medication failure

I was treated with 1g of zithromax for a chlamydia infection in Jan. 09.  It took what seemed a few weeks for the symptoms to completely clear.  But now I am having a heavy discharge again and I have not had sex at all.  What are the odds the medication didn't work?  I have an appointment to test for cure but not until next Tues.

[2terrified]

Maybe it's a yeast infection from the antibiotic?  And it was recommended that I ****** to get rid of any remaining vaginitis.

[auntiejessi]

Ohhh now we can't say d*ouching?  I don't know who told you to do that but they did you no favors.  D*ouching can cause yeast or bacterial vaginitis, so make sure you get checked for those as well as re-testing for chlamydia.

Aj

[2terrified]

do you have any idea what the chances are the medication failed?  I did not drink alcohol for over a week. And it seemed to take 2-3 weeks to clear up.  I am/was not taking any other medication and am otherwise a healthy person.

[2terrified]

Oops.. i forgot to mention I have been taking Loestrin24 which I started shortly after treatment.

[auntiejessi]

It has less than a 5% failure rate.

I think you should just get this checked out before assuming its chlamydia again.  There are other infections that cause very similar symptoms.

Aj

[2terrified]

Turns out that the NP that did my exam thinks I am right.  So, we will know definitely in the next 2-3 weeks if I was in the less than 5% that had a resistance to azithromycin.  

She got approval to treat me anyway.  So, I got treated for gonnorhea (Gonorrhea)  just in case.  And she gave me a double dose of azithromycin to see if that works.  Turns out that the chlamydia is much worse now.  

Anyway...I ate and took the Suprax, and 1G of azithromycin.  I am to take another gram of azithromycin tomorrow.  I hope I can hold it in because I am really nauseated right now.  I'm pretty sure if I had only taken one medication it wouldn't be so bad, oh well.  Too late for that now.  Please, any of you that pray, pray that this cures me.

[auntiejessi]

The side effects from the Suprax and azith should be gone tomorrow, and then you can take the other gram of azith.  You shouldn't have the level of nausea then.

Feel better,
Aj

[2terrified]

Thank you.  I feel better already.  No more nausea at the very least.  

[2terrified]

Call me paranoid.  I know it takes a little over a week for symptoms to completely subside.  But I started feeling better yesterday...not nearly as much discharge and an occasional abdominal pain.  Today, the discharge is bad again.  I'm going to wait 2 weeks to see if the symptoms go away completely then make an appointment for test for cure.  But what if the azithromycin didn't work this time in a double dose?  What then?

[auntiejessi]

If this doesn't work, you need to have a prostate exam, and a urine culture.  Something else is going on, and perhaps the meds are suppressing the growth of it enough, but not killing it.

Aj

[2terrified]

I'm supposed to be feeling better not worse right?

[Dallasfan]

Chlamydia are universally sensitive to azythromycin. The 5% failure rate is the host response to the antibiotic and not the resistence of Chlamydia to the antibiotic. Thus, it is often wise to repeat treatment after 2 to 3 weeks or change to doycycline if the person infected cannot take a second dose of azythromycin. I sounds like you may have another type of vaginal infection. Have your RNP repeat your exam looking for BV or Trichomonas. Hope you feel better soon.

[2terrified]

Thank you, Dallasfan.  I was tested for trich and BV as well as yeast.  All of those came out clear.  I know that it is chlamydia because today, there was blood in the discharge.  

I think you are right though about my resistance to azithromycin.  I have had an allergic reaction 2 days later.  I have a small rash on my arm and have been itching on and off all day in several different areas of my body.  Should I call tomorrow and tell them of this?

[2terrified]

Oh and I read somewhere that d0uching can push the bacteria further into your cervix, spreading it to the other reproductive organs.  I think that may have been part of the reason the medication worked for a short while.

[Dallasfan]

Yes, tell your provider about the rash. The symptoms you are having could be from an allergic reaction. I would call them as soon as you can. Over the counter benadryl may ease your symptoms. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle.

[auntiejessi]

I agree, and if you douched, then yes, you could be having a reaction to that as well.

Aj

[2terrified]

Well, I've been on doxy for almost a week now.  I have 3 doses left.  I feel a lot better but still have some yellow discharge.  I'm afraid that the infection has not or will not be completely cured.

Are there any ideas as to why my body is resisting cure from the antibiotics?  I do not have HIV.  Is it possible my immune system has been weakened from all of the medication I have taken in the last few weeks?  Therefore, preventing the doxy from doing it's job completely?

[auntiejessi]

Have you gotten all your results back yet?  I'd wonder if maybe you have bacterial vaginitis or something on top of it.

I don't think your system would be weakened by all the meds.

Aj

[2terrified]

No test results yet.  I don't remember if the clinic still asks the lab to test for trich, bv, and yeast.  I know they did a wet mount there and I was negative for all three.  They told me to see what happens a few days after I finish the meds.  I just hope I don't have mutant chlamydia bacteria from he11.

[auntiejessi]

A wet mount will look for all 3 of those, so you don't have bv, yeast, or trich.

I hope you get some answers from the results.  :(

[2terrified]

Well, my tests came back completely negative.  But something is wrong.  My cervix was extremely red and so much discharge...i'll test again in 3 weeks.  Hopefully, I will have some health insurance and can go to a gynecologist.

[2terrified]

Also, what can cause a false negative swab test in women?  I know I'm driving myself crazy on this, but the symptoms are there and nothing is coming out positive at all.

[auntiejessi]

There is something called Mucopurulent cervicitis (MPC) and I'm sorry it didn't come to mind sooner.

The cause of this is sometimes never found, and it can be a bear to treat.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervicitis

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cervicitis/article_em.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/urethritis-and-cervicitis.htm#uc3

[2terrified]

thank you for the info.

[auntiejessi]

I'm sorry I didn't think of it earlier.  :(

[2terrified]

I've read the information on cervicitis.  Since the chlamydia infection has been (overly) treated, could the antibiotics be making it worse?  And I know they are tired of hearing from me at the health department but what can I say to them to get them to really listen and do something?  If possible, I want to avoid surgery because I have already had a leep done.

[auntiejessi]

It could be - at this point, I'd say anything is possible.

I had a thought that maybe you should stop taking the meds, and just seeing what happens while you wait to see your gyn, but then I don't know if that would work either.  

I don't want to give you the wrong advice.  :(

Aj

[2terrified]

I know.  I thank you for all the help you have given me so far.  The NP at my gyno's office told me to go back to the health department.  Actually, the discharge is not so bad anymore.  So, I will give it the full week after the last pill and see where I am at then.  

I have read that sometimes it clears up on it's own.  Also, sometimes it may take 14 days to see relief of symptoms.  Not to mention that there was a report that about 20% of women still have mucopurulent discharge months sometimes years after treatment.

[2terrified]

So, I am all clear for std's I do have cervicitis.  The gyno looked and asked me if I have ever had a leep.  I did 7 years ago.  He said it was possible the chlamydia back in January irritated my cervix and caused the cervicitis.  My cervix is basically having a hard time healing itself because of the leep.  He says it happens sometimes and may take years for my body to get back to normal.  But we are going to try treating the cervix with metrogel to maybe speed up the process.

[auntiejessi]

Oh wow.  I hope it doesn't take that long, but at least you have some answers now.

I hope you start feeling better soon.

:)

Aj

[2terrified]

Thank you.  You were very helpful.  I'm going to use my experiences to try to help others who may go through the same thing.