I Am 5Weeks Along and Just Got a Horrible UTI -Is It Ok to Take the Antibiotics

Hi L.,
When I was about 5-6 weeks pregnant with my second child I had a bad UTI and was given antibotics. I too was concerned so I talked to a few doctors in the office and my pharmist and was told that it was ok and actually better in the long run before it could get worse. They also told me to drink LOTS of water.
Good Luck
-A.

Hi L.,

If you haven't already, try drinking loads of water and cranberry juice before resorting to antibiotics. As for acidophilus, I think that's more appropriate for yeast infections and intestinal problems?

S.

Hey there-
That must be awful- sorry you have to experience that! ALl I can do is share that I had to take antibiotics and prednisone (yucky steroid) because I got a lung infection from going off my asthma medicine to try and get pregnant...my little one came out perfect. We have to pee and breathe so sometimes taking some meds is the option. I know they have had to treat lots of pregnant women over the yrs so I think they have certain meds with ratings on danger and many antiobiotics are pretty low risk of side effects.
Good luck- hope that eases you mind- I know I was worried too!!

L. - again I'm putting in my 2 cents because I'm a doc. As long as whoever evaluated you for the UTI knew you were pregnant (so that they would have chosen an antibiotic that is safe in pregnancy), you can and should take the antibiotic. Urinary infections are associated with a higher risk of preterm labor, plus if you let it go it could progress to a kidney or blood infection which would be really dangerous to the baby.
Acidophilus can be helpful for vaginal yeast infections, but will not cure a UTI.
L. G.

Yes, take Acidophilus culture, but take it two hours after you've taken your antibiotic and for the next few hours until it's time to take the next one. Continue this throughout the course of antibiotics and then continue taking some for a few more days. It's bacterial replacement therapy and it does the job!

Sorry you had to suffer such pain, UTIs are excruciatingly painful!

Best wishes,

M. Milos, RN

Hi L.,

Pure 100% cranberry juice...you can mix with apple to sweeten and then go to a natural foods store and find a cranberry concentrate...my daughter ended up needing to be on that her whole pregnancy...always had a low lying infection...finally did antibiotics at one point...I guess it was the way the baby was sitting...she was probably not able to empty her bladder fully...

I am glad that you don't have an infection and am sorry you got burised. I don't if well cause you problems or not but i well pray that everything is ok.
A.

There are antibiotics that are safe for use while pregnant. I've had to take some each time I've been pregnant and evertything was fine. Be sure to remind the doctor that you are pregnant. Even ask the pharmasist when you pick them up.

You really want to talk to your OB/GYN about this. I had a UTI when pregnant, and took antibiotics with no side or adverse effects, however, this was under constant supervision of my doctor, and the script came from him. Don't wait for advice from us mama's, your doc's your best bet!

A little about me:

I am happily married to my best friend, and am a STAHM to 4 beautiful little boys ages 9,6, and twins that are 4! I love to sing, hike, cook, camp, and spend time with friends and family.

One thing I've learned is that taking Alka-Seltzer at the first sign of an UTI helps. I think it is the combination of Vitamin C (cranberry juice helps too) and aspirin that helps you get over it. Well, maybe the aspirin isn't good for pregnancy.... But definitely drink lots and cranberry juice is good. I've learned to LOVE it. :-)

UTI's can be dangerous and get into your bloodstream which would take Very strong antibiotics to cure. I have heard that sulfa drugs like Bactrim which are usually used to treat UTIs are not safe for pregnancy but the doctor or the pharmacist would have caught that.

That said--Can you stay on the AVO and cranberry juice and try to drink as much water as possible and see how it goes for awhile? You said you were feeling better. It might be worth a try.

I have a UTI right now and did two rounds of Antibiotics... it didn't help! I am now taking Nature's Plus Cranberry tablets and d-mannose (a simple sugar) and I'm FINALLY seeing results. Neither of those will hurt your baby.. they are both food products. Go with those instead. And, yes, by all means add in acidophilus. Taking acidophilus while on antibiotics is like putting your money in the toilet and flushing. It kills off ALL bacteria... even the good, which is why some people get stomach infections after having taken antibiotics.

