UTI on Holiday

Loni

August 2022

After years of peace downstairs, I've ended up falling into the trap again! Why holidays are the most vulnerable time, and how you can escape the unwelcome "UTI on Holiday Disaster" is what you’ll learn here.

🙄 The Risk Factors

I don't know exactly how you spend your holidays, but I would guess that for a lot of ladies, some of these statements might apply while on vacation:

1. 😐 Long journeys with few toilet stops
2. 😜 Holiday vibes in skimpy clothes followed by shivering in air-conditioned rooms
3. 😎 Sun, beach, swimming, sand, and leaving on a wet bikini for comfort – after all, it's so hot!
4. 🙂 Endless indulgence (coffee, alcohol, delicious food) – after all, it’s holiday time
5. 😍 Holiday romances – it feels special even when it’s not a honeymoon
6. 😖 Everything is great – except the toilets on the go are a disaster
7. 🙄 No daily routine – little time for proper hydration etc. etc.
8. 😟 Tap water quality – no idea
9. 😧 Pool water quality – no idea
10. 😭 Travel pharmacy is sparse – the UTI medication simply didn't make it into the suitcase

Do you feel like some of these apply to you? Have you ever, like me, “let things slide” and then “paid dearly” by having to suffer a UTI while on holiday?

Oh yes, I admit I’m guilty of many of these points – and it has caught up with me recently. But I managed to catch it just in time. So that you don’t find yourself in the same situation, or at least can rescue yourself if it happens, here are some tips to take with you.

😈 The Devil Never Sleeps

Even if you feel safe after years of no infection and almost forget what that horrible infection feels like – the devil never sleeps.

Prevention is certainly better than treating an acute infection during your holiday.

Here’s my list of Dos and Don’ts – compiled from personal experience:

• Leave the 2 extra outfits at home and pack plenty for UTI prevention & treatment ( D-Mannose*, Angocin® Anti-Infekt N*, Ibuprofen*, Multi-Gyn® ActiGel*, small hot water bottle* => basically everything you usually use at home to prevent or treat a UTI).
• Visit your GP before your holiday and ask for an emergency antibiotic (treating your usual bacteria).
• Journeys and trips: If you need to pee, go to the toilet – even if it’s a long or complicated route.
• Don’t hover over public toilets – better to cover the seat and sit down.
• No toilet in sight? There are plenty of hideaways in nature.
• Don’t try to drink less to avoid inconvenient toilet stops.
• Don’t spend half the day drinking only coffee – even if those long, lazy breakfasts feel so cosy on holiday.
• Best prevention: 2g D-Mannose* twice a day (morning and night) and 2 tablets of Angocin® Anti-Infekt N* => after sex take 4g D-Mannose* and 4–5 tablets of Angocin® Anti-Infekt N* – that works really well for me.
• Even if cocktails and drinks are delicious – don’t forget water, preferably still water.
• Enjoy your sexual adventures – but don’t forget the Basic Sexiquette (and it’s best to use Multi-Gyn® ActiGel* to keep the vaginal flora happy – the combination of sex, chlorine, and saltwater tends to irritate and makes it more susceptible).
• Had a late night? Give yourself a bit of rest the next day and drink plenty of fluids.
• Always take water with you – no matter where you’re going.
• Skip the dip – The pool might not be hygienic, or the ocean might bring in all sorts of things. If you still can’t resist, pee afterwards, take a shower, and get out of your wet clothes as soon as possible.
• Get out of wet swimwear – Either your lower body cools down (weakening your immune defence) or it stays warm and moist (which bacteria love).
• Spa fans, beware – Make sure to maintain proper hygiene in the sauna by sitting your toned bum on your own clean (!) towel only.
• If you notice the first symptoms – increase the dosage with as much D-Mannose* as you can manage and take 4–5 tablets of Angocin® Anti-Infekt N* 3–5 times a day.

