Resistant Strain of Chlamydia?

Hello,

Had unprotected intercourse with a partner on 18th of May.  Started noticing symptoms (irritation of urethra, uncomfortable urination) around the 22nd, was started getting discharge on the 23rd, went to see a doctor in Thailand on the 24th and was prescribed 1 gram single dose Azithromicin (generic not Zithromax).  Symptoms were very mild - very similar to when I had Chlamydia several years earlier.  Doctor took a swab and looked under microscope right in front of me to diagnose.

At the same time I came down with a bad case of Bronchitis (caughing up mucus).  I was prescribed Amoxicillin with the Clauvanate and started taking this on the 25th of may.  My reading says this is also effective against Chlamydia

My previous experience with Chlamydia the symptoms started to alleviate almost immediately.  Every day since taking Azithromicin the pain and discomfort has gotten worse.  The discharge has become greater.  (Clear/milky discharge) . 4 days after the initial dose of azithromicin I decided that it was definitely not working - did not match previous experience where symptoms went away almost immediately.  Sought out brand name Zithromax and took another 1.5 gram dose.

It's been 3 days since the last Zithromax dose - There has been no change in symptoms, again it feels as though it's getting more and more painful everyday.  I went to another clinic today and explained to the doctor that I had taken 2 doses of Zithromax, and was also taking Amoxicillin.  He prescribed Doxicycline and gave me a shot, and a 7 day prescription of 100mg(2 times per day) Doxicyclin pills.

My Bronchitis has gotten much better, yet the Chlamydia symptoms continue to rage on.

Is it possible I have contracted some resistant form of Chlamydia?  Is there a problem taking all of these antibiotics at once?  Is it possible I have been misdiagnosed?

[Vance2335]

My guess is wrong diagnosis since the swab was not sent away for proper testing. Dr probably say some bacteria and assume chlamydia based on symptoms. I suggest finishing out medication, if symptoms are not better 2 weeks after medication follow up with a Dr.

[Nick_in_asia]

Pain while urinating today pain is about 12/10, while when I had chlamydia before this was not that uncomfortable somewhere around 2-3/10.  Just handling my penis I can feel how inflamed my urethra is.  This is crazy.  Feels like razor blades.

[Vance2335]

Follow up with your Dr.

[Nick_in_asia]

Just completed a round of urine and blood tests...  Negative for Gonorrhea.  Waiting on urine and blood samples.

Doctor was surprised - He believed that the extreme pain I am experiencing while urinating was from Gonorrhea.  His explanation was that I may have an anti-biotic resistant strain of Chlamydia.  Will have to wait on results.

In the meantime I've:
- Finished course of Amoxicillin
- Finished second course of Azithromicin

Symptoms have continues to get worse.  Doxycicline treatment has had no affect (still have 8 days left of 200mg/day).  3 Days after the first shot, and taking pills twice a day after meals.  

My eyes have become infected now as well.  

Doctor at hospital has prescribed a single dose of Metronidazole (AKA Flagyl) which I took today and also a 14 day course of Taravid (AKA Ofloxacin).

1 Day in, I'm hopeful - It hasn't gotten WORSE haha

[Nick_in_asia]

Found some more info for the rest of you self diagnosing/self treating travelers:

"Follow-up of patients with urethritis is necessary only if symptoms persist or recur after completion of the antibiotic course. If symptoms suggest recurrent or persistent urethritis, the CDC recommends treatment with 2 g metronidazole (Flagyl) orally in a single dose plus 500 mg erythromycin base orally four times per day for seven days, or 800 mg erythromycin ethylsuccinate orally four times per day for seven days. This recommendation is to provide treatment for other bacterial causes of urethritis."

Source:http:// w w w.aafp.org/afp/2006/0415/p1411.html

[Nick_in_asia]

OK so heres an update.  Finished the 7 days of Ofloxacin, and the single 2gram dose of Flagyl (Metronizadole)

As per the CDC recommendation above for persistent urethritis, I started taking Erythromicin at 500mg x 4 for 7 days.  I have 3 more days of this left.  As far as I can tell it has had no affect.

About 2 days after starting the Ofloxacin i started to notice that the amount of discharge was becoming less, the pain was becoming bearable again. It went from 12/10 to about 3/10 after the last day (yesterday).  It felt like my Urethra was GLUED SHUT, I could open my bladder and feel the pressure on my urethra but no urine would come out.  It was amazingly painful.  Then I noticed the discharge went to clear from Milky, and started to turn orange or pink, kind of like the color of plasma and would only come out after urination.

