The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, the ureters leading from the kidneys to the bladder, and the urethra leading from the bladder to the outside of the body. Serious urinary tract infections (UTIs), where the infection spreads into the blood (sepsis), are usually treated with IV antibiotics in the hospital. Milder cases of bladder infections and kidney infections (pyelonephritis) can be treated at home with oral antibiotics.
Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms
Some people have no symptoms at all. However, the most common symptoms of a UTI are:
- Burning with urination
- Cloudy urine
- Increased frequency and urgency with small amounts of urine
- Blood in urine
- Discolored urine resembling cola or tea
- A strong odor to urine
- Pelvic pain in women
Signs and symptoms of more severe UTIs and kidney infections may also include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Tiredness
- Light-headedness
- Shortness of breath
- Back pain
Treatment of UTIs
Now, it’s time to treat your UTI. But what’s the best way? For mild urinary bladder infections, four basic antibiotics are commonly used:
- Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)
- Dosage: One Bactrim DS (double strength) pill every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days
- Common side effects:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swollen, painful tongue
- Dizziness
- Spinning sensation
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Tiredness
- Insomnia
- Macrodantin, Macrobid (nitrofurantoin)
- Dosage: 50 mg taken by mouth four times a day for one week (with food to improve absorption)
- Preventive dosage: 50 mg taken every night to prevent new infections
- Common side effects:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Itching
- Rash
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Brownish or rust-colored urine
- Vaginal itching or discharge
- Keflex (Cephalexin)
- Dosage: 250 mg taken orally every 6 hours or 500 mg every 12 hours
- Common side effects:
- Joint pain
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rash
- Itching
- Vaginal itching or discharge
- Cipro (Ciprofloxacin)
- Dosage: 500 mg taken orally every 12 hours
- Common side effects:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach upset
- Diarrhea
- Tendinitis and tendon rupture (important but uncommon side effect)
It is essential to understand that there may be local resistance to certain antibiotics that may make a doctor choose one antibiotic over another. Note that the vast majority of all UTI treatment is empiric.
This means that the doctor is using their best judgment to pick an antibiotic without exactly knowing which bacteria is responsible for the infection and whether the bacteria are resistant or not.
Therefore, there may be a chance that the antibiotics are ineffective and may need to be switched to a different antibiotic.
Antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections: Final Thoughts
Did you know? QuickMD can treat your UTI online. Using telemedicine technology, our doctors can prescribe antibiotics from the convenience of your home. We can also order urine testing at your closest LabCorp location.
