|  | Conditions Treatments | Urinary Disorders

Medication for Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections can occur in the bladder, the kidneys or anywhere in the urinary tract. If the infection is in your kidneys, it is called pyelonephritis, and if it occurs in the bladder, it is called cystitis. Different medications are given to treat the different kinds of bacteria.

  1. Serious Infection

    • According to the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse, "urinary tract infections are a serious health problem affecting millions of people each year." Women get urinary tract infections more than men, because their urethra is shorter and bacteria gets pushed up inside.

    Urinalysis To Determine Medication

    • According to the NIDDK, it is important to have a urinalysis test, in which "the urine is examined for white and red blood cells and bacteria. Then the bacteria are grown in a culture and tested against different antibiotics to see which drug best destroys the bacteria." Your doctor will know what medication you need based on the type of bacteria is causing the infection.

    Antibacterial Medications

    • Urinary tract infections are treated with antibacterial medications.

      The most commonly used medications to cure urinary tract infections are amoxicillin, augmentin, cephalosporins, sulfa drugs, trimethoprim and quinolones.

    Medication To Stop The Pain

    • Your doctor can also prescribe medication to stop the pain that accompanies urinary tract infections within hours of your first dose. These medicines are ascorbic acid to decrease the bacteria in your urine and pyridium, which is an analgesic and reduces pain and burning during urination.

    Estrogen Therapy

    • "If you're postmenopausal, your doctor may recommend vaginal estrogen therapy to minimize your chance of recurrent urinary tract infections," according to the Mayo Clinic.

Urinary Disorders - Related Articles