Yes, indeed, UTI patients and people who want to prevent UTI can drink Pedialyte to help them with their illness as it would be a great way to prevent dehydration in this group of people.
Dehydration is almost synonymous with urinary tract infection (UTI), so a drink that can help prevent it and offer some extra electrolytes, ions and minerals to the body in time of need could be of great help to cure people of this illness.
Is it safe for people with UTI to drink Pedialyte?
Pedialyte is basically water that has been infused with some electrolytes, minerals and ions.
So, it’s generally safe for all people to drink it, except those who have hypertension, diabetes or other conditions that impose diet restrictions, then they might want to adjust the dose with their doctor.
For UTI treatment and prevention, Pedialyte is not only safe, but it has many benefits that it can offer to people who have UTI.
What are the health benefits that Pedialyte can provide for people with UTI?
The obvious advantage that Pedialyte has over Gatorade and similar sports drinks is that it contains a lot less sugar.
This not only reduces possible side effects that such drinks might cause to the immune system, but it also improves electrolyte absorption from Pedialyte and thereby improves rehydration.
What I mean is that Pedialyte offers better electrolyte and mineral absorption than most other sports drinks because it has a balanced sugar to electrolytes ratio.
That ratio is closest to what is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other medical organizations for Oral Rehydration Drinks.
Pedialyte has a wider range and a higher content of healthy electrolytes and minerals, and because of the better sugar-to-electrolyte ratio, an even larger percentage of them are going to be absorbed into the bloodstream and body than other sports drinks.
So, this gives Pedialyte a great advantage because it will be able to deliver much more important minerals and electrolytes into the cells, blood, muscles and tissues of our bodies than sports drinks.
This can offer a direct benefit for UTI people because these infused electrolytes might be able to help regulate bladder muscle contraction, and thereby help to reduce incontinence, and micturition symptoms of UTI and also decrease bladder irritation.
Not to mention the other important and direct benefit that these electrolytes would provide, which is improved hydration status of the body, which can strengthen the immune system and prevent damage to the urinary tract.
Pedialyte has a high enough electrolyte and mineral content that it would be able to replenish most of those lost elements easily and restore hydration to the body of those who have become dehydrated because of UTI.
Zinc, potassium, sodium, chloride and citrate ions, all of these elements are found in close to sufficient amounts in Pedialyte.
Potassium and citrate ions are important for preventing kidney stones which is one of the greatest risk factors for causing urinary tract infections in the first place.
One of the major functions of potassium is regulating muscle contractions, so preventing or correcting potassium deficiency can help reduce irritability and agitation in the bladder muscle, which in turn could help alleviate or prevent UTI.
Sodium and chloride regulate hydration and voiding volume, so we need them to maintain good hydration and urination which could help flush out UTI-causing bacteria out of the bladder.
Zinc, amongst its many functions, is vital for the immune system and a lack of it can weaken immunity, which could make the body more susceptible to UTIs or could exacerbate already existing ones.
Zinc also has antioxidant qualities, and that can prevent the oxidative damage that UTIs are responsible for causing to the bladder and urinary tract in general. See this study.
Any deficiency in those elements can worsen or even cause a UTI, while on the other side having sufficient amounts of them can help prevent or cure this infection.
Some kinds of Pedialyte, like Pedialyte Advanced Care, have additional minerals in them, like Magnesium, and that in my opinion really favors them for UTI people.
Also, Pedialyte Immune Support has additional vitamins, and that can be extremely helpful for UTI people.
Low levels of magnesium are common in people and even more so in UTI patients. Dietary deficiencies, medications and even alcoholism can contribute to the vast numbers of people who are magnesium deficient in the United States and other countries of the world.
Magnesium controls a wide range of operations in the body from metabolism to also regulating muscle contractions to supporting the immune system.
Muscle twitching, cardiovascular issues, diabetes mellitus, and many other health conditions can occur because of deficient magnesium levels, especially if they were on chronic basis.
Having a drink that can increase magnesium levels in the body without a doubt can support the immune system of UTI sufferers and reduce bladder agitation.
Citrate ions are found at higher concentrations in Pedialyte than in other drinks, which is very good news for UTI patients.
Not only can these ions prevent a very important and major UTI risk factor, which is kidney stones, but they can als provide immediate relief from UTI pain symptoms.
These ions work hand in hand with potassium in reducing urinary tract agitation and irritation.
That’s why you can find potassium citrate in over-the-counter UTI pain relief medication effervescent formulations.
Citrate ions can also improve the effectiveness of UTI antibiotics.
This study talks about the important role that minerals, like zinc, and ions, like citrate ions, play in the prevention and treatment of UTI.
Is Pedialyte good for UTI and why?
Of course, it is. As we have discussed earlier, Pedialyte contains a variety of healthy Sodium, potassium, zinc, chloride, sometimes magnesium and citrate ions.
These important electrolytes and ions can not only restore hydration to the body and urinary tract, which is vital for UTI patients, but they can also strengthen the immune system in the face of urinary tract infections.
