Urology

Medicines for Urinary tract infection (UTI)

A common infection of the bladder or wider urinary tract that typically causes burning when passing urine and a frequent urge to go — usually settling quickly with a short, well-chosen course of antibiotics.

Education and reference only. This explains which medicines are used and why, in plain language — it deliberately contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician, and check the BNF and the product labelling for prescribing detail.

Written by Meds Global Health Clinical Team · Clinically reviewed by Dr Muhammad Suffyan, MB BS, Founder & Clinical Director · Last reviewed · How we review

Quick answer

What is Urinary tract infection (UTI)?

A urinary tract infection happens when bacteria, most often from the bowel, travel up the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The commonest form is a bladder infection (cystitis), causing burning or stinging when passing urine, needing to go more often and more urgently, lower tummy discomfort and sometimes cloudy or strong-smelling urine.

  • How it is treated: For a straightforward bladder infection, the aim is to relieve symptoms quickly and clear the infection with a short course of an antibiotic.
  • Self-care: Drinking plenty of fluids, not holding on to urine, wiping front to back, and emptying the bladder after sex can help prevent UTIs, and simple pain relief eases discomfort while an infection settles.
  • When to seek help: Seek urgent medical help if you develop a high temperature, shivering, pain in your back or side, nausea or vomiting or confusion, as these can suggest a kidney infection.

What it is

A urinary tract infection happens when bacteria, most often from the bowel, travel up the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The commonest form is a bladder infection (cystitis), causing burning or stinging when passing urine, needing to go more often and more urgently, lower tummy discomfort and sometimes cloudy or strong-smelling urine. UTIs are far more common in women because the urethra is shorter, and they also occur in men, older people, those with a urinary catheter, in pregnancy and in people with diabetes. Most are uncomplicated and confined to the bladder, but infection can sometimes spread up to the kidneys (pyelonephritis), which is more serious and tends to cause fever, back or side pain and feeling generally unwell. Diagnosis is often made from the typical symptoms, sometimes supported by a urine dipstick test, and a urine sample sent to the laboratory (culture) is used when the picture is unclear, in men, in pregnancy, in recurrent infections, or when the first treatment has not worked.

How it is treated

For a straightforward bladder infection, the aim is to relieve symptoms quickly and clear the infection with a short course of an antibiotic. Many mild cases in otherwise well women settle with a brief course, and the first-choice agents are usually nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim, chosen according to local resistance patterns and any laboratory result. The choice changes in particular situations: kidney function matters because some agents are unsuitable when the kidneys are working poorly, certain antibiotics are avoided at particular stages of pregnancy, and a urine culture is used to guide treatment in men, in pregnancy, in recurrent or complicated infections and when symptoms persist. Suspected kidney infection, infection in pregnancy, infection in men and recurrent infections often need closer assessment and sometimes a different or longer antibiotic, or specialist input. Drinking enough fluid and simple pain relief help symptoms while the antibiotic works.

For this condition, these medicines

Medicine classes used for Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Each links to a full, dose-free guide — what it is, how it works, who can and cannot use it, side effects, interactions and FAQs.

UTI antibiotics Anti-infective The mainstay of treatment; agents such as nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim are the usual first choices for an uncomplicated bladder infection, guided by local resistance and any urine culture. Cephalosporins Anti-infective An alternative antibiotic option used in certain situations, including some infections in pregnancy or where first-choice agents are unsuitable or resistance is a concern.

Symptom checker

Symptoms that can point to Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be one cause of these symptoms. Each guide explains the other possible causes and the red-flag warning signs that mean you should get urgent help:

Abdominal painPain anywhere between the chest and the groin — cramping, burning, gnawing or sharp — whic…FeverA fever is a rise in body temperature, usually above 38°C, and is most often a sign that t…Blood in urineBlood in the urine should always be checked by a doctor, as while many causes are treatabl…Frequent urinationNeeding to pass urine more often than usual, by day or night, which can be due to a bladde…Pelvic painPain low in the tummy or pelvis that often comes from the reproductive organs, bladder or …Testicular pain or lumpPain, swelling or a lump in a testicle, which can come from infection or minor causes but …Pain when passing urineBurning, stinging or discomfort when passing urine — most often a urine infection, but som…Chills and shiveringA feeling of being cold with shivering or shaking, usually as the body raises its temperat…Difficulty passing urineTrouble starting to pass urine, a weak or stop-start stream, straining or a feeling the bl…Sudden confusion or deliriumA rapid change in thinking, awareness or behaviour that develops over hours or days, which…

Clinical formulas & tools

Calculators used in Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Risk scores and formulas that inform assessment and treatment decisions in this condition:

eGFR (CKD-EPI 2021)Estimated GFR, race-free creatinine equation.

Beyond medication

Lifestyle and self-care

Drinking plenty of fluids, not holding on to urine, wiping front to back, and emptying the bladder after sex can help prevent UTIs, and simple pain relief eases discomfort while an infection settles.

When to get help

When to see a doctor

Seek urgent medical help if you develop a high temperature, shivering, pain in your back or side, nausea or vomiting or confusion, as these can suggest a kidney infection. Visible blood in the urine often happens with a simple bladder infection, but should still be reviewed by your GP. If you are pregnant, seek medical assessment for any urinary symptoms rather than self-treating, because a UTI in pregnancy always needs treatment and a urine test. Also contact your GP promptly if you are a man with urinary symptoms, if symptoms do not improve within a couple of days of treatment, or if infections keep coming back.

999Emergency — call 999 or go to A&E
111Urgent advice — call NHS 111 or use 111 online
GPNon-urgent — see your GP or pharmacist

Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.

Answers

Urinary tract infection (UTI): frequently asked questions

What medicines are used for a urinary tract infection?

Most bladder infections are treated with a short course of an antibiotic. Nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim are the usual first choices for an uncomplicated infection, with the final choice guided by local resistance patterns and any urine culture result. Cephalosporins and other antibiotics are used in particular situations, such as some infections in pregnancy or where the first-choice agents are unsuitable. Simple pain relief and good fluid intake help while the antibiotic works.

Do I always need antibiotics for a UTI?

Not always. Some mild bladder infections in otherwise well women settle on their own with fluids and pain relief over a few days. However, antibiotics are often used to clear the infection and ease symptoms more quickly, and they are important when symptoms are more severe, persistent or recurrent, in men, in pregnancy, or where there is any sign the infection may be spreading. A pharmacist or GP can advise what is right for you.

Why do urine samples get sent to the laboratory?

A urine culture identifies the exact bacteria causing the infection and which antibiotics will work against it. It is particularly useful in men, in pregnancy, in recurrent or complicated infections, in older or catheterised people, and when the first treatment has not worked, so that the antibiotic can be matched to the bug rather than chosen by best guess.

How can I stop UTIs coming back?

Drinking enough fluid, not delaying passing urine, wiping front to back, and emptying the bladder after sex can all help reduce the chance of infection. If you keep getting UTIs, see your GP, who may look for an underlying reason, check for related conditions, and consider preventive measures; in some cases a low-dose preventive antibiotic or other strategies are used under medical guidance.

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Sources

Where this is drawn from

  • NICE NG109: Urinary tract infection (lower): antimicrobial prescribing; NICE NG111: Pyelonephritis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing.
  • NICE CKS: Urinary tract infections (UTIs).

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