How to relieve UTI pain fast

UTIs can be uncomfortable and bothersome. Here’s how to get instant UTI relief.

By Stephanie Melby, Pharm.D. | Jan. 23, 2024

Commonly referred to as a UTI, urinary tract infections occur when part of the urinary system is infected with bacteria. While the infection can affect any part of the urinary system, most infections involve the lower urinary tract, including the bladder (cystitis) and the urethra. Often, the bacteria comes from the skin or rectum, enters the urethra, and infects the urinary tract. UTIs are more common in women than men. If the infection travels up to the kidneys (pyelonephritis), the infection becomes more serious and could lead to serious health problems.

UTIs can be painful and bothersome. The fastest way to start relieving UTI pain is to start antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics can begin to relieve symptoms as early as within a few hours and should improve symptoms by 24 to 48 hours. A urinary pain reliever such as phenazopyridine (Pyridium or AZO Urinary Pain Relief) can help relieve painful UTI symptoms quickly.

The symptoms of a lower urinary tract infection (such as a bladder infection) are different from an upper urinary tract infection (such as a kidney infection). Lower urinary tract infection symptoms may include pain or a burning sensation while urinating, bloody urine, frequent urination, feeling the need to urinate despite having an empty bladder, and pressure in the groin or lower abdomen. Upper urinary tract infection symptoms may include lower back pain or pain in the side of the back, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. There are risk factors that increase the chance of developing a UTI, including using diaphragms or spermicidal agents for birth control, menopause, blockages in the urinary tract such as kidney stones, sexual activity, recent catheter use, and a suppressed immune system.

How to relieve UTI pain fast

1. Start antibiotic treatment

Antibiotic medicine is the fastest way to help relieve UTI pain. Symptoms like painful urination can improve within hours of starting an antibiotic. Other general symptoms usually improve within 48 hours. Antibiotics are the best way to relieve pain fast because they are the only way to cure the infection. Once the antibiotic starts working, the infection begins to go away, and painful symptoms become less noticeable. It is important to continue taking the antibiotic for the full course of treatment determined by the prescriber, even if symptoms have improved.

A healthcare provider must prescribe antibiotic treatment. If there are symptoms of a UTI, it’s important to reach out to a healthcare provider to start treatment quickly. Antibiotic treatment can usually be done at home. However, some severe cases may require treatment in a hospital. The type of antibiotic chosen is personalized and may depend on the type of urinary tract infection, drug allergies, history of antibiotic use, local community antibiotic resistance data, drug availability, or cost.

2. Use a urinary pain reliever

Urinary pain relievers can help lessen pain, burning, urgency, frequency, and other urinary tract discomforts. Phenazopyridine hydrochloride is a widely used urinary pain reliever. It is available over-the-counter (OTC) in products like AZO Urinary Pain Relief and with a prescription as generic or brand name Pyridium. This pain reliever can be used with antibiotic medication or while waiting for the antibiotic from the doctor or pharmacy. Phenazopyridine is believed to work directly on the urinary tract lining to stop pain signals. This drug is generally well-tolerated, and some common side effects include headache, itchy skin, and skin rash.

3. Drink plenty of water

It’s important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated when treating a UTI. Drinking water helps dilute the urine. This process causes more frequent urination, which allows bacteria to be flushed from the urinary tract, which can help even before an infection begins. In fact, dehydration is one of the risk factors for developing a UTI. However, people with certain medical conditions like kidney damage or problems, heart disease, or liver impairment may have to limit their fluid intake. People with limitations in fluid intake should talk with a doctor before making these changes.

4. Use a heating pad for back or abdomen pain

A heating pad can help relieve pain from a UTI that causes back or abdomen pain. If a heating pad isn’t on hand, a bottle of hot water or a warm washcloth can be used instead. It’s important to avoid any skin damage or skin burns, so do not apply any heat directly to the skin.

Which antibiotics get rid of a UTI fastest?

There are a variety of antibiotics that can be used to help treat a UTI caused by bacteria. Certain factors will help decide the best antibiotic choice for each person treating a UTI. Some factors include history of drug allergies, the type of bacteria, history of antibiotic use, local community antibiotic resistance data, and severity of the bacterial infection. The most commonly used antibiotics are those with a favorable balance between effective treatment and adverse effects. Typically, UTIs are caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli); however, other UTI-causing bacteria can be the cause. E. coli is commonly found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

The preferred antibiotics for treating uncomplicated UTIs are nitrofurantoin (Macrobid), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim), fosfomycin, and first-generation cephalosporins (such as cephalexin or cefadroxil). Depending on the antibiotic used, UTI treatment may be as short as three days or up to seven days. For example, Macrobid is usually prescribed for five to seven days, while Bactrim is prescribed for three days. Regarding other antibiotics used for treating UTIs, those may be more suitable for some people, depending on if they are at higher risk.

For complicated UTIs, treatment is more involved as these infections can be severe and cause life-threatening sepsis (the body’s response to infection leading to injury of tissues and organs). Depending on what makes the UTI complicated, treatment may require intravenous (IV) antibiotics or oral antibiotics for a longer course of treatment (such as 10 to 14 days).

When picking up prescription medications, pharmacists are great resources and can provide professional medical advice and additional drug information. Along with understanding the instructions for the antibiotic medication, pharmacists can review the common side effects, including rash, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, and yeast infections. Additionally, it’s important to know the signs of an allergic reaction to the antibiotic treatment that would require immediate medical care, including hives, swelling, or difficulty breathing.

Can home remedies treat a UTI fast?

While home remedies won’t treat a UTI, they can be helpful for relieving UTI symptoms and even preventing UTIs. As discussed above, drinking plenty of water and using a heating pad can help relieve symptoms fast. Staying hydrated can also help prevent recurrent UTIs. Typically, most people should drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of liquid a day.

For people who have recurrent infections, some UTI home remedies could help prevent future infections. Changing a few daily habits and lifestyle choices could prevent repeated bladder infections. Home remedies include:

Making personal hygiene changes.
Using vitamin C as a urinary acidifier.
Taking extra precautions after sexual contact.
Wearing loose-fit clothing.
Taking cranberry products or cranberry supplements.
Using probiotic supplements.
Taking d-mannose supplements.

Good hygiene changes include taking showers instead of baths, minimizing douching, sprays, or powders in the genital area, and ensuring proper wiping from front to back. The dietary supplement vitamin C is often used to help acidify the urine to achieve an unfavorable pH (a measure of the acidity or basicity of solutions) for bacterial growth. Extra precautions after sexual contact can help prevent the spread of bacteria. The precautions include urinating after sexual intercourse to flush bacteria out that may have entered the urethra and cleaning the genital area before and after sex.

Wearing loose-fit clothing and cotton underwear allows airflow that can keep the area around the urethra dry. Cranberry juice and cranberry extract in pill form have some evidence of efficacy for preventing UTIs, although some of the data is contradictory. A few studies have shown a 30% to 40% reduction in UTIs, which is less effective than low-dose antibiotic therapy. Probiotics are supplements made of live bacteria and yeasts that have beneficial effects on the body. Probiotics are available in a variety of forms, including capsules, tablets, powders, gummies, and liquids. These supplements are believed to reduce the risk of UTIs in a few ways, including blocking the attachment of bacteria to the epithelial lining and producing hydrogen peroxide that can destroy bacteria. Lastly, d-mannose (a type of natural sugar) is a supplement that can be used to prevent UTIs, as there is evidence that it may provide some benefit. However, the available data needs to be improved. It’s important to make a preventive UTI plan with a primary care provider if recurrent UTIs are of concern.