What Kind Of Antibiotics Do You Take For Chlamydia

Hard Call: Your Girlfriend Has Chlamydia May I Phone In Your Prescription

Eighteen-year-old Eva had recently had unprotected sex with her boyfriend and came into my office for an urgent appointment to get checked out.

While I performed my usual cervical exam and testing, I used my 20-minute visit to talk with Eva about self-empowerment and the importance of protecting herself from disease: I am really glad that youre here with me today. This is an important first step in taking charge of your health and learning how to take care of yourself

The next day I found out that unfortunately, Eva had contracted chlamydia, the most common sexually transmitted disease in the country and the state. My next moves were clear: The job of informing my young patient of her infection is one that I am used to, but never look forward to. What is even less comfortable is the task of informing and treating the partner, an individual who is most likely not my patient, and with whom I do not have a relationship.

Eva and I made this difficult call together. We weathered the denial, shock and anger from her boyfriend. It took a minute to shift the conversation from blame to education, then learning and most importantly, assurance. I assured Evas boyfriend that this disease was treatable and this was an opportunity to get treatment and get better.

This disease is overwhelmingly a scourge of the young.

Symptoms in women may include: An abnormal vaginal discharge

Recommended Reading: Having Chlamydia For A Long Time

How To Take It

Azithromycin is taken one time orally and can be taken with or without food. Its important to take it as directed by your doctor.

It takes approximately 1 week for azithromycin to cure chlamydia. Avoid having sex while under treatment, as its still possible to pass or worsen the infection during treatment.

What Are The Best Ways To Avoid Getting An Std

Follow these simple precautions to dramatically decrease your chances of getting infected:

• Be sure to practice safe sex and use a condom.
• Make sure that your partner has tested negative for any STDs.
• Be involved in a monogamous relationship.

In addition, we encourage you to be open and honest with your primary care provider about your sexual health so we can provide any information or treatment you may need.

Don’t Miss: How Long After Getting Chlamydia Do You Get Symptoms

How Many Days Does It Take To Recover From Chlamydia

It can take up to two weeks to recover from a chlamydia infection. Most prescriptions last 7 to 14 days on average and chlamydia is typically cleared up at the end. However, you will likely have to be retested after 3 months to ensure you have recovered fully. If you have severe chlamydia it may take longer to recover and a hospital stay may be involved.

How Do I Get Rid Of The Side Effects Of Azithromycin

Also Check: How Can A Male Tell If He Has Chlamydia

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed

Unfortunately, symptoms of chlamydia rarely occur and that means you can live undiagnosed for a long time. If you have had unprotected sex of any kind, you can be at risk for chlamydia. There isnt a way to guarantee you will be safe from chlamydia, however you can reduce your chance of infection if you are properly using a condom during sex.

Its important to know that chlamydia doesnt only occur in the cervix or urethra. Eye infections, epididymitis, and throat infections can occur as well. Chlamydia isnt spread through any one sexual activity, oral sex and anal sex can also lead to chlamydial infection. Reinfection is also possible so it is important to participate in regular sexually transmitted diseases screenings, especially if you are engaging in high-risk sexual activity such as unprotected sex.

Symptoms of chlamydia can include abnormal vaginal discharge, burning when urinating, pain or swelling of the testicles, and rectal pain. If you suspect you may have contracted chlamydia or if you are showing symptoms of chlamydia you should contact your primary care doctor, urologist, or OBGYN immediately for testing. Your doctor will likely swab the urethra or cervix for lab analysis. They may also request a urine sample that they will test for both chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Whats The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia is usually easy to get rid of. Your nurse or doctor will get you antibiotics to treat the infection. Sometimes you only have to take one dose of medication. Another chlamydia treatment lasts for 7 days. Your doctor will help you figure out which treatment is best for you.

If youre treated for chlamydia, its really important for your sexual partners to get treated also. Otherwise, you can keep passing the infection back and forth, or to other people. Sometimes your doctor will give you medicine for both you and your partner.

