OTC treatments for UTI

Key takeaways

• You can’t get antibiotics over the counter for a UTI — they require a prescription from a healthcare professional, either through an in-person visit, online care services, or in some states, directly from a pharmacist.
• Common antibiotics for UTIs include nitrofurantoin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and amoxicillin clavulanate. Treatment typically lasts 3 days to 2 weeks, with symptom improvement often noticed within 24 to 48 hours.
• While waiting for antibiotics to work, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen and phenazopyridine (Uristat) may help ease discomfort. Drinking plenty of water can help flush out the infection.

Overview

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common, and they cause uncomfortable symptoms like burning, pain, and increased urgency to pee. They’re caused by bacteria in your urinary tract, so the primary treatment for them is antibiotic medications.

Although you’ll likely be keen to start feeling better as quickly and easily as possible, you can’t typically get antibiotics over the counter (OTC) — you’ll need a prescription from a healthcare professional. Let’s take a look at the easiest ways to get antibiotics, and some other OTC remedies that might help.

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How do I get antibiotics for UTIs?

Antibiotics are only available on prescription from a healthcare professional. You can get them by making an appointment with your primary care provider (PCP). However, if you don’t have a PCP or it’s inconvenient to make an appointment, you do have other options.

Common antibiotics for treating UTIs include:

• nitrofurantoin (Macrobid)
• sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim)
• amoxicillin clavulanate (Augmentin)
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• trimethoprim (Proloprim)

Treatment can last for as little as 3 days or may last for 1 to 2 weeks, but you should be able to notice if you’re responding to treatment for a complicated UTI within 24 to 48 hours.

Online care

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Some other services allow you to speak with a healthcare professional via phone or video call. However, you should always be connected with a licensed healthcare professional.

With the proper precautions — including education for doctors and careful tracking and reporting — online care services can be a good option for people to receive antibiotics without the need to see a doctor in person.

Speaking with a pharmacist

Depending on where you live, pharmacists may be able to prescribe antibiotics for mild, uncomplicated UTIs and other mild bacterial infections. According to some 2021 research, pharmacists being able to prescribe antibiotics is beneficial and well-received by patients.

In the United States, whether or not a pharmacist can prescribe antibiotics or other medications is state-dependent. It may be worth visiting your local pharmacy and speaking with a pharmacist to see whether they can prescribe antibiotics.

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Why are antibiotics prescription-only?

It’s important to only take antibiotics when you need them and to take them exactly as prescribed. They’ll only work for bacterial infections and will not make you feel better if you have another infection, such as thrush.

One of the biggest reasons that doctors are cautious about prescribing antibiotics is the risk of antimicrobial resistance. This is when the bacteria become stronger and are able to resist the drugs used to kill them, which can happen any time antibiotics are used and lead to strains of bacteria that can’t be treated.

This is why antibiotics aren’t available over the counter (OTC), and they must be prescribed by a healthcare professional. Experts want to make sure that antibiotics are completely necessary before prescribing them.

Are there OTC options to treat UTIs?

Antibiotics may take a few days to start working till you notice any relief from your symptoms. Meanwhile, some OTC medications may help soothe your symptoms. Examples of OTC medications include:

• ibuprofen (Advil)
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• naproxen (Aleve)

Phenazopyridine (Uristat) is another OTC drug that can help manage your symptoms. This drug is a urinary analgesic, meaning it relieves pain when it passes through urine. It also helps reduce the urgency and frequency of your pee.

Drinking plenty of water is the number one method to help speed up UTI recovery. Increasing your water intake will make you urinate more, which helps flush out the infection. UTIs may clear up on their own in around 20% of cases, particularly in people who increase their hydration.

What’s next?

If you have a UTI, here are some next steps to get you feeling better as quickly as possible:

• Speak with a doctor: A doctor can evaluate your condition and determine if antibiotics will be necessary.
• Research online care: Look into safe, licensed online care services if making an in-person appointment won’t work for you.
• Go to a pharmacy: Depending on location, your local pharmacists may be able to prescribe an antibiotic. If not, you can pick up some OTC remedies while you wait for an antibiotic prescription.
• Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated can help flush out the infection.

Learn how to evaluate the safety of an online care service.

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