Is Azithromycin Used To Treat Chlamydia

How To Treat Chlamydia In Men And Women

If you have symptoms of a chlamydial infection or a sexual partner has told you that they tested positive for chlamydia, your healthcare provider will likely treat you even before your test results come back. This is called presumptive or empiric therapy. Doing it this way reduces the amount of time you may continue to spread the infection to others. First-line treatment for a chlamydia infection is one of two antibiotics: azithromycin or doxycycline . Both medications are generally well-tolerated and inexpensive.

What Are The Most Common Antibiotics Used For Sinusitis

Amoxicillin remains the drug of choice for acute, uncomplicated bacterial sinusitis. Amoxicillin is most effective when given frequently enough to sustain adequate levels in the infected tissue. While often prescribed twice daily, it is even more effective if taken in 3 or 4 divided doses. Amoxicillin is typically prescribed for 7-10 days at a time. While it is critical to finish the entire 10 day course of antibiotics when treating strep throat, there is evidence that shorter courses of treatment may be sufficient for most cases of sinusitis. Amoxicillin is closely related to the parent compound penicillin and should not be prescribed in patients who are penicillin allergic.

Cephalosporins and Augmentin are considered broad-spectrum antibiotics because they have enhanced effectiveness against a wider range of bacteria, including those that are resistant to ordinary penicillin or amoxicillin. If the patient does not improve within the first week on amoxicillin, a change to Augmentin or to a cephalosporin such as Ceftin, Cefzil, Omnicef, or Suprax is reasonable. Although these drugs have a similar mechanism of action to penicillin, they generally can be taken in adequate doses once or twice daily. These medications should be used with extreme caution in patients with a history of penicillin allergy, as cross-reaction may occur.

Additional resources:

Randomization And Sequence Generation Allocation Concealment And Blinding

A computer-generated randomization sequence will be created by an independent statistician. Blinded therapy will be prepared by an independent organization and labelled with individual kit numbers according to randomization. Study drugs will be packaged into individually numbered kits stored by independent site pharmacists. All tablets will be identical in appearance and feel, and all medications will be packaged identically to maintain blinding. Participants, physicians, nurses, trial statistician and all other trial staff will be masked to treatment group. The effectiveness of blinding will be tested at completion of the trial when participants will be asked to indicate which treatment they thought they received .

The side-effect profiles of the drugs will have negligible impact on blinding. They have been widely used for chlamydia for decades at the dosages we will be using. Their side-effect profiles are well established and similar including minor gastrointestinal upset . Photosensitivity may occur for doxycycline but is more common with longer or higher dosages . Rash is a rare side effect for each drug, occurring in 0.11% of cases . Our packaging will clearly state sunscreen should be used and exposure to sun minimalized, thereby reducing the risk of photosensitivity. We examined the side-effect data from treatment trials for urethral/cervical chlamydia and found that among 17 trials, there was no difference in side-effects .

You May Like: Does Chlamydia Show Up In Blood Test

What Should You Do If You Test Positive For Chlamydia Or Gonorrhea

Testing positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia is a nerve-wracking experience, but its important to stay calm. If you test positive for either STD, seek medical treatment right away. If your symptoms do not improve after taking the prescribed antibiotics, make sure to contact your doctor to discuss other treatment options so you can avoid these serious complications.

Be sure to get tested again once you have completed the full course of antibiotics. Taking another test will help you confirm that the treatment was successful. If you are still testing positive for either gonorrhea or chlamydia after completing your treatment, contact your doctor to discuss your next steps.

You will also need to reach out to your sexual partners as soon as possible after testing positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea. Share your test results with your sexual partners and encourage them to get tested right away. This may be an uncomfortable conversation, but you shouldnt put it off. Telling your sexual partners about your test results right away is the only way to stop the spread of chlamydia and gonorrhea.

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

Recommended Reading: Where To Get Chlamydia Pills

What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.

Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.

Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.

While You Are Using Zithromax

Things you must do

If the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, tell your doctor.

If you get severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after Zithromax has been stopped. Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical care. Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.

If you get a sore, white mouth or tongue while taking, or soon after stopping Zithromax, tell your doctor. Also, tell your doctor if you get vaginal itching or discharge. This may mean you have a yeast infection called thrush. Sometimes the use of Zithromax allows yeast to grow and the above symptoms to occur. Zithromax does not work against yeast.

If you become pregnant while taking Zithromax, tell your doctor.

Tell your doctor immediately if during treatment with Zithromax your baby develops irritability with feeding or starts vomiting. This may be a sign of a stomach disorder in the infant.

If you are about to start any new medicines, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Zithromax.

Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Zithromax.

Things you must not do

Do not give Zithromax to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.

Do not use Zithromax to treat any other medical complaints unless your doctor tells you to.

Read Also: How Do Guys Get Treated For Chlamydia

Interactions Between Azithromycin And Other Medications

Azithromycin may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with azithromycin . Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription medicine.

View More

How To Take Azithromycin

Use Azithromycin exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Azithromycin oral is taken by mouth. Azithromycin injection is given as an infusion into a vein, usually for 2 days before you switch to azithromycin oral. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

You may take azithromycin oral with or without food.

Shake the oral suspension before you measure a dose. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses can increase your risk of infection that is resistant to medication. Azithromycin will not treat a viral infection such as the flu or a common cold.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Throw away any unused liquid medicine after 10 days.

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Read Also: Can You Treat Chlamydia On Your Own

Before Taking This Medicine

You should not use azithromycin if you are allergic to it, or if:

• you have ever had jaundice or liver problems caused by taking azithromycin or

• you are allergic to similar drugs such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, or telithromycin.

To make sure azithromycin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver disease

• low levels of potassium in your blood or

• long QT syndrome .

