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Urinary tract infection (lower) - women - Management
When should I offer preventive treatments for recurrent cystitis?
- Consider offering a prescription for a 'stand-by' antibiotic to be used for future episodes of cystitis before prescribing prophylactic drug treatment.
- When deciding to offer prophylactic drug treatment, consider the frequency, severity, and impact of recurrent cystitis, and whether referral for urological investigation would be appropriate.
- For recurrent cystitis associated with sexual intercourse, offer trimethoprim 100 mg to be taken within 2 hours of intercourse (off-label use).
- For recurrent cystitis not associated with sexual intercourse offer a 6-month trial of low-dose continuous antibiotic treatment: trimethoprim 100 mg every night, or nitrofurantoin (immediate-release) 50–100 mg every night.
In depth
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