Cyterbacter Freudii Infection - Please Suggest Remedies

Question for Art, and anyone else who's experienced UTIs caused by superbugs:

Background:

I recently was diagnosed, via urine culture, with Citrobacter freundii. I believe it's a superbug. This is the FOURTH (4th) different superbug I've contracted since 2018 which is when I discovered Oil of Oregano. Oregano oil was the only thing, IMHO, that got rid of my FIRST superbug, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Since then, I've also contracted Klebsiella oxytoca, Morganella morganii, and now the Citrobacter freundii (currently on a 10-day script for Cefdinir, 300mg). According to my Urologist, this antibiotic CAN kill the Citrobacter freundii.

The problem is, I'm still experiencing UTI symptoms while on the antibiotic! I've messaged my Urologist, but anything he's advised I've heard before, and follow.

NOTE: I've also been on the GLP injection, Zepbound, since October 2024. Successful weight loss, BUT, I've read recently that these GLPs actually cause UTI symptoms in people who've had UTIs in the past, and in those who've never had one! Despite wanting to lose more weight, I'm considering stopping the GLP in the hopes that these recurring UTIs will stop.

I'm generally a very health-conscious 70-year-old, kidney transplant recipient from a live doner in 2016 (CKD Stage 2; perfect bloodwork since 2016), eat healthfully and exercise moderately (although whenever I have a UTI, I feel like crap and the exercise is limited to forcing myself to walk, just to do something! ). I also check with ALL my doctors whenever I want to try a new med or supplement.

Questions: While I have this particular UTI, I've decided to take the Oregano Oil capsules 2x/day, 2-3 hours after I take my antibiotic. Would you recommend anything else? Also, what's your opinion about GLPs possibly (likely?) causing UTI symptoms. Actually, a couple of doctors have recently agreed with me that this side effect is indeed possible, but it's just that the GLPs are so new, and the side effects are still being documented (as far as I know).

Hi Wendy,

Since D-Mannose also binds to Citrobacter freundii, of course I would have started there and added others, only if needed. Since you are still having symptoms, I would then add the D-Mannose drink three times per day until after all symptoms have stopped. Since the UTI is currently active I would add a little sea salt, I use pink, to the D-Mannose drink.

Here is how to make the D-Mannose drink :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/bladder_infection11.html#dmannose

Art

Hi Wendy,

I had a gut test and found that I had citrobacter freundii, terrible diarrhea etc. I took Bactrim because the stool test (from Doctor's Data) indicated that it was the only antibiotic that would work. But it didn't because almost none work for me as I have had too many over the years. I took chlorine dioxide for 10 days to get rid of it. Did the Master Mineral route of 1 drop to 1 drop, sodium chlorite to HCL. Took a bath in it also, 30-60 drops in a hot tub; can add salt to enhance (not epsom, only himalayan or celtic, etc). I used 60.

Mine was not a UTI but I used to have chronic UTIs. I did everything when I had one, an antibiotic, colloidal silver, lemon and cranberry juice (no sugar), rife machine, Hydrogen peroxide drops for 10 days. Way too much, as I had gastritis afterward, but no UTI, lol and it didn't come back. But chlorine dioxide is much better, no gut pain and no yeast side effects. Will get some detox diarrhea but you can control the dose.

I am 68 years old but have had UTI's since my 20s. I do have autoimmune and I know that is a factor because of heavy metals and yeast; don't know about GLP's, but would suspect them as all meds have side effects.

If you end up taking another antibiotic definitely take colloidal silver as it enhances any antibiotic, even old and outdated ones, from a 10% to 100% boost. My usual dose of silver was 7 teaspoons a day, but I had to keep increasing over the years because of constant infections. My usual dose then was 4 TBSPs a day when I was sick. I only took it when I was sick; one time getting up to 14 TBSPs because I wasn't getting better. Now, I don't take it, because my body got used to it and it doesn't work anymore. It could be a biofilm issue, and that is one of the issues with UTIs, chlorine dioxide is good for that.

Thanks Art. I found out recently from an UrgentCare doc (@60yo female, and pleasantly conversant, soon-to-retire) that D-Mannose works only for e-coli, not the superbugs (I don't understand how this could be, actually). In any case, I've been taking three 150mg capsules every morning for years, but I'll try your recommendations & recipe. Thanks again!

Hi Wendy,

I use pure D-Mannose powder for UTIs with no fillers the way capsules have and the 1.5 teaspoon per bottle is a lot stronger dose. I've never weighed the 1.5 teaspoon dose on my digital milligram scale, but it is a lot larger dose than the capsules.

I thought you might find the following of interest :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8944421/

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' Here, we present data from a post hoc analysis of this study to compare the cure rate of d-mannose monotherapy with that of antibiotics. The results show that d-mannose is a promising alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated UTIs in women. '

Please keep us updated on how you do!