This medicine is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether azithromycin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Some People Get Tummy Ache

Due to the nature of the use of Azithromycin for Chlamydia infection, the chances of developing serious or distressing side effects are even lower. The most common side effect experienced is diarrhoea, but that only happens in around five per cent of people who take it. Nausea and abdominal pain have also been reported by some people whove taken Azithromycin, but that is an even lower number than those who have had diarrhoea. Some people may be allergic to Azithromycin, but this is extremely rare. It is also unlikely that you will know that you are allergic to the medication before you take it. However, if you start to experience what you think are strange effects that give you cause for concern after taking the medication, you should consult a doctor or pharmacist to seek reassurance and get advice about what action, if any, you need to take.

Also Check: How Soon After Sex Can You Test Positive For Chlamydia

Doxycycline: New Treatment Of Choice For Genital Chlamydia Infections

In the 1998 Canadian Sexually Transmitted Disease Guidelines, azithromycin replaced doxycycline as treatment of choice for chlamydia infection. Azithromycin was also listed before doxycycline for non-gonococcal urethritis , muco-purulent cervicitis and as co-treatment with cefixime for uncomplicated gonorrhea. Sexual contacts are traditionally treated with the same medication as index cases. In the 1998 and 2002 US guidelines, however, azithromycin and doxycycline were equivalent first-line treatments for these conditions . From 1998, azithromycin was provided free of charge from BCCDC for the treatment of laboratory-confirmed cases of genital chlamydia infections and their contacts.

Important research findings dictate a return to doxycycline as the treatment of choice for uncomplicated urethral, cervical, and oral chlamydia infections, for NGU and MPC, and as co-treatment for uncomplicated gonorrhea.

Efficacy

In research studies, doxycycline and azithromycin have been shown to be equivalent for the treatment of genital chlamydia infection. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials showed equal efficacy with no difference in adverse events.

Effectiveness

Antimicrobial resistance

Cost

A course of azithromycin costs the British Columbia health care system $18.15, whereas a course of doxycycline is $4.06. Cost should not be a factor when the more expensive medication is more effective but, in this case, the cheaper medication is equal or superior.

Why Cant I Get Azithromycin For Chlamydia Anymore

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia With One Pill

Condom Use During The Treatment Period

• Avoid having sex without a condom during treatment because the infection can still be transmitted. Use condoms for 7 days after the start of treatment and until 7 days after all current sexual contacts have been treated.
• If you are on a combined oral contraceptive pill, use a condom for 14 days when having sex, as antibiotics can affect the reliability of the contraceptive pill.

After completing the treatment, phone your doctor or return to the clinic for a follow-up after 3 months to check you have not been re-infected.

How Should I Take Azithromycin

Take azithromycin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. The dose and length of treatment may not be the same for every type of infection.

You may take most forms of azithromycin with or without food.

Take Zmax extended release liquid on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

To use the oral suspension single dose packet: Open the packet and pour the medicine into 2 ounces of water. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away. Do not save for later use. To make sure you get the entire dose, add 2 more ounces of water to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.

Throw away any mixed Zmax oral suspension that has not been used within 12 hours. Throw away any immediate-release suspension that has not been used within 10 days.

Shake the oral suspension well just before you measure a dose. Measure liquid medicine with the dosing syringe provided, or with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. Skipping doses may also increase your risk of further infection that is resistant to antibiotics. Azithromycin will not treat a viral infection such as the flu or a common cold.

You May Like: Drugs Used To Treat Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

What Are The Treatments For Chlamydia

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or taking doxycycline twice daily for 7 to 14 days are the most common treatments and are the same for those with or without HIV.

With treatment, the infection should clear up in about a week. Do not have sex for at least 7 days until you have taken all of your medication, and do not stop taking the antibiotics even if you feel better.

Your doctor will also recommend that your partner be treated as well to prevent reinfection and further spread of the disease.

Women with serious infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, may require a longer course of antibiotics or hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Some severe pelvic infections may require surgery in addition to antibiotic therapy.

Make sure you get retested after three months to be certain the infection is gone. Do this even if your partner has been treated and appears to be infection free.

Long Term Complications Of Chlamydia In Males

In men, chlamydia can be diagnosed from a urine test / swab, even if you have no symptoms. In 50% of men who test positive, chlamydia symptoms are absent. However if untreated, because chlamydia also causes inflammation in the male genital tract, this may result in the following.

• Urethritis pain within the penis and on passing urine, often with discharge
• Epididymo-orchitis painful, swollen testicles
• Prostatitis a painful, swollen, prostate gland
• Chlamydial infection also affects male fertility. Semen is poorer quality, and as it is packed full of inflammatory cells, sperm are less ability to swim freely.

You May Like: Home Test Kit For Chlamydia And Gonorrhea

How Is Chlamydia Treated In Pregnant Women

Doxycycline, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin are all contraindicated in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Because of this, the recommended treatment is a one-time dose of azithromycin. If azithromycin is not well-tolerated, alternative treatments include amoxicillin or one of several formulations of erythromycin .

Zithromax Reviews By Our Patients

• Based on 4 reviews
• âââââI found the Online Clinic to be reliable and very professional service. I had been directed to the Online Clinic from their sister site, the STI Clinic after having purchased a full STI screen which returned positive results, to undertake a consultation. This required filling out a short online consultation form for their review which I was particularly impressed with the fast turnaround. This was processed within an hour and was able to provide the required medications. After I made payment the prescription was forwarded to their pharmacy aS. L. 15/01/20
• Needed this for an STI that I tested positive for. It did the job.J. Smythe 12/04/20
• Stomachache. Both medications were taking together on a daily basisA. N. 21/12/20
• It worked, no side effects. Clear instrucctions on how to use it.A. F. 29/01/20

Don’t Miss: Is Chlamydia A Big Deal