How To Relieve UTI Pain at Night When You Can't Sleep
Do you need to relieve UTI pain at night so you can finally sleep? It is important that you talk to a doctor before you try anything. You need to confirm that you have UTI pain and not pain coming from a different source.
In this guide, you’re going to learn some steps you can take to reduce UTI-related pain. You’ll also learn about some simple household treatments and over-the-counter medications that can help.
Table of contents
Habits to relieve UTI pain
- Make sure your bladder is completely emptied
- Take more fluids (but cut back on coffee)
- Sleep with a heating pad
- Take steps to reduce the chance of future infection
Relieving pain with medication
- Always follow your doctor’s antibiotic plan
- Choose an over-the-counter painkiller
- Consider painkillers designed for urinary pain
Habits to relieve UTI pain
Image by Marco Verch - CC BY 2.0 License.
Some lifestyle habits can make UTIs easier to manage. Take the following steps to take more control over how you feel at night.
Make sure your bladder is completely emptied
Every time you urinate, you should make sure that your bladder is as empty as possible. Wait on the toilet as long as you need to in order to confirm that the stream has ended. This should decrease the number of trips you need to take at night.
Take more fluids (but cut back on coffee)
Fluids play a vital role in helping your body recover from urinary infections. Fresh fluids are used by the body to flush out the infection. Even if it causes you some pain, you need to increase your fluid intake to the maximum that your doctor recommends.
Not all fluids are equally effective at helping your body manage infections. You should choose water or unsweetened tea to ensure that your body gets as much hydration as possible.
In particular, you should avoid drinks that drive you to urinate more often. Coffee may make your symptoms worse, and so may many other caffeine drinks.
Sleep with a heating pad
A heating pad can help to reduce the constant abdominal pain that comes with a UTI. When placed close to the bladder, it may also reduce the strength of the signal that you need to urinate.
Take steps to reduce the chance of future infection
You can take steps to reduce your risk of developing UTIs in the future. The following habits can help you avoid many common causes of infection:
- Choose showers instead of baths
- Keep irritating products away from your genital area
- Change your birth control plan to avoid condoms and diaphragms
- Wipe from front to back when cleaning after urination or bowel movements
Relieving pain with medication
Medication can help you manage the pain caused by UTIs. First, you should take any medication that has been prescribed by your doctor to treat the infection. Then, you can consider what over-the-counter pain relievers may offer (including those designed for urinary issues).
Always follow your doctor’s antibiotic plan
One of the key ways to live with less urinary pain is to make sure your UTI is healed as quickly as possible. For that to be possible, you need to take any antibiotics that you have been prescribed by a doctor.
Follow all instructions when taking antibiotics, and be mindful that prescription antibiotics may have dangerous interactions with other drugs. You should always speak to your doctor before you take any additional drugs with antibiotics.
Choose an over-the-counter painkiller
Once you’ve cleared the use of drugs to control pain with your doctor (or finished your rounds of antibiotics) you have some different options to manage any lingering pain.
NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are a common form of over-the-counter painkillers. Inflammation plays a role in UTI pain, so anti-inflammatories may be more effective against your symptoms.
The following options can be easily ordered online or found in any pharmacy:
- Ibuprofen: This common painkiller is available in many different forms and is often sold in tablets. It is sometimes recommended to treat other bladder-related pain symptoms, including interstitial cystitis.
- Naproxen: Naproxen Sodium is an NSAID that is sold under the brand name Aleve and is also widely available as a generic. Many pharmacists consider it to be an appropriate recommendation for urinary tract pain.
Consider painkillers designed for urinary pain
There are some painkillers on the market that have been specifically formulated to treat the systems around the urinary tract and bladder. One such drug is Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride.
This drug is excreted into the urine after ingestion. It leaves a topical analgesic effect on the skin it comes in contact with while traveling through the urinary system. This can mean pain and irritation relief delivered directly to the inflamed areas.
Remember that pain medications, even targeted ones, are not considered to be a replacement for antibiotics. Consult with a doctor and take the treatments that are recommended to you.
Keep UTI Pain Away At Night
The pain of a urinary tract infection can be awful. The effect that it has on your sleeping schedule can be the worst part. If UTI pain is keeping you from getting your restful sleep, you should consider one of the treatments or medications we’ve discussed.
A few habits can go a long way. If you make sure that your bladder is as empty as possible on each trip, take more fluids, or sleep with a heating pad, you may find the pain manageable. Don’t forget there are also steps you can take to avoid future infections.
Medication can certainly help. Remember to complete any rounds of antibiotics you are given. Do not take other medications unless your doctor has cleared you. When you want to deal with just the pain, you may find some NSAIDs that can help.
Cover Image by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
