In a new study, published in the BMJ, and funded by the U.K. National Institute for Health Research, it was reported that women with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) showed a significant decrease in the UTI episodes when treated with either low-dose antibiotics daily or methenamine twice a day.

The study involved 240 women with recurring UTIs with average episodes of UTIs being 6 per year. Women in the antibiotic group experienced an average of just under one episode per person for the year, while those with methenamine reported just over one episode per person.

Dr Chris Harding, a consultant urological surgeon at Freeman Hospital in the United Kingdom, who led the trial, said that the data provided supportive evidence for the use of methenamine and would be a good alternative for those who wish to avoid long-term antibiotic use.

Side effects reported were few with episodes of nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea being common in women in both the groups. In the methenamine group,6 women developed a UTI with fever and 4 had to be hospitalized. (WebMD March 11, 2022)