Antibiotics used to treat cystitis

Cystitis is a very common urological disease in the world. In the vast majority of cases, its development is based on bacterial damage to the epithelium within the bladder. Therefore, antibiotics for the treatment of female cystitis are widely used as the drugs of choice for this pathology.

Antibiotics for acute cystitis

An experienced doctor should carefully study and examine the patient before deciding which antibiotic to prescribe. To diagnose acute cystitis, blood and urine tests are recommended. But it is not always necessary to accurately identify the type of pathogen. Antibiotic therapy is initiated empirically, with preference given to broad-spectrum agents from the Urological Society's recommended list. It is important to note that only a doctor has the authority to prescribe any antibacterial medication, and self-medication can often lead to complications.For a long time, the drug of choice was a combination of a sulfonamide and a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor. However, long-term use of this drug leads to increased resistance of microorganisms to it and reduced therapeutic effect. Therefore, modern European recommendations recommend the use of other antimicrobial agents. First, they prioritize:

• Fluoroquinolones;
• Nitrofurans;
• Phosphonate-based drugs.

Treatment is performed on an outpatient basis under the supervision of a urologist. A few days after treatment begins, the test is repeated. The minimum course of treatment is 3 days for fluoroquinolones, 7 days for nitrofurans, and only once for phosphonate antibiotics.

Antibiotics for Chronic Cystitis

When the infection progresses to the chronic stage, empiric antibiotic therapy is not acceptable. Before prescribing antimicrobial drugs, a microbiological examination of the urine must be performed. It also studies the resistance of bacterial strains to specific therapeutic drugs. This allows the treating physician to select the chronic cystitis antibiotic that will be most effective for a specific patient.
There is a view that this form of pathology is rarely a stand-alone disease. Therefore, such a patient requires a comprehensive examination not only of the genitourinary organs, but also of other systems of the body. Pay special attention to possible immune disorders and chronic infection lesions in the body.The main prescriptions are fluoroquinolones or other reserve drugs in the list - tetracyclines, third generation cephalosporins, macrolides. The course of treatment should last at least 7 days. At the same time, various non-drug treatments should be supplemented:

• Surgical intervention for anatomical defects and/or the presence of chronic infectious lesions;
• Be careful about hygiene;
• Choose comfortable underwear;
• Treat immune diseases;
• Temporary abstinence from sexual contact.

Prevent recurrence of cystitis

Antibiotics are used not only to treat the acute phase of cystitis, but also to prevent recurrence of the disease. Recommended for patients who have had 2 or more exacerbations in the past 6 months.There are many options for taking antibiotics. The most common of these is the prescription of long-term treatment at low doses during remission. One of a fluoroquinolone (0. 2 g each), nitrofuran (0. 1 g each), or phosphate antibiotic (3. 0 g each) every 10 days for 3moon.If recurrent cystitis is associated with sexual intercourse, your doctor recommends taking one of the above medications after intercourse. In some cases, patients can repeat the treatment course on their own if symptoms develop.However, upon completion, you must undergo a urine test for bacteriology. It is also important to remember that preventing cystitis is effective only if there are no abnormalities in the development of the urinary tract and other infectious processes in the body.

Selected Antibacterial Drugs for Cystitis

Phosphate antibiotics

This product contains phosphonic acid, which is widely used to treat bacterial infections of the lower urinary tract. This drug has a strong bactericidal effect on pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, enterococci, staphylococci, Klebsiella, and Proteus. Supplied in powder bags.This medication should be used once 2 hours after a meal and before going to bed. In this case, the contents of the bag must first be mixed with a small amount of water (about a third of a glass). A single adult dose is 3. 0 grams of drug. In some cases, you may need to repeat the dose after 24 hours. Phosphonic acid is hardly metabolized in the patient's body and is mostly excreted by the kidneys. In this case, the therapeutic concentration of the drug is reached in the urine 4-6 hours after administration, and this concentration persists for more than two days. In addition, the drug has many advantages:

• Single use convenience;
• Low incidence of side effects when used;
• Limited contraindications (severe renal failure, children under 5 years of age);
• This drug is approved for use during pregnancy.

Nitrofurans

Nitrofurans, along with phosphine antibiotics, are the drugs of choice for the treatment of acute cystitis. They have a bactericidal effect against most pathogens of this pathology. At the same time, bacterial resistance to nitrofurans remains at a low level. Disadvantages of this group of antibacterial drugs include the frequent occurrence of side effects:

• Indigestion (nausea, vomiting);
• Abdominal pain of varying intensity;
• Dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• Toxic effects on liver and kidneys.

Take nitrofuran preparations, 100 mg three times a day. The duration of treatment is 5 to 7 days.

Fluoroquinolones

This group of antibacterial drugs are derivatives of nalidixic acid. Fluoroquinolones have bactericidal effects on a variety of bacteria. When used internally, they enter the bloodstream quickly and start working within an hour. They are excreted from the body through the kidneys, which explains their widespread use in urology.Fluoroquinolones are prohibited for children under 18 years of age, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women. This is due to their negative impact on the formation of the musculoskeletal system. Contraindications also include history of epilepsy, history of epilepsy, and personal intolerance. In recent years, fluoroquinolones have been mainly used when phosphine antibiotics and nitrofurans are ineffective and when complicated cystitis occurs.Fluoroquinolones should be taken twice daily for 3 days.Recently, however, these drugs are virtually no longer used to treat cystitis because bacteria have become resistant to fluoroquinolones in 60% of cases.

Cephalosporins

Cephalosporins are bactericidal beta-lactam antibiotics. Today, there are 5 generations of this class of drugs, but only the first three are used in urology. Cephalosporins are considered one of the safest antibacterial drugs.The only significant contraindication to their use is the patient's hypersensitivity to beta-lactams (various allergic reactions). This allows the use of cephalosporins in young children, pregnant women, and the elderly.First-generation drugs are rarely used due to resistance of microorganisms. The third generation drug is 0. 4 grams once or 0. 2 grams twice a day for adults. The dosage for children is based on their age and weight.

Tetracyclines

This group of drugs belongs to synthetic antibiotics. Tetracycline has a bacteriostatic effect, that is, it inhibits the proliferation of microorganisms. Today, phosphine antibiotics and nitrofurans are used to treat cystitis when standard treatments have proven ineffective.Among the shortcomings of tetracycline drugs, the side effects often mentioned include: nephrotoxicity, indigestion, increased intracranial pressure, dizziness, hematopoietic inhibition, toxic hepatitis, etc. In addition, drugs of this group disrupt the formation of bone tissue and therefore should not be prescribed to children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.Take 0. 1 g once or twice daily. It is recommended to additionally monitor kidney and liver function every 3 days after taking the drug.

Penicillins

The drug penicillin is of limited use in treating cystitis. This is due to a decrease in effectiveness due to the development of drug resistance in microorganisms.

However, penicillins have a high safety profile, which allows them to be used in the treatment of children and pregnant women.

Side effects often include digestive disorders that disappear soon after the drug is stopped. The maximum duration of treatment for cystitis with penicillin is 7 days.