Question

My son is almost 23 and autistic. He also has post-Covid ME and, since 2023, has been mild to moderate.

He is currently undergoing investigations into recurrent urinary infection and I wonder if you are aware of any links to ME/CFS and whether this is a common problem?

He’s been given four courses of antibiotics, been told to drink cranberry juice and to take ibuprofen, as well as avoiding caffeine and juices. He’s now awaiting scans and investigative procedures to try to get to the root of this after I persisted to advocate and demanded they look into biofilms and kidney issues. The process has dragged on for five months at the GP surgery, until I told them I would take the matter further and that it’s not good enough to suggest it is mental health-related or due to his slower pace of life.

The fact that I also have ME/CFS means that, sadly, I’m used to the gaslighting and medical negligence we tend to receive.

Do you have any tips for dealing with ongoing urinary bladder infections, such as how to eat to detox the liver and urinary system and maybe how to tackle medical ignorance when it comes to ME/CFS?

Answer

By Sue Luscombe, Registered Dietitian and Specialist Adviser to the ME Association

I am sorry to read about your son’s recurring urinary infection, needing four courses of antibiotics, at the same time having post-Covid ME and being autistic. It is good that the doctors are now investigating his recurrent infections further.

You have been given the best-evidence dietary advice on treating UTI’s – drinking lots to flush out the infection, taking cranberry juice, and avoiding irritants like caffeine and alcohol, possibly spicy foods, is also thought to help.

To support the immune system, which fights infection, it is recommended to eat a diet rich in antioxidants with lots of fruit and veg and plant-based foods. It might be worth trying probiotics or fermented yoghurts like kefir to boost the gut microbiome. A varied, balanced, healthy diet in line with the Mediterranean diet or Eatwell guide is best. These are also in line with the best diet recommendations.

Detox diets are not recommended. Here is a link that digs deeper into Detox diets and why these are not recommended.

In brief the reasons are:

• Our body is a well-developed system that has its own built-in ability to ‘detoxify’ and remove waste. Our kidneys constantly filter out, break down and excrete toxins and waste products such as alcohol, medications, products of digestion, dead cells, chemicals from pollution and bacteria.
• There is no strong scientific evidence that detox diets help remove toxins faster or better than these organs already do.
• Many detox diets are very restricted and will increase the risk of the intake not meeting nutritional needs and lacking in essential nutrients.

I will also add that, in my experience, autistic people may already have a limited diet; they are specific about the food they eat and have a complicated relationship with food. Potentially, a detox diet that adds further diet restrictions may be unhelpful.

I hope this has been useful and I wish your son all the best.

More Information:

• The ME Association has a booklet on Diet and Nutrition which some people may find of interest.