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: Depending on which antibiotic your doctor prescribes, women may need a single dose or up to a five-day course. For men, antibiotics are usually given for a slightly longer period of time, notes UpToDate. ( 3)
Typically, if you are diagnosed with an uncomplicated UTI, one of the following will be prescribed as first-line treatment: Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid) These UTI antibiotics are taken for five days. 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. ( 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. (