I am a 40ish year-old female who has a bone marrow transplant 12 years ago for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I have been in remission ever since.
For the last 7 or 8 years, I have been getting UTIs roughly every 2-3 months. About 5 years ago I had a full workup, including a cystoscopy and a voiding cystourethrogram. Everything came back as normal. I suppose I'm technically immuno-compromised following the transplant, but I don't seem susceptible to any other chronic infections.
I take 3 prescriptions to address my body's reduced production of hormones: progesterone, an estrogen patch, and an estrogen vaginal suppository (with the latter one being used in a targeted way to try to keep the vaginal wall and urethra healthy, specifically in hopes of preventing UTIs).
I practice sensible hygiene and do everything I can possibly do to avoid these repeated infections (drink lots of water, void after intercourse, void fully in general, etc), but they keep coming back.
The last two infections have been positively identified as Streptococcus agalactiae Group B (i.e Strep B / Beta
Hemolytic Streptococci). I understand this is not the typical microorganism that causes UTIs for most women.
I'm wondering whether anyone has any creative ideas for how to prevent these recurring infections.
I have a couple of crazy thoughts of my own that I thought I'd toss out there, to see whether there is any practical evidence that they might work:
1. Could my husband be a carrier of Strep B, passing it back to me after I finish each course of antibiotics? If so, would it make sense for him to do a round of antibiotics simultaneously with me, in hopes of avoiding future infections.
2. Has anyone heard of using pentosan polysulfate sodium to treat people who experience recurring UTIs? I stumbled across the drug when it was prescribed for my cat's joint pain, and in reading up about it I noticed it can help build up the GAG layer in the bladder. Sounds like it might help?
I would greatly welcome any comments. I'm so tired of these infections and am at a loss for how to proceed. Many thanks.