Facts About Cephalexin For Uti & 12 Tips For Treating Uti With Antibiotics
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Written by Anastasia Visotsky, medically reviewed by Dr. Ogunyemi
Personally, I have taken Cephalexin to treat my UTIs twice sat other times I was prescribed Macrobid and Cipro. To be frank, I tolerate antibiotics very well, but this doesnt mean that I like them. Unfortunately, antibiotics are sometimes a necessary evil.
Here are some of my tips for successfully taking antibiotics for your UTI.
First of all, make surethat antibiotics are the right choice for you. If you only have bladder pain and it burns during or after urination but your urine is clear, antibiotics might not be the best solution. In fact, if you keep having UTIs, you might need to dig a little deeper to address the root cause of your UTIs, rather than simply repeating the cycle of antibiotic treatment.
If you see blood in your urine, its cloudy or has a strange smell, it may be time for antibiotics. Also, if you have fever or chills, pain in your flank and are not able to keep anything down, its really time to see your doctor.
Things You Can Do Yourself
Mild UTIs often pass within a few days.
To help ease pain while your symptoms clear up:
- take paracetamol you can give children liquid paracetamol
- place a hot water bottle on your tummy, back or between your thighs
- rest and drink plenty of fluids this helps your body to flush out the bacteria
It may also help to avoid having sex until you feel better. You cannot pass a UTI on to your partner but sex may be uncomfortable.
Consult with your GP about taking non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin if you have a Kidney infection .
When Do Uti Symptoms Disappear
As previously mentioned, antibiotics should help dissipate your UTI symptoms within one to two days. Your doctor might prescribe a treatment plan lasting anywhere from 3 to 14 days.
If youve been battling more severe UTI symptoms, such as low-grade fever or lower back pain, the process could take slightly longer. While mild improvements should be spotted in the first couple of days, your infection will likely need up to one week to completely go away.
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Signs That Uti Is Not Responding To Antibiotics
What if you feel lower back pain? Is this a sure sign that infection is progressing to the kidneys and antibiotics are not working?
While lower back pain could be an important sign of kidney infection, in many cases low back pain alone is not a sure sign that bacteria ascended to the kidneys, it could be just pain radiating from the bladder due to UTI, clarifies Dr. Hawes. However, if you are experiencing fever and/or nausea, these are very serious symptoms and you should seek immediate medical attention.
This is when the chances are higher to get sick with an infection caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria:
- You underwent multiple UTI treatments in your lifetime
- If you have been using the same antibiotic for previous infections
- Stopped taking antibiotics and didnt finish all the pills that your doctor prescribed you
- If you are guilty of keeping a stash of antibiotics and self-treating UTIs, cold, travel diarrhea, etc.
- Youve been recently hospitalized
- If you are immunosuppressed or have any serious chronic health issues, for example, uncontrolled diabetes.
Dr. Hawes highlights that it is important to request a urine culture test before deciding on a type of antibiotic. If you are taking multiple antibiotics without checking bacterial drug sensitivity, its a guessing game that only increases your chances to develop resistant bacteria.
Read how torevert antibiotic resistance with diet.
Can Uti Symptoms Linger After I Take Antibiotics
Since UTI symptoms usually improve just a few days after starting antibiotics, youll want to talk to your healthcare provider if you notice that UTI symptoms are still hanging around after finishing your antibiotics.
Theres no need to panic, but you and your healthcare provider will want to make sure the antibiotics actually worked against your UTI. To do this, they may take another sample of your urine to see if the bacteria are still there or not. If the infection is cured, youll want to be sure there isnt a different issue thats causing similar symptoms.
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Why Your Uti Test May Be Negative Even When You Have Symptoms
How about a study that looked at bacterial DNA in the urine of women with UTI-like symptoms who also had a negative culture test?
To summarize, the researchers looked at urine samples of women without symptoms and a group with UTI-like symptoms. They performed two tests: a culture test and a DNA-sequencing test that allows identifying if there is any bacterial DNA in the urine.
According to the study, 90.5% of symptomatic women with a negative urine culture tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria with molecular methods compared to about 5.3% of women without symptoms.
This allowed the researchers to conclude that culture tests might not be sufficiently accurate and if a patient complains of urinary tract infection symptoms, she might as well be treated for an acute UTI.
