What You Need To Know About Azithromycin For Chlamydia Treatment
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in America.
In fact, in 2018, four million infections occurred in the U.S. However, many cases may go unreported because people with chlamydia are often asymptomatic and therefore dont know they have an infection.
Because chlamydia can go undetected, regular testing is extremely important in both fighting the spread of the infection and in treating it.
If you happen to test positive, the good news is, the vast majority of chlamydia cases can be cured easily with antibiotics such as azithromycin.
In this article, Ill explain if azithromycin treats chlamydia, who can take this antibiotic, the best dosage to treat chlamydia, and how to take it.
Then Ill break down how azithromycin compares with another antibiotic, doxycycline, for treating chlamydia.
Finally, Ill share everything you need to know about being tested for chlamydia.
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 Long Does It Take
It takes about one week for azithromycin to completely cure a chlamydial infection, and in some cases it can take up to two weeks for the infection to clear.
If you are sexually active during this time, you can pass the infection to your partner, even if you have no symptoms. For these reasons, you should avoid having sex of any kind during treatment.
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Can Chlamydia Ever Go Away Completely
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that is spread from one person to another through sexual contact with an infected person. It is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium. It mostly affects the vagina, penis, rectum and throat during oral sex. A newborn can also be infected with Chlamydia during childbirth by an infected mother. It is the most common STD found in individuals around the world. It is usually asymptomatic so it goes unnoticed amongst the masses. There are some mild symptoms which when noticed, one should visit a doctor.
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.
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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.
How To Use Doxycycline Calcium Syrup
Read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start taking doxycycline and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
This medication is best taken by mouth on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, usually 1 or 2 times daily or as directed by your doctor. Take this medication with a full glass of water unless directed otherwise. If stomach upset occurs, taking it with food or milk may help. However, doxycycline may not work as well if you take it with food or milk , so ask your doctor or pharmacist if you may take it that way. Do not lie down for at least 10 minutes after taking this medication.
Take this medication 2 to 3 hours before or after taking any products containing aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, or bismuth subsalicylate. Some examples include antacids, didanosine solution, quinapril, vitamins/minerals, dairy products , and calcium-enriched juice. These products bind with doxycycline, preventing your body from fully absorbing the drug.
When using to prevent malaria, this medication is usually taken once daily. Take the first dose of this medication 1 to 2 days before travel or as directed by your doctor. Continue to take this medication daily while in the malarious area. Upon returning home, you should keep taking this medication for 4 more weeks. If you are unable to finish this course of doxycycline, contact your doctor.
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Best Over The Counter Antibiotics For Chlamydia
In order to get best over the counter antibiotics for chlamydia, you should onsult your doctor, your doctor will not turn his back on you, often time you might not get rid of Chlamydia by going to counter medication. Sometime you may have false positive chlamydia test result, so it is better to consult doctor. Moreover if you fail to treat this disease you might end up with PID which is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and then you will also consult your doctor and by that time things will be worse. So the best thing is to go to a doctor if you notice the symptoms. But if you must use, then go for Amoxicillin, azithromycin, erythromycin, Doxycycline, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin. But always consult your doctor before taken the pills.
How Long Does It Take To Show Up In People With Penises
Theres no significant difference in the amount of time it takes for chlamydia symptoms to show up for people with penises as compared to people with vulvas.
The only major difference in the time it takes for symptoms to show up among people of various sexes may be related to how often symptoms show up.
According to the Childrens National Health System, 90 percent of people with vulvas dont ever experience any physical symptoms, while 70 percent of people with penises never notice any symptoms.
This difference in who actually experiences symptoms between these two groups may have some effect on how long it takes for symptoms show up. But theres never been any definitive link between your sex and when your symptoms appear.
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How Can I Tell My Partner Will They Think Ive Cheated On Them
You may feel embarrassed, scared or angry. However it is important and respectful to let your partner know as soon as possible so they can get tested and treated. Remember that chlamydia often has no symptoms, so a diagnosis doesnt necessarily mean the infection was caught recently. You may not be sure when you were exposed. Many people are surprised how supportive their partner is, and how they appreciate being confided in.
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Inflammation Of The Testicles
In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis , causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. This is very rare.
The inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If its not treated, theres a possibility it could affect your fertility.
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Can Bactrim Be Used To Treat Strep
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Similarly, you may ask, what is the best antibiotic for strep throat?
Doctors most often prescribe penicillin or amoxicillin to treat strep throat. They are the top choices because theyre safer, inexpensive, and they work well on strep bacteria.
Secondly, what type of infections does bactrim treat? Bactrim DS is a combination of two antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infections, acute otitis media, bronchitis, Shigellosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia, travelers diarrhea, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , and other bacterial infections susceptible to this
Also question is, can bactrim be used to treat chlamydia?
The clinical observations suggested that of the antibiotics studied, doxycycline, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were effective for treatment of chlamydial infection and nongonococcal urethritis.
Is bactrim a broad spectrum antibiotic?
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections should be treated first with narrow-spectrum drugs , the guidelines say, rather than broadspectrum ones like Cipro or Levaquin.
In the meantime, try these tips to relieve symptoms of strep throat:
How can you relieve a sore throat without antibiotics?
