Gonorrhea Infection?

[Magemans]

How long can you have an untreated gonorrhea infection without treating it before it diseminates - becomes more complicated?  I had a low risk encounter with a marine (we are both bi males), but I still seem to have managed to pick up an infection.  The incident ocurred in September '09.  He gave me oral sex.  He kissed me - our tongues touched but it was only briefly.  The main problem was when he spit on his fingers and inserted his finger into my anus.  I'm not generally a fan of this but I went with it.  He was very thirsty and had a difficult time producing the spit necessary, possibly getting it from the back of his throat.  Two days later I started bleeding from my anus.  It was not painful at all, there would just be bright red blood on the toilet paper.  It would come and go for the next few weeks, sometimes alarming me when copious amounts of blood would appear not just on the toilet paper but on the stool and turning the toilet water completely red.  Sometimes I would have constipation, while other times I would have diarrhea.  I was using the toilet more frequently too.  About a month after the encounter I experienced my first ever anal fissure.  It was extremely painful and appeared during a bout of constipation.  By this point I was wondering if I had picked up gonorrhea, but I was surprised it had been possible under the circumstances.  I also noticed at this point that I started to develop tachycardia (rapid heart rate), and hypertension (high blood pressure).  Resting HR > 110bpm, where previously it had been low 80's, and BP of mid 130's over high 90's.  I have access to meds and I gave myself metoprolol ER 25mg once per day at first.  This worked to
bring HR and BP back down.  I also took steps to secure Levoquin.  I took a total of 3 500 mg tablets over a 3 day period, then I followed that up with 1 week of amoxacillin 500mg 3 times daily.  The very first day of the levoquin I felt so much better.  I had to start cutting the metoprolol in half because BP dropped a little to low and made me light headed, and the rectal bleeding stopped immediately.  I thought I was cured but over intervening weeks some symptoms started to return, but not the bleeding.  Frequent feeling the need to have a bowel movement, and alternately hard and soft stool.  My BP also started to rise slowly along with my HR again.  I had to increase metoprolol to 50 mg daily over the past few months to keep bp and hr in check.  I've learned about resistant strains of gonorrhea and have had difficulty securing a third generation cephalosporin.  I finally have got a hold of cefixime 400mg, and plan to take it.  I have six tablets.  Should I take all six over six days, or just the CDC recommended single dose?  I haven't had any night sweats, but I have had chest pain.  Is this a complicated gonorrrhea infection now?  Also, and I know how impossible this sounds, buy hear me out.  While visiting my mother in October I had habit of protecting the toilet seat with toilet paper and wadding it up in front of my penis so it wouldn't "kiss" the porcelain and leave any germs she might catch.  Long story short:  one day she used it right after me and the toilet paper I had used had gotten soaked with my urine and was stuck to the bottom of the seat and slightly protruding into the open bowl area.  I saw she searched on the Internet for causes of sudden onset vaginal itching and irritation.  It went away, but now she is complaint of acute onset arthritis and I am wondering if I could have given her Gonorrhea???  Please let me know.  I know it's a lot to absorb.      

[Magemans]

Hi Grace, thanks for your response.  I'm surprised you think that nothing I have described "sounds like gonorrhea going on"...  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists the symptoms for rectal gonorrhea in men as either absent or any of the following:  rectal bleeding, painful bowel movements, anal itching, rectal discharge, soreness.  I have described all of these symptoms, particularly prior to my first round of antibiotics.  To be clear, the painful anal fissure episode I described above occured prior to my taking any antibiotics, and has in fact not returned since I took the antibiotics, so I have to disagree with your conclusion that the antibiotics were the cause of that problem.  I already started my third generation cephalosporin as recommended by the CDC, and all symptoms have disappeared entirely and immediately.  I will make sure to follow up with my primary care physician as I outlined above and start a course of probiotics to help with any potential irregularity issues that may arise from the antibiotic treatment in the future.  Activia may be helpful in this regard also.  But as I stated earlier, any irregularity issues have already completely resolved with the cefixime.

Anyway, thank your for your concern and tips.  My initial questions regarded more the treatment regimen for gonorrhea.  I know it is unusual to contract gonorrhea in
the method I have described, but it has been documented, particularly when saliva from the back of the throat is used as lubricant and the donor has an active throat infection of gonorrhea (which goes away on it's own in time, I understand).      

[gracefromHHP]

nothing you've mentioned sounds like  gonorrhea going on.  you've now thrown a lot of antibiotics at your body which actually can further complicate things and cause more issues you would've have had including changing your protective bowel flora that would be helping a lot with your bowel/fissure issues.

your heart issues can also be from many things including stress and anxiety.  self treating for those are also not a good idea. you need to see a doctor and/or a cardiologist for a proper work up.  even listening to friends and family in the medical field won't replace a proper work up.

a lack of lube can cause tears and fissures in the anal area as can constipation.  usually getting on a good bowel regimen and keep stools regular and soft is all it takes though sometimes it does take antibiotics. you also could've picked up a bacterial infection from the hands of the person who anally stimulated you. I recommend stopping using hand sanitizer on your anal area too to help with itching. it actually irritates the skin more and dries it out and leaves you vulnerable to more issues. instead try a topical anesthetic for hemorrhoids perhaps and/or soaking in epsom salts even for comfort.  protecting the skin with an emolient or a product like zinc oxide is also helpful.

I'm sure we sound like we are ganging up on you/bashing you but at this point things have been going on for long enough that it's time for proper exam and testing.  

grace

[Magemans]

Thanks Dallasfan,  I appreciate your comments putting my mind at ease about my mother.  I brought an extra boxnof cefixim back to the States for my mother in case I might of infected her.  I know toilet seats can't spread gonorrhea, but the toilet paper and urine made me wonder along with the timing of her vaginal itching.  

