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Antibiotics Used for Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

A urinary tract infection (also called a bladder infection or a urinary infection) is an inflammation of the urinary system caused when bacteria normally found on the skin or in the intestinal tract gets inside. They are very common and nearly everyone will experience at least one in their lifetime, especially the elderly, infants or pregnant women. While the symptoms can be painful and inconvenient, they are relatively easy to treat with several kinds of antibiotics.

  1. Trimethoprim

    • Trimethoprim is probably the most prescribed antibiotic for urinary tract infections. This is because it has the smallest chance of a bacterial strain being resistant to it. It is marketed under the names Proloprim, Monotrim and Tripim. Trimethoprim should be taken orally without food. If you are taking dofetilide, methotrexate or cyclosporine, you should avoid taking trimethoprim. The combination will cause serious side effects. It should never be taken in high doses over long periods because it can cause a serious blood cell disorder.

    Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole

    • The combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole prevents bacteria that cause a urinary tract infection from reproducing. Some of the brand names you may find trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole marketed as are Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim. This particular antibiotic may be administered orally or as an injection in some cases. It works fast, often leading to improvement after about 24 hours. However, it should not be taken with warfarin, procainamide or sulfonylureas. If you do combine trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole with these drugs, you can experience dangerous side effects.

    Amoxicillin

    • Amoxicillin comes from the penicillin family of drugs and is used to treat any number of infections, including gonorrhea and ear infections. It is taken orally by tablet or a suspension liquid. Although it does work better on an empty stomach, you can take it with food if you need to. If you are taking oral contraceptives, amoxicillin can reduce the effectiveness of them, so you will need to use other birth control while you are taking it. Drugs like methotreate, probenecid or tetracyclines can react badly with amoxicillin so avoid taking them together.

    Nitrofurantoin

    • Macrobid and Macrodantin are two brands of nitrofurantoin, an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections. It disarms bacteria by preventing them from forming cell walls structure and properly functioning. It comes in a suspension liquid that should be taken orally with food or milk. A common side effect of nitrofurantoin is discolored urine. More than one person have been shocked to find that their urine turns dark brown or orange while they are taking this antibiotic. If you are taking probenecid or magnesium salts, your health care provider won't prescribe nitrofurantoin because it can cause an adverse reaction.

    Ampicillin

    • Ampicillin is an antibiotic that is better known by the brand names Ampicillin Sodium and Principen. It inhibits an important process that allows bacteria to synthesize cell walls and function properly. It is taken orally, on an empty stomach if possible. Ampicillin will make oral contraceptives stop working, so if you are taking them you need to find other birth control until your urinary tract infection is cured. Ampicillin should also not be taken with allopurinol, atenolol or tetracyclines to avoid side effects.

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