[nicolaa]

I have had about 3 kidney infections in the past 5 years... ive been hospitalized once for a severe case, and the other 2 where minor.
I currently don't have any health insurance - I have am in pain again and I know its another kidney infection - I've been drinking water and cranberry juice a lot to try to help it. It seems like its not getting worse, but not better either.

My question is - does anyone know of any natural remedy I can use?
If I go see a doctor, is this going to cost me hundreds upon hundreds of dollars that I don't have?
Do doctors see you without insurance?
If I go to a hospital _ which I prefer not to_ and then apply for medicaid, does medicaid pay for old bills? DO they only pay for hospital bills or will they pay for a private docotors bills?

If I keep flushing my system wth cranberry and water - what are the chances of the infection going away?

Any help is appreciated

[Stephieee]

I'm pretty sure that supermarkets sell uti remedies/medicines. Is it already a full blown kidney infection? If you need to see a doctor, go to a medical clinic (find one in yellow pages). They are designed for people without insurance and it will be the cheapest. Do not go to the hospital if you don’t have to- that is the most expensive.

In the future, since you have so many kidney infections, you may want to get some insurance. Then you can have the doctor figure out why you have them so frequently.

As for the Medicaid, they don’t pay off old bills.

[J_9]

There is nothing over the counter to cure a kidney infection as it is typically caused by bacteria and that needs to be eradicated with antibiotics.

Have you considered going to your local health department? That may be an avenue that works well for you.

[shygrneyzs]

It does sound like you need to seek professional medical help. There are many clinics and hospitals that have what they call, "charity programs", that people can apply to reduce their bill or even wipe their bill off the records. I have had to do that, since I do not have insurance. Some hospitals, depending on where you live, may still have the
Hill-Burton Act - worth checking into. If nothing else, you just have to make payment arrangements. But whatever you do, you do need to see a doctor for this. Left untreated, could lead to complications.

[KravJeff]

Find a way to see a doc and / or pay for antibiotics - soon! If the infection becomes systemic (enters your blood stream) not only does the likelihood of cost go waaaayyyy up, but so does the risk of death.

Bacterial infections are not to be treated lightly and hope is not an effective clinical strategy.

Go to your county hospital / clinic and do the medicare/medicade thing if you have to... If you go to an emergency room, especially if you're in an area that has a facility that regularly treats indigent folks, they won't turn you away.