Key takeaways:
Blujepa (gepotidacin) is an oral antibiotic used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women and girls ages 12 and older. It reaches its highest concentration in your body about 2 hours after taking a dose. You should start to feel relief within a couple of days after starting Blujepa.
Taking Blujepa the right way matters. You should take it with food every 12 hours for a total of 5 days. It’s important not to skip doses (or stop treatment early) in order for Blujepa to work effectively.
The most common Blujepa side effect is diarrhea. Other mild side effects include nausea, headaches, and flatulence (gas). These side effects typically subside on their own.
If you don’t feel better after a few days or feel worse at any point, contact a healthcare professional. They may want to run more urinary tests or switch you to a different antibiotic.
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Blujepa (gepotidacin) is a new oral antibiotic that’s FDA approved to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women and girls ages 12 and older. Blujepa works well against the bacteria that most often cause UTIs. This includes some bacteria that no longer respond to other UTI antibiotics.
If you’re just starting to take Blujepa for a UTI, it’s a good idea to know what to expect. Below, we’ll cover how long it takes for Blujepa to work and how to take it properly with answers to seven frequently asked questions. We’ll also cover factors that can affect how long Blujepa takes to work.
1. How long does Blujepa take to work?
Blujepa starts to work fairly quickly. It reaches its highest levels in your blood about 2 hours after you take a dose. You likely won’t feel any differently right away, though.
You should start to feel better within a couple of days of taking Blujepa. Common urinary symptoms, such as burning during urination (peeing) and needing to pee more often, may begin to improve within this same time frame. But it’s important to take your full course of Blujepa, even if you start to feel better. Completing your prescription will allow the antibiotic to finish the job of fighting bacteria in your urinary tract.
2. How long does it take to see full effects from Blujepa?
How long it takes to see full results from Blujepa varies from person to person. Many people feel better after a couple of days, while others may need a few extra days to get complete relief. There’s not a set time frame, unfortunately.
Ultimately, your prescriber can give you a better idea of what to expect based on your symptoms, age, and overall medical history.
3. Are there factors that affect how long Blujepa takes to work?
A couple of factors can reduce Blujepa’s effectiveness and make it harder to tolerate. This can affect how long it takes to start feeling better.
Taking Blujepa the wrong way
You should take Blujepa exactly as directed. That means taking 2 tablets (750 mg each) by mouth twice daily (about 12 hours apart) for 5 days.
Blujepa won’t work as well if you miss doses. If you miss a dose or take it at the wrong time, there may not be enough Blujepa in your system to fight your infection.
Drug interactions
Some medications can affect how your liver breaks down Blujepa. For example, medications such as ketoconazole and verapamil can cause your body to break down Blujepa at a slower rate. This can lead to higher blood levels and raise the risk of side effects.
On the other hand, carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR) and rifampin (Rifatin) are examples of medications that can cause a faster breakdown of Blujepa. This can reduce your blood levels, which makes Blujepa less effective.
You won’t have to prevent interactions on your own. Always give your prescriber and pharmacist a list of medications and supplements you’re taking. This will help them make sure that Blujepa is safe for you to take with your other medications.
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4. What should you expect when starting Blujepa?
In clinical trials, the most common Blujepa side effect was diarrhea. Other possible side effects include nausea, abdominal pain, and flatulence (gas). You might also experience headaches or dizziness.
These side effects are usually mild and go away on their own. But there are some simple ways to manage them while your body adjusts to the medication, such as:
Taking Blujepa with food to prevent stomach upset
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, especially if you have diarrhea
Eating bland foods, such as rice, toast, or bananas, to calm your stomach if you’re feeling nauseous
Taking your time while eating and avoiding carbonated (fizzy) drinks if you feel bloated or have stomach pain
Sitting or laying down if you feel dizzy, and avoiding driving until the dizziness passes
If any of the side effects become uncomfortable or don’t get better, contact a healthcare professional.
Though they rarely occur, you should also watch for serious Blujepa side effects. Serious side effects can include severe diarrhea, difficulty speaking, or an irregular heartbeat. You should contact a healthcare professional right away if any of these serious side effects occur. They may refer you to get treatment in a hospital setting.
5. How long do you need to take Blujepa?
Blujepa is a short-term medication. You’ll only need to take it for 5 days at a time.
Blujepa is available as an oral tablet. You’ll take two 750 mg tablets (1,500 mg total) twice daily. You should take your doses about 12 hours apart and try to take them at the same time each day. It’s recommended to take Blujepa with food to prevent stomach upset.
You need to take Blujepa for 5 full days (10 doses total), even if you start to feel better sooner.
6. Can you stop taking Blujepa once you feel better?
No, you shouldn’t stop taking Blujepa early, even if you start to feel better after a few doses.
Stopping Blujepa early can result in the infection coming back or cause antibiotic resistance. This is when leftover bacteria adapt and become resistant to the antibiotic. The bacteria can then become harder to treat.
That said, Blujepa is designed to help reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. Unlike many antibiotics that target just one part of a microorganism, Blujepa blocks two key enzymes bacteria need to grow and survive. This dual mechanism makes it more difficult for bacteria to adapt and become resistant.
Still, resistance can happen. It’s important to take Blujepa exactly as prescribed. Be sure to finish the full 5-day course unless your healthcare team tells you otherwise.
7. What should you do if your symptoms don’t improve or get worse while taking Blujepa?
A UTI that isn’t fully treated can lead to potentially serious issues, such as kidney damage or bloodstream infections. This is because the infection can spread from the bladder to other parts of the body. So it’s important to follow your prescriber’s instructions carefully. This allows Blujepa to work effectively to clear your infection.
Contact a healthcare professional if your symptoms don't improve or get worse within a few days of starting Blujepa. They may want to run more tests or switch your antibiotic.
The bottom line
Blujepa (gepotidacin) is an oral antibiotic used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). It generally starts to fight the bacteria that cause UTIs within 2 hours of the first dose. But you probably won’t feel better right away. Some people may start to feel UTI symptoms improve a couple of days after starting Blujepa, but the time line for full relief varies from person to person.
It’s important to take Blujepa as directed and to finish the 5-day course, even if you start to feel better. Most Blujepa side effects are mild and temporary. The most common side effect is diarrhea. If your UTI symptoms don’t get better after taking Blujepa, contact a healthcare professional right away.
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References
GlaxoSmithKline. (2025). Blujepa - gepotidacin tablet, film coated [package insert]. DailyMed.
Mareș, C., et al. (2024). Update on urinary tract infection antibiotic resistance—A retrospective study in females in conjunction with clinical data. Life.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Blujepa (gepotidacin): Integrated review..
Wagenlehner, F., et al. (2024). Oral gepotidacin versus nitrofurantoin in patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infection (EAGLE-2 and EAGLE-3): Two randomised, controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3, non-inferiority trials. The Lancet.
Watkins, R. R., et al. (2023). Gepotidacin: A novel, oral, ‘first-in-class’ triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections and urogenital gonorrhoea. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
