February 1, 2025 • 12 mins
Karen explores the potential of UTI vaccines as an alternative to antibiotics for treating recurrent urinary tract infections. She explains how UTIs develop, why traditional antibiotic treatments often fail, and how vaccines work to boost the body's immune response.
Visit our website itchyandbitchy.com to read blog posts on the many topics we have covered on the show.
Visit our website itchyandbitchy.com to read blog posts on the many topics we have covered on the show.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The content of this podcast is provided for general informational
purposes only and is not intended as nor should it
be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Hello everyone,
(00:22):
This is Karen Nicol, family nurse practitioner, and this is
Itchy and Bitchy, a podcast that provides answers to your
many unanswered health questions. I'm a bit under the weather,
so I apologize in events for my froggy voice. I'm
going to remind you again about my course called the
Perimenopause Answer. If you are going through this phase of
(00:43):
life called perimenopause, or if you don't know what the heck,
if you're even in perimenopause, I would love to have
the opportunity to talk to you about the course to
see if it's the right fit for you. There is
a link on our website itchymbitchi dot com and our
Facebook page imb Podcast where you can schedule an appointment
(01:05):
for a zoom call with me. So when you make
this appointment, I will be sitting at my desk waiting
for you to join the one on one zoom call.
The majority of women have in their lives experienced at
least one urinary tract infection. I see a lot of
heads nodding, Yes, Yes, indeed, this is a common bacterial
(01:25):
infection that primarily affects women. Currently, antibotics targeting the type
of bacteria present is the main stay of treatment. A
potential alternative to antibiotics for UTIs could be a UTI vaccine.
These vaccines work by training the immune system to fight
off infections, which might mean needing fewer antibotics. However, it's
(01:51):
important to know that in the US, UTI vaccines aren't
currently FDA approved for routine use. With recurrent UTIs often
rely on repeated and prolonged courses of antibiotics. This may
describe you one of my listeners out there, many of
my listeners I don't know. A diagnosis of recurrent UTI
(02:14):
applies if someone has either two or more UTIs within
a six month period, two or more within a six
month period, or three or more UTIs within a twelvemonth period,
three or more in twelve months. The American Neurological Association
estimates that one hundred and fifty million UTIs occur yearly worldwide,
(02:40):
accounting for six billion dollars in medical expenditures. If not
successfully treated, a UTI can lead to sepsis, which can
be fatal. As a matter of fact, one of my
nurses died from sepsis caused by a UTI at the
age of forty six years old. A few weeks prior
(03:02):
to her tragic illness, she had left the nursing job
with me to spend more time with her family. In
order to save lives, some patients are having to have
their bladders removed because the bacteria cannot be killed by antibiotics,
or because of an extreme allergy to antibiotics, which is
(03:22):
more common in the older population. Unfortunately, we have an
alarming rise of antibiotic resistance. So we give someone an
antibiotic that usually works, and the bacteria has outsmarted the antibiotic,
making it less effective or ineffective. Antibiotic resistance is thought
(03:43):
to be one of the biggest risks to global health
in our lifetime, so it is extremely important that a
viable alternative to repeated antibiotic use be found. In addition
to antibiotic resistance, the process of how a urinary tract
infection develops explains why antibiotics are often unsuccessful. The bacteria
(04:09):
enter the bladder through the urethra, which is the little
tube that leads up to the bladder. The bacteria then
multiply in the urine, and then they bind to the
surface of the bladder lining and finally cause infection within
the lining itself. So bacteria ends up settling in the
(04:30):
bladder lining itself. It doesn't just float around in the urine.
The bacteria go on multiplying while it sits in the
urinary tissues. This is where it gets tricky. To prevent
recurrent UTIs. The immune system's first response is to shed
the bladder lining entirely, taking the bacteria with it. The
(04:53):
problem with this little strategy is the tissue that lies
under the lining is now exposed to urine and the ammonia,
salts and other stuff in the urine, which can cause
a great deal of pain. Then the immune system sends
in two types of immune system cells called T cells
to kill off any remaining bacteria and repair the bladder lining.
