What Medication Is Prescribed For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection . While most patients who have been treated for chlamydia are asymptomatic, it is imperative to be treated if you or a partner may have been exposed. The CDC recommended treatment for chlamydia is Azithromycin 1 g by mouth in a single dose or Doxycycline 100 mg by mouth twice a daily for 7 day. These options are equally as effective and chosen based on preference and patience tolerance to antibiotics.
Chlamydia Can Sometimes Go Away On Its Own
Some diseases and infections can go away on their own, so its not surprising that people wonder: does chlamydia go away on its own? The truth is, it sometimes does. In about 20% of people who have no symptoms, chlamydia may resolve spontaneously without treatment. It means that under certain circumstances host immune responses can control chlamydia naturally.
Untreated chlamydia can go on without any symptoms for a long period of time. Thats why its so important to get tested and catch it early. When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications. In women, the infection can spread to the uterus and uterine tubes, while in men, it can spread to the prostate gland. Chlamydia can also cause reactive arthritis, which affects your joints and eyes.
When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications.
Some people claim that chlamydia can be treated with home remedies like garlic and turmeric, but these methods are unproven and should be avoided. The only proven cure for chlamydia is treatment with antibiotics, which usually clear up the infection in a week or two.
Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. It is a very common STD, especially among young people.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5
Sexually active young people are at high risk of acquiring chlamydia for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. Some young people dont use condoms consistently.15 Some adolescents may move from one monogamous relationship to the next more rapidly than the likely infectivity period of chlamydia, thus increasing risk of transmission.16 Teenage girls and young women may have cervical ectopy .17 Cervical ectopy may increase susceptibility to chlamydial infection. The higher prevalence of chlamydia among young people also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing STD prevention services, such as lack of transportation, cost, and perceived stigma.16-20
Men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex. Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.0% to 10.5%.6.7 Among MSM screened for pharyngeal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.7.8
Also Check: How Can I Get Chlamydia
The Best Antibiotics For Chlamydia: First
Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. However, not all antibiotics are effective.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends doxycycline or azithromycin as first-choice antibiotic for the treatment of genital chlamydia. These medications are very effective for both acute and persistent infections.
Important note: To avoid reinfection, persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity until they and their sex partners have completed the treatment.
How Is Chlamydia Treated
The following are the recommended treatment regimens for chlamydia according to the Guidelines for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, released in 2015, but still considered current. Only one regimen should be chosen.
- Azithromycin 1 gram orally as a single dose
- OR
- Ofloxacin 300 mg orally twice a day for 7 days.
Read Also: Is It Hard To Get Rid Of Chlamydia
How Is Chlamydia Passed On
Chlamydia is passed on through unprotected sex. It is passed through oral, vaginal or anal sex. You only need to have sex once with an infected person to catch chlamydia. It is important to start taking antibiotic tablets for chlamydia as soon as you think you are infected to prevent spreading the disease.
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.
Also Check: Oral Treatment For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia
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.
Its Possible To Get Chlamydia Through Oral Or Anal Sex
You may have heard that its not possible to get chlamydia through oral or anal sex, but this is just a myth. If you have unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex, you could get chlamydia.
While its possible to get chlamydia through any of these sex acts, the risk varies depending on the type of sex youre having. Chlamydia isnt commonly passed through cunnilingus, but its possible. The infection is commonly passed through fellatio and anal sex.
No matter what type of sex youre having, its a good idea to use protection. This may include dental dams or condoms, depending on the sex act. Other types of contraception, like birth control pills and IUDs, dont provide any protection against chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections.
Also Check: How Long Do You Have To Take Chlamydia Antibiotics
Why Is Chlamydia Treatment So Important
If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, it is vitally important you get the right treatment promptly. You must take the medication correctly, and also make sure you follow specific advice about what to do, and what not to do, while taking the medication.
In the UK, doctors and other healthcare providers are advised to follow the evidence based treatment recommendations for chlamydia, published by The British Association of Sexual Health & HIV . These recommendations were in September 2018, and are outlined in this article.
- Treating chlamydia promptly and effectively, will reduce the risk of long complications.
- Leaving chlamydia untreated, or partially treated, may result in serious health problems.
Chlamydial infection, causes intense inflammation within certain body tissues which become, red, swollen, and then scar tissue may develop. A range of unpleasant symptoms, can then develop, as well as certain medical conditions.
