UTI Treatment in Spain with an English-Speaking Doctor
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, MD
Licensed Physician No. 484814280 · Official Medical College of Bizkaia (Spain)
Private video visits for cystitis with a GP licensed in Spain.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera
Licence No. 484814280 · Urgent, non-emergency care
Quick answer
Most bladder infections (cystitis) in women can be assessed safely by video. Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, a GP licensed in Spain, checks your symptoms and warning signs and, only if it is clinically appropriate, issues a private e-prescription valid at any Spanish pharmacy. Antibiotics for a UTI always need a prescription in Spain. Fever or back pain needs in-person care.
Common Symptoms
Urinary symptoms can start suddenly and spoil a trip or a working day, and it is hard to explain them at a Spanish pharmacy. A urinary tract infection (UTI) of the bladder often causes:
- Burning or stinging when you pee
- Needing to pee often, and only a little comes out
- A sudden, urgent need to pee
- Pain or pressure low in your tummy
- Cloudy, dark or strong-smelling urine
- Blood in your urine
- Feeling tired, achy or generally unwell
- In older people, new confusion or a sudden change in behaviour
A UTI is painful and it can make you feel you need a toilet every few minutes. The good news is that most bladder infections in women are simple to treat, and many mild ones settle within a few days. What matters is telling a simple cystitis apart from a kidney infection or another cause, such as thrush or a sexually transmitted infection, which need a different plan.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an independent, bilingual GP licensed in Spain. Book a 15-minute video consultation in English or Spanish for €50, with a private electronic prescription issued under Spanish law when clinically appropriate.
How We Treat It
In the video visit the doctor asks when it started, how severe it is and whether you have a fever or back pain. He also asks about pregnancy, past UTIs, kidney problems, allergies, your medicines and sexual health. Depending on what he finds, the plan may include:
- A clear answer on whether it looks like a simple bladder infection or something else
- Self-care that helps: pain relief that suits you, enough fluids and rest
- A back-up (delayed) antibiotic prescription you start only if you are not better or get worse, as NICE advises for some women with mild symptoms
- An antibiotic straight away when it is needed, for example in men, in pregnancy or with more severe symptoms, chosen for your allergies and local resistance
- A urine test (culture) at a laboratory when it is needed, such as in pregnancy, in men, with recurring infections or if the first treatment fails
- Advice on preventing repeat infections, and an in-person referral if a kidney infection or a complicated UTI is suspected
A prescription is never automatic: it is issued only where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Video care is not suitable for children under 3 months, for anyone with fever and back pain, or for anyone who feels very unwell.
Is it a bladder infection or a kidney infection?
A bladder infection (cystitis) causes burning, frequent and urgent peeing and pain low in the tummy. A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) adds fever, shivering, pain in your back or side under the ribs, and often nausea or vomiting. A kidney infection needs a prompt in-person check, so tell the doctor straight away if you have any of these.
Some other problems feel like a UTI. Thrush, a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, or irritation from soaps, sex or tight clothing can cause burning too. Itching or an unusual discharge points away from a simple UTI. This is why the doctor asks about these things before deciding on treatment.
Do you always need antibiotics for cystitis?
No. UK NICE guidance says that for women who are not pregnant and have mild symptoms, a back-up prescription can be a good option: you only start the antibiotic if you are not better within 48 hours, or sooner if you get worse. The NHS notes that mild cystitis in women often clears up on its own within a few days.
Men, pregnant women and children are different. NICE advises an antibiotic straight away and a urine sample for culture before the first dose. In Spain, common first choices for uncomplicated cystitis in women include fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin. The right one for you depends on your history, allergies, kidney function and local antibiotic resistance, so the doctor chooses it after assessing you.
What can you buy at a Spanish pharmacy for a UTI?
You can buy pain relief, but not the cure. Every antibiotic for a urinary infection, including fosfomycin, needs a prescription in Spain. Paracetamol, or ibuprofen if it suits you, eases the pain while the infection settles or the antibiotic works.
Pharmacies also sell cranberry and D-mannose products. They do not treat an active infection. A 2023 Cochrane review found that cranberry products can lower the risk of repeat infections in women who get UTIs often. NICE found no good evidence that urine-alkalinising products help.
Why are UTIs common on holiday, and how do you prevent them?
Long journeys where you hold on, drinking less in the heat and more sexual activity all make a bladder infection more likely. Simple habits help: drink enough to keep your urine pale, pee when you feel the need, pee soon after sex, and wipe from front to back. Avoid perfumed soaps and bubble baths around the genitals.
If you get two UTIs in six months, or three in a year, they count as recurrent. That deserves a urine culture and a plan to find the trigger and prevent the next one, which the doctor can start by video.
Clinical Evaluation & Evidence-Based Protocol for UTI Treatment
During a telemedicine consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera (licensed medical practitioner No. 484814280 at the Official Medical College of Bizkaia), clinical evaluation adheres strictly to evidence-based medical (EBM) standards. The doctor conducts a thorough history, evaluating symptom duration, aggravating factors, prior treatments, and drug allergies to establish an accurate differential diagnosis.