Question the Dr you saw, first increase your fluids with clear liquids (any you can see thru) water and cranberry juice the best, stay away from aspirin, Raspberry, willow bark as they cause bleeding and spontanious Abortion. before taking any herbs or over the counter herbs/vitamins meds consult the pharmacist and or dr. use Tylenol if you have a fever, sulfa antibiotics are not catagorized as a danger to the baby. your ob is who you should see for this if poss , since your high risk
good luck , I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

Yes, acidopholis will help! Also, NON-sweentened cranberry juice will be very helpful and safe. Also, avoiding all sugar in your diet and eat healthy. And even if you don't want too, drinking lots of water is important. This is how I always treat UTI's instead of antibiotics and it always worked for me!

Hi L.,
Did you pee in a cup and get this diagnosis? If not, please see a doc asap, even if you have to go to the hospital. I hate to say this, but are you sure you don't have an ectopic pregnancy? They would need to do an ultrasound to know, I think. Also, I had a cyst erupt when I was preggers. This happens in about 10% of pregnancies. I was diagnosed with an ultrasound. It wasn't dangerous, just painful. Finally, UTIs can cause contractions, which is the last thing you want. I had a UTI when I was pregnant, which put me into pre-term labor and the doc put me on an antibiotic that's approved for pregnant women and works on UTIs. It was called Macrobid, or something like that. I completely understand that you do not want to take antibiotics, but the contractions a UTI can cause are a far bigger concern. If the doc tested for a UTI and you have one, please call the doc asap and let her/him know that it isn't any better and needs immediate treatment. If you did not pee in a cup and get diagnosed that way, even if your doc said it was a UTI (they are wrong more than we like to think), please go immediately to the emergency room to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Wishing you the best.
K.

Hi L., Congratulations on the pregnancy! I know how you feel about being scared after trying so long. It took me 11 months to get pregnant with my second baby and after 3 misses I was scared of EVERYTHING... I would trust your OBGYN though, they wouldn't give you anything that would hurt the baby. With my first child I only had 1 or 2 UTI's and with my 2nd child I had about one a month!!! GRRRR... I was given Macrobid each time and it worked great although most the time the antibiotic caused a yeast infecton and then I was on Monistat 7 day which is over the counter. Make sure that you treat your UTI because untreated it can turn into a kidney infection (I had one) and they are TERRIABLE!! I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days and in intensive care for 2 days after I got fluid in my lungs. They had to watch the baby closley as I had a high fever and his heartbeat would slow. They thought about delivering me early but luckly my body responded to the IV's and Antibiotics and I didn't have to have my baby early. I don't mean to scare you, but a UTI can get extreamly bad if it spreads to your kidneys! Treat it with what your doctor gave you and drink lots of water.
Good Luck, I'm sure it will be fine.

L.,

I understand your fears, but you really need to take care of yourself properly. The antibiotics will not harm your baby. The doctor would not prescribe them or would caution you if there was any chance it could harm your baby. You are safer taking the antibiotics and an OTC remedy or even herbal supplements unless the doctor suggests them. Your stress is more harmful right now. Please take your prescription so you can feel better, relax and enjoy your pregnancy. :D

--C.

I think it depends on the antibiotic. I would consult my OB/GYN before taking anything that a regular doctor would prescribe or suggest. The OB would know better what medications are okay to take and what isn't. I broke my foot while pregnant with my middle son and had to take pain killers. I broke my foot on a Saturday and refused to take anything until Monday when I went in to my OB and asked if it was okay to take something besides tylenol. I had my OB write me a prescription for something approved by her.

Antibiotics are fine as long as you take the right one. I would speak with your doctor, but avoid anything in the fluoroquinolone family (cipro, etc). Acidophilis will not help a UTI. In addition, I would hesitate to not treat your infection as UTIs alone are linked in studies with miscarriage and pre-term labor. Hope that helps!

Greetings,

A couple of natural things you can do (and continue to do to reduce the chances of re-occurrence) is to take a broad-range pro-biotic (in other words, more than just acidophilus). Also, a well-known juice is cranberry juice (with not added sugars or 'flavors' - just read the label). Neither of these will hurt you or your baby, will help prevent more infections. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me personally (I have an ad on MamaSource).

