Bladder Infections: Antibiotics or Herbal Medicine?

Bladder Infections (a.k.a. Cystitis, or Urinary Tract Infection, or UTI,) are common, affecting about 5% of women each year. They rarely lead to Kidney infections, or other problems, and in many cases will go away on their own.

However, drug or herb treatment will hasten cure and minimize symptoms. M.D.s are often quick to prescribe antibiotics for bladder infections, for two reasons. One– their patients expect it, and it is cheap and easy. Two–they need to protect themselves from suit, as there is always a slim chance of an infection spreading to the kidneys, in which case the doctor may be blamed.

But are antibiotics the wisest choice? The answer is clearly, “No.”

Let me say here, flatly, and with all humility: Herbal Medicine works better than antibiotics for the vast majority of Urinary Tract Infections, especially for those women with recurrent (more than 1x a year) UTI.

Here are 7 reasons–

1. Antibiotics are not always effective. I routinely encounter patients who have been on two or three rounds of antibiotics, yet whose infections persist.

One reason may be the development of resistant bacteria. Bacteria are smart. They evolve in response to their environment. Resistance to antibiotics is a big problem with infections of all types.

On the other hand, perhaps because use of herbs is not so widespread, or because whole herbs have much more complex chemical structures than antibiotics, the bacteria have not developed resistance to herbs. I have yet to encounter a bladder infection I have not been able to cure with herbal medicine.

2. Antibiotics cause nasty side-effects. Vaginal yeast infections are one.

Bloating and diarrhea are another. Antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria that live in the vagina and digestive tract, leading to overgrowth of yeast. Herbs do not have that effect. In fact, many of the herbs used for bacterial infections are also anti-fungal, are used for yeast infections, too, and aid vaginal and digestive health.

3. Repeated use of antibiotics for common infections (bladder, ear, sinus, throat, lung) can lead to systemic yeast infection, or Candida.

This can have widespread implications for general health. Symptoms range from chronic fatigue and difficulty concentrating, to sugar craving, bloating, and chronic digestive disorders.

4. Herbal medicines for bladder infections are good for you! Not only are they without side effects, but they strengthen the immune system.

Herbs like Astragalus and Reishi Mushroom have been scientifically demonstrated to boost the immune system Other herbs like Phellodendren and Goldenseal clear heat toxins from the blood. Other herbs improve the quality of the tissues lining the bladder.

5. Women with recurrent bladder infections often have weakened immune system function. Western Medicine fails to address this fact. See the case of Mary, below.

6. Herbal medicine treats the whole person. Is this just some kind of “new age” rhetoric? No. Why not? Lets look at the below two cases of women with recurrent UTI.

Sally: Strong, Hot, Excess Type Sally, a plump, 19 year old Frequent bladder and yeast infections cystic acne very strong appetite constipation high energy level loud voice ruddy complexion good sleep red tongue with a greasy yellow coating

Mary: Weak, Cold, Deficient Type Mary, a thin 40 year old Frequent bladder infections chronic allergies with watery nose dry skin intermittent to weak appetite, underweight chronic loose stools weak voice pale complextion chronic insomnia and anxiety pale tongue with very thin white coat

Both Sally and Mary have frequent bladder infections. But it is clear from their associated symptoms that Sally, on the one had, has an over-accumulation of dampness and heat (greasy tongue coat, yeast infections, red tongue, ruddy complexion, acne), is strong (loud voice, strong appetite, sleeps and eats well) and suffers from impaired elimination(chronic constipation).

Sally has “too much of the wrong thing in the wrong place,” i.e., damp heat and stagnation of qi. To treat Sally successfully we must “unclog” her system of these “toxins” that make her susceptible to bacterial and yeast overgrowth.

It is unlikely Sally’s immune system is weak, per se; more likely her body with its heat and damp accumulation is a wonderful field for very strong strains of bacteria to grow in, like a petrie dish full of sugar under a heat lamp. But if nothing is done, she will, in fact, end up being weak later in life as an effect of recurrent infection.

In Sally’s case the treatment principle will be to start by strongly clearing damp heat. Because she is young and strong we can give her forceful herb prescriptions that treat bladder infections, like Long Dan Xie Gan Tang Gentiana Decoction to Clear Toxins, or Ba Zheng San Eight Miracles Powder.

Because of the chronic yeast infections we might need to follow that with Phellostatin, or Neem, to kill off the yeast hibernating in her gut.