(05:18):
But in order to save the body from further pain,
the repairing part of the process tends to occur faster
than the bacteria killing part. I just say that again,
the repairing part of the process tends to occur faster
than the bacteria killing part. This means that some residual
(05:41):
bacteria are left to hide, safe and sound and snug
within the urinary tissues. There it sits able to multiply
within these tissues. The result is often recurrent UTIs because
we never fully rid the bladder of bacteria to make
matter worse. With every subsequent UTI this process worsens with
(06:05):
each exposure. The body tries harder and harder to repair
itself while neglecting to get rid of the ever multiplying
supply of bacteria. The bacteria have found a very effective
means of shelter, and antibiotics are often unable to reach
the embedded bacteria. This is why so many times antibiotics
(06:29):
are ineffective in completely resolving the urinary tract infection. I'll
share information about vaccines after this quick break. I am
(06:55):
aware that the word vaccine has become a bad word
in our culture after the politicization of the COVID vaccine,
But because of what I've told you so far about
antibiotic use for UTIs, something is desperately needed and frankly
long overdue to prevent the recurrence of UTIs, and a
(07:17):
vaccine is one of our best options this problem predominantly
affects women, especially postmenopausal women, and it is sad that
we've only just begun doing UTI vaccine trials. The various
types of UTI vaccines that are currently being developed for
treating recurrent UTIs include ones that can be swallowed, injected,
(07:41):
applied to the vagina, and sprayed under the tongue, which
is sublingual dosing. All of them work by boosting the
body's natural immune system to fight off a UTI before
it can take hold. Vaccines such as euimmune, a sublingual spray, eurovaccine,
an oral tablet, and sulcourivac administered either with a vaginal
(08:05):
suppository or injection, also unfortunately, seem to have similar trouble
to antibiotics in accessing these embedded bacteria. While administration methods vary,
all aim to protect against E. Coli, the bacteria that
most commonly infects the bladder, and it does this by
stimulating the immune system to produce IgG antibodies. These antibodies
(08:30):
are created in the mucosa, the mucous membranes of the body,
so by exposing the mucosa in the mouth to the vaccine,
the bladder mucosa may also develop antibodies. The sublingual UTI
vaccine Eurimmune is composed of the inactivated whole bacteria of
(08:50):
the four most common bugs that cause UTIs in men
and women, including E. Coli, Klepsiela, Pneumonia, Proteus, vulgar rus,
and Intercoccus facellis. Rather than being injected, it is administered daily.
This is a sublingual med a vaccine. Rather than being injected,
(09:11):
it is administered daily over three months via a pineapple
flavored spray. Sounds good to me. A couple of sprays
under the tongue each day is all that's required. Once administered,
it interacts with the immune system, resulting in long term
protection from UTIs in the patient. Initial results show that
(09:34):
seventy eight percent of the people in the study had
no subsequent UTIs after three months of treatment. Also, nine
years after treatment, fifty four percent of participants in the
study reported the vaccine's continued efficacy without significant side effects.
Eu Immune, the sublingual vaccine is available in over twenty countries,
(09:59):
including the Dominican Republic, Singapore, and the UK. Unfortunately, there
are no UTI vaccines currently available in the US. Even
though we have nothing available in the US I want
all of you to be aware that a UTI vaccination
does exist. It is available in other countries and could
(10:21):
be available in the US in the future, so keep
your eyes out for its arrival. Thank you for listening.
I know this is a short episode, but my voice
just isn't cooperating today. Wherever you listen to this podcast,
please leave a review and rate the podcast. Your reviews
and ratings really do matter. I encourage you to visit
(10:42):
our Facebook page I and B Podcast, where you can
give us a like and leave comments or questions for me.
Our website is itchymbitchi dot com, where there are blogs
with some of our subjects available for you to read.
On the Facebook page and website, we have the information
about how to schedule an appointment with me so we
can chat about how my paramidopause chorus can help you
(11:06):
if you are going through this phase in life. As always,
thanks to Forrestwinsll, our producer and composer of our theme music,
and the person who does all the behind the scenes
work to make this podcast possible. Thank you. Forest Forest
has started his second of four semesters to earn a
master's degree in music composition at the prestigious Peabody Music Conservatory.
