There’s a great deal of confusion surrounding the issue of whether your urine pH should be acidic or alkaline, when you have a UTI.
Most people think that it should be more acidic, largely because they hear that cranberry juice is good for a UTI and that’s very, very acidic.
Also, if they put lemon juice in their water and feel better, they think the lemon juice acidified their urine. More on that, in a bit.
If you’ve used cranberry juice, and it seemed to get better, and then it got worse, this is why…(the link is a very worthwhile read)
..cranberry produces hippuric acid in the urine…Putting hippuric acid into the urine initially kills off the bacteria that have thinner acid-susceptible cell-walls, leaving only thicker-skinned acid-resistant individuals to multiply and pass on their resistant genes.
Therefore, you feel better initially, and then the toughest bacteria take over, and you actually get worse, because the surviving bacteria are now more resistant to anything you take, including antibiotics. Fortunately, this isn’t irreversible, so if you’ve experienced this, don’t freak out.
E. coli, and many other types of UTI-causing bacteria, thrive in an acidic environment, which means they’re feeding like mad and rapidly dividing cells to make more of themselves. And when I say “rapidly” I mean doubling its population every 20-30 minutes. (Meaning it increases exponentially) This is why an infection can flare up so quickly, going from “Gee, I think something hurts” to “OMG, I’m peeing red-hot razor blades” in a matter of a few hours.
As the bacteria feed in an acidic environment, they give off a waste product which alkalizes their surroundings, and feeding and growth slows down. If you’re chugging cranberry juice frantically, you’re lowering your pH and giving them fresh food. (Thankfully, cranberry juice isn’t as acidifying as one might assume, but it’s still not doing you any favors)
When you raise your urine pH, however, you trick them into thinking they’re sitting in a pool of their own filth, and their life cycle slows dramatically, relieving your symptoms.
On the other hand, it seems to be the case that for most gram negative bacteria, living in alkali conditions is like living in their own waste – not ideal conditions. In alkaline urine they slow down their metabolic rate and it can take them twice as long to produce a cell division (to double).
On lemon juice and why it’s beneficial, the key lies in how your body metabolizes it. Just because something is acidic doesn’t mean that its effect in your body is acidic, and the same goes for alkaline substances. There’s a good explanation here…
A food’s acid content doesn’t determine whether it becomes acid or alkaline forming — its pH nature in the body is a product of the metabolic process. Often, a food’s acid content contrasts its effect in the body. For example, whole eggs are alkaline, but they’re moderately acid-forming in the body. Similarly, chocolate cake has an alkaline pH, but is highly acid-forming in the body. Angel food cake and watermelon have a comparable, slightly acidic pH range of about 5.2 to 5.6. In the body, however, watermelon is highly alkaline-forming, while angel food cake is highly acid-forming. Most citrus fruits are acidic, but have an alkaline effect in the body. Cranberry juice itself is very acidic, but it’s only moderately acid-forming in the body.
So, when you put baking soda or lemon/lime juice in your drinking water, you’re alkalizing your urine pH and slowing the replication of the vast majority of UTI-causing pathogens, which is a valuable tool in your natural UTI-killing toolbox.
Here’s an extremely useful list of which food/drinks are alkaline or acid-forming for you to use as a reference.
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What about if your urine has PH 8, so I guess it’s too alkaline?. What to take then for irritable bladder and urethra? There is also microscopic blood in urine
Hi, I have a ph 9 and also an irritable bladder with very little pain in the urethra. If you find something that helps please let me know.
What would you recommend for foamy pee. I was treated for a UTI months ago and was told I no longer have it. I had the UTI for months before it was finally diagnosed. Could drinking lemon juice with warm water in the morning help me? Prior and after being treated for UTI I am having foamy pee.
Hi
Not sure if you were ever helped with this, but we can discuss it further if you want to email me. Just let me know and I’ll give you my email address. A PH of 9 is probably not good and can indicate a UTI. I’ve been there. Done that.
Foamy pee can be something other than a UTI but it can indicate one. I had it with a UTI I had and it was a monster. But I had a relative have foamy urine and it was a kidney issue and not UTI related. Is there a smell? We can discuss further if you want by email. Hope you feel better now though!
