What Should I Do If I Have Chlamydia
Chlamydia is easy to treat. But you need to be tested and treated as soon as possible.
If you have chlamydia:
- See a doctor or nurse as soon as possible. Antibiotics will treat chlamydia, but they will not fix any permanent damage to your reproductive organs.
- Take all of your medicine. Even if symptoms go away, you need to finish all of the antibiotics.
- Tell your sex partner so they can be tested and treated. If they are not tested and treated you could get chlamydia again.
- Avoid sexual contact until you and your partner have been treated and cured. Even after you finish your antibiotics, you can get chlamydia again if you have sex with someone who has chlamydia.
- See your doctor or nurse again if you have symptoms that dont go away within a few days after finishing the antibiotics.
When To See A Healthcare Provider
Its important to talk to your healthcare provider if you have any signs or symptoms of chlamydia, any other symptoms that concern you, or if you know or think youve been exposed to the infection.
According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, women 25 and under and those who are sexually active should be screened for chlamydia every year, as should older women who have an increased risk of infection.
Screening for other STIs/STDs is important as well, as the risk factors for chlamydia also increase the likelihood of contracting these other infections. If you are treated for chlamydia, be sure to tell your healthcare provider if any symptoms persist.
Pharmacist Tips For Azithromycin
You can take azithromycin with or without food. Stomach upset and diarrhea are possible side effects, so if it happens to you, taking azithromycin with food can help lessen it.
If you’re using the liquid form of azithromycin , shake the bottle well before using. Be sure to use a medication dose cup, spoon, or syringe to measure out your dose. Using household teaspoons might cause you to take the wrong amount of azithromycin .
Do not take antacids containing aluminum within 2 hours of this medication. These antacids affect how well your body absorbs azithromycin .
You can store the liquid version of azithromycin at room temperature or in the fridge. Putting it in the fridge can help make it taste better. The liquid is good for up to 10 days after it has been mixed by your pharmacist.
If you have diarrhea after taking azithromycin , try taking probiotic supplements to help lessen this side effect. Separate the probiotic from azithromycin by at least 1 hour to prevent azithromycin from killing the “good” bacteria from the probiotic. Be sure to continue the supplement for a few days after your last dose of azithromycin .
Finish all of the azithromycin your healthcare provider prescribed for you, even if you start to feel better. Stopping azithromycin too soon can cause your infection to come back.
Prices for azithromycin start at just $7.10 with a GoodRx coupon. Theyâre fast, easy-to-use and free!
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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.
How Does Chlamydia Affect Pregnancy
For pregnant women, chlamydia may lead to premature birth, or babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Premature birth is the most common cause of infant death and can lead to long-term health and development problems in children.5
Babies born to mothers who have chlamydia can get:
- Infections in their eyes, called conjunctivitis or pinkeye. Signs include discharge from the eyes and swollen eyelids. The signs most often show up within two weeks after birth.
- Pneumonia. Signs include congestion, cough, and rapid or labored breathing, although these are not always present. Signs most often show up one to three months after birth.
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How And When To Take It
Your dose of doxycycline depends on why you are taking it.
The usual dose is 100mg to 200mg once or twice a day. If youre taking doxycycline more than once a day, try to space your doses evenly throughout the day. If you take it twice a day, this could be first thing in the morning, and in the evening.
For preventing malaria, youll take 100mg once a day, usually in the morning. Start taking doxycycline 1 or 2 days before going to an area where there is malaria. Carry on for 4 weeks after leaving the area. Check with your doctor or pharmacist that doxycycline is the best medicine to prevent malaria in the country you are travelling to.
How Is Chlamydia Screening Done
A person can test for chlamydia at home or in the lab. They can take either a urine sample or a swab.
- Females can take a swab, place it in a container, and send it to a laboratory.
- Males will usually use a urine test.
A doctor can advise individuals on the best option. They may also recommend rectal or throat testing, especially for people who are living with HIV.
Home screening tests are available, but it is not always easy to do them correctly at home. A healthcare provider will usually recommend following up on any home tests by visiting a doctors office.
The person will likely need to provide a urine sample for a test to confirm a diagnosis. After treatment, they will need to retake the test to ensure that the treatment has worked.
If anyone wishes to try home testing, chlamydia screening test kits are available for purchase online.
