Can Any Type Of Antibiotics Cure Chlamydia

Treatment For Chlamydia Is Quick And Easy

Two antibiotics are most often used for treating chlamydia:

• Azithromycin The main treatment for chlamydia is one gram of azithromycin, taken one time, says , deputy director of clinical services for public health with the Seattle and King County HIV and STD Program in Washington. That one gram comes as either two pills or four pills. It is not expensive.
• Doxycycline If your doctor prescribes doxycycline, you will take two pills daily for one week. It costs somewhat more than azithromycin.

Antibiotics can also cure chlamydia in infants, who can get the infection from their mothers, and treatment is essential for them. Without treatment, infants infected with chlamydia can develop conjunctivitis, which can cause blindness, or pneumonia, which can be fatal.

What If I Take Too Much

Taking an extra dose of azithromycin by accident is unlikely to harm you or your child. It may, however, increase the chance of temporary side effects, such as feeling or being sick or diarrhoea.

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you’re worried, or if you or your child accidentally take more than 1 extra dose.

Why Do I Keep Getting A Chlamydia Infection

You can get chlamydia even after treatment. You may get it again for several reasons, including:

• You did not complete your course of antibiotics as directed and the initial chlamydia did not go away.
• Your sexual partner has untreated chlamydia and gave it to you during sexual activity.
• You used an object during sex that was not properly cleaned and was contaminated with chlamydia.

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Testing And Treating Sexual Partners

If you test positive for chlamydia, it’s important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you’ve had are also tested and treated.

A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.

Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection .

The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 Next review due: 01 September 2024

How Is Chlamydia Spread

You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.

If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate .

If youve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.

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Complications Associated With The Treatment Of Chlamydial Infections

The primary frontline antichlamydial antibiotics, tetracyclines and azithromycin , are highly effective in the treatment of uncomplicated chlamydial infections . However, accumulating data suggest that a break in the normal chlamydial developmental cycle can result in persistence and long-term infection that is refractory to antibiotic therapy. An understanding of this phenomenon is far from complete. Although 50% of genital C. trachomatis infections resolve spontaneously within 1 year of testing , a further understanding of long-term infections is important, because it is hypothesized that persistence can cause a cascade of potentially serious inflammatory-induced sequelae, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, blindness, arthritis, asthma and atherosclerosis .

The Costs Of Infertility

Treating chlamydia is easy, but for those who do not get treated or get treated too late, living with the damage caused by the infection can be hard.

Rabin has treated many women who never knew they had had chlamydia until they couldnt get pregnant due to blocked fallopian tubes. These women often wind up trying in vitro fertilization , which does not always succeed.

There are all kinds of costs involved for these women, say Rabin. There are emotional costs and physical costs. There are also financial costs with IVF. Its much better to not let the tubes get damaged, she says, and get pregnant the old-fashioned way.

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What Is The Difference Between Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

Both STIs are caused by bacteria and can cause similar symptoms. Gonorrhea is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria and Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria which causes chlamydia. Chlamydia is more common and is less likely to produce symptoms, especially in women.

• Lower abdominal or pelvic pain

• Pain or bleeding during sex

• Bleeding between periods

• Burning or itching of the urethra

• Pain in the testicles

70% of women and 50% of men wont experience any symptoms.

• An unusual discharge which might be yellow or green

• Pain or a burning sensation while you pee

• Bleeding between periods or after sex

• Lower abdominal pain

• Inflamed foreskin

• Tender or sore testicles

10% of men and 50% of women dont show any symptoms of the infection.

For both chlamydia and gonorrhea symptoms will usually arise within 2 weeks of having transmitted the infection. It is possible for symptoms not to show up for months though. If youre at all worried that you might have an STI then always get tested.

Can Chlamydia Be Cured

Yes, chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. You should not share medication for chlamydia with anyone.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should be tested again about three months after you are treated, even if your sex partner was treated.

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What Happens If You Dont Get Treated For Chlamydia

Even though chlamydia is common and doesnt usually cause any symptoms, it can become a big deal if its not caught and treated early.

Chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes if it goes untreated for a long time. This can cause you to have pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause permanent damage that leads to pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. So getting tested regularly for chlamydia really lowers your chances of getting PID.

If you have a penis, a chlamydia infection can spread to your epididymis if its left untreated, and can cause chronic joint pain. Rarely, it can make you infertile.