😭 When the worst-case scenario happens

The nightmare: Instead of enjoying your well-deserved holiday, you're suffering from constant urge to pee, burning, and pain in your bladder, in short: it’s enough to make you cry.

A doctor is usually not around, and hey - who wants to seek treatment from a random stranger on holiday?

So you can get back to soaking up the sun on the beach and not be curled up in bed from pain, here are my ultimate tips for you:

• Nip it in the bud: You probably know the first signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI) well and should become fully proactive the moment they appear. Act quickly!
• Urine test strips: If you’ve got them with you, go ahead and test. But it’s not mandatory, the test usually only confirms what you already know.
• Drink lots of water and empty your bladder often to flush out the bacteria.
• Take as much D-Mannose* as you can and 3–5 times a day 4–5 tablets of Angocin® Anti-Infekt N*, 3 times a day Ibuprofen* for pain and inflammation.
• Keep warm and take it easy, even if the next day trip is tempting.
• Is your travel kit too sparse? In most European countries, you can order a lot online to your accommodation (Amazon, online pharmacies - just google), and in some countries, you’ll find it much easier than in DACH (in the UK, for instance, you can get D-Mannose at the chemist). D-Mannose is now a common remedy, and ibuprofen is also available everywhere.
• If things don’t improve after a few days, or even sooner - it’s time for the emergency antibiotic, even if that’s hard to swallow.
• Don’t have an emergency antibiotic? Then, unfortunately, a doctor’s visit will likely be unavoidable after a few days without noticeable improvement. Your hotel or local tourist information is usually helpful for this.
• Once you’re home - Make sure to have a urine test follow-up with your doctor (it’s best to always have a culture done, even if the quick test was negative - you don’t want the bacteria to embed themselves in your bladder wall).
• Didn't pack enough UTI remedies? Just do better on your next holiday - we all learn from experience.

😎 My personal "Lessons Learned"

Although I theoretically know how to do things right, in practice, I sometimes fail miserably. As long as the devil of a UTI doesn’t pay you a visit, everything’s fine. But when it does come, the realisation hits hard. Here are my Top-5 pitfalls:

• Beware of Sex: I unfortunately skipped the D-Mannose afterwards ... (Deumavan® Protective Ointment* or Multi-Gyn® ActiGel* used as instructed, and also didn’t forget to pee afterwards).
• Ignored bathing rules: It was so hot, so I left my bikini on while wet, there was no toilet nearby, and the water in the surf clearly wasn’t clean ...
• Expiry date: Well... Urine test strips* have an expiry date and can be totally useless after that. You’ll see leukocytes and nitrites before the strip is even dipped.
• Enough Mannose: A full 100g pack of D-Mannose* can be used up really fast when you're fighting off a UTI.
• Organising the travel kit: I only found the Angocin® Anti-Infekt N by chance after two days.

Well, since there’s always a silver lining, here’s a list of my learnings:

• D-Mannose* is now available almost everywhere, either in chemists, pharmacies, or online.
• Online shopping: Works great, and if you pay for express delivery, the product will arrive in no time.
• Travel kit: Stock up well and check expiry dates.
• Emergency antibiotic: Check which antibiotic your doctor has chosen (fluoroquinolones like norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, or levofloxacin are not always the first choice).
• Discipline: Don’t get too comfortable just because you haven’t had a UTI for years. Stick to the preventative rules. => Tips for prevention
• Stay strong: Even if you’re on holiday and it’s no fun being sidelined by a UTI => don’t immediately give in and reach for antibiotics. Once again, I can confirm: You don’t need to drink 6 litres a day and rush to the toilet every 5 minutes. 3 litres of water/tea and more frequent bathroom trips are enough.
• Gas alert: Consuming D-Mannose* in large amounts can really cause some build-up in your tummy. But that’s totally manageable considering the approaching disaster. Definitely better than the pain of an acute UTI.
• Different countries, different rules: In foreign countries, you can often get medications without a prescription, like Hiprex (methenamine).