1. Community
  2. Genito-urinary/Kidney
  3. Urinary Tract Infection

What happens if you take uti medicine without having a uti?

Posted , 8 users are following.

brandi17
brandi17

What would happen if you take the antibiotics and didn't actually have a uti ? Would it be harmful ?

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • sam6990
    sam6990 brandi17

    Posted

    Hi Brandi,

    It's always best to only take medication when a uti has been confirmed, but if your GP suspects an infection, they are probably being cautious by giving you a short dose of antibiotics. After all if a uti is neglected, it can be mischievous and gets into your kidneys. So don't worry. 

    Best of luck. 

    Sam x

  • Pepasan
    Pepasan brandi17

    Posted

    I'm taking one a day Nitrofurantoin to prevent another attack. Both my GP and Urologist think this is a good idea for a period of 3 months. It worked a couple of years ago to stop relapses, I didn't get another uti for 18 months or so.

  • phoebewhite
    phoebewhite brandi17

    Posted

    GP's sometimes prescribe a prophylactic which is a small dose of antibiotics over a short time usually 6 months I think as a preventive measure, it is usually given if you are prone to recurrent UTI's.

  • TommyVillan
    TommyVillan brandi17

    Posted

    As long as the medicine is tolerable to you and you can put up with any side effects, then as you say this was probably prescribed by your Dr to prevent a further UTI.

    However if you experience a side effect that you find intolerable then tell your GP straight away and they may consider stopping your medication or switching you onto a different one smile

  • Takingtime
    Takingtime brandi17

    Posted

    Hi Brandi,  So if I can offer any word of advice about antibiotics is to not take them unless there is a confirmed infection.  I was once put on on an antibiotic for the fact that the doctor was guessing I had an infection and I turned out having c-difficile.  I never did have an infection....so I think the antibiotics were trying to attack some bacteria that wasn't there so attacked my bowels.  That was the worst thing ever!!!!  To get a confirned diagnosis they do a urinalysis, and then they send the culture away...which takes 24-48 hours.  If you had a high fever, flank pain, then I could see them giving you something while you wait.  However the culture is what gives them the idea of what antibiotic you should be on as some antibiotics don't work for certain infections.   I used to think antibiotics were no big deal, but I have seen the severe side effects of taking them when not needing too....not to mention your body can become resistant to them so when you do have a bad infection some day they might not work.  So I would say.....be very careful.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.