The findings are gaining traction among chronic UTI sufferers who feel that the study finally gives more credibility to their complaints.
However, argues Dr. Hawes the significance of finding bacterial DNA may be different than the significance of finding live growing bacteria. Does the DNA stay around after an infection? If so, for how long? How do you determine antibiotic sensitivity based on DNA findings rather than live growth?.
As Dr. Hawes concludes, We dont yet understand the clinical significance of this data. In other words, do not dismiss the results of your culture test because of this study.
Does Cranberry Juice Prevent A Uti
Some patients may want to use cranberry or cranberry juice as a home remedy to treat a UTI. Cranberry juice has not been shown to cure an ongoing bacterial infection in the bladder or kidney.
Cranberry has been studied as a preventive maintenance agent for UTIs. Studies are mixed on whether cranberry can really prevent a UTI. Cranberry may work by preventing bacteria from sticking to the inside of the bladder however, it would take a large amount of cranberry juice to prevent bacterial adhesion. More recent research suggests cranberries may have no effect on preventing a UTI
- According to one expert, the active ingredient in cranberries — A-type proanthocyanidins — are effective against UTI-causing bacteria, but is only in highly concentrated cranberry capsules, not in cranberry juice.
- However, cranberry was not proven to prevent recurrent UTIs in several well-controlled studies, as seen in a 2012 meta-analysis of 24 trials published by the Cochrane group.
- While studies are not conclusive, there is no harm in drinking cranberry juice. However, if you develop symptoms, see your doctor. Some people find large quantities of cranberry juice upsetting to the stomach.
Increasing fluid intake like water, avoiding use of spermicides, and urinating after intercourse may be helpful in preventing UTIs, although limited data is available.
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How Do I Know If The Treatment Isnt Working
If the treatment isnt working, your symptoms will stay the same, get worse, or you will develop new symptoms. Call your doctor if you have a fever , chills, lower stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. You should also call your doctor if, after taking medicine for 3 days, you still have a burning feeling when you urinate. If you are pregnant, you should also call your doctor if you have any contractions.
Uti Symptoms Think Quick Grab A Urinary Pain Reliever
When you suddenly feel the typical symptoms of a UTI, grab an over-the-counter urinary pain reliever with Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride to help relieve those symptoms fast. Then immediately head to the doctor to determine if it actually is a UTI. For many, UTI symptoms include urinating often, burning and strong odor in your pee, blood in the urine and soreness or a feeling of fullness in the bladder or lower back.2 Sounds awful, right? Dont even THINK about treating a possible urinary tract infection without the help of a medical professional. The bacteria that cause urinary tract infections can multiply at a frightening rate so make moves fast!
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Treatments For A Urinary Tract Infection
The type of treatment you are prescribed and the length of time you need to take medicine depends on your health history and the type of bacteria found in your urine.
Medications
Doctors commonly prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Amoxicillin is a type of antibiotic medicine that stops the growth of bacteria in your urine.
Amoxicillin comes as a capsule, tablet, or liquid to be taken by mouth. The medicine is taken two or three times a day with or without food. If you have a UTI and are prescribed an antibiotic like amoxicillin, you should start feeling better within a few days. It is important to remember that even though your symptoms may start to subside within a few days, you should continue to take your medicine as prescribed by your doctor. The treatment length depends on your unique circumstances.
Home care
A healthy lifestyle that includes methods like regular bathing and good hygiene may help you control and prevent urinary tract infections. These techniques include:
- Choosing NOT to use douche or feminine hygiene products containing perfumes
- Avoiding bath oils
How To Cope With Side Effects
What to do about:
- feeling sick take nitrofurantoin with or after a meal or snack. It may also help if you avoid rich or spicy food.
- being sick and diarrhoea drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash to avoid dehydration. Take small, frequent sips if you feel sick. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea or vomiting without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor.
- loss of appetite eat when you would usually expect to be hungry. If it helps, eat smaller meals more often than usual. Snack when you’re hungry. Have nutritious snacks that are high in calories and protein, such as dried fruit and nuts.
- headaches make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Painkillers you can buy without a prescription, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, are safe to take with nitrofurantoin. Speak to your doctor if these do not help with the headaches or the headaches are severe.
- dizziness or feeling sleepy if nitrofurantoin makes you feel dizzy, stop what you’re doing and sit or lie down until you feel better.