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Does Azithromycin Work For Chlamydia
Azithromycin works to treat genital chlamydia in both men and women by stopping the bacteria from multiplying.
Studiessuggest that a one-gram dosage has 97% efficacy.
That means that for every 100 people who take azithromycin to treat chlamydia, 97 will be cured and three will not be cured.
In order to effectively treat chlamydial infections, azithromycin should be taken as prescribed and until the dosage is completed.
Ending the medication early increases the chance that the bacteria will not be completely killed off.
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Single Dose Of Azithromycin For The Treatment Of Genital
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Does Chlamydia Cause Cervical Cancer
No, chlamydia doesnât cause cervical cancer.
Itâs possible to get a sexually transmitted infection by having sex with someone who has an STI, even if they have no symptoms.
The following measures will help protect you from most STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.
If you have an STI, theyâll also help prevent you from passing it on to someone:
- Use condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
- If you have oral sex , use a condom to cover the penis, or a dam to cover the vulva or anus.
- Avoid sharing sex toys. If you do share them, wash them or cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them.
When Will The Signs And Symptoms Go Away
You should notice an improvement quite quickly after having treatment.
- Discharge or pain when you urinate should improve within a week.
- Bleeding between periods or heavier periods should improve by your next period.
- Pelvic pain and pain in the testicles should start to improve quickly but may take up to two weeks to go away.
If you have pelvic pain or painful sex that doesnt improve, see your doctor or nurse as it may be necessary to have some further treatment or investigate other possible causes of the pain.
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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.
Who Can And Cant Take Doxycycline
Doxycycline can be taken by adults and children over 12 years old. Doxycycline is not usually recommended in pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
It isnt suitable for some people. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- ever had an allergic reaction to doxycycline or any other medicine in the past
- kidney problems
- myasthenia gravis, an illness that causes severe muscle wasting
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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.
How To Get Rid Of Chlamydia In Males
Chlamydia in males is caused by a bacterial infection. This infection is mostly treated with oral antibiotics. The most effective and recommended treatment for chlamydia is the prescribing of Azithromycin or Doxycycline. After treatment, usually the infection will clear in 7 to 14 days. The recommended dosage should be finished for infection to be completely cleared. For treatment to be most effective, it is recommended that both partner complete treatment and abstain from any sexual contact for at least 7 days after completing their treatment.
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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 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.
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 youre worried, or if you or your child accidentally take more than 1 extra dose.
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So What Is The Best Treatment For Chlamydia
Current guidance from both the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, state that doxycycline is the preferred and first-line treatment for chlamydia. This is due to antibiotic resistance, as research has shown that chlamydia responds better to doxycycline. Azithromycin should be used where doxycycline is not safe to be prescribed, and for patients who may experience difficulty in sticking to a one-week regime. To find out more information, you can visit our chlamydia FAQâs.
Whilst all of our content is written and reviewed by healthcare professionals, it is not intended to be substituted for or used as medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.
Is This Medicine Subsidised
This medicine was verified as being available on the Repatriation Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits on February 1, 2022. To learn more about this subsidy, visit the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website.
To access RPBS medicines you must hold a DVA Gold Card, DVA Orange Card or DVA White Card . To learn about Department of Veterans’ Affairs health cards, visit Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
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What Other Drugs Will Affect Azithromycin
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:
-
digoxin or
-
clarithromycin or
-
a blood thinner – warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with azithromycin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Can You Get Chlamydia More Than Once
Yes, you can get the infection even if youve successfully treated it already.
A sexual partner who has chlamydia can transmit it to you again, even if youve already had it and treated it.
You can also get chlamydia again if it wasnt fully treated the first time. This can happen if you stop taking the necessary treatment. Its important to complete the antibiotics youve been given, even if your symptoms get better.
The CDC recommends getting tested 3 months after treatment of your initial infection to ensure the infection is cleared.
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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.
What Are Some Side Effects That I Need To Call My Doctor About Right Away
WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:
- Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash hives itching red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever wheezing tightness in the chest or throat trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking unusual hoarseness or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Chest pain or pressure or a fast heartbeat.
- A heartbeat that does not feel normal.
- Dizziness or passing out.
- Upset stomach or throwing up.
- Pain where the shot was given.
These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088. You may also report side effects at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
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