Title: Treating UTIs: Antibotics, Medication, and Home Remedies | Everyday Health
Headings: Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections: Antibiotics, Medication, and Home Remedies
Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections: Antibiotics, Medication, and Home Remedies
Antibiotics Used for Uncomplicated UTIs
Antibiotics Used for Complicated UTIs
Antibiotic Warnings and Treatment Concerns
Treatment Strategies for Recurrent UTIs
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Content: This drug is frequently used to treat UTIs in pregnant women. ( 2)
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra) Also known as co-trimoxazole or TMP-SMX, this UTI treatment is a combination of two antibiotics. While this three-day treatment is 90 to 100 percent effective, resistance to the drug is increasing. ( 2)
Fosfomycin (Monurol) This one-day UTI antibiotic treatment yields a cure rate between 83 and 91 percent. While it has similar efficacy to Nitrofurantoin, a randomized clinical trial published in May 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that of the two, nitrofurantoin is the more effective option. ( 4) In addition, fosfomycin has been linked to increased antibiotic resistance. ( 5)
The following antibiotics are considered second-line treatments for UTI. They are generally chosen because of resistance patterns or allergy considerations: ( 2)
β-lactam Agents Antibiotics under this umbrella include amoxicillin -clavulanate ( Augmentin ES), cefdinir, cefaclor, and cefpodoxime-proxetil (Vantin). They have a lower clinical and bacterial cure rates than first-line treatments, per guidelines published in October 2017 in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. (