Be sure you're drinking plenty of water as this sometimes is a cause of UTI's.

As far as the antiobiotics, if you take them, be SURE to take the pro-biotics after to replenish the 'friendly flora' in your intestinal tract.

Blessings,

B. C., CR, CCI, BCRS, CNHC
Certified Reflexologist
Certified Natural Health Consultant
Certified Newborn Massage Instructor
Certified CARE Instructor

Dear L.,
Sorry to hear about your troubles, but congrats on your pregnancy!
Definitely take your antibiotics without worry. The antibiotics will cause far less harm to the baby than a raging infection in your system. Your body and system needs to be healthy and strong enough to carry this baby, so don't mess around with it. You can drink cranberry juice in conjunction with the antibiotics, and if you are prone to UTI's, it won't hurt for you to do that throughout your pregnancy. I know of very few women that haven't had to take some type of antibiotic during their pregnancy, either for a UTI, or bronchitis or sinus infection. Doctors know which ones are safe and you should take them as directed and not worry. You have to be healthy to grow a healthy baby.

Best of luck and try not to worry.
Blessings!

Drink plenty fluids and cranberry juice. I like to mix the cranberry juice with ginger ale or seven-up. Try it. If the doctor told you to tke the antibiotics to so, and tke them until you have completed the course. I will pray for a safe and healthy baby.

Yes, it is safe to take antibiotics, I had alot of my dental work done while I was pregnant with my first and I was very paranoid but I called the nurse that worked directly with my doctor and asked about specific antibiotic they proscribe just for pregnant women. Ampicillin was proscribed to me it also helped with a bladder infection that I didn't know I had at the time.
Hope this helps,
H. - mother of 1

I've had spotting that meant miscarriage - but it quickly escalated to heavy period-like flow. I also spotted at the 8 week mark for about 2 weeks with my son. If the amount and color stay the same I'd really try to keep calm and wait it out. If the Dr. knew you were pregnanat when he prescribed the antibiotics he would have chosen a type that is safe for pregnancy. I'd ask about the acidophilis before you take it - maybe just eat organic yogurt.
I THOUGHT I had a UTI recently - went in & pee'd in a cup & the results came back negative - I was in a ton of pain - never did figure out from exactly what - but I suspect it was from drinking Mona Vie - I think I was allergic. ANyway - ask for a urine test if you haven't had one yet before you start the meds.
I've miscarried 2X in the last 6 months - so I know how scared you are. Try not to worry until there is something to worry about. If you really do have a UTI treat it because it can got to your kidneys and then you will lose the baby for sure and risk your own life as well.

My initial thought is that Kaiser would not give you something if they thought it could hurt the baby. That would be putting them at great risk. With that being said, I think you need to have peace of mind about it too. Make sure that the antibiotic is a class B or class A drug, meaning it won't cause harm to the baby. I think if your UTI gets any worse you could end up needing to be in the hospital and requiring more aggressive care than just the antibiotics. I would trust your doctor...

I got a horrible sinus infection when I was about six weeks along with my second son. Go ahead and take the antibiotics (the doctor did know you were pregnant when they were prescribed, right?) Definitely take the acidophilis with them, or eat lots of yogurt. It will help keep the good bacterium in control in your gut, and help you get better faster.

I got a UTI and went on Cipro before I realized I was pregnant - everything was fine.

You need to go to the doc. ASAP. If UTI's go untreated, they lead to serious problems. Your doc will come up w/a drug that is safe to take while pregnant. I had a horrilbe UTI a few months ago & took the OTC drug you're taking but still needed the prescribed meds to ensure it went away as the OTC only helpde w/the discomfort. I read an article recently that said cranberry juice is not considered to be that helpful w/UTI's anymore....can't remember the specifics. Drink lotsa water & get to your doctor. Make sure to get all the info possible on the drug prescribed plus google it yourself to be sure. Hope you feel better soon!

I would consult with your pediatrician, ob, and general dr. to find out if they all think it is safe. My daughter is deaf and we think it was due to the antibiotics given to me when I contracted menigitis while pregnant. They quickly dismiss any chances that it will affect your fetus but there is always the chance. Goodluck at finding a safe antibiotic.

T. C