Read Also: Does Chlamydia Make Your Stomach Hurt

How Is Chlamydia Treated

Chlamydia can be cleared up with antibiotics in about a week or two. But dont stop taking your medication just because your symptoms improve. Ask your provider about what follow-up is needed to be sure your infection is gone after youve finished taking your medicine.

Part of your treatment should also include avoiding sexual activities that could cause you to get re-infected and ensuring that any sexual partners who may be infected also get treatment. You should:

• Abstain from sex until your infection has cleared up. Starting treatment doesnt mean that youre in the clear. Take all your medication as your provider directs, and avoid all sexual contact in the meantime.
• Contact all sexual partners. Tell any sexual partners from the last 3 months that youre infected so that they can get tested, too.
• Get tested for other STIs . Its common to have multiple STIs, and its important to receive treatment thats tailored to each infection.

Antibiotics can get rid of your infection, but they cant reverse any harm the bacteria may have caused to your body before treatment. This is why its so important to get screened regularly for chlamydia, to see your provider at the first sign of symptoms, and get treatment immediately if youre infected.

What Does A Chlamydia Test Involve

• If you have a vulva, you may be asked to take a swab around the inside of your vagina yourself.
• A doctor or nurse may take a swab during an internal examination of your vagina and cervix .
• You may be asked to provide a urine sample. Before having this test, youre advised not to pass urine for 12 hours.
• A doctor or nurse may take a swab from the entrance of the urethra .
• If youve had anal or oral sex, a doctor or nurse may swab your rectum or throat . These swabs arent done routinely on everyone.
• If you have symptoms of conjunctivitis swabs will be used to collect a sample of discharge from your eye.

A swab looks a bit like a cotton bud but is smaller and rounded. It sometimes has a small plastic loop on the end rather than a cotton tip. Its wiped over the parts of the body that could be infected. This only takes a few seconds and isnt painful, though it may be uncomfortable for a moment.

Cervical screening and routine blood tests dont detect chlamydia.

If youre not sure whether youve been tested for chlamydia, just ask.

Recommended Reading: What Antibiotic Is Used For Chlamydia

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:

Antibiotics For Treating Genital Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In Men And Non

Review question

This systematic review assessed the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic treatment for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection in terms of microbiological or clinical failure in men and non-pregnant women.

Background

CT is the most frequent cause of urinary tract and genital infections in women and men. However, women frequently show no symptoms when they are infected. CT infection can lead to complications or cause further problems in reproductive health in women , and men , or chronic pelvic pain. Clinical guidelines for treating CT do not recommend a preferred antibiotic treatment. This Cochrane review evaluates all randomised controlled studies , that included antibiotics for the treatment of genital CT infection that are recommended by the most up-to-date clinical guidelines.

Search date

We searched for studies published up to June 2018 that provided information about failure to eliminate the CT infection or improve the symptoms, presence of adverse events, antimicrobial resistance, and reinfection. as treatment outcomes

Study characteristics

Study funding sources

One study reported funding from academic grants, another four studies declared having received sponsorship or grants from pharmaceutical companies. The other studies declared that they were self-funded or did not mention funding at all.

Key results

Quality of evidence

To assess the efficacy and safety of antibiotic treatment for CT genital infection in men and non-pregnant women.

Read Also: How Long Does A Chlamydia Test Take To Come Back

What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia

It is not easy to tell if you are infected with chlamydia because the symptoms are so vague and are shared with a number of other infections. For some people symptoms can appear a few weeks after unprotected sex. For others, the symptoms develop months later, or in some cases symptoms can disappear after a few days even though they still have the infection.

70% of infected females and 50% of males will not have any obvious symptoms of chlamydia. However, there are some common symptoms to be aware of.

The most common symptoms for women include:

• Burning sensation/discomfort when urinating.
• Pain in the lower abdominal.
• Pain during sex.

• Reviews

Payment Options

Impressum: Mr Mohamed Imran Lakhi, M Pharm, Adil Bhaloda, M Pharm .

Private & confidential service

Data is kept on our systems, private and is only used by our prescribers. Your treatment sent in plain unmarked packaging.

Genuine & branded medication

Registered pharmacy in the UK, we only dispatch genuine medication. Our medical team ensure you receive the correct prescription and treatment.