(11:28):
And if you want to listen to some of his
music other than my favorite theme song, the Itchy and
Bitchy Theme Song, you can go to his website Forestwinsl
dot com, f O r R E S t w
e N t z e l dot com and please
remember your health is in your hands. Zero
The content of this podcast is provided for general informational
purposes only and is not intended as nor should it
be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Hello everyone,
(00:22):
This is Karen Nicol, family nurse practitioner, and this is
Itchy and Bitchy, a podcast that provides answers to your
many unanswered health questions. I'm a bit under the weather,
so I apologize in events for my froggy voice. I'm
going to remind you again about my course called the
Perimenopause Answer. If you are going through this phase of
(00:43):
life called perimenopause, or if you don't know what the heck,
if you're even in perimenopause, I would love to have
the opportunity to talk to you about the course to
see if it's the right fit for you. There is
a link on our website itchymbitchi dot com and our
Facebook page imb Podcast where you can schedule an appointment
(01:05):
for a zoom call with me. So when you make
this appointment, I will be sitting at my desk waiting
for you to join the one on one zoom call.
The majority of women have in their lives experienced at
least one urinary tract infection. I see a lot of
heads nodding, Yes, Yes, indeed, this is a common bacterial
(01:25):
infection that primarily affects women. Currently, antibotics targeting the type
of bacteria present is the main stay of treatment. A
potential alternative to antibiotics for UTIs could be a UTI vaccine.
These vaccines work by training the immune system to fight
off infections, which might mean needing fewer antibotics. However, it's
(01:51):
important to know that in the US, UTI vaccines aren't
currently FDA approved for routine use. With recurrent UTIs often
rely on repeated and prolonged courses of antibiotics. This may
describe you one of my listeners out there, many of
my listeners I don't know. A diagnosis of recurrent UTI
(02:14):
applies if someone has either two or more UTIs within
a six month period, two or more within a six
month period, or three or more UTIs within a twelvemonth period,
three or more in twelve months. The American Neurological Association
estimates that one hundred and fifty million UTIs occur yearly worldwide,
(02:40):
accounting for six billion dollars in medical expenditures. If not
successfully treated, a UTI can lead to sepsis, which can
be fatal. As a matter of fact, one of my
nurses died from sepsis caused by a UTI at the
age of forty six years old. A few weeks prior
(03:02):
to her tragic illness, she had left the nursing job
with me to spend more time with her family. In
order to save lives, some patients are having to have
their bladders removed because the bacteria cannot be killed by antibiotics,
or because of an extreme allergy to antibiotics, which is
(03:22):
more common in the older population. Unfortunately, we have an
alarming rise of antibiotic resistance. So we give someone an
antibiotic that usually works, and the bacteria has outsmarted the antibiotic,
making it less effective or ineffective. Antibiotic resistance is thought
(03:43):
to be one of the biggest risks to global health
in our lifetime, so it is extremely important that a
viable alternative to repeated antibiotic use be found. In addition
to antibiotic resistance, the process of how a urinary tract
infection develops explains why antibiotics are often unsuccessful. The bacteria
(04:09):
enter the bladder through the urethra, which is the little
tube that leads up to the bladder. The bacteria then
multiply in the urine, and then they bind to the
surface of the bladder lining and finally cause infection within
the lining itself. So bacteria ends up settling in the
(04:30):
bladder lining itself. It doesn't just float around in the urine.
The bacteria go on multiplying while it sits in the
urinary tissues. This is where it gets tricky. To prevent
recurrent UTIs. The immune system's first response is to shed
the bladder lining entirely, taking the bacteria with it. The
(04:53):
problem with this little strategy is the tissue that lies
under the lining is now exposed to urine and the ammonia,
salts and other stuff in the urine, which can cause
a great deal of pain. Then the immune system sends
in two types of immune system cells called T cells
to kill off any remaining bacteria and repair the bladder lining.
