Effect of Tetracycline on Tests

[John45512]

I'm a man and I received unprotected oral about a month ago.  I have not experienced any symptoms since.  However, here is the issue.  I take tetracycline (500 mg twice a day) for acne.  I read online that tetracycline may cure many STDs caused by bacteria, but the dose I take is too low and I read online that gonorrhea is sometimes resistant to tetracycline anyway.  I have two questions:

1.  I've read on this forum that gonorrhea almost always causes symptoms in men.  So normally I'd say "No symptoms, no worries."  But I'm worried that the tetracycline might stopping me from having symptoms of gonorrhea but not curing it.  Is this likely?  

2.  If I go get tested (which I think I probably will), could the tetracycline cause a false negative?  If so, how long should I not take it before going to the clinic?  I don't want to stop for too long, because I get really horrible acne when I stop.  

Thanks for your help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your background information is correct.  At the same time, your risk is low,  Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococal urethritis (NGU) are transmitted through oral sex; chlamydia is not and without an obvious sore or lesion on your partner’s mouth, the chances of syphilis and herpes is likewise tiny.   Even if your partner had an STD (any STD and it is likely she did not), most exposures do not lead to infection.  Interestingly, it tends to take less antibiotic to prevent infections than to cure them so if you were exposed (unlikely), the tetracycline may have prevented the infection from taking hold.  

I agree with your decision to get tested even though your risk is very low. The tetracycline will not interfere with the testing however.  If your test is negative, you do not have gonorrhea.  Hope this is helpful.  EWH