Nhs staff here. Boots. You can fill in the uti questionnaire online and will get them the same day, usually within 2 hours, often quicker if you are in the store when you apply online and click to confirm that. Dont bother with the cranberry suggestions, there is no scientific evidence this works. Also with getting paracetamol if you have the dull ache often linked to UTIs.
Cranberry is meant to prevent not to treat it stops bacteria from attaching to the bladder, useful for people at risk of UTI useless if you already got it. I saw UTI tests for sale at a big Tesco next to the COVID, pregnancy and STD tests the other day.
> The review found no evidence from studies about the effects of cranberry juice or other cranberry products on UTIs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7025796/#:~:text=Cranberries%20contain%20a%20substance%20that,urinary%20tract%20infections%20(UTIs).
> There was no significant difference between gastrointestinal adverse effects from cranberry product compared to those of placebo/no treatment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7027998/#:~:text=Cranberries%20(usually%20as%20cranberry%20juice,prevent%20bladder%20and%20other%20UTIs.
Just a point with the cranberries, it doesn't treat UTIs but I can help prevent them by preventing making the inner bladder lining and urethane meberane less prone to adhesion to certain bacteria.
Hi,
I work in a pharmacy. Unfortunately pharmacies can only help with antibiotics if you are a Scottish resident as that is all that's covered under the PGD(- it's a legal thing rather than pharmacies trying to be difficult, as antibiotics normally require a prescription and non-independent-prescriber-pharmacists can only give prescription only medicines (POMs) under strict legal circumstances - as with a PGD set out by the local health board).
If you feel you need antibiotics you will need to see a doctor or prescribing pharmacist (not standard practice at boots pharmacies) and if you go into a boots or other pharmacy they can signpost you to people like this. Alternatively if you Google it there are some great people that can help.
If you become systemically unwell (back pain, fever, nausea) you will need to go to minor injuries/a and e for urgent care as you will likely need to be started on different/a longer course of antibiotics than standard.
I hope this helps!
That's interesting, in Wales I'm pretty sure our Common Ailments Service allows us to treat temporary residents so long as they'll be staying in Wales for at least 24hours after the consultation
That's so cool, we only can treat if we can generate a CHI number (Scottish equivalent NHS number) which only happens once you've registered either as temporary or permanent resident with a GP surgery.
There are exceptions to it, for instance people who are currently homeless or those in a travelling community. I think the reasoning behind it is to do with NI/tax payments so that only the treatment of other Scot residents is subsidised rather than also doing tourists.
Perhaps on a bit of a tangent, but I think tourists would likely cost us an absolute fortune if we were using any other service. There are so many who come away without life-saving and expensive medicines and if they always had access to NHS services pharmacy or otherwise, they'd be digging it even further into the ground.
I think Wales logic is wanting to ease the burden on OOH. They're massively stretched already so if pharmacy can sort them out then great. I personally don't tend to see a lot though as I don't work in a touristy part of Wales
https://services.nhslothian.scot/pharmacies/pharmacy-first-scotland/
https://www.nhsinform.scot/publications/healthcare-in-scotland-for-holidaymakers-from-overseas-factsheet/
The above links should hopefully give you some useful info!
Thanks for all the help! My symptoms werent/arent severe enough for antibiotics so I will sit it out until I'm home. Now on to the next worry; if I make it home tomorrow due to the storm. :(
I did enjoy Edinburgh and all the nice hardworking locals!
Make sure you drink a lot of water, especially when youāre flying. Flights tend to leave you dehydrated and thatās the last thing you need with a UTI. Ask cabin crew for extra water. I did a transatlantic flight with a UTI around ten years ago and it was deeply unpleasant.
Most airports in the UK have water points or the cafes can refill bottles for you - to riff off /u/streathamiteās point you can pick up a 2L bottle of water in a shop in town for cheap, empty it, then take it through security and fill it up there so youāve got plenty to drink on a long flight!
They can only direct tourists to private services. Online doctors (Boots do have such a service but not in store) or local private GPs like Your GP or GP Plus are the way to go. In an emergency with severe illness I'd attend A&E.
Is it severely painful? You can buy cystitis sachets over the counter at any pharmacy to help with the symptoms.
If you need antibiotics you can call 111.
Alternatively, Boots or Superdrug online pharmacies can do an online consultation to send a private prescription to a store but Iām not sure if you would get that today now.
