Hi Lucy ~
I've experienced what you have over the last 10 years. The bladder infections just kept ramping up. Most of the time, I couldn't get into my primary doctor so had to go to an urgent care. They would prescribed and antibiotic but then not call to tell me whether I was on the correct one to rid me of whatever bacteria I was dealing with. Klebsiella was the worst infection (and the hardest) for me to get past. It took tworounds of antibiotics to clear. I had a cystoscopy several years ago by my urologist. When he told me I was dealing with intestitial cystitis 3.5 years ago now, I asked if he wanted to do another cystoscopy but he didn't. He started me on methenamine (prescription) twice a day, along with D-Mannose (over the counter) twice a day. They are a combination to help keep the bladder pH stable and bacteria won't stick to the lining of the bladder but sloughs off. I took that combination for almost 3 years and haven't had a bladder infection since. However, in 2022 I showed up with early Stage Three chronic kidney disease. After some indepth research, I was able to find that methenamine is hard on the kidneys and likely that has been why my kidneys are progressing downward. I was afraid to totally come off the methenamine for fear my bladder issues would start again, so the urologist's P.A. cut my methenamine in half per day, along with the D-Mannose dosage. I did fine with that & now I am down to only half a pill of methenamine once a day (at night) and one D-Mannose once a day (in the morning). I've been on this regimen for over three months and am doing fine. Another over-the-counter pill I was told I could use is called Prelief but I haven't actually felt the need to use it. It's kind of a prophylactic for irritable bladder, as you take it before you eat something you know might irritate and cause bladder burning. I truly hope you will find something to help alleviate your symptoms. This panacea seems to have ended my constant bladder irritation & infections but if you & your medical team use it, just stay on top of your kidney lab results.