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.
Also Check: How Fast Can Symptoms Of Chlamydia Show
How Do People Get Chlamydia
Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Ejaculation does not have to occur for chlamydia to be transmitted or acquired. Chlamydia can also be spread perinatally from an untreated mother to her baby during childbirth, resulting in ophthalmia neonatorum or pneumonia in some exposed infants. In published prospective studies, chlamydial conjunctivitis has been identified in 18-44% and chlamydial pneumonia in 3-16% of infants born to women with untreated chlamydial cervical infection at the time of delivery.9-12 While rectal or genital chlamydial infection has been shown to persist one year or longer in infants infected at birth,13 the possibility of sexual abuse should be considered in prepubertal children beyond the neonatal period with vaginal, urethral, or rectal chlamydial infection.
People who have had chlamydia and have been treated may get infected again if they have sexual contact with a person infected with chlamydia.14
How To Prevent Chlamydia
Below are some ways to prevent chlamydia
- Use condoms every time you have sex
- Discuss testing for sexually transmitted infections with your doctor or nurse
- Ask if you are due for your annual chlamydia screening
- See your doctor or nurse if you have any symptoms of chlamydia or another infection
- Do not have sex if you or your sexual partner has abnormal discharge, burning with urination, or a genital rash or sore
Recommended Reading: When Can You Have Intercourse After Chlamydia Treatment
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.
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.
Read Also: How Much Azithromycin Do I Take For Chlamydia
What Happens If Chlamydia Is Not Treated
In women, untreated chlamydia can spread to the womb and fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This causes permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus and leads to chronic pain, infertility and potentially life threatening ectopic pregnancies
Men and women can suffer from joint stiffness, swelling and swell and eye pain following a chlamydia infection.
This is why it is very important to get treated for chlamydia with antibiotic tablets as soon as you know you are infected.
How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed
Chlamydia can be diagnosed with either a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the endocervix or vagina in women, or a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the urethra in men.
Self-collected vaginal swab testing is available and many women find this screening strategy highly acceptable.
- Geisler WM, Uniyal A, Lee JY, et al. Azithromycin versus Doxycycline for Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection. N Engl J Med. 2015 373:2512-2521. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1502599
- Workowski, K, Bolan G. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis. Geneva: World Health Organization 2016. 4, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIAL INFECTIONS. Available from:
- Chlamydia Treatment and Care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/treatment.htm
- Chlamydia Treatment Information Sheet. Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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Put Sex On Hold During And After Chlamydia Treatment
If you were given a single dose of antibiotics to treat your chlamydia, you should not have any kind of sex for a full seven days after the day you took the medicine. If youre taking antibiotics for a week, wait another seven days after the last day of your treatment. Be sure to take all of the medicine that is prescribed for you.
Not having sex for seven days after treatment is important so you dont spread the infection to your partner or partners.
Medication stops the infection and can keep you from spreading the disease, but it wont cure any permanent damage that the infection caused before you started treatment. In women, such damage can include blocking the fallopian tubes, causing infertility.
If you still have symptoms for more than a few days after you stop taking your medicine, go back to see your doctor or other healthcare provider so they can check you again.
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.
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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.
What Is The Treatment
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. It is important to follow the treatment instructions carefully. If you were given pills, finish all of them. Sexual partners from the last 2 months need to be tested and treated. If you have not had a sexual partner in the last 2 months, then your last sexual partner will need to be tested and treated. It takes time for the infection to clear from the body, so it is important that you do not have any oral, vaginal or anal sex for 7 days after you and your partner start the antibiotic treatment.
If you or your partner do not finish the treatment, miss pills or have unprotected sex before you have finished all of the medication, there is a chance that the infection will stay in your body may pass back to you or your partner and cause health problems later. If this happens, talk with your health care provider who will help you to decide if you or your partners need more treatment.
Because re-infection is common, a follow-up test is recommended 6 months after treatment. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a follow-up test 3 to 4 weeks after completing treatment.
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What Happens If Chlamydia Is Left Untreated
If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to more serious health problems.
In people assigned female at birth, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease , a condition which can scar the fallopian tubes and lead to infertility.
Chlamydia can also be passed on to babies during birth if the parent has the infection while pregnant.
In people assigned male at birth, untreated chlamydia can cause epididymitis, an infection in the prostate gland, and male chlamydial urethritis.