Chronic bladder infection using a Gentamicin bladder wash

@taxpayinghorse I’ve had UTI’s and never heard of the treatment you described. What I do know is that you should be able to get answers to your questions and you should never feel afraid to say too much for fear the doctor will refuse to treat you. Get a second opinion &/or find another doctor.

Hi @taxpayinghorse,

Gentamicin is an antibiotic medicine that is used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). It can be given directly into the bladder through a catheter which is called bladder irrigation. I found this published study which you might want to read, especially since it researches antibiotic resistance while on gentamicin instillations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798439/

I'm also tagging @predictable to see if he has any thoughts to add.

I am getting the best medical care out there at Mayo. The medical care is so bad out here that Mayo is like a shining beacon. None of the Urologist at the VA Hospital or Urology Ass. in Tallahassee even know what a Gentamycin Bladder wash is. They are woefully ignorant. My case is very unusual because I can't take anymore oral or intravenous antibiotics. What a person "should" be able to get answers to and "should" be able to get good medical help is not reality. I have went way beyond "2nd opinions"....I am the best place available which is at Mayo. Trying to even find the bladder wash is not to impossible. It is a compounded medication and very hard to find and afford even with insurance. Without Mayo, right now I'd be dead.

Thanks a million. I will read it. I just got done reading it. I must be very ignorant. I couldn't understand most of what I read. "Significant side effects of daily oral suppressive antibiotics can occur8 and along with changing the genitourinary flora,10 antibiotics can also affect the oral, pulmonary, skin, vaginal, and bowel commensals, and lead to increased findings of antibiotic-resistant organisms. That one sentence I would like to know what it means. Does it cause stomach/bowel problems using this gentamycin directly into the bladder?

I have been using this gentamycin bladder wash for over 3 years now to treat UTI, that I have been told will never go away. It is has gotten into the tissue of my bladder and can not be cured. I am not able to take antibiotics because of over use and side effects from them, they have caused permanent damage to my stomach and intestines. Is there anyone on here that has been using this Gentamycin as a bladder wash? When this stops working it is my understanding there is nothing out there left to use. I will die of septicemia. When I ask the doctor for answers, his reply is, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there"....I have to think ahead. I take care of my handicapped sister and she is 100% dependent on me. Does anyone have any answers?

Hi @taxpayinghorse, thank you for updating us on your condition. You may have noticed I moved your post to your original discussion on this topic so that all your posts would be in one place. Simply click VIEW AND REPLY in your email notification to get to your post.

That must be so frightening not knowing what the future will hold. You mentioned that your doctor won't give you answers, do you mind sharing some of the questions you are asking him?

Dear tax paying horse, OMG, your situation is horrible...and having a doctor you cannot communicate with must be frustrating and upsetting. A good doctor is one who works WITH you to resolve an issue. I do all my own research on credible sites (such as Mayo Clinic) and with my pharmacist and also a doctor of naturopathy...and consider the medical doctor/urologist a second opinion/member of the team.
My understanding is that the gentamicin wash is for people who have a spinal cord injury or MS who cannot empty their bladders fully... Is this your case?
I, too, an otherwise healthy 70 year old, have suffered with recurrent UTIs for 3 years now; 32 infections and 32 rounds of antibiotics, 5 of which my bacteria are now resistant to. My concern has been not just for my bladder and kidneys but for my gut because the antibiotics are destroying the balance of good and bad bacteria. 80% of our immune system is in the gut so my compromised gut is losing its ability to protect me from disease.
I saw 3 urologists and they all say the same thing, "Here is a prescription for 6 months of half dose antibiotics.". I said, no, no more antibiotics! There must be another way. I was given vaginal estrogen cream at one point and it worked for 4 months but then my GP urged me to have a cystoscopy and I developed a UTI with a strange, new bacterium that one finds in hospitalized, catheterized patients! And from then on, the UTIs continued unabated.
I have done everything to keep UTIs at bay. Here is what I have done: Vaginal estrogen cream (or Estring) from my gynecologist, drinking plenty of water, emptying the bladder fully, taking d-mannose, keeping my urine alkaline (latest research) by eating plenty of vegetables and reducing carb intake, exercising, showering after morning BM and also before bed, taking high quality probiotics daily, avoiding swallowing phlegm when I have a cold, no baths, no sex. And with all that, the UTIs continued...
My urologist gave me a urinalysis requisition to copy so I can take a sample (vial from pharmacist) to the pharmacy which sends it to the hospital for analysis. When the urologist then sends in the prescription to the pharmacist, I check with the pharmacist who looks up in his/her compendium to be SURE it is the best antibiotic for that particular bacterium. Mistakes have been made so you need to be on top of your own health situation. Don't be intimidated! You are your only and best advocate!
As I left the office of urologist #3, he handed me a piece of paper with an ad for a product called UTIVA. He said that it is a derivative of cranberry juice (but not d-mannose) that has been scientifically tested and approved in the US. It has rave reviews by patients and doctors alike. Quite honestly, I thought...it's probably d-mannose and that did not prevent recurrences. I happened to have just taken the one dose antibiotic called Monurol for the 32nd UTI so I did not have an infection at that moment. I ordered the UTIVA figuring 'What have I got to lose?." It came quickly and I started it fully expecting a UTI to start within the week. Well, it's been 5 weeks...and for the first time in 3 years (except for the 4 month estrogen hiatus), my pee is clear, no more burning, cramping or urgency to pee, no more kidney aches or a draggy feeling....and I feel on top of the world! The urinalysis stix that I test my urine every morning (unlike in the past) show all the values in the normal range with the pH mostly in the alkaline range. I keep waiting for a UTI to return...but with this daily UTIVA, so far so good. I read nothing but rave reviews from users on the UTIVA site. I even called and spoke to one of the owners to thank him for the product. I want to shout from the rooftops about this product that has finally been my salvation...touch wood! Please give it a try and to help others, write your own review on this forum. I would really like to hear back from you. Good luck!

<p>Hi. Been having a bladder infection for about a month. Been on antobiotics for 2 weeks 2 different kinds and now just had my third culture<br />1, Was ecoli and lactobacillus bacterias<br />2. Was klebsiella pneumoniae<br />3. Was mixed microflora.<br />Also said i had leuko cyte esterase urine.</p><p>Do you get put on antibiotics for this third mixed flora one?</p>

Hi Joan,
Sorry to hear that you've had a prolonged bladder infection this past month. I'm bringing @2011panc @pines @kamama94 and @merpreb into this discussion too. What treatments have you been getting for the infection? Do they know they cause of the infection? Might it be related to chemo or other cancer treatments you're getting?

Hi Colleen, Its been awhile since I have been on. This all started maybe the first of November but didn't go to dr. until the 19th. I lost control of my bladder so when I I had to go I went. I just had the urge. No burning or anything. I went to the dr. and they did the urine test and culture. Dr. told me she had another patient with the same symptons. no control. They put me on a couple of antibiotics but then they got the results and I went to five days of amoxocyllan which help but didn't totally deal with the symptons. Went back to dr. did another culture and I got put on another antibiotic which helped but just didn't think I was totally over anything. So went back in and got the results today, but don't know yet what I will be on. I haven't had any treatments for over a year for my cancer but things are changing in my left lung so don't know what the next result will be. Otherwise I'm doing ok, just getting hard to to breathe with my copd, no energy and tired all the time. Have chills all the time. grrrrrrrrrrrr Its getting harder to deal with things. Anyway, thats whats going on Colleen........ Life is ever changing and learn to deal with things as they come up//