(05:18):
But in order to save the body from further pain,
the repairing part of the process tends to occur faster
than the bacteria killing part. I just say that again,
the repairing part of the process tends to occur faster
than the bacteria killing part. This means that some residual
(05:41):
bacteria are left to hide, safe and sound and snug
within the urinary tissues. There it sits able to multiply
within these tissues. The result is often recurrent UTIs because
we never fully rid the bladder of bacteria to make
matter worse. With every subsequent UTI this process worsens with
(06:05):
each exposure. The body tries harder and harder to repair
itself while neglecting to get rid of the ever multiplying
supply of bacteria. The bacteria have found a very effective
means of shelter, and antibiotics are often unable to reach
the embedded bacteria. This is why so many times antibiotics
(06:29):
are ineffective in completely resolving the urinary tract infection. I'll
share information about vaccines after this quick break. I am
(06:55):
aware that the word vaccine has become a bad word
in our culture after the politicization of the COVID vaccine,
But because of what I've told you so far about
antibiotic use for UTIs, something is desperately needed and frankly
long overdue to prevent the recurrence of UTIs, and a
(07:17):
vaccine is one of our best options this problem predominantly
affects women, especially postmenopausal women, and it is sad that
we've only just begun doing UTI vaccine trials. The various
types of UTI vaccines that are currently being developed for
treating recurrent UTIs include ones that can be swallowed, injected,
(07:41):
applied to the vagina, and sprayed under the tongue, which
is sublingual dosing. All of them work by boosting the
body's natural immune system to fight off a UTI before
it can take hold. Vaccines such as euimmune, a sublingual spray, eurovaccine,
an oral tablet, and sulcourivac administered either with a vaginal
(08:05):
suppository or injection, also unfortunately, seem to have similar trouble
to antibiotics in accessing these embedded bacteria. While administration methods vary,
all aim to protect against E. Coli, the bacteria that
most commonly infects the bladder, and it does this by
stimulating the immune system to produce IgG antibodies. These antibodies
(08:30):
are created in the mucosa, the mucous membranes of the body,
so by exposing the mucosa in the mouth to the vaccine,
the bladder mucosa may also develop antibodies. The sublingual UTI
vaccine Eurimmune is composed of the inactivated whole bacteria of
(08:50):
the four most common bugs that cause UTIs in men
and women, including E. Coli, Klepsiela, Pneumonia, Proteus, vulgar rus,
and Intercoccus facellis. Rather than being injected, it is administered daily.
This is a sublingual med a vaccine. Rather than being injected,
(09:11):
it is administered daily over three months via a pineapple
flavored spray. Sounds good to me. A couple of sprays
under the tongue each day is all that's required. Once administered,
it interacts with the immune system, resulting in long term
protection from UTIs in the patient. Initial results show that
(09:34):
seventy eight percent of the people in the study had
no subsequent UTIs after three months of treatment. Also, nine
years after treatment, fifty four percent of participants in the
study reported the vaccine's continued efficacy without significant side effects.
Eu Immune, the sublingual vaccine is available in over twenty countries,
(09:59):
including the Dominican Republic, Singapore, and the UK. Unfortunately, there
are no UTI vaccines currently available in the US. Even
though we have nothing available in the US I want
all of you to be aware that a UTI vaccination
does exist. It is available in other countries and could
(10:21):
be available in the US in the future, so keep
your eyes out for its arrival. Thank you for listening.
I know this is a short episode, but my voice
just isn't cooperating today. Wherever you listen to this podcast,
please leave a review and rate the podcast. Your reviews
and ratings really do matter. I encourage you to visit
(10:42):
our Facebook page I and B Podcast, where you can
give us a like and leave comments or questions for me.
Our website is itchymbitchi dot com, where there are blogs
with some of our subjects available for you to read.
On the Facebook page and website, we have the information
about how to schedule an appointment with me so we
can chat about how my paramidopause chorus can help you
(11:06):
if you are going through this phase in life. As always,
thanks to Forrestwinsll, our producer and composer of our theme music,
and the person who does all the behind the scenes
work to make this podcast possible. Thank you. Forest Forest
has started his second of four semesters to earn a
master's degree in music composition at the prestigious Peabody Music Conservatory.
(11:28):
And if you want to listen to some of his
music other than my favorite theme song, the Itchy and
Bitchy Theme Song, you can go to his website Forestwinsl
dot com, f O r R E S t w
e N t z e l dot com and please
remember your health is in your hands. Zero
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