368 Problems of the Urine System
➤ STIs, especially
chlamydia, can cause
a burning feeling
when a woman
passes urine.
If you do not feel better in 1 to 2 days, stop taking the
home remedies and start taking the medicines in the box
below. If you do not feel better in 2 more days, see a health
worker. You may have an STI rather than a urine system
infection (see page 263).
IMPORTANT Before taking any of these medicines, especially if
you are pregnant or breastfeeding, first read about them in the “Green
Pages” of this book.
Bladder Infection Medicines
Medicine
How much to take
When to take
cotrimoxazole
2 tablets of 480 mg
(160 mg trimethoprim and 800 mg sulfamethoxazole)
or
nitrofurantoin
100 mg
by mouth, 2 times a day
for 3 days
by mouth, 2 times a day
for 5 days
If you do not start to feel better in 2 days (48 hours), there may be a resistance to
these medicines in your area. If possible, check with a health worker, or take instead the
medicines cefixime (see page 493), or cephalexin (see page 494).
Treatment for a kidney infection:
If you have signs of a kidney infection, home remedies are not
enough. Start taking these medicines right away. But if you do
not start to feel better after 2 days, see a health worker.
Kidney Infection Medicines
Medicine
How much to take
ciprofloxacin
500 mg
or
cefixime
400 mg
(do not use cefixime if you are breastfeeding)
or
cotrimoxazole
2 tablets of 480 mg
(160 mg trimethoprim and 800 mg sulfamethoxazole)
When to take
by mouth, 2 times a day
for 10 days
by mouth, 2 times a day
for 10 days
by mouth, 2 times a day
for 10 days
If you cannot swallow medicines because you are vomiting, take:
ceftriaxone
or
gentamicin
1 gram (1000 mg)
80 mg the first time only,
then 60 mg each other time
IV or IM, once a day
IV or IM,
3 times a day
When you can swallow medicine again without vomiting, stop injections and continue with the
medicine by mouth for kidney infection, until you have taken medicine for a total of 10 days.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012