i have been a long term sufferer of repeated cystitis, UTI's (urinary tract infections) and kidney infections.

it got to the stage where it didnt creep up slowly anymore, in the morning id be fine, by lunchtime i would be unable to stand and passing large amounts of blood.

numerous courses of antibiotics got me nowhere, i repeatedly didnt show infectious bacteria in my samples (the testing level here is for such high numbers and above that persistent low level infections are not detected)

i had done so much research, this was becoming such a burden on my life, interrupting my social life, my work life and my sex life!

i had to avoid tight clothing, wear boring cotton underwear, be careful what i washed with and never drink any wine or i paid for it. big time!

the final straw came a few months ago and after a 6 month course of antibiotics i thought i was free, then it came back again.

The funny thing is, since going LOW CARB again, i havent had one. its been almost 6 weeks.

ive been looking but cant find any research into it... wonder if there has been any done?

Hmmmm, I haven't seen anything about low-carb and UTI's, but that's awesome, Paula!

Paula, I don't know if it's the low carb eating or the fact that I'm getting older but since I switched to low carb, I haven't had any UTIs. I've stumbled upon some studies that suggest people with high blood sugar levels are more prone to bladder infections so there may actually be something to that.

When I first started treating sugar as the enemy, I was a bit worried because I've had two bouts with kidney stones and I was a little concerned about the effect of a higher protein diet but my concerns were unfounded. This is definitely something the medical establishment needs to examine more closely.

Sorry to everyone for TMI, but it is the sugar. I get yeasty beasties quite often everytime I change my diet and one of the first things they will tell you is to cut the sugar. Now, if sugar feeds cancer and bacterias(bad ones) in our bodies and we cut that out....Well, our bodies become stonger, better able to fight these things and also, we are not giving the bad bacterias sugar/carbs to feed on.

PrettyPaula - enjoy your new lifestyle change! Remember the freedom from UTIs next time you want to "cheat" or eat too many carbs..

P.S. remember they did a study some years back about how 1 regular soda cut your immune system by 1/3. Well, imagine what the rest of the high carb diet does...

NO MORE YEASTY BEASTIES! EWWWWWW!

Doesn't Atkins mention this? UTI's and yeast infections both improving with LC? I dunno. Someone does. When I see that again, I'll try to post.

I don't recall seeing this anywhere, Valerie, but I may have overlooked it since I'm a man and we don't deal with such "issues" like you women folk do.

it's yeast and sugar y'all----that's why diabetics are so prone to this condition--

Dr. Atkins covers the problem of Yeast infections in his book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution -----

Dr. Atkins says, "Candida outgrows its boundaries (the Candida albicans yeast is a normal inhabitant of our bodies, generally comprising 10% of the microorganism profile of the intestinal tract) when a subject is exposed to:

1. A diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.
2. Antibiotics (more than 20 weeks in a lifetime would make Candida overgrowth a probability.)
3. The mercury in silver dental fillings.
4. Birth control pills, prednisone, and other steroids.


in addition to the LC approach---add some probiotics to you supplement regimen

*COUGH* Not this man...YET! Hee hee!

Sorry Jimmy this is gona be way TMI---but jock itch is yeast infection

also if you have diarrhea after a round of antibiotics---it's the yeast causing it---

Also athletes foot and yellow toenails, etc.

OMG, not while I'm eating dinner...

Hee hee! Good point, BamaGal!

Paula, someone has started a yeast thread. There may be some good information there as well.

I was gonna say it's the sugar, but everyone beat me to it.

Another thing that contributes is caffeine. I've had to give up caffeine altogether. One reg. diet soda, or a cup of full butane coffee and I'm off in search of my Macrobid.

Kat

I would like to correct everyone who says it sugar, and say it's all carbs!

All carbs get converted to gluose when digested. That's the stuff that feeds the infections.

You are right, Dave. It is all carbohydrates. Regardless of the carb, it IS going to get converted to glucose.
Something very interesting I just learned in my nutrition class. Yes, I thought there was nothing new I could learn about nutrition LOL. I am sure this is basic information, but somehow it escaped my attention for the last ten years as a nurse!......there are cells that line the GI tract from the beginning to the end that are ACTUALLY MADE UP of carbohydrate, protein, and fat! I never knew that, but I sure wish I knew how to get the darned carbohydrate portion of those cells to go away (JK....I know that God made our bodies just the way they are supposed to be)