Now that the symptoms have reduced and the presciption is finished, I still have a milky discharge first thing in the morning (i can milk it out), but the rest of the day there is no discharge.  I also still have the discomfort when urinating but only for a few seconds and I can tell my urethra is still infected or sensitive somehow.  Pain = 3/10

I also got the test results back from the hospital.  The doctor went on Holiday so I am back to self-interpreting and diagnosing myself.

After doing some searching on the internet I was able to interpret them as this:

Syphillis (syphilis) VDRI - Non-Reactive (Negative)
Syphillis (syphilis) Hema Aglutination - NEGATIVE
Chlamydia PCR - Negative
Chlamydia IGG - Non-Reactive
Herpes Type 1 IGG - Reactive (Positive)
Herpes Type 2 IGG - Non-Reactive (Negative)
Gonorrhea PCR/Gram Stain - Negative

So after all this we have determined that I may have Type 1 Herpes Simplex.  All of the reading explained that the result I got means that I must have had it for months or years to show positive anti-bodies on the test - Sooooo, if its not Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis or Herpes then what is it?

NGU - Non Specific Urethritis / Persistent

So 1 day after finishing the Ofloxacin, and experincing improvement in symptoms every day, it has gotten noticeably worse again.  My urethra is sensitive all the way down.  Pain is up again 5/10 while urinating.  No increase in discharge.

In Thailand they dont seem to have any Ofloxacin at any pharmacies, so I got some Ciprofloxacin instead.  I will try this for another 7 days, and finish the Erythromicin.

If that fails I will move on to Levofloxacin, and try out some more Flagyl.


Anyone know what I might have?   Suggest other treatments?

Thx.

[Nick_in_asia]

So a quick update...

I ended up finding some more Ofloxacin in Thailand before I started the Ciprofloxacin.  So I started taking 2x200mg tabs twice a day just like the last prescription, only 400mg doses instead of 300.

Symptoms have not improved.  I still have 3-5/10 pain while urinating, still have a small milky/clear discharge.  Starting to get the peanut butter sandwich feeling in my urethra when peeing again.

Now I'm stuck traveling/working and cannot get a hold of the doctor who did the tests.  
*Going to a Doctor is not an option now*


***  If this is VIRAL  What could it be?

[Vance2335]

We can't not diagnosis and we can not give medication advice. Your going to have to see a Dr. If you have access to the internet then you can find a Dr.

[Nick_in_asia]

^Thanks Dr. Obvious.  What's the point of a forum if you can't ask hypothetical questions? (rhetorical)

So it's been 8 days continuing the Ofloxacin, and the symptoms are not improving.  Pain is still 4-5/10 (razor blades)  There is still discharge.  Sometimes milky, sometimes clear or orange like plasma.  Urethra feels like its glued together when starting urination.

Urologist who did my exam in Asia is unavailable to discuss my results over the phone.  I'd really like to have some information so I can steer my next visit to a doctor towards getting the proper treatment and not being placated with a generic diagnosis and the same useless tests.

Unfortunately for me, I can't waltz over the nearest sand dune and see a urologist in the middle of the dessert, so I've decided to start taking some more Flagyl and see what happens.  Took 1gram and will take 500mg / day for the next week and will report back.

When my symptoms reduced before I had taken a single dose of flagyl and was on a 7 day course of ofloxacin, and finishing a course of doxicycline.  Perhaps it was the Flagyl.  The doxy definitely did nothing.

Perhaps I have a viral UTI.

If anyone who had a similar experience or has some info, please share.  To those who PM'd my inbox, thanks for the support, good luck. Will update this again soon.

Thank-You

[Nick_in_asia]

Update

So finally got a hold of the doctor at the Urology clinic.  I explained that I had finished the Flagyl and the Ofloxacin that he gave me and still had symptoms.  He confirmed my analysis of the test results - Negative for everything but HSV-1 (which is common in White folk he said haha)

He then proceeded to prescribe Doxycicline and Zithromax. I explained to him (again) that he was the third doctor I had been to see and had already completed Amoxicillin, Erythromicin, Ofloxacin (21 days), Doxyciclin, 2x 2 gram doses of Zithromax, and thats why I went to a pretigious modern hospital to see a specialist and shelled out hundreds of dollars to see him.

He then prescribed me to take Flagyl.  Then I explained he already prescribed that to me...  Starting to see why I'm looking for advice on the internet???

In the end I told him that I have Ciprofloxacin, and Levofloxacin, and more Flagyl on hand.  He said I should take 500mg of Levofloxacin and Flagyl every day for 7 days and that I have prostatitis.??  Awesome.

