Chlamydia Treatment Fail?

[badvacation]

I made a bad, drunken judgement call while backpacking Europe, had unprotected vaginal sex, didn't know anything about the person. I became immediately anxious, stressed, and terrified the morning after until I got home and tested 6 weeks after exposure. I got the 8-panel std test from STDexpress. Everything came back negative except for Chlamydia and have been on a 10 day Doxycycline treatment, taking two tablets a day. Almost as soon as I started taking the medication my symptoms went away. However at day 9 and 10 of treatment that same warm, uncomfortable feeling came back to my groin area, and a slight itch, which is what I was feeling before I got tested, except its not nearly as bad as it was then. Its now day 11. I'm going to retest in a week.
My question is,
1) does this sound normal at all? Or does this mean treatment failed, and I shouldn't even wait to retest, but just get another prescription and start treatment again?
I had no sexual contact where I could have reinfected myself. And except for the first day of Doxycycline, where I had dairy, I followed the medication instructions exactly.

One other thing. About a month after exposure, I noticed a single reddish, pink bump at the base of my penis right at the line of my pubic hair. Its about the size of a pin head, doesn't hurt or anything. I've had ingrown hairs before and I really don't think it's that. I tried popping it once and only blood came from it.
2) Any idea what this could be, with everything testing negative besides Chlamydia? Could stress cause this, because i've never been more stressed in my life?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  Doxycycline in the dose you are taking is highly effective and treatment failures are very, very rare.  Sometimes after an STD diagnosis such as yours we tend to examine ourselves more closely than we would otherwise and to be more attuned to genital sensations than usual.  This leads to the perception of itching and other minor discomforts which more probably represent heightened sensitivity than anything else.  Alternatively, your antibiotics could be predisposing you to "jock itch" (a fungal infection).  Either way treatment failure of your chlamydia is so rare that follow-up testing in not routinely recommended.  If you choose to do so, I am confident your test results will be negative.

The "bump" is your public hair has occurred at the wrong time to be an STD and sounds like folliculitis.  I would not worry about that either.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Nothing in the rash you describe suggests herpes and I would not have recommended a herpes blood test in your situation.  The rash you describe could possibly be a yeast infection. If this is the case, it should get worse. Alternatively it could be just that you are examining yourself more closely than you might otherwise and this is normal variation. Either way it is not likely to be an STD.  If it gets better, nothing to worry about. If it progresses, try a OTC therapy for yeast.  EWH

[badvacation]

Hi, I had an update/question. The uncomfortable feeling in my groin is happening less and less each day, which I'm happy about. But something else has come to my attention. I'm uncircumcised, but my foreskin is short, basically just rests behind the head of my penis. When i pull it back it seems like there's a mild rash that goes in a line around the area underneath my foreskin. It looks redder than usual and there are some very flat red bumps/dots that go along with it (barely can feel that they're raised when I run my finger over them). They are small, and not blister-like. I noticed this about when I finished the Doxycycline treatment for the Chlamydia(2 to 3 weeks ago), but since it doesn't hurt or itch at all, I just figured it was due to friction. But I haven't masturbated or anything in over a week and it still looks the same it did when I first noticed it. Difficultly, I asked my mother what she thought, she said it seems like a yeast infection from the antibiotics.
1) My fear of any bumps has made me think herpes, so I'm wondering, considering I tested negative at 6 weeks post possible exposure with the Herpeselect IgG, and with this "rash" happening about 3 weeks after the blood test, is there any chance this is herpes?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I'm sorry, I just cannot predict that. Typically inflammation following genitourinary infections can take a while to resolve.  EWH

[badvacation]

I am happy to say you were right, my Chlamydia results came back negative. I'm no longer worried I still have an STD. However, my groin still has been feeling uncomfortable warm/a little sore, so I tried an anti-fungal cream, and that seems to be relieving it. Do you think it's just something that I'll have to wait for to go away?
Anyways, thank you for your advice, it's been very help and assuring.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Absolutely not.  I think you need to stop worrying about this and move forward rather than getting caught in a vicious cycle of worry.  EWH

[badvacation]

^^I tested negative for everything except Chlamydia at week 6 post exposure^^

[badvacation]

Hope this isn't bothersome, but I have an appointment scheduled for Monday to retest for Chlamydia. However, I just read that herpes has a window period. I tested negative for everything at 6 weeks post exposure, including hsv 1 and hsv 2. I haven't had any rash or blisters that would indicate herpes, but is a warm uncomfortable feeling in your groin common with herpes, and maybe im just not showing the physical symptoms? Do you think I should also retest for that?

[badvacation]

Thanks for the quick response. Thats very reassuring and makes me feel a whole lot better. Still my testicles feel slightly sore, mainly the right one. I think I'll get re-tested just for the peace of mind, maybe that will solve my problems.