We don’t have to worry about strengthening Sally; once we clear away the toxins from her body, her body will strengthen itself. But we will probably have to make sure her body, which is plump, is processing fluids well enough, and that her diet is appropriate to her constitution. Sally needs to eat lots of cleansing vegetables, and less dairy (except good sour yoghurt), wheat, meat, sugar, alcoholic drinks, and shellfish, ergo, foods and drinks that produce excessive moisture and heat.

If Sally takes Antibiotic drugs alone, she may temporarily get rid of the infection, but she will make her yeast issues worse. And the bladder infections will keep coming back, as the systemic damp heat that is the ground the bacteria grows in will not be addressed.

In addition to putting Sally on a cleansing diet, I would recommend a Probiotic formula to restore the healthy bacteria in her gut that have been killed off by antibiotics, coffee, stress, etc. It will help with the constipation and the yeast infections and is a foundation point for anyone’s overall health.

See http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/benefits-yogurt for more info on Probiotics. As to a Yogurt with a broad spectrum of benefits, I recommend Lifeway Brand Unsweetened Kefir. If you need to sweeten it, add some fruit or honey, which will probably be much less sugar than the presweetened types.

Mary, on the other hand, is clearly in a weakened state: she has a weak voice, pale complexion and tongue, is underweight and anxious. She does not even have the digestive fortitude to produce a well formed stool. We can tell from the white tongue coat, and watery allergies that she is a cold type, and the frequent bladder infections in this context suggest a weakness of the immune system.

While we must kill the bacteria causing Mary’s bladder infections with anti-biotic herbs, we must also address her immune weakness and overall deficient state. We must get her to the point we she is eating, digesting, and sleeping well, so that her body can restore itself to a healthy state in which her immune system is able to fight off infection better.

For her, too, a Probiotic formula is integral, as it is these healthy bacteria that crowd out the unhealthy ones. But her herbal remedy will be different; her system is weak; so she needs a gentle prescription, called Si Miao Wan or Damp Heat Cleanser by Long Life Herbs my favorite brand for this product.. This is will kill bacteria overgrowth, while at the same time strengthening the immune and digestive system.

I would also give Mary some medicinal mushrooms like Ling Zhi Reishi, and Astragalus Root, to boost her immune system and calm her anxious mind. I might have her start this as soon as her infection improves.

Sleep has enormous restorative value. In Mary’s case I would use acupuncture to calm the mind and restore sleep. After her infection is gone, I would give her herbs to help with that and with her weak appetite. Diet would also be key.

Mary would benefit by warm, cooked food, with gentle spices like ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, black and white pepper, cinnamon, clove, fennel, and fenugreek, to stimulate her appetite and promote good digestion. There are many digestive herbal formulas to choose from that I might give her, including Trifal or Trikatu from Ayurveda.

7. Additional Natural Medicine for Bladder Infections

First and foremost, when you have cystitis, push fluids. Drink water until you are sick of it. That acts to flush the bacteria out of the urinary tract, and dilute its concentration in the urine.

Second, I like to use Cranactin Cranberry extract with Uva Ursi.

Cranberrys contain a chemical that makes it hard for bacteria to adhere to the lining of the bladder. But sugar feeds bacteria, so don’t waste your time drinking sugary cranberry juice, and unsweetened cranberry juice is really unpalatable. If you can take it, Mazel Tov!

And Uva ursi is a second herbal that is useful for bladder infection. Cranactin Extra Strength has these two, and also Goldenseal, a potent antibacterial.

Third, avoid all spicy food during an infection. Spicy food seems to aggravate the delicate mucosa that are already irritated by the bacterial overgrowth.

8. If you do decide to take antibiotics…

If you are in Antarctica, and there are no Chinese herbs around, please be aware, that according to the standards of Western medicine

“prolonged courses of antibiotics (more than 5 days) are usually unnecessary, and associated with increased side effects and higher cost.”

Canadian Urological Association Website

9. Is it a bladder infection or a vaginal infection?

The typical experience of a bladder infection is the SUDDEN onset of frequent, painful and urgent urination. The urine is often cloudy and foul smelling. Low back or abdominal pain may be present. Symptoms may range from very mild to severe.

Vaginal infections, on the other hand, whether bacterial or yeast, involve vaginal redness, itching, discharge, or discomfort with sex.