Foamy pee generally means you have protein in your urine which is a sign of kidney disease and it could be irreversible if you wait for treatment. Make an appointment with a nephrologist.
You may be passing a possibility of 2 things. 1. protein, and 2. salt. please have your kidneys checked and find out your efg, as if you investigate the antibiotics you’ll find that most of them can destroy your kidneys along with other major problems, like I can hardly smell anything now, and after 3 antibiotics, my kidneys were down to 11% in 2014. It took several years to get back up into the 50% range with diet and please believe me that sugar is totally bad for you in any amount as just 2 small blueberry muffins a week slowed my recovery down by over 50% on a very restricted diet, and keep your protein consumption down to 15 grams per meal/day if possible. The website I posted will tell you as to how nasty dairy is in the links on page two.
Hi
Not sure if you were ever helped with this, but we can discuss it further if you want to email me. Just let me know and I’ll give you my email address. A PH of 9 is probably not good and can indicate a UTI. I’ve been there. Done that.
When my PH was that high with irritation I used Uva Ursi. It is very anti inflammatory and it works well in high PH urine, however it isn’t to be taken in high doses or often, but if you can knock it down quickly with it – I would. To simply get out of the pain. I’ve been wrestling with these issues for about 2 years and I’ve discovered some great things that can help. No miracle workers, but some may keep you out of the doctor’s office – especially during this pandemic. God bless.
I’m trying dmannose again hoping after all I’ve been doing to clear Candida that it might work this time. But nothing changes ever. I’ve been considering resorting to collidol silver but there seems to be a lot of misconceptions about it. I haven’t seen anything about it on this site. Does anyone know if it works to get rid of a UTI?
I’ve known a couple of ladies who’ve said it worked for them, but the majority had no benefit, so it’s a roll of the dice.
What changes are you experiencing since you started supplementing with acid?
Hi Rebekah,
My only symptom is not being able to hold any water in my bladder. On one hand I know I need to keep drinking the lemon water but then I end up having to pee so often that I have to stay near a bathroom. I still wake up every hour or 2 in the night. I never make 4 hours, the most I made it to was 3 hrs. I thought the leukocytes were fading but now they are starting to get a little darker again. I was in a car accident today and was stuck for 2 hours waiting for the police etc and realized that I didn’t have to pee the whole time which made me think maybe it was going away so I tested as soon as I got home but instant hot pink. I went for a colonic yesterday and did 2 charcoal cleanses after. She noticed toxic stuff coming through but no yeast or undigested food. She thought I was in “healing crises” and thinks I’m cleansing too fast for my body to handle it. I still see bubbles every time I pee, which you said is kidney distress. My doc sent me for a ultrasound of my kidney but no results yet. I’ve been having lower back pain but it’s not the kidneys, it’s much lower. I keep rereading everything over to see what I could be missing.
Yes, foamy urine generally means protein spilling, meaning the kidneys aren’t in good shape. Have you received the 10 parameter strips yet, so you can test that daily? Did the doc test your protein levels?
You’ve used a wet charcoal teabag right on the urethra for a prolonged period? (About 3/4 tsp charcoal in it)
Have you felt a tingling/pulling sensation when you do so?
What brand of oregano oil have you used? When an E. coli infection isn’t killed by horseradish it flushed out by D-mannose, it’s generally a strain that is killed by oregano oil, which must be taken *after* cleansing.
I sent you an e-mail.
Hi. I stumbled upon your site in search for cure for strep b in urine and vagina. I was diagnosed during pregnancy for which my midwife and doula had no advice of cure except to pray After delivery my baby passed unexpectedly. I was told by coroner that it’s not infection in her system. Now I am suffering from loss of my child it angers me that such simple cures exist and care providers don’t care enough to research and provide this info to us. I want to make sure I will not suffer from strep b in next pregnancy. Please help me. I just started with vit c and already felt better ( I used to feel bloated and run to bathroom too much without being prego). Can I take ole from GAIA company? Is it safe during pregnancy to prevent future infection? I did drink loads of cranberry juice and took probiotics with ginger it didn’t help. Thankyou sooooo much. I love you. Bless you.
