UTIs and Diarrhea: Understanding the Connection

Can UTIs Lead to Diarrhea?

Can UTIs Lead to Diarrhea?
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Updated on October 29, 2025
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can cause stinging when you pee, stomach cramping, and an urge to pee. But can it also cause digestive health symptoms like diarrhea?

It’s rare, but UTIs — and the antibiotics used to treat them — can lead to diarrhea. A urologist shares why, plus prevention and treatment tips for both UTIs and stomach discomfort.

Can a UTI Cause Diarrhea?

“In general, local urinary tract infections do not cause diarrhea,” says Marisa M. Clifton, MD, director of women’s health in the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. But it’s not impossible.

The bladder and bowel are both affected by the same network of nerves. “The nerves that innervate (or stimulate) the urinary tract also innervate the bowel,” says Dr. Clifton. Essentially, what happens in one area can potentially affect the other. So, if you’re constipated, you might have more bladder symptoms, and vice versa.

“When patients have significant infections that have gone beyond the urinary tract, they can have gastrointestinal symptoms,” says Clifton. But this is pretty rare, she adds.

Other Symptoms of a UTI

Diarrhea is not a common UTI symptom, but there are some other major signs to look out for, including:

  • Cloudy or bloody urine, which may have a foul or strong odor
  • Low-grade fever in some people
  • Pain or burning with urination
  • Pressure or cramping in the lower abdomen or back
  • Strong need to urinate often, even right after the bladder has been emptied
Left untreated, UTIs can develop into kidney infections, which can cause severe gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and vomiting, and the following symptoms:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • A burning feeling or pain when urinating
  • Having to urinate often
  • Back, side, or groin pain
  • Pus or blood in the urine
  • Urine that smells bad or is cloudy
  • Stomach pain
In rare cases, severe kidney infections can lead to complications like kidney scarring, chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, or blood poisoning (when bacteria spread to the bloodstream).

In healthy adults, “most lower urinary tract infections do not progress to significant bloodstream infections,” says Clifton. That said, the risk of sepsis is higher in certain groups, including infants, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems.

   Poll

Which common UTI symptom is the most disruptive to your day?

Can Diarrhea Cause a UTI?

The way you wipe after a bowel movement could, in theory, increase your UTI risk. If you wipe from back to front — instead of the recommended way, front to back — you can accidentally transfer bacteria like E. coli from your anus to your urethra.

People with vaginas are more susceptible to getting UTIs this way because their urethras are shorter and closer to the anus. If you wear incontinence pads or diapers and have diarrhea at the same time, this could be a potential cause for a UTI. Still, there’s not much research to support the idea that front-to-back wiping completely prevents urinary tract infections, says Clifton.

The products you use to wipe can also increase your UTI risk. “Cleansing with harsh soaps (or douching) can change your genital flora, or the healthy bacteria that prevent overgrowth of bad, pathogenic bacteria,” says Clifton.

 “This can predispose you to UTIs and create irritation.”

Can UTI Medications Cause Diarrhea?

“Bacterial urinary tract infections are routinely treated with antibiotics,” says Clifton, which commonly cause nausea and diarrhea.

Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in your gut, including the healthy flora in your intestines that your body needs to digest food, says Clifton.

 Without these good bacteria, your body is vulnerable to harmful infections like C. difficile (or C. diff), she adds. In fact, you’re 10 times more likely to get C. diff during antibiotics or the month after.

According to Clifton, C. diff from antibiotics can cause the following symptoms:

  • Diarrhea
  • Sweating and chills
  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea
  • Colitis, an inflammation of the colon
In severe cases, C. diff infections can also result in colon damage and even death.

 If you feel these symptoms while taking antibiotics or shortly thereafter, call your doctor and get care as soon as possible.
Digestive symptoms aside, antibiotics can also cause side effects like skin rashes, dizziness, and yeast infections.

 Given the potential side effects, “it’s very important to be thoughtful about using antibiotics, and to have thorough conversations with your care team about how you’re feeling,” says Clifton.

Here are some strategies for relieving digestive upset from antibiotic treatments:

Ask About Switching Antibiotics

Let your doctor know if the antibiotic you’ve been prescribed to treat your UTI is causing severe diarrhea. They may prescribe a different antibiotic or recommend other ways to ease stomach upset, says Clifton.

