To ease the discomfort, burning, and urgency of a urinary tract infection (UTI), try drinking water, using heat therapy, taking an over-the-counter (OTC) medication like the urinary analgesic phenazopyridine, and avoiding things that irritate the bladder.
You’ll feel better, but those techniques are not a cure, so you’ll still want to contact your clinician. To clear the infection, you’ll need a prescription antibiotic.
You may be able to reduce the risk of a future UTI with cranberry supplements, D-mannose, and probiotics, but they’re not effective for symptoms or treatment. Low-dose vaginal estrogen is a proven help for recurrent UTIs. Keep reading for everything you need to know.
What Helps With a UTI Right Now? At-Home UTI Pain Relief
UTI pain relief at home means drinking plenty of water, reducing bladder pain, and easing pelvic pressure until you can get treatment. Strategies to try include:
- Drink at least 1.5 liters of water each day to help flush bacteria from the urinary tract and dilute your urine.
- Pee often—don’t hold it in.
- Avoid harsh soaps, scented bath products, and feminine hygiene sprays or douches (those last two are never a good idea, UTI or not).
- Use a heating pad to ease lower-belly discomfort.
- Ask your clinician whether an OTC urinary pain reliever called Azo (brand name) or phenazopyridine (generic) is right for you. Phenazopyridine numbs the lining of the bladder and urethra, which eases burning and pain, and you may pee less often.
Keep in mind that you’ll still need clinician-guided treatment. The above treatments may soothe symptoms, but they will not treat the infection. UTIs usually do not go away on their own.
Over-the-Counter UTI Medication: What It Can and Can't Do
OTC medication for UTIs will reduce your symptoms, but it’s not an effective UTI treatment because it can’t kill the bacteria causing the infection. Using OTC remedies will typically make you feel better, but they’re not a long-term strategy. You’ll need prescription antibiotics; otherwise, the infection will get worse and can move into your kidneys.
Does Cranberry Juice Help With UTI Symptoms? Cranberry, D-Mannose, and Probiotics
Midi clinicians don’t recommend drinking cranberry juice to treat or prevent a UTI or reduce symptoms. There’s some evidence that cranberry products may help reduce UTIs in women with frequent UTIs. But cranberry supplements are recommended instead of juice, since juice typically packs a lot of sugar.
Cranberry supplements have proanthocyanidins (PACs), which are compounds that prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall. A meta-analysis found that taking a supplement with at least 36 milligrams of PACs daily reduces the risk of UTI by 18%.
D-mannose is a simple sugar that’s thought to keep bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract. That said, there’s only mixed evidence that it helps prevent infections. For instance, one trial found that D-mannose wasn’t any better than a placebo in preventing future UTIs. It’s also not a tool for treating an active UTI, and shouldn’t be used during pregnancy (or by the elderly).
Finally, though probiotics can’t treat an active infection and may not prevent recurrent UTIs, Lactobacillus may support a healthy vaginal microbiome.
What Helps With a UTI: Symptom Relief vs. Prevention at a Glance
How to Get Rid of a UTI Fast: How Soon Does Relief Come?
The first-line treatment for a UTI is a prescription antibiotic. You’ll feel symptoms start to ease in 1 or 2 days. Within 2 to 3 days, peeing won’t be painful and as frequent, and you won’t feel that constant urge to go. If symptoms don’t start to improve within 24-48 hours, check in with your clinician—you may need a different antibiotic.
Take the entire course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better before they’re done. (If you don’t, it ups the chance of antibiotic resistance.)
How to Prevent UTI Recurrence in Perimenopause and Menopause
UTIs can become more common in perimenopause and menopause. As estrogen levels fall, the vagina becomes less acidic. That makes it easier for infection-causing bacteria to take hold.
If you’re having recurrent UTIs (two UTIs in 6 months or three in 12 months) and you’re in your menopausal years, local vaginal estrogen or vaginal DHEA may be a preventive treatment option for you. Research has found that vaginal estrogen may reduce infection rates by 50% to 75%.
When Home Care Isn’t Enough: Red Flags and Working With a Midi Clinician
If you think you have a UTI, contact your clinician. In the meantime, you can try to reduce symptoms by drinking fluids and using heating pads and OTC medications as needed. If your symptoms don’t improve or worsen after 48 to 72 hours on antibiotics, get back in touch with your clinician for next steps. Anyone who is pregnant should see their OB-GYN in-person.
If you experience any of the red flags below, go to urgent care or the ER:
- fever, shaking chills, flank or lower back pain, nausea, severe vomiting, general weakness
- high fever or severe shivering, extreme shortness of breath, confusion/disorientation, pale/clammy skin, severe lightheadedness/dizziness
- visible blood or blood clots in your urine
A Midi clinician can evaluate your UTI symptoms and prescribe antibiotics, as well as order lab testing when needed. They can also explore the root cause of your symptoms, guide you on dealing with recurrent UTIs, and give you overall support for your sexual wellness in mid-life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What helps with a UTI the fastest?
Antibiotic treatment is the fastest way to treat a UTI and feel better. Symptoms should start to ease in 24 to 48 hours, and relief from painful urination, urgency, and frequency should come in 48 to 72 hours.
What is the best over-the-counter UTI medicine for pain?
OTC phenazopyridine or Azo are medications that reduce UTI symptoms like pain with urination, burning, and frequency.
Does AZO cure a UTI or only relieve the symptoms?
Azo does not cure or treat a UTI—it only relieves symptoms. A prescription antibiotic treatment is needed to clear the infection.
I feel a UTI coming on. Can I stop it?
You can try: Increase your water intake, aiming for 1.5 liters per day, to help flush out bacteria. If you do develop UTI symptoms like burning and urgency, contact your clinician for antibiotic treatment.
What should you not do when you have a UTI?
Don’t bother drinking cranberry juice. It doesn’t treat a UTI and contains lots of sugar. Also stay away from anything that irritates or disturbs the vaginal microflora, such as harsh soaps and scented bath products.
Why do I keep getting UTIs after menopause?
Hormonal changes leave you more prone to UTIs because of changes to your vaginal pH that let harmful bacteria take hold. Treatment with local vaginal estrogen may help reduce recurrent UTIs.
If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and want guidance from clinicians who specialize in women’s midlife health, book a virtual visit with Midi today.
Hormonal change is at the root of dozens of symptoms women experience in the years before and after their period stops.
Our trained menopause specialists can help you connect the dots to guide you towards safe, effective solutions.
Whether you need personalized guidance or a prescription routine to tackle symptoms—including brain fog, hot flashes, sleep trouble, mood swings, and weight gain—we’ve got you covered. Learn more here.
Midi’s mission is to revolutionize healthcare for women at midlife, wherever they live and whatever their health story. We believe that starts with education, to help all of us understand our always-changing bodies and health needs. Our core values guide everything we do, including standards that ensure the quality and trustworthiness of our content and editorial processes. We’re committed to providing information that is up-to-date, accurate, and relies on evidence-based research and peer-reviewed journals. For more details on our editorial process, see here.