Taking Doxycycline To Treat Chlamydia
Dose: Doxycycline, one 100mg capsule twice a day for 7 days.
Your doctor or other health professional will assess your suitability for doxycycline or an alternative.
Taking doxycycline
- Swallow the capsules whole do not break, chew, or crush the capsules.
- If you take it with food you are less likely to feel sick.
- Stay upright while swallowing it ie standing, or sitting not lying down.
- The most common side effects are headaches, and nausea.
Special precautions
Stay out of sunlight while taking the tablets as its possible to get skin rashes.
Do not take doxycycline if:
- You are under 12 years old as it can stain your teeth.
- You are pregnant.
- You are allergic to it.
- You have kidney or liver disease.
- Or if you have
It is now possible to purchase a 7-day course of doxycycline from Dr Fox online. This is safe, quick and convenient. In the light of this new advice, Dr Fox has now discontinued selling azithromycin for chlamydia infection.
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Variability Of Doxycycline Pharmacokinetics
There are no data on the impact of gender, pregnancy, lactation or liver impairment on doxycycline pharmacokinetics.
The pharmacokinetics of doxycycline has been studied in the elderly, undernourished patients and patients with hyperlipidaemia, infected patients and patients with renal impairment.
In older patients , serum concentrations were higher than those reported for other age groups with a Cmax of 830 mg/L and concentrations at 10 h in the range 510 mg/L.
In undernourished patients, a decrease in the AUC is observed and, in patients with hyperlipidaemia, a significant increase in the AUC is observed.
Can Chlamydia Kill You
As already mentioned before, this infection won`t cause any issues if treated right away. However, if it`s left untreated, it may lead to severe problems, especially when talking about women:
- It the infection spreads, it may cause PID. This severe medical condition might make it difficult or even impossible for a woman to conceive.
- Expecting mothers who experience this infection frequently pass it to their own future babies during delivery. If the condition gets in the eyes of the child, it may lead to blindness. Babies can have other issues, such as pneumonia, which can become deadly in a infant.
- Having this particular infection makes anyone a lot more likely in getting HIV from other persons who are infected with HIV. This virus causes AIDS.
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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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Azithromycin Vs Doxycycline For Chlamydia
Azithromycin and doxycycline are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat chlamydia.
While azithromycin is prescribed in a single, one-gram dose taken orally, doxycycline is typically prescribed in a 100-milligram dose taken orally twice a day for seven days.
A 2014 meta analysis of 23 studies found that doxycycline had a slightly higher efficacy compared with azithromycin.
However, other research suggests that treatment with a single oral dose of azithromycin appears to be as safe and efficacious as a seven-day course of doxycycline for the treatment of uncomplicated genital chlamydial infection.
Talk to your healthcare provider about which medication is best for you.
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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 womens 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 Dosage Treats Chlamydia
For people with uncomplicated genital chlamydia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a single dose of azithromycin taken orally to cure the infection.
Azithromycin comes in three forms:
For both powder formulas, either you or a pharmacist mix it with liquid to take.
Always follow the directions from your doctor or pharmacist for taking azithromycin.
Azithromycin is taken as a single dose, one time.
It should be taken as soon as you receive the prescription. Azithromycin can be taken with or without food, however, the extended-release form is typically taken on an empty stomach.
If you take the liquid form, shake it well before using and use a dosing spoon to measure an accurate dose. If you are prescribed the powder, mix it with water according to directions.
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Whats The Recommended Treatment For Chlamydia
Doctors can easily treat chlamydia with a course of antibiotics. Theyll either prescribe azithromycin or doxycycline tablets.
You should avoid sexual intercourse during treatment, and for a week after youve finished the antibiotics. Its also a good idea for your partner to be examined and tested during your treatment period.
If your partner is being treated for the infection, again avoid sex for a week following treatment completion.
In most cases, chlamydia is curable with this simple treatment. Symptoms should start to improve in a few days and disappear after a week or two. We recommend a follow-up test three months after treatment to confirm the all-clear.
Its also essential to tell recent sexual partners about your positive result. Known as contact tracing, informing partners that they may also have chlamydia minimises their chance of developing complications.
We recommend contacting any sexual partners from the past six months.
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Why Doctors Dont Recommend This Yet
In most instances, healthcare professionals treat STIs based either on symptoms that you present with, the results of laboratory tests, or both. As STIs dont always have symptoms , it is recommended that people who have sex that puts them at risk test frequently and treat any STIs as soon as they are detected. It is also important to make sure that recent partners are treated.
Taking antibiotics prophylactically is not recommended yet, mainly due to major concerns about the development of antimicrobial resistance. Taking a drug and then catching an infection that easily develops resistance to it could further raise rates of resistance to that drug in the wider community. Resistance means that medications that were once effective at treating certain bacterial infections lose their ability to do so. Essentially, the bacterium outsmarts the medication, rendering it ineffective.
Resistant strains circulate within the population, resulting in the failure of treatments that had previously worked even in people not using antibiotics to prevent STIs. Gonorrhoea has evaded multiple classes of antibiotics, and few options remain available. Most recently, it has become resistant to azithromycin and therefore, this antibiotic is no longer recommended for treatment.
However, when it comes to using specific antibiotics to prevent specific STIs, its not all bad news see more under What about resistance?
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