Take a Probiotic

“Consider taking a probiotic at the time of antibiotic treatment, to counteract its negative effect on the healthy bacteria,” says Clifton. Probiotic supplements and probiotic-rich food —like Greek yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut — may help repopulate your gut with good bacteria and possibly help regulate your bowels.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is important for both UTI and diarrhea treatment. Proper hydration will help you pee more often, flushing bacteria out of your bladder.

 Plus, when you have diarrhea, you tend to lose a lot of fluid, so drinking water or an electrolyte-infused beverage like Pedialyte can help your levels.

Pay Attention to Your Poop

Your poop’s shape and color can change from diet changes, stress, and infections. “Severe or foul-smelling diarrhea could be a sign of C. difficile,” says Clifton, which, left unchecked, can lead to potentially life-threatening complications for some people.

Other symptoms of C. diff to look for include fever, stomach tenderness or pain, and loss of appetite.

 If you experience any of these, call your doctor right away. C. diff infections won’t go away on their own and require treatment with targeted antibiotics.

How to Prevent a UTI That Causes Diarrhea

UTI prevention is possible with the help of the following techniques:

  • Practice good hygiene. Always wipe from front to back after a bowel movement and change your period products, including pads and tampons, frequently.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Sipping six to eight glasses of water daily can help flush out bacteria from your urinary tract.
  • Don’t hold your pee for too long. Peeing frequently can help remove waste from your body and reduce your risk of developing an infection. If you tend to hold your pee, try setting up a bathroom schedule so you’re urinating regularly.
  • Pee before and after sex. Sex can introduce bacteria to your urethra, so peeing before and after sex can help flush them out.
  • Talk to your doctor about other birth control options. Some people have an increased risk of developing a UTI if they use a diaphragm for birth control.
  • Use a water-based lubricant during sex. Other types of lube, including scented varieties and spermicide, can upset the balance of bacteria in your genital area.
  • Wear breathable clothing. Loose-fitting clothing and cotton underwear can help prevent moisture from accumulating around your urethra, which often contributes to UTI and yeast infection formation.
  • Ask your doctor about medications or supplements. Over-the-counter supplements — including cranberry extract and probiotics — may help prevent UTIs, as well as vaginal creams with estrogen if you’re postmenopausal.

When to See a Doctor

UTIs rarely go away without medication.

 Clifton says you should see a doctor as soon as possible if:
  • Your symptoms remain persistent or worsen
  • You have severe diarrhea that’s foul-smelling
  • You can’t stay hydrated
  • You have blood in your urine

Go to the ER immediately if you develop symptoms like fever, back pain, and vomiting, which could be a sign that the infection has spread to your kidneys.

Some people have an increased risk for recurrent or serious UTIs. “These patients may have a history of urinary tract surgery, nerve issues affecting their bladder function, or a compromised immune system,” says Clifton. If you fall into one of these groups, call your doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms of UTI, to keep things from getting worse.

The Takeaway

  • In rare cases, UTIs can cause diarrhea from E. coli bacteria or from a course of antibiotics.
  • UTIs and diarrhea can be treated through antibiotics, proper hydration, and probiotic supplementation.
  • UTI prevention involves practicing proper hygiene, wearing breathable clothes, avoiding harsh soaps and cleansers, drinking enough fluids, and urinating regularly.
  • Visit your doctor as soon as possible if you have signs of a kidney infection, like blood in your urine, fever, vomiting, or back pain.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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  5. Urinary Tract Infections. Cleveland Clinic. April 6, 2023.
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  7. Antibiotics can temporarily wipe out the gut microbiome. UCLA Health. February 23, 2024.
  8. About C. diff. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 18, 2024.
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Christopher Wolter, MD

Medical Reviewer

Christopher Wolter, MD, is an assistant professor in urology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been in practice since 2008, specializing in the areas of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, urologic reconstruction, urologic prosthetics, post prostate cancer survivorship, erectile dysfunction, neurourology and neuromodulation, and overall functional considerations of urogenital health.

Dr. Wolter has been heavily involved in urologic education. He spent the last 12 years heavily involved in resident education and leadership for his department, including the last eight years as urology residency program director. He currently serves as the director of urologic education for the preclinical and clinical rotations for the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Phoenix, Arizona, campus.

Wolter completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Illinois. He then completed his urology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, followed by a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Jaime Osnato

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Jaime Osnato is a freelance writer and licensed social worker based in New York City. Her work has appeared in SELF, Shape, Fit Pregnancy, and more.

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