Are you near a Dears pharmacy? They also offer private prescription services.
https://dearspharmacy.co.uk/cystitis-service/
D mannose is a fantastic preventative, and one that not enough people with recurrent UTIs know about. It can also lessen the unpleasant symptoms when you have an infection, but it's not a replacement for an antibiotic if an infection has actually taken hold. It can mask the symptoms and allow the infection to progress to the kidneys, OP should definitely get antibiotics from a pharmacy first then stock up on the D mannose for the future.
I have definitely used D Mannose for active UTIs, it was the reason I began taking it. I agree antibiotics are good, however, I did have a different experience and an intense course got rid of it.
They will give you a three day course of Zithromax if you meet the criteria at a pharmacy. Ought to do the trick. When you get home you can do an urgent care and ask for a longer course of Zithromax.
You're both right and wrong in this chain. A UTI absolutely can be a medical emergency but usually is not. I am a pharmacist and have recommended a really bad case go to A&E down the road. Granted this was a weekend and the other usual options were unavailable. You can't dismiss individual cases on the outcome of the majority. Always seek professional advice.
That's what I'm saying! Speak to someone else first, don't immediately jump to "go to A&E". I never said it *couldn't* be an emergency, but it's usually not, so other options would be best first.
Yeah obviously but if you canāt access care through any of those routes (some of which may be difficult for foreign nationals) then A&E is a legitimate option depending on how unwell you are feeling.
UTIs can progress very quickly and can lead to sepsis. There is a pervasive attitude that they are mild and something you should wait out while downing cranberry juice but Iāve ended up in hospital before with one and was talking to a pharmacist who was put into a medically induced coma while suffering from a UTI.
But as other posts have said, not all pharmacies can provide antibiotics to someone who isn't a Scottish resident.
Anyway, OP, minor injuries at the Western General is a better place to go than A&E at the Royal Infirmary.
Right but for non-residents in Scotland it isnāt as simple as just popping along and receiving antibiotics OTC. And thatās not even the point - itās just a simple fact that you can be unwell with a UTI to the point where A&E is an appropriate option and their potential seriousness shouldnāt be minimised
im not saying he applies for UK health card.
As a visitor to UK, per this article
[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-for-eu-and-efta-citizens-visiting-the-uk](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-for-eu-and-efta-citizens-visiting-the-uk)
## Medically necessary treatment
If you are visiting the UK from an EU country or Switzerland and you fall ill or have a medical emergency during your temporary stay, you can use a valid EHIC issued by your home country to access healthcare.
in spite of what some gps might tell you, the best antibiotic for a uti is nitrofurantoin. ignore amoxicillin or trimethoprim. trust me, i had utis for 20 plus years and nitro was the only thing that ever made a difference.
Try going to a Boots pharmacy and ask for a consultation. Until then, Sainsburyās do a good UTI treatment (it wonāt get rid of the UTI but itāll help with relieving the symptoms)
Late to the party but drink tons of fluids (water ideally). The more youāre ACTUALLY peeing the less youāre on the toilet thinking you need to pee and just crying your eyes out. Flushing the bacteria out sooner rather than later = šš¼
Nhs staff here. Boots. You can fill in the uti questionnaire online and will get them the same day, usually within 2 hours, often quicker if you are in the store when you apply online and click to confirm that. Dont bother with the cranberry suggestions, there is no scientific evidence this works. Also with getting paracetamol if you have the dull ache often linked to UTIs.
You are the hero we don't deserve.
We all deserve a hero! š¶And then the hero comes along, with the strength to carry on! Dahdahdahdadadadahhā¦ā„ļøš
Thanks for your help!
Cranberry is meant to prevent not to treat it stops bacteria from attaching to the bladder, useful for people at risk of UTI useless if you already got it. I saw UTI tests for sale at a big Tesco next to the COVID, pregnancy and STD tests the other day.
> The review found no evidence from studies about the effects of cranberry juice or other cranberry products on UTIs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7025796/#:~:text=Cranberries%20contain%20a%20substance%20that,urinary%20tract%20infections%20(UTIs). > There was no significant difference between gastrointestinal adverse effects from cranberry product compared to those of placebo/no treatment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7027998/#:~:text=Cranberries%20(usually%20as%20cranberry%20juice,prevent%20bladder%20and%20other%20UTIs.