Having chlamydia may increase your chances of getting or spreading HIV.

If you have chlamydia during your pregnancy and dont treat it, you can pass it to your baby when youre giving birth. Chlamydia can also cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns, and it also increases the risk of delivering your baby too early.

Testing and treatment for chlamydia is quick, easy, and the best way to avoid all of these problems.

Chlamydia Treatment And Prevention

Milly DawsonSanjai Sinha, MDShutterstock

Chlamydia is easy to cure. If you test positive for chlamydia, basically you take an antibiotic, says Jill Rabin, MD, cochief in the division of ambulatory care for women’s health programs and prenatal care assistance program services for Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.

Your partner must take an antibiotic, too, to keep them from reinfecting you, she says.

You have to have your partner treated, and if you have more than one partner, they should all be treated, says Dr. Rabin, regardless of your partners genders.

Even if you dont have chlamydia now, its wise to learn how to protect yourself so you wont develop this common infection in the first place. In women, chlamydia can create serious health problems, including infertility. Besides, no one ever wants to have a sexually transmitted disease and then have to tell other people about it.

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How To Prevent Gonorrhea

Unfortunately, there are no drugs or vaccines that prevent gonorrhea. The best way to avoid gonorrhea is by employing safe sex practices, including the use of condoms. Getting a gonorrhea Infection does not protect you against future infections.

Gonorrhea is a common STI that is treatable. However, if you wait too long to get treatment, you run the risk of having serious complications, like scarring, PID, and possible future fertility issues. Know your STI status and encourage your sexual partner to do the same. Practicing safe sexual practices is the only way to prevent the transmission of gonorrhea.

Chlamydia Treatment: Can Antibiotics Treat A Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is a widespread bacteria which usually causes infections of the female genitourinary tract. It is considered a sexually transmitted disease , but males develop the symptoms of chlamydia very rarely, due to the anatomical differences between male and female genitourinary systems.

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Is There An Over Counter Treatment For Chlamydia

No, the CDC recommended treatment for chlamydia requires a prescription, but you do not need to visit the doctor’s office in person to get a prescription. Technology has made doctor visits online quick and easy. Just complete an online consultation visit and a prescription can be sent to a local pharmacy.

How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia

If you suspect you have chlamydia, your doctor may want to test cervical or penile discharge or urine using one of several available methods.

In most cases of chlamydia, the cure rate is 95%. However, because many women don’t know they have the disease until it has caused serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually active women under age 25 and others at higher risk should be tested for chlamydia once a year during their annual pelvic exam even if they dont have symptoms.

Pregnant women should also be tested as part of their routine lab work.

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Antibiotics For Treating Genital Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In Men And Non

Review question

This systematic review assessed the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic treatment for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection in terms of microbiological or clinical failure in men and non-pregnant women.

Background

CT is the most frequent cause of urinary tract and genital infections in women and men. However, women frequently show no symptoms when they are infected. CT infection can lead to complications or cause further problems in reproductive health in women , and men , or chronic pelvic pain. Clinical guidelines for treating CT do not recommend a preferred antibiotic treatment. This Cochrane review evaluates all randomised controlled studies , that included antibiotics for the treatment of genital CT infection that are recommended by the most up-to-date clinical guidelines.

Search date

We searched for studies published up to June 2018 that provided information about failure to eliminate the CT infection or improve the symptoms, presence of adverse events, antimicrobial resistance, and reinfection. as treatment outcomes

Study characteristics

Study funding sources

One study reported funding from academic grants, another four studies declared having received sponsorship or grants from pharmaceutical companies. The other studies declared that they were self-funded or did not mention funding at all.

Key results

Quality of evidence

To assess the efficacy and safety of antibiotic treatment for CT genital infection in men and non-pregnant women.

Can A Z Pack Cure Chlamydia

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Chlamydial Resistance To Individual Antibiotic Classes

Chlamydiae are known to acquire resistance through mutations to six major classes of antibiotics. Both naturally acquired and laboratory-generated resistance found in selected chlamydial strains have facilitated the study of conserved biological pathways, such as peptidoglycan synthesis, folate synthesis and methionine synthesis, which cannot be approached directly in the chlamydial system . The ability to generate resistant mutants has supported new experimental methods that facilitate recombination and transformation in or between Chlamydiae in vitro . The following sections will describe resistance phenotypes that are stably expressed by Chlamydiae in cell culture systems.

