What does abdominal pain feel like with urinary tract infection?

A bladder infection can cause pressure or soreness just above the pubic bone. Burning when passing urine, needing to urinate often, sudden urgency, or cloudy, strong-smelling, or blood-stained urine may occur. Pain in the side or back, chills, fever, nausea, or vomiting can suggest that infection has reached the kidneys and needs prompt assessment.

The same lower-abdominal feeling can have causes unrelated to the urinary tract, including bowel or reproductive-system conditions. A urine test may help a clinician decide whether treatment is needed. Learn more about Urinary Tract Infection and Abdominal Pain.

Arrange medical or pharmacy advice for new urinary symptoms with abdominal pain, particularly if you are pregnant, have diabetes, use a catheter, or have a condition affecting your kidneys. Drink fluids according to your usual medical advice and do not use leftover antibiotics. A clinician may ask about urine changes, fever, flank pain, and previous infections.

Seek urgent care for fever with side or back pain, shaking chills, repeated vomiting, confusion, faintness, severe pain, or difficulty passing urine. Blood in the urine with worsening symptoms also needs prompt review. Children, older adults, and people who are pregnant should seek advice early when infection symptoms appear.

Ask whether a urine sample is needed, which treatment is appropriate, how quickly symptoms should improve, and which signs could mean the infection is affecting the kidneys.