ZocdocAnswersHow long before the antibiotics I am taking clear up my UTI?


How long before the antibiotics I am taking clear up my UTI?

Given antibiotics for a UTI but the kidney pain is just terrible! I figure the pain will go away when the infection goes away but it has been three days and it is still there. How long do antibiotics take to clear up a UTI?


Sorry to hear that you are having such discomfort with your urinary infection. Generally speaking, antibiotics do work relatively quickly, and I would expect you to be feeling better by now (after three days of antibiotics) if things were getting better. For that reason, I think it is a good idea that you see your doctor for reevaluation of what is going on. If you cannot get in to see your primary care doctor right away, you could also go to an emergency room for more immediate evaluation. One reason for an antibiotic not to clear up the symptoms of a urine infection is that the bacteria causing the infection is resistant to the type of antibiotic you are taking. Hopefully by now the urine sample your doctor likely took when you were started on the antibiotic will have come back. You and your doctor can look at these results to make sure the antibiotic you are taking is the right one for the type of infection you have. Also, sometimes the infection moves up from the bladder towards the kidneys. This often requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics to get under control, especially if the oral antibiotics are not working. See your doctor right away!

