If anyone had been following me on social media in 2022, you would know that I suddenly developed a UTI out of nowhere and that it became a chronic or embedded UTI because I was not able to tolerate antibiotics at the time due to nerve pain.

I even tried something called Phage Therapy with Eliava Institute, and thankfully that managed to resolve one bacteria that we cultured 4 times in a row, but I was still left with bladder and kidney symptoms. I likely had more than one bacteria causing the infection it seems.

While I waited for an NHS appointment (it took 2 years for my first appointment) I had to find supplements to help manage the condition. Many of these supplements were things I had never heard of before because most people don’t seem to know about them. Often people will just recommend D mannose or Cranberry.

In total, I must have tried close to 20 supplements but only found a handful that worked and they are backed up by clinical studies conducted in humans.

Here is what I found after months of experimentation with various supplements.

Supplements that were most effective for my chronic / embedded UTI symptoms

Pycnogenol 

This is the most recent supplement that I started using (September 2024) after I developed a kidney infection and Trimethoprim stopped working after just 4-5 days (fever and UTI symptoms worsened again after initially getting better).

I had already used Pycnogenol previously from 2010 to 2012 when I had a UTI but I combined it with antibiotics like Trimethoprim and Doxycycline since the supplement has many beneficial effects. I had no idea until recently just how helpful it is in reducing UTI symptoms.

Pycnogenol contains proanthocyanidins, simular to Cranberry, but structurally unique. These compounds can stop the bacteria from adhering to the wall of the bladder, alter the virulence factors of the bacteria, and even kill them.

When I tried Cysticlean (240 mg cranberry PACs), it worked for only 2 weeks before the bacteria adapted. Pycnogenol on the other hand has continued to work for 6 months and the effect has not weakened. It was only recently that I realized how important the supplement was when I stopped taking it to do an Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture.

My symptoms came back once I stopped the supplements (felt feverish, frequency, bladder irritation, urethritis, back pain near the kidney), but then once I started on Pycnogenol again, they got significantly better within 2 days. Subsequently, I’ve had a cystoscopy and my bladder looks healthy and not inflamed, as I expected, because the urine dipstick test is normal now and my bladder symptoms are minimal while taking the supplement. I seem to be controlling the infection very well.

What is the evidence?

In this study, one group served as a control and the two other groups took either Cranberry or Pycnogenol.

After 60 days of supplementing Pycnogenol, they saw some incredible results and proved that Pycnogenol was superior to Cranberry.

Key findings of the study

• There was a 62% reduction in the number of urinary tract infection / IC episodes taking Pycnogenol, compared with a 45% reduction in the cranberry group, and a 29% reduction in the control group.
• 100% of participants showed infection-free urine in those taking Pycnogenol compared with 35% of participants in the cranberry group and 36% of participants in the control group.
• By the end of the follow-up period, 91% of participants were symptom-free after taking Pycnogenol, compared with 80% of participants in the cranberry group and 82% of participants in the control group.
• Researchers saw an 11% decrease in oxidative stress in people taking Pycnogenol only a 4% decrease in the cranberry group and a 2% decrease in the control group.

Pycnogenol has been one of the best supplements I’ve used in reducing my symptoms. It stops the frequent urination, and burning, and stops me from feeling so unwell and feverish.

Where can you get Pycnogenol?

You can find it on Amazon below.

Life Extension – Pycnogenol – 100 mg

(I also recommend the following brands if not available: Healthy Origins, Solgar, and Now Foods).

Myrrh tincture

This remedy has been used for 4000 years for various ailments, so it has a lot of history, but something that I had never heard of until I started researching supplements for UTIs.

One of the amazing properties of Myrrh is that it preferentially kills slow or non-dividing bacteria, which is something that many antibiotics cannot do. In stubborn infections, this might be a reason why antibiotics are not clearing the infection.

Here are two quotes from one study on Myrrh.

“In this study we report that the resin myrrh from the thorny plant, Commiphora molmol preferentially kills nongrowing bacteria at a fast rate, thus representing one of the first known examples of antibiotics with such property.”

“In spite of several passages, no resistant mutant could be obtained because after each passage the cells were equally sensitive to the antibiotic effect of myrrh oil, demonstrating close to 100% cell death.”

When I started taking Myrrh in 2023, I noticed the effect within one day. The urethritis started getting better and the burning and frequency improved a lot. I also just generally better and my temperature decreased.

This tincture worked for a long time in combination with hibiscus tea. Unfortunately, I did have a breakthrough infection in September 2024 (just before I found pycnogenol), but it had worked for a long time. It may still work, but I’m currently having a break as bacteria can lose resistance over time and it would probably be better if I combined with an antibiotic.

What is the evidence?

There is a phase 2 clinical study that I found while searching on PubMed and in that study, they used 3 ingredients hibiscus extract, vegetable proteases, and Myrrh. You can read the abstract here.

