Avelox and Gonorrhea

I was informed yesterday (saturday) that I may have been exposed to gonorrhea and/or chlamydia by a sex partner.  I've shown no symptoms of either.  For the past 10 days I've been taking 400 mg avelox for a sinus infection.  The exposure would have happened about 2 weeks ago.  If I was in fact exposed to either gonorrhea or chlamydia, would the avelox get rid of the infection(s)?  Thanks for your help and for doing this public service.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks about the forum.

Moxifloxacin (trade name Avelox) most likely would be effective against gonorrhea, but it hasn't been studied.  Also, gonorrhea resistant to that class of drugs (the fluoroquinolones) is on the rise.  If you happen to be in Asia or a Pacific Rim country, or in Hawaii or California, you definitely should not rely on Avelox to prevent gonorrhea.  It should be highly effective against chlamydia.

At this point, I do not think you need additional treatment.  But it would be a good idea to see a health care provider 3-4 weeks after you finish treatment, or perhaps your local health department STD clinic, and get tested for both infections.

Good luck--  HHH, MD