What Kind Of Antibiotics Treat Uti

Q: What Should I Do If Antibiotics Dont Get Rid Of My Uti

A: If your UTI does not respond to antibiotics it may be resistant to the particular type of antibiotic you are using. Or you may have a viral infection . You will need to discuss the matter with your doctor. He or she will likely need to conduct some tests to determine exactly what type of bacteria you are dealing with. After testing, they may prescribe a different antibiotic, increase your dosage, or suggest a different course of action.

Antibiotics To Treat A Uti For Men

Although women are more susceptible to getting UTIs, men can also get them. These infections are often considered more serious than in a womenâs case and should be treated as such. Menâs UTIs can also be in the lower or upper tract. An upper UTI in a man is also known as pyelonephritis and typically requires immediate intervention. This is where an intravenous antibiotic may be needed, says Dr. Beatty. A lower tract UTI in a man should be treated with nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim.

What If I Have Frequent Recurring Utis

Within a year of havig a UTI infection, roughy one-quarter to one-half of women will have another UTI. For these women antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended by her health care provider. With a recurrent course of UTIs, a urine culture or imaging tests may be required for further analysis.

For recurrent UTIs, there are several antibiotic options for prevention:

• A shorter course of antibiotics at the first sign of UTI symptoms a prescription may be given to you to keep at home.
• A longer course of low-dose antibiotic therapy.
• Take a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual intercourse.

The choice of antibiotic is based on previous UTIs, effectiveness, and patient-specific factors such as allergies and cost. Antibiotics commonly used for recurrent UTIs can include sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin, cefaclor, or cephalexin.

In postmenopausal women with vaginal dryness that may be leading to recurrent UTIs, vaginal estrogen may be an effective treatment. Treatment options your doctor might recommend include: Estring, Vagifem , or vaginal estrogen creams .

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What To Expect At Home

UTIs can lead to infection. Most often the infection occurs in the bladder itself. At times, the infection can spread to the kidneys.

Common symptoms include:

• Pain or burning when you urinate
• Needing to urinate more often
• Hard to empty your bladder all the way
• Strong need to empty your bladder

These symptoms should improve soon after you begin taking antibiotics.

If you are feeling ill, have a low-grade fever, or some pain in your lower back, these symptoms will take 1 to 2 days to improve, and up to 1 week to go away completely.

How Long Should I Take Antibiotics

Your doctor will let you know. Typically, for an uncomplicated infection, you’ll take antibiotics for 2 to 3 days. Some people will need to take these medicines for up to 7 to 10 days.

For a complicated infection, you might need to take antibiotics for 14 days or more.

If you still have symptoms after completing antibiotics, a follow-up urine test can show whether the germs are gone. If you still have an infection, you’ll need to take antibiotics for a longer period of time.

If you get UTIs often, you may need a prolonged course of antibiotics. And if sex causes your UTIs, you’ll take a dose of the medicine right before you have sex. You can also take antibiotics whenever you get a new UTI if youâre having symptoms and a positive urine culture.

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Is There Treatment For Utis

Most UTIs are easy to treat. Treatment for UTIs is generally antibiotics, which get rid of the infection. You can also take over-the-counter pain medicine if you want.

Antibiotics are usually quick and effective most symptoms go away within a day or 2 of taking medicine. But be sure to finish all of your medicine, even if your symptoms go away. If you stop your UTI treatment early, the infection might still be there or could come back.

If your symptoms dont go away after a few days, or for more severe infections like a kidney or prostate infection, your doctor or nurse may recommend more tests, different medication, or refer you to a specialist.

When You Need Themand When You Dont

Antibiotics are medicines that can kill bacteria. Doctors often use antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections . The main symptoms of UTIs are:

• A burning feeling when you urinate.
• A strong urge to urinate often.

However, many older people get UTI treatment even though they do not have these symptoms. This can do more harm than good. Heres why:

Antibiotics usually dont help when there are no UTI symptoms.

Older people often have some bacteria in their urine. This does not mean they have a UTI. But doctors may find the bacteria in a routine test and give antibiotics anyway.

The antibiotic does not help these patients.

• It does not prevent UTIs.
• It does not help bladder control.
• It does not help memory problems or balance.

Most older people should not be tested or treated for a UTI unless they have UTI symptoms. And if you do have a UTI and get treated, you usually dont need another test to find out if you are cured. You should only get tested or treated if UTI symptoms come back.

Antibiotics have side effects.

Antibiotics can have side effects, such as fever, rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, tendon ruptures, and nerve damage.

Antibiotics can cause future problems.

Antibiotics can kill friendly germs in the body. This can lead to vaginal yeast infections. It can also lead to other infections, and severe diarrhea, hospitalization, and even death.

Antibiotics can be a waste of money.

When should older people take antibiotics for a UTI?

10/2013

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Q: What Are Fluoroquinolones

A: Fluoroquinolones are a relatively new class of antibiotics of which Cipro is probably the best-known. They were first introduced in the 1990s and are typically used for more intense bacterial infections such as anthrax . They are not generally recommended for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. But may be prescribed in certain cases. Fluoroquinolones are known to have potentially serious side effects, including nerve damage and more .

