UTI Antibiotic Treatment

For urinary tract infections, or UTIs, the first line of treatment is often oral antibiotic therapy. A wide range of antibiotics can be prescribed to treat UTIs, and more than one type may be prescribed when the infection does not respond to initial treatment.

Beta-Lactams

• Beta-lactam antibiotics include penicillins and cephalosporins. Penicillin antibiotics include amoxicillin and Augmentin. Cephalosporins include cephalexin, loracarbef and cefuroxime.

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)

• Antibiotic combination drugs that contain trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) include Bactrim, Cotrim and Septra. These drugs are often prescribed in 3-day dosages.

Fluoroquinolones (Quinolones)

• Fluoroquinolones, commonly used to treat UTIs, are also simply known as quinolones. These include the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin and levofloxacin.

Tetracyclines

• Tetracycline antibiotics include doxycycline, tetracycline and minocycline. These are often used for UTIs with other genital infections.

Which Antibiotic is Best for UTI?

• Your health care provider will recommend an antibiotic based upon any known drug allergies, conditions that may make certain antibiotics unsuitable or other drugs you are taking that may interact with certain antibiotics.