Cystitis treatment with Trimethoprim

• A painful, burning or stinging sensation while peeing
• Feeling an urgent need to urinate 
• Peeing more often
• Dark, cloudy or strong-smelling urine 
• Pain in the lower abdomen 
• Feeling unwell 

Cystitis can sometimes clear up on its own in mild cases, but generally you’ll need a course of antibiotics such as Trimethoprim. These are available on prescription from your GP or through an online consultation. Trimethoprim will usually start to have an effect after 2 days of taking it. 

Trimethoprim should be taken twice a day, usually for three days. The tablets should be swallowed whole with water and you can take them with or without food. It’s important to keep taking them for the entire course as prescribed otherwise the infection could come back. For pregnant women and men, the antibiotic treatment will last for 14 days. 

Trimethoprim can cause side effects, like all medicines. These include:

• Itching
• Mild rash
• Nausea
• Diarrhoea 
• Headaches 

Staying hydrated and taking the tablets with meals can help to reduce symptoms. 

Trimethoprim isn’t suitable for everyone and might have harmful effects for the following groups:

• Pregnant women
• Those with liver or kidney problems
• Anyone who has previously had an allergic reaction to antibiotics 
• If you have anaemia 
• If you have low folate in your blood
• Those with porphyria 

There are some other medications which can interfere with Trimethoprim: 

• Rifampicin 
• Blood thinners
• Diabetes treatments
• Epilepsy medicine
• Digoxin

If any of the above applies to you, tell your GP or pharmacist so that they can prescribe you with a suitable alternative. 

If you regularly get cystitis, you can ask for a repeat prescription without needing to get a GP appointment. There are also things you can do to help keep cystitis at bay: 

• Avoid bubble baths and perfumed soaps
• Have showers instead of baths
• Don’t wait to use the toilet when you need to pee
• Drink plenty of water
• Always wipe from front to back after using the toilet
• Avoid synthetic materials 
• If you use a diaphragm, consider finding an alternative method of contraception