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
RELATED: The Link Between UTIs and Sex: Causes and How to Prevent Them
UTIs Caused by ESBL-Producing Bacteria: What to Know
Treating UTIs Caused by ESBL-Producing Bacteria
When to Contact Your Physician About Symptoms
Are There Natural, At-Home Remedies to Help UTIs?
What About Cranberry Juice for UTI?
What Over-the-Counter Treatment Options Are Safe To Use?
Can a UTI Go Away On Its Own?
What Happens When a UTI Goes Untreated?
NEWSLETTERS
Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter!
Enter your email
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
The Latest in Urinary Tract Infection
Hormone Therapy May Prevent UTIs in Post-Menopausal Women
Causes and Risk Factors of UTIs
Can Essential Oils Help to Safely Get Rid of UTIs?
Parent's Guide to UTIs in Children: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and More
Can Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar Help Get Rid of UTIs?
Urinary Tract Infections During Pregnancy: Symptoms, Treatment, and Common Questions
Vegetarian Diet Linked to Lowered Risk of Urinary Tract Infection
Drinking More Water Leads to Fewer Urinary Tract Infections, Study Suggests
7 Surprising Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Infections
Excessive Sitting Can Harm Your Urinary Tract, a New Study Finds

Content: 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. ( 14 )
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. ( 15 )
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. Because of this, prevention and a proper diagnosis are very important factors in treating UTIs, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ( 16)
Treatment Strategies for Recurrent UTIs
Recurrent urinary tract infections, defined as three or more UTIs within 12 months, or two or more occurrences within six months, is very common among women — these but aren’t treated exactly the same as standalone UTIs. One of the reasons: Continued intermittent courses of antibiotics are associated with allergic reactions, organ toxicities, future infection with resistant organisms, and more.