I hear you about the fool for a doctor bit.  the problem is, I have many family members that are doctors, and I deal with several professionally as well.  I speak their language (literally, I took a medical terminology class) and my respect and admiration levels for them are not the same as how others feel about them.  Perhaps mine should be, but I've seen first hand their frequent mistakes and the dire consequences of those mistakes and I realize medicine is very much a practice -- something doctors are quick to remind everyone of when they err, but slow to acknowledge when they are demanding respect and reverence.  That said, I still plan to see mine about the BP & HR med taper, along with a follow up to make sure the rectal bleeding wasn't something else.

You might read my post to 2terrified above to see some symptoms I failed to mention earlier, but if you still don't think my infection was gonorrhea, do you have another suspect in mind?  If it helps, I have never engaged in anal intercourse with another male, and I was negative for HIV as recently as a blood test performed in Aug. 09.  My pharmacist (a full doctor in his country, btw), told me that men with anal gonorrhea infections most frequently report no symptoms.  If you have any other clues, or possibilities in mind with regards to my condition, I would love to explore them.  Thanks again.  

[Magemans]

Thanks for your answer 2terrified.  I should have mentioned that early on in the infection I did notice that some white mucous would pass instead of or at the same time as a bowel movement prior to starting the antibiotics the first time around.  I also have experienced some anal itching (before antibiotic treatment and then it made a recent slow comeback) that can be relieved by -- wait for it -- hand sanitizer.  Ouch at first.  But yup, bye bye itch.  When I spoke with my favorite pharmacist, he told me that my symptoms were consistent with cases of Gonorrhea he had seen in the past and he prescribed me the regimen that is currently used in his country.  When I finally got back to him to tell him my symptoms were returning, he researched the issue and learned that gay and bisexual males as well as heterosexuals of either sex in California and other states need a different regimen as directed by the CDC to cure antibiotic resistant strains of gonorrhea that are on the rise.  He felt I dealt the infection a setback, but that it would be with me until I took the Cefixim.  He recommended the CDC dosage because he does not feel I have a complicated case of gonnorhea, and that if I also had clamydia, it would have been wiped out by the earlier amoxacillin treatment he prescribed.  He gave me instructions on how to wean slowly off of the BP meds once the infection is gone, and he urged me to contact my doctor here so that can be monitored.  I plan to do that.  I have great insurance, but STD testing is out of the question.  I am in senior management at my firm, and way too much information about employee medical care is available for my liking.  But I do have a plan.  After finishing treatment with cefixim, I intend to wait a couple of weeks and get a private proof of cure STD test.  If I come back positive for something, I will deal with that, and if I come back negative, I will inform my PCP of the bleeding symptoms just to double check and make sure my symptoms were not related to colorectal cancer or something else.  I am in excellent shape, and I was an athlete in college and I am finely tuned into my body.  I think most of the symptoms I described, the average person would never have even noticed.  The timing of the bleeding is also suspect.  It started exactly two days after the encounter, gradually increasing in frequency and severity and then suddenly disappearing within hours of starting levoquin.  That would be quite a coincidence if it was not caused by a bacterial infection.  If not gonorrhea, are there any others STD's that could cause that or react to antibiotics so quickly?  Also, I had one more recent bout of bleeding, very minor, that caused me to seek out the cefixime and become more certain I was not cured.  In case you have thought HSV, I considered that too, but there have been no sores, bumps, no fever, malaise, swollen lymph nodes, no pain, or lower back pain, etc.  That doesn't guarantee I don't have HSV, but I tend to doubt I do, or that it was a cause of my recent symptoms.  At any rate, thank you for your insights, if you have any others, please share!

[Dallasfan]

First of all I don`t believe you had gonorrhea to begin with. Your rectal symptoms may be caused by a totally different problem . A doctor needs to exam you . There is an old saying: Anyone that treats himself has a fool for a doctor.  Not all Pharmacists are PhD trained. Please go for an exam. Your mother had no risk reguardless.

[2terrified]

Well I apologize but the way you explained it made it sound that way.  Either way if you did not test positive and went on basic symptoms, that is self-diagnosing. You should be tested.  There is almost always a discharge that is prominent in men with gonorrhea.

Also, there are a couple of people who work in the std field in these forums. So, be patient and maybe someone will have a more acceptable answer for you.

[Magemans]

Hi 2terrified.  I am not self medicating or stealing medicine.  You have jumped to a lot of conclusions but I suppose I know why since I didn't offer a lot of details. My job requires frequent international travel and other countries are more free about dispensing certain prescription drugs from pharmacies.  Pharmacists (they are doctors) will frequently listen to symptoms and history and prescribe and sell on the spot what is needed for the
symptoms.  Unfortunately, these are not specialists or US doctors, and they don't always know all the specifics about various strains, etc.  By
the way, I ALWAYS fully declare any prescription meds I bring with me back into the country and I have never had a customs agent have any issue with it.  You are right that the BP and HR shouldn't have anything to do with gonorrhea, but that said, some people with bacterial infections of any kind develop these symptoms.  My questions are probably beyond anyone on this forum though.

[2terrified]

I'm just going to say one thing and leave it at this.  Someone else may have more to offer.  You need to STOP self-medicating.  It does not sound likely that any of this has anything to do with gonorrhea and what you have had going on is because of something else.  Especially to mess with BP medication.  Also, if you are stealing the medication, that is so unethical as well as illegal. Do the right thing and stop medicating yourself.