When you drink a liter or a bottle of this beverage, you would be rehydrating with both water and electrolytes, which is the ultimate form of rehydration.
Rehydration will not only increase urinary output, which can help flush out UTI-causing bacteria out of the urinary system, but an adequate hydration level is going to prevent damage, agitation and irritation to the urinary tract.
Electrolytes found in Pedialyte can work together to support the immune system, and that can speed up recovery or even prevent UTI in the first place.
Potassium and citrate ions of Pedialyte can prevent a very serious UTI risk factor which is kidney stones.
Magnesium ions in Pedialyte can help prevent osteoporosis, which has recently been found to be linked with UTI. See this study.
Pedialyte can correct potassium and sodium deficiencies, and these deficiencies have been known to cause UTI.
Zinc is found in a rather sufficient concentration in Pedialyte, and that can prevent or speed up recovery from UTI, especially because many people have some kind of zinc deficiency.
Pedialyte contains a low amount of sugar, artificial sweetener and food additives, especially in comparison to other sports drinks like Gatorade, and that does not cause a significant reduction to its beneficial effects on UTI people.
In summary
Pedialyte is highly recommended for UTI treatment and prevention because it can help flush out unwanted bacteria and prevent agitation by restoring hydration to the urinary system and because it can also offer support to the immune system and prevent oxidative damage to the urinary tract since it contains a lot of electrolytes and minerals.
What are the drawbacks of Pedialyte for people with UTI?
The only downside I can find on Pedialyte is the presence of artificial sweeteners and other food additives.
The artificial sweetener content of this drink can interfere with fluid and electrolyte absorption of this drink.
Almost all sports drinks and commercial rehydration drinks contain these types of ingredients.
However, because of the presence of low amounts of sugar in Pedialyte, artificial sweeteners have been introduced into the drink to enhance its taste in addition to the other food additives, like dyes and preservatives, that you can already find in almost all other kinds of drinks.
Artificial sweeteners found in Pedialyte like sucralose and acesulfame potassium are generally considered safe and have large safety margins, see this study, however, consuming large quantities of them may show their bad side.
So, unfortunately, we cannot have the complete benefit from the reduced sugar content of Pedialyte because of the presence of these substances.
This puts a limit to the amount of Pedialyte people and people who have UTI can drink, especially on the long or mid-term.
Artificial sweeteners and dyes have been known to interfere with electrolyte absorption and affect insulin sensitivity just like regular or refined sugar.
This can have a negative effect to some extent on the immunity and hydration status of UTI patients, and we all know how much enhanced hydration and improved immunity these people need to stave off the infection.
If taken in high quantities people with UTI, especially, may suffer from the unintended consequences of ingesting too much sucralose and acesulfame potassium that are found in Pedialyte.
Consequences like toxicity, weakened immunity, tampering with insulin sensitivity and reduced hydration because of their interference with electrolyte absorption.
However, what I like to inform you is that these substances have been tested vigorously over the past decades by health organizations and research labs, and their safety has been established.
Moreover, Pedialyte has rather low and safe concentrations of these substances, which means that consuming a liter a day of Pedialyte for the duration of illness should be safe for almost all people except for those who have pre-existing conditions like chronic kidney disease or diabetes or hypertension.
These people should check with their doctors before drinking Pedialyte.
Problems with the artificial sweeteners found in Pedialyte only arise from overdosing which is something that is extremely difficult to happen with Pedialyte.
Pedialyte dosage for adults who have a UTI and for UTI prevention?
In my estimation, obviously, you should not drink a liter of Pedialyte every day for the rest of your life, but you can and should drink a one-liter bottle of Pedialyte every day or so for the duration of your UTI illness until you get better.
It’s even better if you mix it up a little and use some natural fruit beverages and a lot of water, of course.
People who want to prevent UTI cannot drink Pedialyte every day because then the side effects of the food additives found in Pedialyte might appear.
But, they should always opt to maintain hydration and Pedialyte can help in that manner.
So, for UTI prevention I recommend that adults should drink Pedialte 2 to 3 times a week divided on separate days and use natural fruit drinks without any added sugar for the days when they would not drink Pedialyte.
This way you would only reap the benefits from drinking such a rehydrating drink without the potential side effects of the artificial sweeteners and food additives content.
Also, they should drink sufficient amounts of water every day whether they are drinking Pedialyte or not.
Pedialyte dosage for elderly
Elderly People can drink as much Pedialyte as they can tolerate, especially if they have UTI. However, if they have a pre-existing condition or have damaged kidneys then they obviously need to check in with their doctor to adjust to the dose for them.
Generally, Pedialyte is a very safe drink for all people including the elderly.
Normally, people who have kidney damage or hypertension would need to reduce their intake of Pedialyte and similar fluids in order to prevent side effects.