Again, just placated, brushed off and given a generic diagnosis - Didn't seem concerned that I've already taken every anti-biotic under the sun / He seemed 100% confident that Levo would work (or he really wanted to leave the office for lunch)

I'm going to cross my fingers.  I have enough flagyl and Levofloxacin to do a 10 day course.  Then my last option is the Ciprofloxacin and I'll have to wait until I get back to civilization.

Will update again later.

[Vance2335]

"Thanks Dr. Obvious." If you want to have an attitude then this might not be the forum for you. We are not Dr's here, we can only give so much advice. So it comes to a point where only advice we have is to see a Dr, or follow up with one.

[Nick_in_asia]

^ Vance, If you want to share more of your opinions on my personal situation, or discuss my attitude feel free to send me a personal message.  There's no need to continue to post the same advice 4 x over.  Thanks for the help.


So here's the latest update...

Yesterday was day 10 of Flagyl (Metronizadole) 2 x per day, w/ Levofloxacin 500mg 2 x /day.

I am not cured.

Symptoms:
Pain while urinating anywhere from 0 to 5/10.  Seems to vary throughout the day.  Always painful in the afternoon for some reason - At other times 2-3/10 and once in a while I can hardly notice - But the pain always returns.

I also still have the discharge, although it is very small now.  I'd say 1/10 compared to 7/10 when things were pretty serious a month ago.  Still staining on the underwear.  Discharge is clear to plasma colour.  Urethra is still sticky (takes a while to get a proper stream out!)

Seemed that the latest course of antibiotics did help, but its not completely cured.

The only antibiotics I have left is the Ciprofloxacin...  I'm kind of wary for taking this now as it, like Levo, is said to be hard on tendons etc...  My feet and arms are killing me right now, this seemed to happen 2-3 days after I started taking the Levo.

Anyhoo, the plan forward is to wait a few days and see what happens with my symptoms (and tendons!).  If they don't get any worse I'm going to wait to see the doctor before taking any more antibiotics.  If they flare up again, 10 days of Ciprofloxacin 500mg x 2 per day.  

Looking like I will be able to see a doctor in another asian country again around the 25th of July.  Hopefully can get proper testing done to see what I have and get a correct diagnosis/treatment.

*Can anyone recommend what type of testing I should ask for?

Thanks
Will update again later.

[kwave]

What was the outcome Nick. Several people in BKK are reporting similar problems and the doctors are somewhat baffled.

[maninga]

Have the same problem?mind knowing your updates please.....

[Vance2335]

Then follow my advice because we have limitations on what we can do here for help.

Has prostate been checked?

[xiongnen]

http://www.fertilitysolution.com/Treatment-for-Chronic-Prostatitis/

THis site is going to help you.  I have the same problem and I do not know what to do, too.  I will have to go and see this doctor.  I do not know why US does not have any doctor who is specialize in this field.  

below is a 3D treatment of Chlamydia.

http://www.prostatitiscure.com/3d-therapy/why-3d-therapy-has-no-rival-treatment-in-the-world.html

They are very expensive and I do not know how to get the money to treat myself.  I need help on both Chlamydia and financial.  Please let me know anyone....

[kwave]

21 days of doxy. If you have had it for a long time the doctors are recommending 21 days doxy and 7 - 10 days moxifloxacin (Avelox). Most people cannot do 10 days of moxi.

The regimen is not easy. And it will take an additional 7 - 10 days for the joint pain and body aches to subside.

Its coming your way Vance. Still no idea on the name of the beast. After four days it is noticeable. At days five and six you will be at a doctor. Within a week your entire body will be affected. Prostate, kidneys, heart, throat, eyes, joints and brain. You will be confused and in pain. More of a sudden onset illness than std.

I wanted to wait the two week to get tested, but the pain was just too great. Six days since the treatment and beginning to feel better. No clear discharge, no body aches and no joint pain.

GLTA

[xiongnen]

I believe that no one in here can help.  THose that are infected and try looking out for answer.  No one have the great advise and the only people who are infected is around.  This web site is a junk.

[manila_bob]

Nick,

I highly reccomend going over to singapore and seeing dr Tan (google). Went over there to check confirm a negative hiv result. he is very knowledgable.

I also had been treated unsuccessfully for chlamydia in the usa (they prescribed azithromycin 1g only) , and he had indeed noted that chlamyidia had appeared to be more and more resistant to zithromax, and that doxy was the way to go (usually)

Go see him, worth the trip. I live in philppines / indonesia and dont much trust the doctors here.

If anything, he's very knowledgable regarding  STDs