How Long Does Azithromycin Take To Cure Chlamydia
It usually takes approximately 7 days for azithromycin to cure chlamydia. However, it can take up to 2 weeks for the infection to go away completely.
Avoid having sex during treatment or until the infection has cleared. Youll want to make sure its completely cured, or else youll risk passing it to someone else.
Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Azithromycin For Chlamydia
Yes, you may drink a small amount of alcohol while you are taking azithromycin but there is a chance large amounts of alcohol may increase the gastrointestinal side effects of azithromycin, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, or flatulence. Too much alcohol with azithromycin may also give you a headache.
Because azithromycin is usually taken as a one-off dose, drinking alcohol is unlikely to stop azithromycin from curing chlamydia.
What Are Oral Chlamydia Symptoms
Like most STDs, partners exposed to chlamydia may exhibit no symptoms. Similarly, in oral chlamydia, most people have no symptoms. When symptoms arise, some experience a sore throat. While others, may experience redness of the throat. In any situation, if you or a partner have been exposed to someone who has chlamydia, it is best to get treated as soon as possible to avoid complications.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of Chlamydia
By | Aug. 24, 2010, 11:11 a.m.
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How long does it take to get rid of chlamydia?
It depends. If youre diagnosed with chlamydia, your health care provider will probably prescribe an antibiotic. In some cases, treatment is possible with a single dose of medication in the health care providers office. Other medications must be taken for seven days. Its important to make sure that you take the antibiotic exactly as directed for as long as its prescribed even if your symptoms go away. Avoid having sex until your treatment is complete and the infection is cured. Its also important to let your sex partner know that you have chlamydia so they can get tested and treated, too. Some health care providers will give you medications to take home to your partner.
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection thats caused by a type of bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis. Both women and men can get it by having unprotected vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner. It can also be spread from a woman to her fetus during birth, and rarely, from the hand to the eye and, less likely, during unprotected oral sex. Each year, more than three million people of all ages become infected with chlamydia.
Does The Treatment Work
Usually, yes. You can infect another sex partner as soon as you get chlamydia. Most women and some men do not have early signs of the disease.
A pregnant women can also pass on the infection to her baby as it is being born. This can lead to infection of the eyes and lungs in the infant. It is important to inform people you have had sex with during the past 3 months because they may have the disease and not know they need treatment. Your public health nurse will contact your partner if you prefer. Your name will be kept confidential.
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What Are The Risks Of Chlamydia Infection
Untreated chlamydia can lead to many serious health conditions.
Women can develop pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to pelvic pain, complications with pregnancy, and fertility difficulties. Sometimes women become infertile from the effects of untreated chlamydia.
Men may develop inflammation of their testicles from untreated chlamydia and may also experience fertility issues.
Babies who acquire chlamydia during childbirth can develop pink eye and pneumonia. Its important for women to be treated for chlamydia during pregnancy to avoid spreading it to an infant.
Sexual behavior of any kind puts you at risk of contracting chlamydia. Some ways to reduce your chances of getting chlamydia include:
- refraining from sexual activity
How Long Does Treatment Take
Treatment time for chlamydia can vary from one to seven days. Azithromycin requires only one dose for one day, while you must take other antibiotics multiple times a day for seven days.
To cure a chlamydia infection, take the antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your doctor and for the full length of the prescription, being sure to take every dose. There should be no medication left at the end of the treatment period. You cannot save medication in case you acquire chlamydia again.
Contact your doctor if you still have symptoms but have taken all your antibiotics. You will need a follow-up test with your doctor
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Parents Have A Role In Chlamydia Prevention
Parents can do two main things to help their kids avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections , says Dombrowski. These two things are:
Does Chlamydia Treatment Have Side Effects
An antibiotic called Doxycycline is the most common medicine used to treat chlamydia. Like most medicines, it can cause mild side effects. The most common side effects of Doxycycline are nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, loss of appetite, mild diarrhea, skin rash or itching, change in skin color, vaginal itching, or discharge. These side effects should go away after you finish taking the medicine. Talk to your nurse or doctor about any medicines youre already taking and any medical issues you already have before taking Doxycycline.
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What Are The Different Types Of Chlamydia Medication
Chlamydia is among the most common of sexually transmitted infections, and there are several types of antibiotic medications available to treat it. The two most popular chlamydia medications are doxycycline and azithromycin, antibiotics that are considered the most effective. Ofloxacin and levofloxacin also are usually successful at eliminating the infection, but they are often more expensive than the top two medications. Pregnant patients usually have to use other options when it comes to chlamydia medication, because one of the most popular treatments, doxycycline, is not considered safe during pregnancy. Thus, pregnant women are more likely to be prescribed erythromycin or amoxicillin.
Ofloxacin is another type of chlamydia medicine, and while it is considered as effective as doxycycline and azithromycin, it is usually more expensive. This is the main reason it is not given out frequently by doctors. Like doxycycline, ofloxacin needs to be taken twice a day for a week and cannot be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Levofloxacin is a similar drug that is sometimes substituted for other chlamydia medications, but it is usually just as expensive as ofloxacin.
Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.
If you are pregnant, you should get tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.
