped me.Now i have a uti again,will it help me again?I really hope so since i am in excruciating pain
Thank you for all the comments
I suffer from cronic uti’s that turn to kidney infections, inhave been on anti-biotics since I was 1 daily! I’m only have one kidney in total as I have two halfs! I’m looking for something that works to get rid o these infections as they are slowly killing my kidneys! I am looking for a honest opinion about D mannose and if it really really works!
I had yet another UTI, have been on Keflex 4x a day for 5 days until I researched a better relief method and found
D-Mannose powder. I took the recommeded dosage last night at 5pm and by 8pm my trip to the bathroom was like normal, NO more pain, NO more trickle trickle – I was actually able to go to the bathroom with NO painful signs that I had a UTI. I wish I had found out about D-Mannose a longtime ago!! This stuff really WORKS!!!
I’m a 26-year-old woman and I’ve been suffering from chronic UTIs for about eight years, though since I’ve gone off hormonal birth control I only get about 2-3 a year. About a month ago I got a UTI that two rounds of antibiotics (nitrofurantoin, then sulfemathox) would not get rid of. I was exasperated when I finally read on some obscure holistic treatments forum about D-Mannose. I loaded up on D-Mannose supplements and in one day my symptoms were mostly gone. In three days they were completely gone. I was floored. I am still in shock. My preventive measures before that included taking cranberry pills, peeing before and after sex, wiping front to back yada yada. I wish I’d known about D-Mannose years ago. I found this site because I wanted to see if there were any side effects associated with D-Mannose since I plan on taking it regularly now. Just wanted to share my story since UTIs have been a constant source of frustration for me and it’s so important that this information be shared with as many women as possible.
I’ve been taking D-mannose with cranactin in capsule form for two days now to treat a UTI while my clinic is closed for a long weekend, in order to avoid emergency room costs. So far it is working great! I fell nearly 100% better! I expect that the infection will be completely cleared up in a day or so. I’m so glad to have found this product, I have suffered through 4 UTIs this year and am so tired of peeing into a cup and being on antibiotics! Thank you for sharing this information, it is not well known enough!
Thanks Catie!
I love to find meds that do the job without the side effects of prescription meds. Jacqui