Medications for Bladder Infections

Bladder infections, or urinary tract infections (UTIs), can occur anywhere along the urinary tract: the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. Symptoms include frequent urination with burning pain, cloudy urine, low fever and a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen. If the UTI is in the kidneys, chills and shaking, high fever, nausea and vomiting, confusion and severe abdominal pain may occur. Bladder infections are treated with antibiotics.

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole

• Trimethoprim/suflamethoxazole is a sulfonamide antibiotic and the primary treatment option for a UTI. Common side effects include a painful or swollen tongue, dizziness, ringing in the ears, joint pain and insomnia. Possible serious side effects are goiters, liver and kidney damage, and skin disorders. This medication should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women and those with anemia.

Ciprofloxacin

• Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, is most often used for complicated urinary tract infections or those that do not respond to trimethoprim/suflamethoxazole. Some patients using this drug might experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, anxiety, nightmares and increased sun sensitivity. Serious reactions include seizures, psychosis, hallucinations and ruptured tendons. Eating or drinking milk, yogurt or calcium-fortified juice can decrease the effectiveness of ciprofloxacin if ingested alone, so consume them only as part of a meal while on this medicine.

Levofloxacin

• Levofloxacin is also used for complicated UTIs. It is in the same class as ciprofloxacin and shares the same side effects. Levofloxacin also can cause mild itchiness. Antacids, ulcer medication, and vitamins and minerals with iron or zinc should not be taken within two hours of levofloxacin, because they can drastically reduce the effectiveness of the antibiotic.

Nitrofurantoin

• Nitrofurantoin is used to treat UTIs in pregnant women, because the other choices are more harmful to an unborn baby. This drug is considered safe up to the last two to four weeks of pregnancy. Possible side effects are brownish urine, headache, nausea and vomiting, gas, constipation, dizziness and blurred vision. Less common serious reactions include kidney and liver damage, pancreatitis and psychosis. This medication should be taken with food or milk.

Phenazopyridine

• Sold under the brand name Pyridium, this medication treats symptoms associated with a urinary tract infection. It can be used short-term to relieve the pain, burning and increased urge to urinate, but the drug does not treat the infection. It is used in conjunction with antibiotics to provide relief while the antibiotics rid the body of infection. The most common reactions are headache, dizziness, itchiness and upset stomach. It also can cause contact lens staining. Phenazopyridine should not be used by those with kidney disease.