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Dear Aunt Vadge,
I was diagnosed with Ureaplasma and multi-resistant E. coli (ESBL) by vaginal swab. It came on suddenly with no sexual contact. I had UTI symptoms and took doxycycline for 10 days. I now test negative for Ureaplasma (twice), but I can’t get rid of the E. coli ESBL.
I’ve been prescribed Bactrim, but I want to avoid another antibiotic, so I’m hoping a natural treatment will be my cure. I have a lot of pelvic discomfort and recently changes in my menstrual cycle, and I’m worried the E. coli may be in my uterus.
Can I still treat the Ureaplasma despite testing negative, which should I treat first, and does a natural approach work for multi-resistant E. coli?
Thank you!
Soph
Age 40, Munich, Germany
Dear Soph,
Clearing the Ureaplasma is a real win. But I need to be honest and careful with you about the rest, because your safety matters more than a quick answer.
A multi-resistant E. coli (ESBL), together with pelvic pain, menstrual changes, and your worry that it’s reached your uterus, is not a situation to self-treat or to swap a prescribed antibiotic for herbal products – if it has ascended into the uterus, that’s a deeper infection that can cause real harm if it isn’t properly treated.
So my first and strongest advice is to take the pelvic pain and cycle changes back to your doctor promptly and let them lead on the E. coli: with a resistant organism, the right targeted antibiotic, guided by sensitivity testing, is sometimes the safest choice, and this may be one of those times – ask specifically about an endometrial (uterine) test if uterine involvement is suspected.
I completely understand wanting to avoid unnecessary antibiotics, and naturopathic support does have a place here – but as a complement to proper medical treatment of a resistant uterine infection, not a replacement for it, and done right that’s something to coordinate between your doctor and a practitioner so nothing clashes and the serious part is covered.
A few honest points to hold: now that the Ureaplasma is clear you don’t need to keep targeting it, because your remaining symptoms aren’t from it; vaginal treatments can’t reach bacteria sitting up in the uterus, which is exactly why a uterine infection needs systemic, doctor-led management; and pelvic pain and menstrual changes can also have a hormonal or other cause worth exploring once the infection is sorted.
If you’d like naturopathic support alongside your medical care, you can book an appointment with one of our practitioners, who can work in with your doctor’s plan. Please don’t sit on the pelvic pain – get that reviewed soon, because everything else is easier to manage once the serious possibility is ruled out or treated.
Warm regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information based on our clinical experience, not a substitute for personalised medical advice. With a resistant infection and pelvic pain, please be guided by your doctor.