What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia

Like most STDs, chlamydia often does not show any symptoms. As a result, many people with chlamydia do not know it. The only way to know is to get tested.

If symptoms do appear, they may include pain or burning while peeing and/or during sex, lower belly pain, swollen or tender testicles, or abnormal discharge from the vagina, penis or anus.

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How Is Chlamydia Treated

Chlamydia can be easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. You may be able to take all the antibiotics in one day, or over a week, depending on the type of treatment you are prescribed.

Its important to not have sex until you and your current sexual partner/s have finished treatment. If youve had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for seven days afterwards. Ask your healthcare professional when its safe to have sex again.

Remember that if youve been treated for chlamydia you are not immune and you can get infected again.

How Long Does Treatment Take To Work

After gonorrhea treatment, it takes a few days for the symptoms to resolve completely. The antibiotics are very effective at treating gonorrhea. Unfortunately, they cannot reverse any damage, such as scarring, that the infection may have caused. Early treatment is vital to prevent future problems. If the symptoms have not resolved after a few days, you should follow-up with your healthcare provider for possible re-evaluation.

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When Can I Have Sex Again

If you had doxycycline, you shouldn’t have sex including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom until both you and your partner have completed treatment.

If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex .

This will help ensure you don’t pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.

What Is A Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia genital infection is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. In fact, C. trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world. Interestingly, about 70% of genital infections are associated with few or no symptoms at all.

Chlamydial infections in women are more likely to remain asymptomatic than in men . However, women are more likely to develop long-term complications.

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Urogenital Infection In Women

• References

In women, chlamydial infection of the lower genital tract occurs in the endocervix. It can cause an odorless, mucoid vaginal discharge, typically with no external pruritus, although many women have minimal or no symptoms.2 An ascending infection can result in pelvic inflammatory disease .

Physical findings of urogenital chlamydial infection in women include cervicitis with a yellow or cloudy mucoid discharge from the os. The cervix tends to bleed easily when rubbed with a polyester swab or scraped with a spatula. Chlamydial infection cannot be distinguished from other urogenital infections by symptoms alone. Clinical microscopy and the amine test can be used to help differentiate chlamydial infection from other lower genital tract infections such as urinary tract infection, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis.3 In addition, chlamydial infection in the lower genital tract does not cause vaginitis thus, if vaginal findings are present, they usually indicate a different diagnosis or a coinfection.

Some women with C. trachomatis infection develop urethritis symptoms may consist of dysuria without frequency or urgency. A urethral discharge can be elicited by compressing the urethra during the pelvic examination. Urinalysis usually will show more than five white blood cells per high-powered field, but urethral cultures generally are negative.

Gonorrhea And Treatment With Antibiotics

Gonorrhea, also known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Both men and women can get this STD and spread it to their sexual partners through vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse. The primary route of treatment of this, like other infections, is through the intake of antibiotics.

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What Happens If I Dont Get Treated

The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.

If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes . This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease . PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if it doesnt cause symptoms initially, PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy .

Men rarely have health problems linked to chlamydia. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children.

Summary Of The Evidence

There is no evidence relating to patient values and preferences but the Guideline Development Group agreed that there is probably no variability in the values people place on the outcomes. Research related to other conditions indicates that adherence may be improved with simpler medication regimens. The GDG therefore agreed that azithromycin may be more acceptable to patients since it is a single dose regimen . There is little to no evidence for equity issues and feasibility. Resistance in other infections that often co-occur with chlamydia may restrict the use of some medicines, such as ofloxacin. For many of these medicines, costs may differ between countries in places with high incidence of chlamydia, the cost differences between azithromycin and doxycycline may be large due to greater numbers of people requiring treatment.

In summary, there was moderate quality evidence for trivial differences in benefits and harms between azithromycin and doxycycline, and although the cost of azithromycin is higher, the single dose may make it more convenient to use than doxycycline. While the differences are also trivial with the other medicines, the evidence is low quality and these are therefore provided as alternatives, with the exception of delayed-release doxycycline, which is currently expensive.

See for list of references of reviewed evidence, and for details of the evidence reviewed, including evidence profiles and evidence-to-decision frameworks .

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