Are There Natural At

Yes. While taking antibiotics is still considered the gold standard of UTI treatments, there are some things you can do at home that help relieve symptoms, as well. These include:

• Drink plenty of water. Consuming at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily can help flush away UTI-causing bacteria, setting you up for a quicker recovery. Plus, the more you drink, the more youll have to urinate.
• Urinate often. Each time you empty your bladder, youre helping to flush bacteria out of your system.
• Try heat. Applying a heating pad to your pubic area for 15 minutes at a time can help soothe the pressure and pain caused by UTI-related inflammation and irritation.
• Tweak your wardrobe. Wearing loose cotton clothing and underwear can help you recover from a UTI.
• Go fragrance-free. Make sure your personal hygiene products are fragrance-free to sidestep further irritation, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
• Cut out certain irritants. Caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, raw onions, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, and nicotine can further irritate your bladder, making it more difficult for your body to heal, per the Cleveland Clinic.

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Treatment For Uncomplicated Utis

If youre an otherwise healthy woman who isnt pregnant and hasnt entered menopause, your doctor may prescribe one of the following antibiotics to resolve an uncomplicated UTI.

1. Trimethoprim or Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole

These synthetic, oral antibiotics often shortened to TMP and TMP-SMX are common first options for treatment due to their cost and their efficacy. A three-day regimen is typical.

Typical dose: 100-milligram tablet every 12 hours or 200-milligram tablet every 24 hours

Most common side effects:

2. Fosfomycin

Fosfomycin distinguishes itself from the other antibiotics on this list by the fact that a single dose may be all thats required to clear up some patients UTIs. Although less frequently prescribed in the United States, it has been a common treatment option in Europe since the late 1980s.

Fosfomycin also stands out because its available as a powder. Patients dissolve the contents of a prescribed powder packet in 4 ounces of water, then drink it immediately.

Typical dose: 3 grams

Most common side effects:

• Thick, white discharge
• Pain during intercourse

3. Nitrofurantoin

Nitrofurantoin is another route your doctor might take, and its available as a capsule or a liquid. The main difference between this antibiotic and those listed above is that it requires five to seven days to work. Because its been shown to exacerbate preexisting pulmonary issues, its typically not recommended for use by elderly patients.

Common side effects:

5. ß-Lactams

Other Antibiotics And Treatments For Urinary Tract Infections

Other antibiotics may be as effective as first-line antibiotics but have more side effects or risks of complications. They are not commonly used. They include:

• Fluoroquinolones

Antibiotics called beta-lactams may be used when other first-line antibiotics are unavailable or cannot be used for any other reason. They include:

• Amoxicillin-clavulanate

These are not usually first-line choices because they are broad-spectrum antibiotics that have a higher risk of causing antibiotic resistance.

Another drug that is frequently prescribed for a UTI is phenazopyridine, available under several brand names such as Pyridium. This medication is not an antibiotic and does not cure a UTI. It is used to relieve symptoms of pain, burning, urgency and pressure.

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Common Side Effects With Antibiotic Use

Each antibiotic is responsible for its own unique list of side effects, and the list is usually extensive. Be sure to discuss your individual antibiotic side effects with your healthcare provider. However, there are side effects that are common to most antibiotics, regardless of class or drug:

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What Are The Main Causes Of Utis

Its normal and totally healthy to have bacteria present in your urinary tract. But an infection can occur when the wrong type of bacteria is introduced into the urethra and bladder. This can happen when you have sex, wipe after going to the bathroom or even when your hormones shift like during menopause. Bladder infections and UTIs are super common, and roughly 50% of women will get a UTI at some point during their lifetime.

What types of bacteria cause UTIs? A whopping 90% of UTIs are caused by E. coli. Other bacterial strains like staphylococci and enterococcus are also sometimes behind UTIs. Regardless of the type of bacteria causing your UTI, an antibiotic can quickly clear up the infection and all those unpleasant symptoms.

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Action To Take When You Get A Negative Test

If your test comes back negative, but you still have symptoms, the conclusion should be that further investigation is needed, NOT that the symptoms are not indicative of an infection.

If your UTI test is negative, it could very well be that the test is wrong.

First, it pays to understand why a test may be negative, despite your symptoms. Discussing this with your doctor will be more fruitful if you know what youre talking about.

So weve gone into this in great detail in our UTI testing section.

Second, you should be aware that medical practitioners rely on guidelines to guide their decisions. Unfortunately, most guidelines used by medical practitioners do not cover the inaccuracies of current UTI testing methods.

This means it is entirely possible your doctor has no knowledge of the issues with standard testing, and may not recommend investigating further. If youd like to share a reference with your doctor, one set of guidelines that does cover the issues with standard UTI testing is from the American Urogynecological Society.

Alternatively, you can look into private, independent testing or seek out a practitioner that specializes in chronic urinary tract conditions.