Pedialyte dosage for children with UTI
The dosage of Pedialyte for children with UTI is the same for mild to moderate dehydration prevention, and it varies depending on the age and weight of the child.
| Infants under 1 year of age | consult a pediatrician |
| Children 1-2 years | up to 1 liter in 24 hours (50–100 mL sips) |
| Children 2-9 years | up to 1 liter in 8-24 hours (100–200 mL sips) |
| Adults, adolescents, and children ≥ 10 years | up to as much as tolerated (more than 1 liter at least) |
Is Pedialyte the best oral rehydration drink to drink with UTI?
I don’t know if it’s the best, but it’s definitely on the list.
However, there are some good competitors for this beverage like Avocare’s Rehydrate.
This beverage has vitamins C, B and A, which have antioxidant and immune protective qualities that UTI patients are in much need of.
Pedialyte Immune Support also has a similar composition to Rehydrate with the added vitamins,and that puts these two drinks on similar levels in terms of helping people with UTI.
Can low electrolytes cause UTI?
Hyponatremia (sodium deficiency) and hypokalemia (potassium deficiency) are considered as UTI risk factors, and a UTI can cause one of them also, although some UTIs can cause a temporary spike in potassium levels.
Nonetheless, any deficiency in one or two of these elements especially if it happens over the long term can increase the possibility of UTI as we explained earlier. See this study.
A large percentage of the world population is already suffering from magnesium and/or zinc deficiencies and these deficiencies can definitely increase the probability of UTI occurring in addition to many other conditions. See the previous studies.
These were just examples, and what I want to say is that any deficiency or lack of some mineral, electrolyte or even vitamins and amino acids will in fact cause some kind of damage that can directly or indirectly lead to causing a urinary tract infection or any other kind of illness.
So, we should always opt to keep nutrition and hydration levels at the best, especially during the time of illness and especially during UTI.
Can I drink Pedialyte while on UTI antibiotics?
Yes without a doubt, unless advised otherwise by a doctor.
The citrate ion content of Pedialyte can actually help improve UTI antibiotics’ effectiveness against the infection, and the collective immune support action of Pedialyte can work together with UTI antibiotics (given that they were prescribed properly by a doctor) to kill the bacteria.
Can UTI patients or people who want to prevent UTI drink Pedialyte even if they are not feeling dehydrated?
Sometimes people can be dehydrated without them feeling it as mild forms of dehydration can go unnoticed.
A more common scenario is when people become deficient in one or more electrolytes or minerals, which can be considered as a form of dehydration.
These people are more susceptible to UTIs as we said and therefore they would benefit from drinking Pedialyte.
Even if a UTI patient or any person does not have any form of dehydration or electrolyte deficiency, they would benefit from drinking Pedialyte, especially Pedialyte Immune Support because it can nourish them and help maintain electrolyte balance in the body.
Pedialyte does not have extreme concentrations of anything so you don’t need to worry about having more minerals electrolytes or even vitamins in your body than what you need, except if you have a condition like diabetes or hypertension, then you might want to consider with your doctor.
Are UTI people more likely to be dehydrated?
_ Sometimes UTIs can cause gastrointestinal upset, which in turn can cause diarrhea or vomiting or both, and I don’t need to tell you that dehydration would be imminent at that level.
This mostly happens when a UTI develops and becomes a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) and it can even happen in the case of an ordinary UTI where bacteria mostly attack the bladder.
If you want to know the difference between a normal UTI and a kidney infection, visit this article.
_ The mere fact that there is a bacterial invasion (infection) in the body would cause the immune system to consume more energy in order to fight the infection.
This means that the body would use more fluids, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients in order to support the immune system and this, of course, would put the body in need of intaking more healthy fluids to prevent dehydration.
This is where Pedialyte comes in handy.
_ Most UTIs are already caused partially or completely by some form of dehydration or electrolyte deficiency.
_ Last but not least, UTIs can cause fever as you may know and this can cause the body to lose a lot of fluids.
What is the best Pedialyte product to help with UTI prevention and treatment?
Pedialyte Immune Support is the best Pedialyte product for people who want to treat or prevent UTI, and it’s a very good choice for them in general.
In addition to the electrolyte and mineral formulation present in regular Pedialyte, Pedialyte Immune Support has Magnesium, Selenium, vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin B12, which are not found altogether in other Pedialyte products.
This is apparently a new product and it appears that the company that makes Pedialyte has become aware of the great value of adding vitamins and more minerals on the immune system in general.
Anything that can help strengthen the immune system is something that I recommend, so bravo to the people who made Pedialyte Immune Support. Check its price on Amazon.
Can I use Pedialyte after 48 hours?
Usually, Oral Rehydration Solutions become not suitable for drinking 24 hours after opening the bottle, and Pedialyte is no different.
But, putting Pedialyte in the refrigerator can delay bacteria from growing on the drink and ruining it for up to 96 hours.
We have now reached the end of our article, so If you need any more help with your UTI, feel free to contact us or check the multitude of articles we have about this subject on our website KNOW & TREAT UTI.
Stay healthy and have a wonderful rest of your day.