Which medicine is best for uti

Cranberry juice is one of the most well-established natural treatments for UTIs. People have also traditionally used it to help clear general infections and speed up wound recovery time. Studies on the effectiveness of cranberry juice for UTIs have had mixed results.

According to one review , cranberry juice contains compounds that may prevent E. Cranberry juice also contains antioxidants , including polyphenols, which have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

There is no set guideline on how much cranberry juice to drink to treat a UTI, but a common recommendation is to drink around milliliters mL of at least percent cranberry juice every day to prevent or treat UTIs. Beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, can help keep the urinary tract healthy and free from harmful bacteria.

In particular, a group of probiotics called lactobacilli may help with treating and preventing UTIs. They may do this by:. People who take lactobacillus supplements while on antibiotics for UTIs may develop less antibiotic resistance than people not taking them. People can also take probiotic supplements, which are usually in the form of a capsule or a powder that mixes into water or other beverages.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to improve immune system function. Vitamin C also reacts with nitrates in urine to form nitrogen oxides that can kill bacteria.

It can lower the pH of urine, making it less likely that bacteria will survive. As with cranberry juice, people have been using vitamin C in various forms to treat UTIs for thousands of years.

But there is a lack of quality research to confirm whether or not increasing vitamin C intake can prevent or treat UTIs. According to the limited research, taking other supplements alongside vitamin C may maximize its benefits. In a study , 38 women with recurrent UTIs took vitamin C, probiotics, and cranberries three times daily for 20 days, then stopped for 10 days.

They repeated this cycle for 3 months. The researchers concluded that this could be a safe and effective treatment approach for UTIs. The National Institutes of Health recommend that for people aged 19 and over, women should get at least 75 mg of vitamin C per day, while men need around 90 mg per day.

Adults who smoke should take an additional 35 mg of the vitamin each day. Many UTIs develop when bacteria from the rectum or feces gain access to the urethra, the small channel that allows urine to flow out of the body.

Once bacteria are in the urethra, they can travel up into other urinary tract organs where they can lead to infections. After urinating, wipe in a way that prevents bacteria from coming into contact with the genitals.

Use separate pieces of toilet paper to wipe the genitals and anus. Sexual intercourse introduces bacteria and other microbes from outside the body to the urinary tract. Practicing good sexual hygiene can help to reduce the number of bacteria that people can transfer during intercourse and other sexual acts. Currently, researchers are trying to design vaccines that would prevent many types of bacteria from being able to attach to body cells properly.

They are also working on developing other UTI vaccines that prevent bacteria from being able to grow and cause infection. To date, only one type of UTI vaccine has reached preliminary human trials. Studies on the rest are still using animals and tissue samples. If a person suspects that they might have a UTI, they should speak to their doctor for advice on the best way to treat the possible infection.

Urinary tract infections UTIs. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Urinary tract infections. National Institutes of Health. Hooton TM, et al. Acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis in women.

Recurrent urinary tract infection in women. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Takhar SS, et al. Diagnosis and management of urinary tract infection in the emergency department and outpatient settings. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. Overactive bladder OAB : Lifestyle changes. Urology Care Foundation. Accessed July 3, Warner KJ.

Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Hooper DC. Accessed Aug. FDA drug safety communication: FDA updates warnings for oral and injectable fluoroquinole antibiotics due to disabling side effects. Natural Medicines. Accessed Oct. Urinary tract infection adult. Mayo Clinic; These medicines should only be considered if no other treatment options are available. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, a healthcare provider may decide that a fluoroquinolone medicine is the best option, notes the American Academy of Family Physicians.

For pregnant women, some common antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines, should not be prescribed because of possible toxic effects on the fetus.

But oral nitrofurantoin and cephalexin Keflex are considered good antibiotic choices for pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria a UTI without symptoms and acute cystitis , according to past research. While most UTIs can be effectively treated with antibiotics, bacteria are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics. Each time you take an antibiotic, the bacteria that normally resides in your system are more likely to become resistant to antibiotics.

One of the reasons: Continued intermittent courses of antibiotics are associated with allergic reactions , organ toxicities, future infection with resistant organisms, and more. Once the results are in, the American Urological Association suggests that healthcare professionals do the following:. For those whose UTI recurrences are related to intercourse, postcoital prophylaxis may be prescribed. In this case, women take antibiotics after intercourse, according to an article published in April in American Family Physician Journal.

While managing risk factors, like wiping from front to back, prove to be helpful in preventing standalone UTI, the American Urological Association noted that case-control studies clearly show that changes in hygiene practices — using the bathroom pre- and post-intercourse, avoiding hot tubs, tampons, and douching — do not actually play a role in preventing recurrent UTIs.

Not only are ESBL infections harder to treat, those with this type of infection are at greater risk for a potentially life-threatening infection called sepsis , noted an article published in in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

Those most at risk, according to article published in November in Pediatrics International , include individuals with any of the following:. Antibiotics classified as carbapenems imipenem, meropenem, doripenem, and ertapenem 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, per an article published in in the American Journal of Hospital Medicine. If during the course of your treatment, your symptoms remain unchanged or worsen, or new symptoms arise, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

It is also imperative to contact your physician if during treatment you develop:. 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:.

One of the reasons: Products like cranberry juice or cranberry capsules are not explicitly formulated with the same amount of PACs that have shown potential in lab studies. For instance, a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that among female nursing home residents, daily consumption of cranberry capsules resulted in no significant prevention of UTIs.

After all, drinking plenty of liquids does dilute your urine and help spur more frequent urination , which flushes bacteria from the urinary tract. The exception: Those who are taking blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin , should not consume cranberry juice.

And those with diabetes should be mindful of the high-sugar content of fruit juices. In addition to antibiotics, your doctor may recommend phenazopyridine Azo Urinary Pain Relief , Pyridium. This is an over-the-counter OTC medication used to numb the lining of the urinary tract to make urination more comfortable while you wait for the antibiotics to work.

Be aware that the medicine will make your urine turn bright orange. They are in no way meant to replace the use of antibiotics. And know that these products have not been reviewed by the FDA for efficacy.

While most patients with a UTI will be prescribed antibiotics, the truth is, uncomplicated urinary tract infections are often self-limiting, meaning they can potentially run their course sans antibiotic treatment, noted a report in PLoS Medicine. In fact, that same report a randomized, controlled, double-blind study found that more than one-half of the women studied experienced a UTI resolution without the use antibiotics.

The women took ibuprofen instead. However, since kidney infections pyelonephritis occurred in 7 out of women using ibuprofen, the researchers concluded that, at this time, they cannot recommend ibuprofen alone as initial treatment to women with uncomplicated UTIs. A better idea, for now: Simply wait until a positive urine culture comes back before treating with antibiotics.

Thanks to early diagnosis and proper treatment, the vast majority of lower urinary tract infections result in no complications. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Urinary Tract Infection.

Reviewed: June 15, Medically Reviewed. Unlike other antibiotic treatments, Nitrofurantoin has a low potential for antibiotic resistance and holds an 83 to 93 percent cure rate. This drug is frequently used to treat UTIs in pregnant women. While this three-day treatment is 90 to percent effective, resistance to the drug is increasing.