Can A Urinary Tract Infection Be Prevented

Many methods have been suggested to reduce or prevent UTIs. The single most important prevention measure is increased fluid intake. Many people develop UTIs simply because they do not drink enough fluids.

Incomplete bladder emptying and resisting the normal urge to urinate can allow pathogens to survive and replicate easier in a non-flowing system. Some clinicians recommend washing before and urinating soon after sex to reduce the chance of urethritis and cystitis.

Many clinicians suggest that anything that causes a person irritation in the genital area may encourage UTI development. Wearing underwear that is somewhat adsorptive may help wick away urine drops that otherwise may be areas for pathogen growth.

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The Problems With Frequent Antibiotic Use

Our own research has shown that many females with recurrent UTIs have taken the same antibiotic for years. For some this can mean every few weeks for others every few months.

The longer you suffer from recurrent UTIs, the muddier the waters of UTI treatment antibiotics can seem. After all, if the treatment options youve tried have failed to prevent further UTIs, are any of them really working?

For many people, taking UTI antibiotics frequently is concerning. Yet without having found an effective alternative, antibiotics are still their first port of call at the onset of a UTI.

On a basic level, frequent antibiotic use means organizing multiple prescriptions, planning ahead and spending money. But there is also serious concern around antibiotic-resistant superbugs, destroying your gut flora, and whether frequent antibiotic use even helps.

And as we mentioned in our section on what causes UTIs, there is enough evidence to suggest that ineffective antibiotic use could be a major contributor to the formation of chronic infection, embedded in the bladder wall.

Frequent antibiotic use that does not effectively treat chronic infection, can result in increased bacterial resistance, which again makes treatment more difficult.

Antibiotics For Uti Caused By Esbl E Coli

Unfortunately, more and more patients are diagnosed with a UTI caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase -producing E. coli. These are E. coli that have evolved to find ways to evade the antibiotics that normally would kill them. In this case, your UTI will most likely be resistant to many of first-line antibiotics listed above and you have a higher risk of developing a kidney infection. At risk group includes:

• Patients with recurrent UTIs
• Patients with recent exposure to antibiotics.

Antibiotics classified as carbapenems are often the drug of choice when treating UTIs caused by ESBL-producing bacteria. Antimicrobials, such as nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin, amikacin, and cefepime, may also be an option.

There are also new beta-lactam/ beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations that came to the market in the United States in the past few years, that are effective against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa .

• Ceftazidime-avibactam , active against a variety of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, but not Gram-positive organisms.
• Ceftolozane-tazobactam , active against a number of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
• Meropenem-vaborbactam , for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

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Uti Treatment Antibiotics Overview

When faced with an uncomplicated urinary tract infection, your three main treatment options are antibiotics, natural remedies, or riding it out with nothing but water.

Can you take just any antibiotic for bladder infection?

The short and very decisive answer to that is no.

Every antibiotic is processed by our bodies differently. Some antibiotics, when taken orally, will never pass through the urinary tract. Or if they do, it is in such small amounts as to be completely ineffective.

Self-prescribing antibiotics could result in you taking medication that has zero positive impact, and possibly negative side effects.

Even if google tells you that whatever you have on hand does indeed pass through the urinary tract, do you know what types of bacteria it treats? More importantly, do you know which bacteria are causing your symptoms?

Most people dont have the answers to either of these questions when they opt to self-treat a UTI. Below weve provided crucial information for you to consider.

Can I Treat A Uti Without Antibiotics

UTI treatment without antibiotics is NOT usually recommended. An early UTI, such as a bladder infection , can worsen over time, leading to a more severe kidney infection . However, a small study has suggested early, mild UTIs might clear up on their own. It’s always best to check with your doctor if you are having UTI symptoms.

Pregnant women should always see a doctor as soon as possible if they suspect they might have a UTI, as this can lead to a greater risk of delivering a low birth weight or premature infant.

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What Is A Urinary Tract Infection

If you have ever experienced the frequent urge to go the bathroom with painful and burning urination, you have probably experienced a urinary tract infection . UTIs are one of the most common types of infections, accounting for over 10 million visits to health care providers each year. Roughly 40% of women experience a UTI at some time, and in women, it is the most common infection. Healthcare costs related to UTIs exceed $1.6 billion per year.

A urinary tract infection can happen anywhere along your urinary tract, which includes the kidneys , the ureters , the bladder , or the urethra . Most UTIs occur in the bladder and urethra. Common symptoms include frequent need to urinate, burning while urinating, and pain in lower abdomen area.

There are different types of UTIs based on where the bacteria goes. A lower urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria gets into the urethra and is deposited up into the bladder — this is called cystitis. Infections that get past the bladder and up into the kidneys are called pyelonephritis.

Urinary tract infection symptoms may include:

• Pain or burning upon urination
• A frequent or urgent need to urinate
• Passing small amounts of urine
• Blood in the urine or or pink-stained urine
• Urines that looks cloudy
• Strong-smelling urine
• Pain, cramping in the pelvis or pubic bone area, especially in women

Upper UTIs which include the kidney may also present with symptoms of fever, chills, back or side pain, and nausea or vomiting.