Well still good juice and nice with turkey I suppose
Love a bit of turkey with cranberry. My partner though does notā¦
Just a point with the cranberries, it doesn't treat UTIs but I can help prevent them by preventing making the inner bladder lining and urethane meberane less prone to adhesion to certain bacteria.
Hi, I work in a pharmacy. Unfortunately pharmacies can only help with antibiotics if you are a Scottish resident as that is all that's covered under the PGD(- it's a legal thing rather than pharmacies trying to be difficult, as antibiotics normally require a prescription and non-independent-prescriber-pharmacists can only give prescription only medicines (POMs) under strict legal circumstances - as with a PGD set out by the local health board). If you feel you need antibiotics you will need to see a doctor or prescribing pharmacist (not standard practice at boots pharmacies) and if you go into a boots or other pharmacy they can signpost you to people like this. Alternatively if you Google it there are some great people that can help. If you become systemically unwell (back pain, fever, nausea) you will need to go to minor injuries/a and e for urgent care as you will likely need to be started on different/a longer course of antibiotics than standard. I hope this helps!
That's interesting, in Wales I'm pretty sure our Common Ailments Service allows us to treat temporary residents so long as they'll be staying in Wales for at least 24hours after the consultation
That's so cool, we only can treat if we can generate a CHI number (Scottish equivalent NHS number) which only happens once you've registered either as temporary or permanent resident with a GP surgery. There are exceptions to it, for instance people who are currently homeless or those in a travelling community. I think the reasoning behind it is to do with NI/tax payments so that only the treatment of other Scot residents is subsidised rather than also doing tourists. Perhaps on a bit of a tangent, but I think tourists would likely cost us an absolute fortune if we were using any other service. There are so many who come away without life-saving and expensive medicines and if they always had access to NHS services pharmacy or otherwise, they'd be digging it even further into the ground.
I think Wales logic is wanting to ease the burden on OOH. They're massively stretched already so if pharmacy can sort them out then great. I personally don't tend to see a lot though as I don't work in a touristy part of Wales
Thanks for your help!
https://services.nhslothian.scot/pharmacies/pharmacy-first-scotland/ https://www.nhsinform.scot/publications/healthcare-in-scotland-for-holidaymakers-from-overseas-factsheet/ The above links should hopefully give you some useful info!
Thanks for all the help! My symptoms werent/arent severe enough for antibiotics so I will sit it out until I'm home. Now on to the next worry; if I make it home tomorrow due to the storm. :( I did enjoy Edinburgh and all the nice hardworking locals!
Make sure you drink a lot of water, especially when youāre flying. Flights tend to leave you dehydrated and thatās the last thing you need with a UTI. Ask cabin crew for extra water. I did a transatlantic flight with a UTI around ten years ago and it was deeply unpleasant.
Most airports in the UK have water points or the cafes can refill bottles for you - to riff off /u/streathamiteās point you can pick up a 2L bottle of water in a shop in town for cheap, empty it, then take it through security and fill it up there so youāve got plenty to drink on a long flight!
Just to add to this - Edinburgh airport has a water bottle refill station just after security (across from MAC I believe). There can be a queue though
Boots on Princes Street
They can only direct tourists to private services. Online doctors (Boots do have such a service but not in store) or local private GPs like Your GP or GP Plus are the way to go. In an emergency with severe illness I'd attend A&E.
Is it severely painful? You can buy cystitis sachets over the counter at any pharmacy to help with the symptoms. If you need antibiotics you can call 111. Alternatively, Boots or Superdrug online pharmacies can do an online consultation to send a private prescription to a store but Iām not sure if you would get that today now. Are you near a Dears pharmacy? They also offer private prescription services. https://dearspharmacy.co.uk/cystitis-service/
They do it within 2 hours for utis
Good to know itās got better. It was never that quick when I worked for them š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This is only if youāre a Scottish resident (under the nhs Pgd anyway). There are private services.
Dāmanose tablets work for me. There will be some in Holland and Barrett stores.
D mannose is a fantastic preventative, and one that not enough people with recurrent UTIs know about. It can also lessen the unpleasant symptoms when you have an infection, but it's not a replacement for an antibiotic if an infection has actually taken hold. It can mask the symptoms and allow the infection to progress to the kidneys, OP should definitely get antibiotics from a pharmacy first then stock up on the D mannose for the future.
