What antibiotics are used to treat UTI?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on March 31, 2025.
The most common drugs used to treat an uncomplicated UTI include:
- trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others),
- nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid), and
- fosfomycin (Monurol).
A UTI (urinary tract infection) is usually caused by an infection in the bladder (cystitis), the kidneys (pyelonephritis), or the urethra (urethritis).
Although fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or levofloxacin (Levaquin) have been commonly used to treat UTIs in the past, recommendations now state this class should be reserved for more serious infections when possible.
Your doctor may choose among these different antibiotics, or others, based on your individual patient characteristics or local resistance patterns seen in your community.
Read next
What happens if antibiotics don’t work for UTI?
If an antibiotic does not treat a urinary tract infection (UTI), the bacteria may have developed antibiotic resistance and your infection may worsen. A UTI may start as a bladder infection (cystitis) and could worsen into a more serious kidney infection (pyelonephritis) or urosepsis (a serious infection throughout your body) that is a medical emergency. Contact your doctor.
Continue reading
How long does Cipro take to work?
Although ciprofloxacin starts working within hours of taking it, you may not notice an improvement in your symptoms for 2 to 3 days. For some infections, such as osteomyelitis (a bone infection), it may take up to a week before you show any improvement. Continue reading
Does Bactrim cause headaches?
Headache is a common side effect with Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim) and may occur in up to 10% of patients. Low blood sugar, low sodium blood levels and rarely, aseptic meningitis are other side effects of Bactrim that may lead to a headache. Continue reading
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Drug information
- Nitrofurantoin (1,885 reviews)
- Ciprofloxacin (937 reviews)
- Levofloxacin (744 reviews)
- Trimethoprim (196 reviews)
- Fosfomycin (79 reviews)
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