Hi Rebekah,
Thank you SO much for all of your hard work and this amazing website.
Is this site still active? I have been poring over everything, but just had a few questions for you…
Hello,
I am dealing with proteus mirabilis. I was on a broad spec antibiotic by IV that didn’t work now 8 days later I’m burning and in pain. I tried d mannose last night, but it seemed to burn a little more when peeing. I’ve been using garlic since I finished my antibiotic 3 cloves 3 times a day and for a while it seemed to calm things but now it doesn’t work as well. I noticed that I’m itching all over and when I pee my bum gets irritated. Everything down there is irritated. It comes in bouts and dies down. I bought Uva ursi, but am hesitant because I’m not sure how much to use or if I can introduce it to my body a little at a time… I’ve heard of caprilic acid as well, but I don’t know. I just know that my prayer has been, ” Lord God in heaven no more antibiotics!” I was a mess on that 5 day course and am still feeling it’s horrible effects. I’ve started eating Kimchi and that seems to help my gut. I want to be rid of the bacteria! Any suggestions ? Thank you.
Hey..did you ever get a reply about your proteus maribilla uti infection? I have the same bacterial uti infection…but see no mention of that bacteria here…
Proteus mirabilis is a gram negative bacteria that can be treated like an E. coli infection.
OLE, oregano oil, raw garlic, juiced ginger root, grated horseradish can all be used: it’s best to use a combination of 3-4 of them.
Hi- so I had a UTI, ended up on 10 days of bactrim, but was still experiencing symptoms (bladder irritation, frequent urination but like I said a lot of water drinking going on here, urethra and vaginal irritation as well, mostly urethra). I tried using tea tree oil baths which may have helped a little but nothing lasting, and I’ve just started taking cantharis 3x a day, and dmannose every 3 hours or so. After a day of this, I’m having much more pain in my urethra and bladder, more stabbing than burning, and more pain with urination as well-“peeing razor blades” seems apt. I can never empty my bladder completely either and it’s extremely painful when I try to. Since I’ve heard most people feel relief with dmannose within hours, could it be actually contributing to my symptoms? I haven’t been consuming caffeine and trying to avoid sugar as much as possible. I’m just really confused and I want this to be over. It’s been about three weeks now dealing with this. Oh I also have Ulcerative colitis, but I’ve been in remission for that for years. Help??
D-mannose is only effective against E. coli, and it’s not effective against every strain.
It sounds like your infection is growing out of control, and with that speed it’s probably E. coli, which can more than double its population in an hour.
I would start the Emergency Relief measures right away!
This may be too far gone already, in which case you may need to go back on an antibiotic while you get the materials you need for a system cleanse that will stop this cycle.
But right now, I would start Emergency Relief and then move to Phase I.
That will slam most UTI’s into reverse right away.
If you don’t get a dramatic reduction in symptoms within 2 hours, I’d go to the doctor.
Hi Rebekah,
Thank you for your prompt reply,I just need to clarify, is that 1500mg of ascorbic acid as well as vitamin C x3 day with food?
As my understanding is that ascorbic acid was different to vitamin c.
Sorry for my dumb question, but I want to make sure I get this right for
my daughter.
Thanks:)
Ascorbic acid is the most common form of Vitamin C: it’s the cheap stuff! It’s gotten bad press from gurus touting ‘whole Vitamin C’, but it kills Staphylococcus better than powerful antibiotics. It’ll be in any grocery store: look at the label and make sure it says ascorbic acid, not calcium ascorbate, or sodium ascorbate. The buffered, whole food, expensive kind isn’t what you want. You want the cheap stuff: it goes right into the bladder and absolutely slaughters staph.
1500 mg of plain ascorbic acid Vitamin C 3x a day will kill her infection.
A lady in the FB group contacted me in April with a similar case: she had a staph infection (for 2 months) that antibiotics wouldn’t kill.
She was cured in 3 days with ascorbic acid she already had in her kitchen cupboard.
I just read your reply to Kathy G and will try the same.
My question is whether it is more effective to take ascorbic acid with food or without food?
Thanks.
