What to Do When a Relapse Occurs: Chronic UTI Treatment, with Dr. Stewart Bundrick, Part 3

While it's tempting to think there may be a cure for chronic UTI, it's important to consider this in the right context. A UTI can be caused by many different organisms, and humans are exposed to a variety of organisms on a daily basis. So although many people with chronic UTI do heal, there is no guarantee they will not experience an unrelated UTI or a relapse in the future.
In this video, Dr. Stewart Bundrick covers his tips for handling this, to ensure the best outcome. Also discussed is the phenomenon of symptoms 'flares' even while on treatment for UTI.
● The reason for a flare up of symptoms when commencing long-term antibiotics for UTI is that when antibiotics kill bacteria, the bacteria explode, sending foreign proteins throughout the bladder. Bacteria can be present in bladder, the urine, in biofilm and the bladder cells, so, a large amount of forgein proteins are released, causing an inflammatory immune response which flares symptoms and causes pain.
● Sexual intercourse can also cause flare ups because bacteria in the lining of the bladder are disrupted, and released into the urine where they can rapidly replicate until the antibiotics can bring them under control again.
● Those who self-catheterize for a neurogenic bladder, may experience not only acute infection but chronic infection.
● Anytime the bladder is not able to completely empty, patients are at risk of infection because their bladders contain stagnant urine.
● When patients have recovered from recurrent UTI via long term antibiotic use, Dr. Bundrick ensures they always have a MicrogenDX test available for if symptoms flare. Based on the results, and given their history, he recommends taking antibiotics for at least one month. To avoid yeast infections, a course of Diflucan is used in conjunction. For pain management, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories are recommended.
● For patients experiencing their first UTI, in order to prevent it from becoming chronic, Dr. Bundrick recommends taking antibiotics for a minimum of two weeks, not the three-five days that is often recommended.
● For patients experiencing a recurrence, after a history of chronic bacterial cystitis, Dr. Bundrick recommends a minimum of one month’s treatment.
● Though these durations may sound lengthy, Dr. Bundrick believes that the studies which dictated shorter treatment durations did not capture what he suspects were very high rates of recurrence.
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Check out the playlist for the entire interview: • Dr. Stewart Bundrick o...
Learn more about Dr. Stewart Bundrick at www.arklatexurology.com/our-t...
Learn more about Antibiotics and the Urinary Microbiome from Dr. Angelish Kumar: • Antibiotics and the Ur...
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