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How Effective is Amoxicillin for a Urinary Tract Infection?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Amoxicillin is a highly effective treatment for a urinary tract infection (UTI). This drug is an antibiotic that helps fight infections by interfering with bacteria's ability to multiply. In most cases, a medical professional will prescribe amoxicillin to treat a urinary tract infection that is fairly simple. If the infection has become complicated or is seriously threatening the health of the patient, however, it may not be as effective. In cases in which amoxicillin and similar antibiotics cannot be used, the patient may have to be hospitalized and treated intravenously instead.

In most cases, amoxicillin is considered a reliable treatment for a simple urinary tract infection. When a person has a simple infection, this usually means he or she is otherwise healthy and the UTI is not causing severe symptoms or affecting other parts of the body. For example, a mild-to-moderate urinary tract infection may be treated with amoxicillin while an infection that has led to kidney problems may require another type of treatment.

Amoxicillin is an highly effective antibiotic commonly used in treating urinary tract infections.
Amoxicillin is an highly effective antibiotic commonly used in treating urinary tract infections.

To ensure the effectiveness of amoxicillin for a urinary tract infection, it is usually important to take this antibiotic exactly as the healthcare professional has prescribed. This means taking it on schedule and finishing the entire course of medication. Often, people think it is acceptable to stop taking medication once their symptoms have subsided. This is a bad idea, however, as doing so allows the bacteria to grow again and may lead to a worse infection and a bacterial resistance to the antibiotic.

An UTI is caused by bacteria entering into the urinary tract.
An UTI is caused by bacteria entering into the urinary tract.

When prescribing amoxicillin for a UTI, medical professionals usually prescribe it in the form of a pill or capsule. A patient can typically take the medication with or without food, as food will not hinder its effectiveness. Many people, however, prefer to take it with food to avoid the upset stomach some notice when they take amoxicillin on an empty stomach.

Intravenous antibiotics may be prescribed for a severe urinary tract infection.
Intravenous antibiotics may be prescribed for a severe urinary tract infection.

Though amoxicillin is known to be effective for the treatment of a urinary tract infection, there may be cases in which it fails to work as expected. This may occur when an infection has gone untreated for a significant period of time and progresses to affect the patient’s kidneys. In such a case, the patient may require a stronger antibiotic. If the infection is severe enough, his or her healthcare provider may even recommend hospitalization and powerful antibiotic treatment through an intravenous (IV) line.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a TheHealthBoard writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a TheHealthBoard writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon284075

How many does one take and for how long?

honeybees

I know many people use amoxicillin for urinary tract infections with good results, but I always ask my doctor to prescribe something else for me.

My grandpa died from complications related to a severe reaction to amoxicillin. My dad has also had a strange reaction from it, so I am scared to take it for anything.

The best urinary tract infection medicine that works for me is Bactrim. I take two of these for 7 days and have never had any problems.

The symptoms of a urinary tract infection are always the same for me. I have a slight fever, a backache and a burning sensation that won't go away.

Every time I have this checked out, it is a urinary tract infection and I take antibiotics to clear it up.

myharley

Unfortunately I have had more than my share of urinary tract infections. I know all too well what urinary tract infection symptoms are, and go to the doctor as soon as I feel one coming on.

There have been so many times I wish I could just call up and ask for a prescription of amoxicillin for it, but they always have to do a urinalysis to be sure.

So far the amoxicillin has always worked for me. I am always amazed at how quickly I start to feel better. I learned the hard way that you really do need to finish up the whole prescription.

Once after I felt so much better, I quit taking it after a few days, only to have it return with the symptoms even being worse than before.

My doctor is concerned that he may need to try something different if I continue to have recurrent urinary tract infections. My body might build up a resistance to it, and then it wouldn't be as effective.

Amoxicillin is the only antibiotic I have used, but am sure that others would also work just as well for a simple infection.

Perdido

There is no doubt in my mind that amoxicillin does its job of treating urinary tract infections. It has always worked for me, but since I hate going to the doctor and I fear that my body could lose its power to fight infection on its own if antibiotics keep helping it out, I decided to try a natural cure for my urinary tract infection.

I already knew that cranberry juice was great for preventing infections, but I wasn't sure if it could treat an infection that was already present. I knew that I had an infection, because I had to pee every few minutes and I felt really sick. I decided to start drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day and taking cranberry extract supplements.

Within a couple of days, I felt better. I continued the cranberry treatment, and I improved steadily. Now, I drink a glass each day to prevent this from happening again.

cloudel

@lighth0se33 – I lost my appetite because of amoxicillin, but it wasn't because I felt like vomiting. I had a different side effect that is common with that antibiotic.

It made everything I ate taste weird. When I put that first pill on my tongue and swallowed it, I began to notice a bitter taste.

It made everything from pineapple to hamburgers taste awful. I could not even drink a glass of water without tasting that bitterness.

Amoxicillin was very good at getting rid of the infection, but I was miserable the whole week I had to take it. It took the fun out of eating, which is one of my favorite activities. On the bright side, I did lose a couple of pounds!

lighth0se33

My mother took amoxicillin for a urinary tract infection once, and it made her so sick that she had to stop taking it. She immediately called her doctor and asked him to prescribe her some other type of antibiotic.

Even though she took the pill with food, she became sick at her stomach. When this happens for most people, it goes away in an hour or so. She felt ill for the rest of the day.

I think that for whatever reason, her body was just super sensitive to the medication. The new antibiotic she received got rid of the infection, and she will remind her doctor that she cannot take amoxicillin if she gets an infection in the future.

kylee07drg

I have taken amoxicillin many times for urinary tract infections. I always go to the doctor once I notice the symptoms, because I know that things can get a lot worse without treatment.

When my bladder has been cramping for a couple of days and I have started urinating more than once an hour, I know I have an infection. When I urinate, it feels warmer than usual, and that is a bad sign.

My doctor usually gives me seven days worth of amoxicillin. I always take it with food, because I tried it on an empty stomach once, and I became extremely nauseated.

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    • Amoxicillin is an highly effective antibiotic commonly used in treating urinary tract infections.
      By: Andrew S.
      Amoxicillin is an highly effective antibiotic commonly used in treating urinary tract infections.
    • An UTI is caused by bacteria entering into the urinary tract.
      By: 3drenderings
      An UTI is caused by bacteria entering into the urinary tract.
    • Intravenous antibiotics may be prescribed for a severe urinary tract infection.
      By: Africa Studio
      Intravenous antibiotics may be prescribed for a severe urinary tract infection.
    • It is important to take amoxicillin exactly as prescribed.
      By: Syda Productions
      It is important to take amoxicillin exactly as prescribed.
    • Patients recovering from a urinary tract infection should drink plenty of water.
      By: koszivu
      Patients recovering from a urinary tract infection should drink plenty of water.