Hi Rebekah,
What would be the best protocol to follow for a Staphylococcus saprophyticus strain of infection?My daughter was prescribed Keflex for her UTI, which has now backfired and now she has severe thrush/candida from the Keflex- which she stopped taking.She has suffered from UTIs for years on and off but now its ridiculously frequently and debilitating for her. A urologist recommended having her bladder quarterized(burned!) to possibly kill off the infection,I was horrified,especially when theres no guarantee of success, and so I found your site-Thank God!!
Kathy, put her on 1500 mg of ascorbic acid Vitamin C 3x a day: she’ll be cured in 2-3 days.
Staph is the opposite of the acid-adaptive bacteria that cause most UTI’s: check out the post on Vitamin C.
When she gets the runs from that C, start giving her a big dose of charcoal (3000 mg or 2 tsp) twice a day, in between meals. That will stop the ascorbic acid runs and clear the Candida out of her gut at the same time.
She’ll feel like a new person in 3 days. Keep going with the C and charcoal for a week to get her gut thoroughly cleansed, and then put her on 2 OLE per meal to cleanse and Candida from her kidneys.
She can stay on OLE as long as she likes, and take as much as she likes: she’ll get no more UTI’s, her skin will be crystal clear, no more PMS, painless periods, and she won’t get so much as a cold.
Hi there Rebekah What is the issue with d mannose? Does it feed something in a negative way?
D-mannose is great for some strains of E. coli, but it can be ineffective in some cases due to factors like how much Candida is present in the gut.
There are many strains of E. coli, and they can react to the same substance in wildly different ways. Since they don’t identify by strain in a culture, you can only tell the difference by how your particular strain reacts to what you take.
I luckily stumbled on to this site at the first twinge of pain, and I’ve been reading like crazy cuz of the wealth of info… THANK YOU! However, one thing I didn’t see, was how often should I be drinking the baking soda water? I did my first one about 2 hours ago and am about to add another for good measure and because I’m about to leave the house and don’t want to have symptoms while I’m out, since I’m not using the old tried and true Azo to stop the burn, I don’t know how long it will last? Do I continue drinking it throughout the entire process?
On a side note, I felt relief in less than a half hour, it was incredible! Granted I didn’t have razor blades of fire piss yet, but it was well on its way!
You can use that several times a day if you don’t have issues with sodium! I never had a bit of problem with it at all, but a lot of women have a big fluid retention/high BP problem.
If that’s not you, hit it twice more today, and buy a big bottle of lemon juice. That’ll keep you feeling better and help you cleanse your system, and it gives you alkaline Vitamin C, which is good.
I wear a catheter because I am unable to walk and i have this terrible infection. Sometimes i have to get injections to help. The doctor recommends ciproflaxin but within a week the infection flares up worse. Please can you help me. Thanks
Yes, mince 3 cloves of fresh raw garlic and either take the pieces with baking soda water, like pills, or mix it into mashed avocado. Do that 3x a day and follow the Phase I protocol where you drink 8 oz lemon or baking soda water per hour, and a few cups of cinnamon tea.
You’re going to need good OLE: did you see the Supplies list linked at the top of the page, in the banner?
Hi,
Does this extend to D-Mannose? I had a UTI (burning and frequent peeing) that seemed to get better, at least the burning part went away, but because I am still peeing a lot at night, I took at test and it came back positive for leukocytes, negative for nitrates. I did it in the PM though, so I’ll do it again in the AM.
I am about to try some of the things you suggest, but I’ve had major digestion problems in the spring and I’m on this FODMAP diet which seems to help – but it says no garlic. So I’ll probably hold off on that part of things. The FODMAP is supposed to be temporary, but I’m nervous about starting to add things back in before I’m cured of UTI.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Oh – forgot to say that the UTI seemed to get better quickly after I started the D-Mannose. That was 1 week ago.
But then it stalled?
It may be getting caught up in Candida.
D-mannose is fine, pH-wise. It’s the hippuric acid in cranberry juice that’s harmful. Also, E. coli ADORES an acidic environment and cranberry is acid-forming in your gut.
Tests often come back negative for nitrites during the day: don’t be surprised if you see them in the morning.
Can you try freshly grated horseradish?
The best thing for a UTI is an alkaline diet, and cayenne may help you: it kills one strain of E.coli outright, all by itself.