D Mannose For Urinary Tract Bladder Pain By Beth Kayhart on Oct 05, 2007 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I have suffered from recurrent bladder pain and was diagnosed with a condition called interstitial cystitis about 10 years ago. My condition has gotten mostly better over the last 5 years or so, although I still had occasional pain. Recently I was struck again with more severe bladder pain, and realized that I must have a bladder infection. It had become so bad that there was a considerable amount of blood in my urine. I went to the doctor and of course they prescribed me with antibiotics. They helped, some. When I finished my 3 day course of treatment, I still wasn't feeling completely better.

Not wanting to start the vicious cycle of doctor visits and different medications again that I had been through years ago, I started researching natural alternatives. I read many reviews and decided that D-Mannose had the consensus for being the most effective. D-Mannose is a simple sugar that occurs naturally in some plants, including cranberries. I ordered a bottle made by Now Foods, a brand name of natural treatments, from Iherb.com. It has been 2 months now since I started taking it daily. I have been amazed since the day I started. I love not having bladder pain. I can live a normal life without having to worry about it. I can tell when I miss a day or two of pills, I feel it. But I feel better when I remember to take my "maintenance" doses again, and I love the fact that this is a natural alternative to prescription medication.