Can I Use Amoxicillin for UTI?
Treating a urinary tract infection (UTI) such as cystitis and urethritis revolves around the role of antibiotics such as amoxicillin.
While doctors may prescribe a range of antibiotics for UTI, but the use of amoxicillin for UTI treatments remains to be popular.
Medical researchers, however, are demoting the use of this prescribed antibiotic. The effectiveness of amoxicillin for UTI in adults has been compromised by its long list of side effects and cost-intensive production.
If your UTI pain has become unbearable, prompting you to desperately find a quick-fix, using amoxicillin can be a viable option in front of you. But, be more informed if you are wondering – can I use amoxicillin to treat UTI?
Can Amoxicillin (500mg) Treat UTI?
Clinical trials successfully prove the effectiveness of amoxicillin for UTI treatments. This effectiveness depends upon the recommended amount of amoxicillin for UTI dosage, which is 500mg.
With respect to all the antibiotics for UTI treatments, a 500mg tablet of amoxicillin can cure the pain of these infections.
Over the recent past, a standard treatment for UTIs involved a 10-day course of amoxicillin. In many cases, the antibiotic was ineffective against infections caused by E. coli bacteria.
Today, new and improved Amoxil drugs – developed on a combination of amoxicillin-clavulanate – can combat even the most drug-resistant UTIs occurring in subjects.
Common Side Effects of Amoxicillin
As an antibiotic agent, amoxicillin is widely used to develop a penicillin-type drug called Amoxil.
Combined with clavulanic acid, amoxicillin is more effective in treating infections caused by bacteria.
However, the use of amoxicillin for UTI treatment comes with hidden costs. Some of the key side effects of using amoxicillin to treat UTI include:
- Vomiting and stomach pain
- Recurrent diarrhea
- Skin rash
- Headaches
- Swelling of the tongue
- Itching near the anus and urinary organs
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Nausea
When large amounts of amoxicillin are present in the body, you can suffer from seizures and severe rashes.
A condition called colitis – which is caused by an overgrowth of spore-forming, gram-positive bacteria called Clostridium spp – is also a common side effect of using amoxicillin for UTI in adults.
Other side effects include jaundice, hives, and intestinal cramps. The severity of these aftershocks depends on the condition of UTI and the antibiotic power of Amoxil tablets and capsules.
Alternatives to Amoxicillin? 4 Home Remedies for Treating UTI
After knowing the side effects of using amoxicillin, you may opt for another method to treat UTI. Natural methods or home remedies for treating UTI can serve as alternatives for using amoxicillin.
Simple things such as avoiding damp clothes, lowering the intake of caffeine and alcohol and drinking plenty of water can help you combat the UTI pain at home.
You can treat your UTI with home remedies that are simpler and cost nothing, compared to medical treatments, prescription drugs or surgical interventions.
Let’s take a look at four home remedies that can effectively treat UTI and serve as alternatives for amoxicillin.
1. Rehydrate Yourself with Green Tea
Reducing levels of body hydration can worsen the condition of UTIs. The body needs antioxidants when dehydration aggravates bladder inflammations caused by infections.
Green tea contains catechins such as EGCG; these antioxidants prevent cell damage and reduce bladder inflammations to a considerable extent.
Drink a couple of cups of green tea at regular intervals in a day. The body will replenish its levels of antioxidants, and your UTI pain will wither away within a couple of days.
This remedy can momentarily reduce bladder inflammation, which will return once you lower or halt your green tea intake. Sadly, the health benefits of green tea can only treat mild conditions of UTI.
Related Reading: 15 Surprising Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea before Bed
2. Regular Servings of Blueberry Juice and Pure Cranberry Juice
According to a medical review published by the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Canada, the role of cranberries in treating UTI has been widely investigated.
Medical researchers discovered the ability of a pure cranberry juice in inhibiting the growth of E. coli bacteria in the infected region.
To treat UTI with cranberries,
- Get yourself a bottle of pure cranberry juice or organic cranberry concentrate
- Take three servings of pure cranberry juice – each serving should not exceed 8 ounces
- Drink them daily at regular intervals
- Make sure that the drink doesn’t become a cocktail – this will help you avoid consuming sugar which is bad for treating UTI
Hippuric acid present in cranberries keeps the bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract.
When a pure cranberry juice is digested, it enters the urinary tract and restricts the E.coli bacteria from spreading across other regions of the bladder and kidneys.
If drinking pure cranberry juice is a problem for your appetite, try eating half a cup of dried cranberries every day.
If the bitter cranberry juice is intolerable for your taste buds, a drink of pure blueberry juice will also help you fight the UTI in a similar way.
Similar to the above method, drink three servings of 8-ounce blueberry juice or snack up half a cup of blueberries to increase the presence of antioxidants in the infected tract region.
You can also use blueberry juice to prevent recurrent UTIs.
3. Increase Your Intake of Horseradish and Garlic
Herbs such as garlic and horseradish are high on antiseptic properties.
Horseradish is known for being one of the best natural antibiotic, widely used in treating kidney stones, gallbladder disorders, intestinal worms (in children) and fluid retention.
Garlic exhibits antibiotic properties that can produce a diuretic effect, and this has become a popular method to treat UTI at home.
Increase your consumption of horseradish and garlic by eating more salads that contain these herbs in large amounts.
Besides salads,
- You can up the intake of horseradish by boosting its use in preparing roast beef sandwich and gefilte fish dishes.
- Try adding honey garlic to your roasted beef, pork chops, fried cabbage and chicken
- A drink of Bloody Mary contains horseradish in ample amounts and can be consumed more through its non-alcoholic variant, Virgin Mary.
These herbs – horseradish and garlic – can clear up the urinary tract from infections by fighting the bacterial growth. For faster results, you can eat raw garlic and horseradish till your UTI pain goes away.
4. Vitamin C Supplements
To target the bacteria that are spreading these infections, our urinary tract must maintain an acidic environment.
Bacterial growth in the presence of acids remains stunted. Vitamin C is observed as a rich source of nitric acid. Consuming vitamin C in excess will create a toxic environment for UTI bacteria to grow.
To rev up your vitamin C levels,
- Try taking 500mg to 2000mg of vitamin C every two hours in the day to treat UTI in a period of two days
- Try taking more vitamin C – three times a day – until you get satisfactory results
- You can also prevent UTIs from coming back by consuming at least 1000mg of vitamin C every day
If you are against health supplements that offer your vitamins in a caloric amount, go for a guava, a papaya, some kiwi or strawberries.
Adding more red peppers and green peppers to your foods can also boost your vitamin C levels.
These four homemade UTI remedies can help you prevent consuming amoxicillin to treat these infections.
You can weigh the side effects of antibiotics for UTI against the advantages of these home remedies, and the result will help you make a decision.
The Outlook on Amoxicillin 500mg for UTI
Most certainly, but you don’t want to develop any long-term side effects.
So, we recommend you to try out these home remedies before switching to the popular drug (Amoxil). And, if everything fails to treat your UTI, seek professional medical help promptly.
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Sources:
Ronald AR, Jagdis FA, Harding GKM, Hoban SA, Muir PL, Gurwith MJ. Amoxicillin Therapy of Acute Urinary Infections in Adults. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 1977;11(5):780-784., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC352074/
Amoxicillin Side Effects Center; https://www.rxlist.com/amoxicillin-side-effects-drug-center.htm