Next day delivery

Prices are inclusive of free consultation. If your order is approved by 3pm you could have your medication next day UK & EU.

What Should I Do If I Have Chlamydia

That means if youve tested positive for chlamydia, you should contact any sexual partners over the past year and alert them. If youve had multiple partners, its impossible to know for sure how you contracted chlamydia. Uncomfortable as it may be to tell an ex you have an STD, its the right thing to do.

Read Also: Can You Clear Chlamydia Without Treatment

Recommended Reading: Chlamydia Control 4 Me Reviews

Urogenital Infection In Men

• References

In men, chlamydial infection of the lower genital tract causes urethritis and, on occasion, epididymitis. Urethritis is secondary to C. trachomatis infection in approximately 15 to 55 percent of men, although the prevalence is lower among older men.2 Symptoms, if present, include a mild to moderate, clear to white urethral discharge. This is best observed in the morning, before the patient voids. To observe the discharge, the penis may need to be milked by applying pressure from the base of the penis to the glans.

The diagnosis of nongonococcal urethritis can be confirmed by the presence of a mucopurulent discharge from the penis, a Gram stain of the discharge with more than five white blood cells per oil-immersion field, and no intracellular gram-negative diplococci.2 A positive result on a leukocyte esterase test of first-void urine or a microscopic examination of first-void urine showing 10 or more white blood cells per high-powered field also confirms the diagnosis of urethritis.

For diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection in men with suspected urethritis, the nucleic acid amplification technique to detect chlamydial and gonococcal infections is best .4 Empiric treatment should be considered for patients who are at high risk of being lost to follow-up.

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: How Long Until Chlamydia Makes You Infertile

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.

Other Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia In All People

• Conjunctivitis, spread by touching the infected area and then touching the hand to the eye
• Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum , if the chlamydia is from anal sex
• Varied symptoms, such as joint and eye inflammation, caused by bacterial infection
• Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. This is caused by a type of chlamydia that is usually rare in Canada and the United States, but it is becoming more common in men who have sex with men. It causes open sores in the genital area, headache, fever, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin. It also causes proctitis in people who get chlamydia through anal sex.

Read Also: Do Chlamydia Symptoms Go Away

How Will I Know If The Chlamydia Has Affected My Fertility

Chlamydia is just one of many factors that can affect your fertility. Most people whove had chlamydia wont become infertile or have an ectopic pregnancy . If youve had chlamydia you wont normally be offered any routine tests to see if youre fertile unless you or a partner are having difficulty getting pregnant. If youre concerned, talk to your doctor or practice nurse.

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.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Medicine To Treat Chlamydia

What Is The Best Medication For Chlamydia

Finding the best medication for chlamydia isnt too much of a struggle as antibiotics tend to be pretty effective. However, different patients will have different needs, allergies, and factors that determine their best medication. The correct antibiotic to treat your chlamydia may vary from the one that works for another patient. Consult a healthcare professional when selecting a medication for your chlamydia, especially if pregnancy is suspected.

Dosage is determined by your doctor based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

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:

• Tablet
• Regular-release powder

For both powder formulas, either you or a pharmacist mix it with liquid to take.

Recommended Reading: How To Treat Chlamydia Naturally

What Are The Effects Of Chlamydia

I think theres this idea of what you dont know cant hurt youwhich isnt true, when it comes to chlamydia what you dont know can totally hurt you, says Alyx, who got chlamydia during a holiday hookup in her twenties.

Most of my friends have had chlamydia at some point. Its incredibly common and its pretty easy to treat, if you treat it quickly.

For Alyx, getting tested was a no-brainer, but it wasnt without its awkward moments. I did have to figure out how to say I have chlamydia in German Alyx says.

But having the test and popping the antibiotics to treat chlamydia is an important step to curb its potentially-damaging effects.

For women, chlamydia can result in pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to abdominal or pelvic pain, and in some cases, infertility. For guys, chlamydia doesnt tend to be as serious but it can still cause epididymitis .

Alyx isnt surprised that men are less likely to get tested for chlamydia than women. She reckons its a confidence thing.

If you think youre teflon, then you think your dick is teflon too.