Key findings of the study:

• At enrollment, the most common bug found was E coli (63.7%).
• The median number of UTIs per 6 months was 5. At the end of the study, the median decreased to 2 (0-3).
• At the end of the second follow-up after using this supplement combination, 49% of women did not experience a UTI.
• A significant improvement in the quality of life was reported by 74.5% of women taking the supplement.
• At the end of the follow-up period, 30/51 had sterile urine (58.8%), while 21/51 (41.2%) reported a transition from symptomatic UTI to asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Where can you get a Myrrh tincture or supplement?

I recommend ethanol extracts or tincture if you can tolerate them, but others have reported positive effects with supplements such as Nutricost Myrrh Extract.

I have used both Napiers Myrrh Gum tincture and Indigo Herbs Myrrh tincture with good effect.

(Do not buy highly concentrated essential oil for use on the skin only. Make sure you can take it orally. The products I linked are suitable for oral use.)

ApoLactoferrin

Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein that is found in the body in various parts and one of its functions is to help protect against viral and bacterial infections. Most adults get lactoferrin from drinking milk or whey protein.

Early in 2023, I came across a study showing that it might help reduce recurrent UTIs. It is also a supplement that I had previously used as part of my supplement stack over 12 years ago when I had a UTI.

When I started Lactoferrin, I noticed an improvement within a day or two. At the time I was going through a pretty bad flare up and my bladder was painful and I was waking up multiple times a night. The standard phages had not worked, and I felt hopeless. My custom phage was still months away at this point.

I chose to use ApoLactoferrin because it is deemed more effective at killing gram-negative bacteria.

Lactoferrin continued to work for approximately 3 months before it started becoming completely ineffective. The bacteria seemed to have adapted.

Just 2 weeks before starting Lactoferrin, I was taking Cysticlean, but that had failed after 2 weeks even though I improved initially in the first few days. Anyway, I continued the combination of ApoLactoferrin and Cysticlean for the next 3 months with good effect. I would say I felt about 80-90% better during this time.

What is the evidence?

This is the paper I came across that suggested that lactoferrin would be great to take either on its own or combined with antibiotics for a synergistic effect.

A quote from the paper:

The treatment consisted in the oral administration of bLf alone or in combination with antibiotics and/or probiotics. After the observation period, a marked reduction of cystitis episodes was observed (p < 0.001) in all patients compared to the episodes occurred during the 6 months
preceding the bLf-treatment. Twenty-nine patients did not report cystitis episodes (87.9%) whereas the remaining four (12.1%) experienced only one episode, indicating that bLf could be a worthwhile and safe treatment in counteracting recurrent cystitis.

The study also noted that Lactoferrin inhibits the invasion of E coli into the bladder epithelial cells.

“Here, we demonstrate that 100 μg/ml bLf hinders the invasion of 2.0 ± 0.5 × 104 CFU/ml E. coli CFT073, prototype of UPEC, infecting 2.0 ± 0.5 × 105 cells/ ml urinary bladder T24 epithelial cells. The highest protection (100%) is due to the bLf binding with host surface components even if an additional binding to bacterial surface components cannot be excluded. “

They also noted that Lactoferrin significantly decreases the ability of bacteria to survive within the cell.

Using Lactoferrin in combination with antibiotics is a no-brainer. It’s part of your natural defenses, and taking it enhances your protection against all bugs, not just UTIs.

Lactoferrin can kill bacteria by depriving them of iron and it also prevents the formation of mature biofilms. I highly recommend this supplement.

Where can you get Lactoferrin?

I recommend this Lactoferrin supplement by Jarrow Formulas as it contains the more effective form of ApoLactoferrin. If you cannot get the ApoLactoferrin form, the regular Lactoferrin can also work.

Horsetail, Uva Ursi, Juniper

I found these supplements after Lactoferrin had stopped working, however, because my nerves were still sensitive, I was reacting negatively to them and could only take them 3-4 days at a time. At first, I had no idea why, but later found out it was the glycerol in the supplements causing it. Now my nerves have healed a lot, I no longer react negatively to glycerol in these supplements.

Each of these supplements was effective by itself in reducing symptoms, but I recommend using all 3 together.

Horsetail – This supplement increases something called Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) in humans. This protein is one of the most abundant and it helps combat infections by preventing bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

A study conducted on humans showed that taking horsetail for 1 week significantly increased THP. Horsetail may also have antibacterial and other effects.

Uva Ursi – This supplement contains arbutin which is converted in the body to hydroquinone and has antibacterial effects in the bladder. It is more well-known than the other supplements mentioned in this article and popular among those looking for natural treatments for UTIs.

Juniper – This supplement can make you pee more and has an antiseptic effect in the urine. It was the least effective of the combination by itself but it did help.

Where can you get these?

NaturAlma Uva Ursi (barberry)

NaturAlma Horsetail

NaturAlma Juniper

Cysticlean

This cranberry supplement has been tested in mice and humans and has a beneficial effect in preventing recurrent UTIs. Although my experience might not have been so positive, the supplement might work better for you, so I will include it in this article in case you want to give it a try.

The supplement is standardized so you know you are getting 240 mg PACs, one of the most concentrated supplements you can buy. Many cranberry supplements only contain 30 mg.

What is the evidence?

An observational prospective cohort study found great results from Cysticlean.

