What if Azithromycin & Doxycycline Don't Work?

About 6 weeks ago, I picked up chlamydia from my girlfriend.  As this is my first (and hopefully last) experience with an STD, I'm a bit of a novice as far as treatment is concerned.  3 weeks ago I went to see my primary care doctor (about a week after symptoms began) complaining of a slight itchy/burning sensation during urination.  I did not have any discharge at all.  I was tested and came back positive for chlamydia.  Here is what transired after this:

- 1 day before test results, doctor prescribed 400 mg of Suprax
- The day the test results confirmed I had chlamydia and not gonorrhea, I was given 1500 mg of azithromycin.  I took 1 gram the first day, and 500 mg the 2nd day.
- 5 days later I still had symptoms, so I saw a urologist.  He ran another test (which subsequently came back positive for chlamydia), and prescribed 100 mg of Doxycycline twice per day, for 14 days.  

I am now on day 12 of the Doxy, and I still have symptoms.  My last pill will be Tuesday morning, and I'm scheduled for another test on Thursday.  And now for the questions:

Is it likely at this point that the Doxycycline has not worked?  If so, is it worth asking for a different antibiotic rather than wait 5-7 days for test results to come back and not be on meds during this time?  If so, what medication is most appropriate assuming azithromycin and doxycycline did not work?

Thanks in advance.

[aquama617]

Chalmydia symptoms can sometimes take a while to resolve themselves and anti-biotics are a slow release medication, meaning they are still working to kill an infection for some time after you've swallowed your last pill.

I had what I assumed was a drug-resistent case of chlamydia (which is essentially unheard of, from what I've been reading) because my symptoms persisted after a few different treatments.  I was diagnosed on 7/16 and was prescribed 7 days worth of doxicyclene but on the sixth day it didn't seem to be working so my doc switched me to 1 gm azithromycin and 1 gm metrodinazole.  A week after the azithro/metro treatment, I was still having that post-pee sting.  My doc put me on z-pack.  On the last day of z-pack (8/6) , I went in for another round of STD testing and the test from that day came back as negative for chlamydia.  I was still having a some slight urethral discomfort three or four days after completing the z-pack (maybe up until 8/9 or 8/10), even though the chlamydia was gone.

Give it time to work, but keep on your doctor if your issues persist or if further tests come back positive.  There are other anti-biotics they can give you.

[Drag78]

Thanks for the feedback.  I suppose I'll wait to see the outcome of this test, although the symptoms really don't seem to be improving much... they were slight from the beginning.  

Has anyone had experience with either Cipro, Levaquin, and erythromycin?

[2terrified]

You are testing too soon.  You really should not test any less than 30 days after the first day of treatment.  The tests are picking up dead chlamydia dna.  Give it time and go for a test for cure in 30 days.

[Drag78]

Interesting... Most of what I've read and heard (including from my doc) was that the risk of being tested too soon was a false negative, since the presence of antibiotics can mask the bacteria.  Tomorrow is the re-test, and will be about 23 days since beginning treatment.  Fingers crossed.

[Stacey92]

I am having the same problem you seem to have had, i underwent about 6 months of different treatments and tests before i finally switched Docs, and right away she found out my husband had given me chlamydia. I took 2 days work of azith/metro and then started a 14 day cycle of doxy, 100 mg 2 times a day. I am having NO relief of the "post pee sting" i still feel like i have to go ALL the time, loosing sleep over it every night im 12 days into doxy and i have had no help, im going in 3 days for a pelvic ultra sound and a request for more antibiotics, I am afraid that nothing is going to work its been 7 month since ive had this problem and even with the medication the problems seem worse. what should i do?

[Vance2335]

Keep working with your Dr's on this issue. Have more urine/swab testing. Get off medication for about 2 weeks and see what happens.