Cranberry juice is only a temporary solution to a urinary tract infection. It does not do much to fight the infection, but it eases the symptoms of burning and pain to a large extent. Usually, the body fights the infection on its own, and in a couple of days you are back to normal. If your urinary tract infection has lasted longer than three days, you should visit a doctor immediately. Any delay can be extremely dangerous, as the infection could worsen and spread, causing serious damage to your urinary tract, in particular to your kidneys. The risk of kidney damage is an extremely serious one, and not something to be fooled around with or taken lightly.
Drinking cranberry juice for days on end will only ease your symptoms, while the infection itself continues to worsen and spread. If you find that your symptoms return as soon as you stop drinking cranberry juice, it does not mean that you need to continue drinking cranberry juice - it simply means that the infection is still going strong and you need medical treatment. You may want to avoid antibiotics, but in some cases they are the only option, and if they are used responsibly and sensibly, they are quite safe.
answered by M W