Private Electronic Prescriptions (Receta Médica) Issued Under Spanish Law
When clinically indicated, Dr. Yelamo issues a private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Electrónica Privada) under Spanish law. The digital prescription contains a secure QR verification code accepted at all 22,000+ registered community pharmacies across Spain for immediate medication dispensing.
Itemized Invoices for Travel & Private Health Insurance Reimbursement
After your consultation, you receive an official medical report and an itemized invoice. The invoice shows Dr. Yelamo's licence details and tax ID. You can send it to your travel or private health insurer (such as Bupa, Allianz, Cigna, AXA or a US travel policy) to claim the cost back.
Preparing for Your Online Medical Consultation
Before your appointment, note when your symptoms started and any medicines you have already tried. Have your allergies and your usual prescriptions to hand. For a skin, rash or eye problem, sit in a well-lit room so the doctor can see it clearly.
Clinical Follow-Up & When In-Person Urgencias Are Necessary
Video care works well for common infections, mild sudden symptoms, skin rashes and repeat prescriptions. Some warning signs need emergency care in person: severe shortness of breath, a high fever you cannot bring down, chest pain or a stiff neck. If you have any of them, call 112 in Spain straight away.
When to Seek Immediate In-Person Care
Seek urgent in-person care, or call 112 if you feel very unwell, if you have:
- Fever, chills or shivering
- Pain in your back or side, below the ribs
- Vomiting, or you cannot keep fluids down
- Confusion, drowsiness, fainting or a very fast heartbeat
- Urinary symptoms while pregnant
- A lot of blood in your urine, or you cannot pee at all
- No improvement 48 hours after starting an antibiotic, or getting worse at any time
- Symptoms in a baby or young child, or in someone with major kidney or immune problems
Frequently asked questions
Can a UTI be treated online in Spain?
Yes, a simple bladder infection in a woman who is not pregnant can usually be assessed by video. If it is clinically appropriate, Dr. Yelamo issues a private e-prescription you can collect at any pharmacy in Spain. Fever, back pain, pregnancy, men with severe symptoms and young children may need in-person care or a urine test first.
Will I automatically receive antibiotics?
No. Antibiotics are prescribed only when clinically justified. Mild cystitis sometimes settles on its own, and some symptoms come from kidney stones, sexually transmitted infections, thrush or irritation, which antibiotics for a UTI would not fix.
What if I have back pain with urinary symptoms?
Back or side pain, especially with fever, shivering or vomiting, can mean the infection has reached a kidney. That needs an urgent in-person assessment, not a video visit.
Can the urethra be irritated without an infection?
Yes. Soaps, bubble baths, spermicides, sex, tight clothing or cycling can irritate the urethra and cause burning without infection. Some sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, can feel like a urine infection too. A urine test helps tell them apart. If it is clear and the symptoms continue, an STI test is the next step.
Is there over-the-counter UTI medicine in Spain?
Not to cure the infection. Antibiotics for a urinary infection, including fosfomycin, need a prescription in Spain. Pharmacies sell cranberry and D-mannose products, but they do not treat an active infection. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease pain if suitable for you. See a doctor if you are pregnant, a man, or have fever or back pain.
How long does cystitis last?
Mild cystitis in women often improves within a few days, and symptoms usually ease within one to two days of starting a suitable antibiotic. If you are not better 48 hours after starting treatment, or you get worse at any point, contact a doctor again.
Is a UTI contagious?
No. A UTI is not passed from person to person, and it is not a sexually transmitted infection. Sex can push bacteria towards the urethra, which is why peeing soon after sex helps prevent it.
Can men get a UTI treated by video?
Men can be assessed by video, but a UTI in a man is never treated as simple. NICE advises an antibiotic straight away and a urine culture. Fever, pain in the back or between the legs, or trouble passing urine need an in-person check, as the prostate may be involved.
What should I ask for at a Spanish pharmacy?
Say you have "cistitis" or an "infección de orina" and "escozor al orinar" (burning when peeing). The pharmacist can advise on pain relief and will tell you that an antibiotic needs a prescription. At night, look for the "farmacia de guardia" (duty pharmacy) sign on any closed pharmacy.
I am pregnant and have urinary symptoms. What should I do?
Get a medical assessment the same day. In pregnancy a UTI is treated straight away, a urine culture is needed, and the antibiotic must be safe for pregnancy. With fever, back pain or contractions, go to hospital urgencias.
Sources and clinical guidelines
- NICE NG109: Urinary tract infection (lower): antimicrobial prescribing
- NICE NG112: Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing
- NHS: Cystitis
- Cochrane (2023): Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections
- MedlinePlus: Urinary tract infections
- AEMPS – CIMA: official medicine information in Spain
By city
Public hospital emergency departments, pharmacies on duty and when a video visit can help, city by city:
Online consultations are for urgent, non-emergency care. In a medical emergency call 112 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.
Every day · 07:30–20:30One named doctor, from first call to follow-up
Book a secure 15-minute video consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera for €50. Appointments every day, 07:30–20:30 (Spain time). For urgent, non-emergency care; in an emergency, call 112.
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