uti treatment
UTI treatment: what actually works, and how to get a 1-Hour Prescription™ today
By David Sanders, MD3 min read
A UTI is a bacterial infection, so it needs an antibiotic; cranberry, water and waiting won't cure it. The usual first choices are Macrobid for 5 days or Bactrim for 3, and most people feel better within a day or two. Tell me your symptoms, my doctor colleague hops on in the same chat, and your 1-Hour Prescription is at the pharmacy within the hour. $49.
Hi. I'm Cody. Let me save you the twenty tabs.
If you're reading this with that specific, unmistakable burning, you don't need a lecture about anatomy. You need to know three things: is it a UTI, what fixes it, and how fast can you get it. I'll take them in that order, and I'll tell you when something is a see-a-doctor-today situation rather than a get-a-prescription-tonight one.
Is it a UTI?
Probably, if you have two or more of these: burning when you pee, needing to go constantly but producing very little, pressure low in your belly, cloudy or strong-smelling urine, a little blood. Symptoms usually come on over a day or so.
Two look-alikes worth ruling out. A yeast infection itches more than it burns and comes with thick white discharge. BV has thin grey discharge and a fishy odor, and it doesn't make you need to pee. If you're not sure, I'll ask you about it in the chat and we'll sort it out.
What treats a UTI
| Antibiotic | Brand | Typical course | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrofurantoin | Macrobid | 100 mg twice daily, 5 days | First choice for most simple bladder infections; take with food |
| Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole | Bactrim DS | 1 tablet twice daily, 3 days | Fast and cheap; not if you're allergic to sulfa drugs, or if it has stopped working well where you live |
| Fosfomycin | Monurol | 3 g once | One dose, done; slightly less effective than the others |
| Cephalexin | Keflex | 500 mg twice daily, 5–7 days | Common fallback, and safe in pregnancy |
You'll usually feel noticeably better within a day. Finish the whole course anyway; stopping early is how a bladder infection becomes a kidney infection. For the burning in the meantime, phenazopyridine (Azo) turns your pee orange and buys you comfort, but it treats nothing.
When this is not a tonight problem
Go to urgent care or the ER today, not online, if you have a fever over 101°F, shaking chills, pain in your back or side under the ribs, or you're vomiting and can't keep fluids down. Those point to a kidney infection, and that needs an exam. Same if you're pregnant, male, have a catheter, or have had three or more UTIs this year. I'll still talk to you, but I'll tell you to go.
How to get treated online
Tell me your symptoms. I'll ask the questions a doctor would ask. Then my doctor teammate hops on in the same chat, and if it's a straightforward UTI, your prescription goes to the pharmacy you choose within the hour. $49, held on your card and charged when your prescription is sent. No prescription, no charge.
Keeping it from coming back
Pee after sex, drink enough that you go every few hours, wipe front to back, skip the douches and scented products. If you get them anyway, that's not a hygiene failure; some people just do. There are good preventive options, including a low-dose antibiotic after sex or vaginal estrogen after menopause, and that's a conversation worth having.
FAQ
Can a UTI go away on its own? Mild ones occasionally do. Most don't, and waiting risks a kidney infection. Antibiotics are the treatment.
Can I get UTI antibiotics without going to the doctor? Yes. You tell me your symptoms, my doctor teammate hops on in the same chat and prescribes. That's what CodyMD does.
What's the best antibiotic for a UTI? For a simple bladder infection, nitrofurantoin or Bactrim. We pick based on your allergies, your history and what works in your area.
How long does a UTI last with antibiotics? Symptoms usually ease within 24–48 hours; the course is 3–5 days.
Is over-the-counter UTI medicine real? Azo relieves the burning. Nothing over the counter kills the bacteria.
Reviewed by David Sanders, MD. Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Sources: AUA/IDSA uncomplicated cystitis guidance; ACOG.