Art

Hi Art, here's an update on my Citrobacter freundii ("CF") UTI infection, and using the D-Mannose powder:

While on the Urologist-prescribed antibiotic (Cefdiner) for the CF, I took the D-Mannose powder (MY regimen was 1.5 teaspoons in 16-oz of water 3x/day. I drink at least that much water per day on a regular basis simply because it's my beverage of choice). After completing the 10-day antibiotic, my urologist advised me to wait 5 days (I was still drinking the D-Mannose @2-3x/day) and get another culture done to see if the Citrobacter was gone. On 9/15/25, I went to the lab, and today I got the results: >100,000 CFU/mL Citrobacter freundii complex. Same exact count as before! And, I'm still drinking the D-Mannose!

NOTE: my initial UTI symptoms are actually mild with some pressure & discomfort; nothing horribly painful, although since I'm a kidney transplant patient, therefore immunocompromised, I have to address these UTI symptoms, no matter how minor, to prevent them from becoming worse & affecting my ONE (1) working kidney.

To put it mildly, I'm SO concerned & frustrated. My doctor is aware of all this, but frankly, I've tried everything, including your recommendations. I'm even considering getting a tap water test done since apparently CF is found in water (https://www.gideononline.com/blogs/citrobacter-freundii/).

Any additional light you can shed on this would be most helpful. Thank you!

Hi Wendy,

That sounds like a very antibiotic resistant bacterial strain you're dealing with since the antibiotics didn't even touch it (count unchanged)! Three things that come to mind of which two, your doctor may be willing to accept, are garlic extract, oregano oil soft gels and silver nanoparticles (the yellow one) taken at the same time as the antibiotics. The colloidal silver will likely be the one that your doctor completely rejects. I didn't know you had a kidney transplant, that is a very important fact. That means that everything you do, will require your doctor's approval and supervision. The transplant drugs you take, significantly lower your immune system quite a bit making it hard for your body to naturally fight many pathogens. The silver nanoparticles have shown, with some bacteria, to work synergistically to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics to which the bacteria has become resistant, but your doctor may not go for it and that leaves the garlic extract and oregano oil soft gels if your doctor approves at least one of those.

Here is a link to an article discussing how silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can have synergy with antibiotics :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12029289/

Here is a relevant quote :

' The combination of AgNPs with antibiotics presents a promising strategy for combating bacterial infections, particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. Various mechanisms have been proposed and observed for the enhancement of antibiotic efficacy by AgNPs, including bacterial membrane disruption, interference with essential cellular processes, DNA damage, and ROS overproduction. These mechanisms place a significant energetic burden on bacterial defenses, leading to improved bactericidal activity, lower required antibiotic doses, and potentially reducing the emergence of resistance. Furthermore, the ability to modulate Ag⁺ ion release via controlled AgNP oxidation and dissolution (which depends on factors such as nanoparticle size, the medium used, and the reactivity of the particles, all of which can influence how the bacteria respond to the antibiotic) can add precision to antimicrobial applications, making AgNPs a valuable complement to existing and future antibiotic therapies. '

AgNPs have shown the ability to inhibit or kill Citrobacter freundii so they should have synergy with the antibiotics toward this end.

Both garlic and oregano oil inhibit Citrobacter freundii and the oregano oil has shown a potential killing effect as discussed here :

https://www.natsci.upit.ro/media/1590/paper-13.pdf

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' The modern world is often concerned about the bacterial diseases and the diversity of treatment possibilities. The herbal medicines overreach the medical world because the less number of side effects than synthetic drugs and their low costs. In addition to conventional drugs, the natural remedies can solve exceptional health problems. In this study the antibacterial actions of ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous plant extracts (Allium sativum L. and Origanum vulgare L.) were tested. Also, we tested the antimicrobial effects of garlic and oregano essential oils against three bacterial strains. The extracts were tested by diffusion method and certain variants were used. The antibacterial effects were read after 24h of incubation at 37°C. The most obvious effect was observed for oregano essential oil and the smallest growth inhibition was registered for aqueous extracts. The alcoholic extracts were more efficient after concentration by evaporation. The most sensitive bacterial strain was Staphylococcus aureus strain. However the Citrobacter freundii clinical strain had not so high sensitivity at plant extracts, we shall consider the plant extracts as a good alternative to synthetic drugs. '

Thank you for the feedback and keep us posted on your progress!

Art

Hi Art. Update as of 9/20/2025: Today I'll be starting another new antibiotic, Fosfomycin 3 Gm. 1 pill/sachet(?), then 3 days later a 2nd pill, and apparently that's it (ridiculously expensive for only 2 pills, even with insurance). My urologist said it's fine to continue the D-Mannose powder. I've previously gotten approval from him and my transplant coordinator to take the oregano oil which I'm taking 2x/day. Thanks for the info on the AgNPs; I'll check with my docs on this, as well.

Thank you for the update, Wendy!

Hopefully your doctors will approve you using the AgNPs, aged garlic extract, oregano oil soft gels, d-mannose drink and antibiotics simultaneously to try and knock this bacterial infection out completely!

Art