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Chlamydia Can I Still Get Pregnant
I lived in Spain for a couple of years when I was 14 and I had a drunk one night stand at the age of 15 with a spanish boy, I wasn’t sure if it was protected but when I found out about a year later that I had chlamydia I presume that it was unprotected. Ever since I have moved back from Spain, I have a boyfriend who I have been with for 16 months, the day I found out we both went straight to the clinic to get it treated. Even though it was only just me who came back positive for it, my boyfriend took some pills for it too and he also did a test, and for some reason came out negative. I stopped taking the pill about a month ago, I am nearly 18 and me and my boyfriend want to try for a baby, but I have always had a fear that I cannot get pregnant due to the fact i’ve had chlamydia.Please can somebody put my mind at ease and explain if I can or cant get pregnant and if I can, how long will it take on average?
Does Azithromycin Cure Chlamydia
Cure rates of 97% were reported in an analysis of 12 randomized clinical trials that investigated the use of azithromycin 1 gram for the treatment of chlamydia. That means for every 100 people with chlamydia who take azithromycin, 97 will be cured and 3 will not be cured.
This relies on the person with chlamydia taking azithromycin exactly as directed and not sharing the medication with anyone. Any sexual partners must be also treated.
Although azithromycin cures chlamydia in most people, it will not repair any permanent damage done to tissues by the disease.
If you have been symptomatic with chlamydia before treatment and your symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, then ask to be re-evaluated by your health care provider.
Unfortunately, repeat infection with chlamydia is common. This means that even though azithromycin has cured your current infection with chlamydia, this does not mean you will not get chlamydia again. If your sexual partners have not been appropriately treated, you are at high-risk for reinfection. Having chlamydia multiple times puts women at high risk of fertility problems, ectopic pregnancy, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Infants born to mothers who are infected with chlamydia may develop chlamydial conjunctivitis and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.
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How Does Chlamydia Treatment Work
Chlamydia treatment works by stopping the bacteria that causes chlamydia from producing an important protein which it needs to multiply. This stops the bacteria from growing and replicating, so your symptoms should improve as your body is cleared of chlamydia.
The first line treatment for chlamydia in the UK is doxycycline. The usual dose is one tablet to be taken twice daily for 7 days. You can swallow doxycycline tablets whole with water and take them with or without food. You should sit up for about 30 minutes after each dose to prevent symptoms of throat irritation or stomach upset.
Will I Need To Go Back To The Clinic
If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.
However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:
- you had sex before you and your partner finished treatment
- you forgot to take your medication or didn’t take it properly
- your symptoms don’t go away
- you’re pregnant
If you’re under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia 3 to 6 months after finishing your treatment because you’re at a higher risk of catching it again.
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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
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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What Happens If You Dont Wait 7 Days After Treatment For Chlamydia
The treatment wont work if someone is re-exposed to chlamydia or gonorrhea in those 7 days. If you cant avoid having sex for 7 days, then using a condom will help lower the chance of passing the STI to your partners, but there is no guarantee.
What Should I Do If I Think I Have Chlamydia
If you think you have chlamydia, you need to see your doctor immediately and have a chlamydia test. You may have another STD with similar symptoms, and your doctor needs to know the exact STI you have so that you can get the best treatment.
Chlamydia tests involve collecting a urine sample or swabbing the affected area. Your doctor will send the specimen to a lab for testing to see if you have chlamydia or another type of STI.
If your test is positive for chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic immediately.
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Can Chlamydia Come Back On Its Own
For people who were treated for this infection, it is perhaps not time to worry yet. Reemergence doesn`t happen that often, and when this infection return, it can still be treated. But if it does happen for a case to repeat itself, it may not be the right moment to blame the partner for cheating yet.
What You Need To Know:
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. Chlamydia is spread during oral, vaginal, or anal sex. The infection most often affects the urethra, rectum, or throat. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body. Anyone with multiple sex partners is at higher risk for chlamydia. Your risk is also increased if you have another STI, such as gonorrhea.
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Anogenital And Conjunctival Chlamydia
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Notes:
- Erythromycin is associated with significantly higher gastrointestinal side effects than other treatment regimens.Footnote 8Footnote 9Footnote 10Footnote 11Footnote 12
- Equivalent dosages of other formulations may be substituted for erythromycin base.
- Topical therapy for conjunctivitis is inadequate, systemic treatment is sufficient.Footnote 13
Consult with a pediatric specialist or an experienced colleague and relevant clinical guidelines when chlamydia is diagnosed in a child. Perinatally acquired C. trachomatis can persist for up to three years. Consider sexual abuse when a chlamydial infection is diagnosed in any prepubertal child.Footnote 14
Note: Suspected sexual abuse of children must be reported to the local child protection agency.
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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Getting Treated For Chlamydia And Often Gonorrhea
If you have your own doctor, he will prescribe the antibiotics you need to treat chlamydia. If you dont have your own doctor, you can often find free or low-cost care at either a Planned Parenthood site or a community health clinic.
Listen carefully to the instructions for taking the medicine that you are given by the doctor or other healthcare provider, and follow them closely.
Ask questions if you dont understand something. Also, if you have other questions as you take your medicine, you can always call the pharmacist for help. They are often easier to reach than the doctor.
If you test positive for chlamydia, your healthcare provider is likely to also recommend that you be treated for gonorrhea. This is because the cost of treating gonorrhea is less than the cost of testing for the infection.