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Tips When Treating Uti With Antibiotics
UTI Guides
Signs That A Uti Is Not Responding To Antibiotics
Naturally, the most obvious sign that your UTI isnt responding to antibiotics is the persistence of infection-related symptoms. Additionally, you might even develop new symptoms. If you have a fever , lower abdominal pain, chills, nausea, or vomiting, consult a doctor immediately.
If youre pregnant with a UTI and start having contractions, be sure to seek medical attention right away. Although UTIs are common in expectant mothers, they can become problematic if not addressed quickly. They may increase your babys chances for premature birth and low birth weight.
In general, if ignored, UTIs create serious medical complications . At times, a kidney infection is considered life-threatening, especially in cases of septicemia. This happens when bacteria enters your bloodstream and leads to blood poisoning.
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Don’t Stop Without Talking To Your Doc
Some serious infections such as tuberculosis and those affecting the bones, heart valves, or bloodstream require long courses of medication. In certain circumstances, you can start to feel better, but still have an active infection that requires treatment, Hicks says.
If you are taking an antibiotic for a more garden-variety illness such as a sinus infection, urinary tract infection, or pneumonia, Hicks says its very reasonable to call your doctor and ask if you can discontinue the drug once you have been free of fever for 48 hours and are feeling significantly better.
Just don’t hang on to leftover antibiotics. Discard unused medication by returning it to the pharmacy or a community take-back program. Or mix the medication with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or coffee grounds, seal it in a bag, and throw it out with the household trash. Read more about safe ways to dispose of antibiotics and other unwanted medicines.
Editor’s Note: These materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin .
Cephalexin For Chronic Uti
If this is not your first UTI, know one thing: you may not be fighting single-celled free-floating bacteria in your bladder. Most likely, you are fighting bacterial biofilms.
Cephalexin stops the growth of the cell wall, which bacteria need to survive. However, bacteria eventually learn how to hide from the antibiotic attack, allowing them to become resistant to Cephalexin.
One method is for them to team up, cover themselves with a protective slime, and hide in the deeper layers of your bladder lining. This allows bacteria to wait until you stop taking antibiotics before renewing their activity.
This bacterial method of defense is called bacterial biofilms.
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What Happens If I Have A Multidrug
Some strains of bacteria are now resistant to all of the most commonly used antibiotics. When UTIs recur or dont go away with treatment, urine samples are usually tested at a microbiology lab, and if resistant organisms are discovered they are often found to be ESBL E. coli or ESBL Klebsiella. If you have a UTI with either of these resistant bacteria, you will probably be treated in hospital by an infectious disease doctor and their team. They will often prescribe a specific antibiotic via an intravenous drip known to be active against ESBL- producing bacteria such as a carbapenem antibiotic. These are considered last resort antibiotics which are kept especially for those highly resistant bacterial infections.
If you have an antibiotic-resistant UTI, youre not alone. There are many different support groups online where people suffering with resistant UTIs can help one another.
How Fast Does Amoxicillin Work For A Uti
Many people experience a urinary tract infection at some point in their lifetime. This infection occurs when bacteria invade the urinary system from outside the body. UTIs can cause infection and inflammation. Doctors commonly prescribe antibiotics such as amoxicillin to treat urinary tract infections and help you feel better.
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Are There Any Home Remedies For A Urinary Tract Infection
The best “home remedy” for a UTI is prevention . However, although there are many “home remedies” available from web sites, holistic medicine publications, and from friends and familymembers there is controversy about them in the medical literature as few have been adequately studied. However, a few remedies will be mentioned because there may be some positive effect from these home remedies. The reader should be aware that while reading about these remedies , they should not to overlook the frequent admonition that UTIs can be dangerous. If the person does not experience relief or if his or her symptoms worsen over 1 to 2 days, the person should seek medical care. In fact, many of the articles about UTI remedies actually describe ways to reduce or prevent UTIs. Examples of home treatments that may help to prevent UTIs, that may have some impact on an ongoing infection, and that are unlikely to harm people are as follows:
There are over-the-counter tests available for detecting presumptive evidence for a UTI . These tests are easy to use and can provide a presumptive diagnosis if the test instructions are carefully followed a positive test should encourage the person to seek medical care.