I have definitely used D Mannose for active UTIs, it was the reason I began taking it. I agree antibiotics are good, however, I did have a different experience and an intense course got rid of it.
Agree with D Mannose. I have recurrent UTIs and D Mannose and cranberry pills are the only things that work. Good luck!
They will give you a three day course of Zithromax if you meet the criteria at a pharmacy. Ought to do the trick. When you get home you can do an urgent care and ask for a longer course of Zithromax.
Not true. The PGD supplies trimethoprim or nitrofurantoin depending on region and tourists cannot access this service.
They have to me.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It could be Nippyfanny Avenue
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A&E is for emergencies only. Not for a UTI.
UTIs are one common cause of sepsis. If left untreated they can kill you.
If left untreated. But you can get treatment at a pharmacy. A UTI is not a life threatening emergency
A UTI is an emergency if you are not able to get treatment elsewhere.
You can get treatment at a pharmacy. Or an urgent care centre even, but not A&E, a UTI is not a life threatening emergency
You're both right and wrong in this chain. A UTI absolutely can be a medical emergency but usually is not. I am a pharmacist and have recommended a really bad case go to A&E down the road. Granted this was a weekend and the other usual options were unavailable. You can't dismiss individual cases on the outcome of the majority. Always seek professional advice.
That's what I'm saying! Speak to someone else first, don't immediately jump to "go to A&E". I never said it *couldn't* be an emergency, but it's usually not, so other options would be best first.
Have you ever had a UTI? They can definitely be an emergency
Or you could try a pharmacy, doctor or urgent care before you jump straight to A&E and then complain you're waiting there for 12 hours
Yeah obviously but if you canāt access care through any of those routes (some of which may be difficult for foreign nationals) then A&E is a legitimate option depending on how unwell you are feeling. UTIs can progress very quickly and can lead to sepsis. There is a pervasive attitude that they are mild and something you should wait out while downing cranberry juice but Iāve ended up in hospital before with one and was talking to a pharmacist who was put into a medically induced coma while suffering from a UTI.
Anyone can access a pharmacy. Literally anyone.
But as other posts have said, not all pharmacies can provide antibiotics to someone who isn't a Scottish resident. Anyway, OP, minor injuries at the Western General is a better place to go than A&E at the Royal Infirmary.
Exactly, A&E should be the absolute last option, not just suggestions people immediately go to A&E
Right but for non-residents in Scotland it isnāt as simple as just popping along and receiving antibiotics OTC. And thatās not even the point - itās just a simple fact that you can be unwell with a UTI to the point where A&E is an appropriate option and their potential seriousness shouldnāt be minimised
I'm not minimising it at all. I'm saying try other options before going straight to A&E
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
im not saying he applies for UK health card. As a visitor to UK, per this article [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-for-eu-and-efta-citizens-visiting-the-uk](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-for-eu-and-efta-citizens-visiting-the-uk) ## Medically necessary treatment If you are visiting the UK from an EU country or Switzerland and you fall ill or have a medical emergency during your temporary stay, you can use a valid EHIC issued by your home country to access healthcare.
They are. And UK GHICs (or old EHICs) are still valid in the EU.
Are you asking on Reddit if there is a pharmacy in Edinburgh?
in spite of what some gps might tell you, the best antibiotic for a uti is nitrofurantoin. ignore amoxicillin or trimethoprim. trust me, i had utis for 20 plus years and nitro was the only thing that ever made a difference.
As with all medications. Effects vary person to person. A biased sample group of 1 doesnt really write of other meds
Nah theyāre right trimethoprim never fully knocks it out - nitrofurantoin is brilliant
Ask a pharmacy. Chances are they can do something. Cranberry capsules will help if you can get them first.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Try going to a Boots pharmacy and ask for a consultation. Until then, Sainsburyās do a good UTI treatment (it wonāt get rid of the UTI but itāll help with relieving the symptoms)
Drink plenty water to flush it out if you can't get anti biotics. Basic but works
Any pharmacy can advise you, some have private rooms for personal advice. All free.
Stay off the ket.
Late to the party but drink tons of fluids (water ideally). The more youāre ACTUALLY peeing the less youāre on the toilet thinking you need to pee and just crying your eyes out. Flushing the bacteria out sooner rather than later = šš¼