Main findings

• In the previous 3 months before taking Cysticlean, the number of UTIs was 2.8. After taking the supplement it was reduced to 0.2 at month 6. This is a 93% improvement.
• Quality of Life improved from 62 to 78 out of 100 by month 6.
• All patients had infection-positive urine cultures at the start of the study and by the end, there were only 3 symptomatic infections.

Read the study here: Cysticlean: A highly PAC standardized supplement for preventing urinary tract infections. 

Another interesting study showed that Cranberry has anti-virulence effects by reducing the expression of genes associated with resistance and it acts on multiple bacterial targets.

Cysticlean significantly reduced the expression of all ten selected genes that encode for virulence factors and β-lactamases. This suggests that taking Cysticlean may lower the MIC of beta-lactam antibiotics and prevent resistance from developing or potentially reverse resistance by reducing the production of β-lactamases that break down antibiotics like Amoxicillin.

Read the study here: Anti-virulence effect of Cranberry active compound proanthocyanidins

Where to buy Cysticlean?

CystiClean 240 mg PAC (30 Capsules)

Forskolin

Forskolin does not have the same level of evidence to support the claim that it helps with human urinary tract infections yet but there is some interesting animal data that suggests it could be a good supplement to add if you are currently taking an antibiotic, antiseptic or supplement that is able to fight off a UTI.

What is the evidence?

In one study, researchers gave mice Forskolin and looked and observed that this supplement increased cAMP and induced exocytosis of E. Coli that were hiding inside bladder cells. The supplement reduced bacterial burden by over 90%.

One of the reasons it is believed that embedded infections persist is because bacteria like E coli and others can invade bladder cells and hide from the immune system and antibiotics. When a person voids, the bacteria do not get flushed out, but the bacteria re-emerge as the bladder is distended.

In effect, Forskolin expels bacteria that are hiding in cells into the urine where they can then be killed by antibiotics, antiseptics, and the immune system. I speculate that if the same effect holds in humans, this could speed up the healing of E coli infections and other susceptible bacteria.

Taking something like Pycnogenol or Cranberry while you use Forskolin may prevent the same bacteria from infecting other cells while they are in a planktonic state.

Cyclic AMP-regulated exocytosis of Escherichia coli from infected bladder epithelial cells

See how E coli is reduced after Forskolin treatment. 

Where to buy?

Swanson Full Spectrum Forskolin

Life Extension (standardized supplement)

Beta Glucan

I have already written about alpha and beta-glucans on the website, but I highly recommend that beta-glucan be used alongside antibiotics, hiprex, or natural remedies.

This immunomodulatory is powerful and can significantly shorten the time infections clear up and reduce the risk of further reinfections. It is supported by animal and human data.

You can see my articles on Beta-glucans below:

Beta Glucan vs AHCC: Which Is Better?

What Is The Best AHCC Supplement

AHCC Supplement Health Benefits and Side Effects

You can use beta-glucan and AHCC together.

Supplements I tried that did not work at all

1. Green Tea
2. D Mannose
3. Oil of Oregano
4. Allicin Max
5. Grapefruit Seed Extract
6. Quercetin + Bromelain
7. Goldenseal
8. Buchu Leaf (tea)
9. Parsley
10. Mint tea
11. Licorice root
12. Marshmallow root

What am I doing right now?

As of today, I am feeling much better while I am continuing to take between 100 to 150 mg of Pycnogenol per day along with Forskolin. Just recently I introduced beta-glucan, lactoferrin, and allicin back into my supplement stack.

But even on just Pycnogenol and Forskolin, I was feeling better with the fever going away, as well as the UTI symptoms such as frequency, voiding small amounts, waking up at night, urethritis, kidney pain, etc.

I added the other supplements before I went to have a cystoscopy (which went well and showed my bladder looked healthy) to help prevent an infection from the procedure.

Since having the chronic UTI, I noticed that I often get protein in the urine and the pH is above 8. Often 8.5 even! This is one of the signs that I have a urea-splitting bacteria because it can cause high pH.

When I use an antimicrobial or anything that works against the infection, the pH drops to around 6.

This dipstick test was done on the day of the cystoscopy (1st April 2025), and I had been back on Pycnogneol and forskolin for a few weeks. And used beta-glucan, lactoferrin, and allicin max for 2 or 3 days.

I have a lot more to share. There are other supplements I’ve not yet tried but have researched and noted down.

What I’m doing right now is waiting for the ultrasound of the kidneys (where the problem seems to be) and then see if I can get 2-3 months of Doxycycline from the Urologist. If I can’t, I’ll go to Harley St in London to start proper treatment.

I’ll likely use a similar protocol as I used many years ago with some additions. When I cured a previous chronic UTI over 12 years ago, I did it with this combination:

Doxycycline (200 mg /day), Quercetin + Bromelain, L-Arginine, Allicin Max, D Mannose, Cranberry, Lactoferrin, AHCC and Beta Glucan, Green Tea, Pycnogenol

It took about 3 or 4 courses of Doxycycline from 2010 to 2012. Each course was around 8-12 weeks long from what I remember.

I’m thinking about making a video to attach to this post soon so explain more details that I’ve not gone over yet. Check back soon!