Gonorrhea dormancy

How long can gonorrhea persist in a woman either with or without symptoms?  There seems to be some disagreement among the doctors which is why I asked.  One doctor says he has a patient that had it without symptoms for 3 years and another doctor said that several months-maybe one year is the max and the longer time periods are probably a myth.  

Any ideas?

[Vance2335]

I have heard of up to one year without having other issues. Could it be longer...sure, but I think most will say within 1 year or so. There are rare cases that could make it go longer.

[Jim2006]

Thanks for the response.  Do you think it's possible for a couple to keep transmitting gonorrhea back and forth to each other for two years?  I was tested by the PCR method from a urine sample and came up negative over 1.5 years ago.  I had one brief oral sex exposure previously (6 months before testing--so 2 years ago), but other than that both my wife and I have been 100% faithful.  Now I'm worried that I cleared the infection before I got tested, but passed it to my wife who may still have it, 2 years after a potential exposure.  I now have some symptoms of a UTI or maybe gonorrhea/chlamydia.  What do you think?

[Vance2335]

I doubt that you and wife would go that long and not have symptoms or more serious complications. I can't say for a fact but as I said I doubt it. 90% of men will show symptoms within 30 days and 60% of women will show within 30 days. So for you to have it, pass it to wife, get it cleared of your system and get it back and both to go without symptoms for over 1 year...just the odds are not that good of happening. The odds of getting it from oral sex is low.

[Jim2006]

Thank you for the help.  I think I might go get tested again for peace of mind--hopefully.  I'll be scared to see the results.  Do you know if there's an antibody test for gonorrhea to test for past infection?  If so, how reliable is it?  I know there's an antibody test for chlamydia, which has some cross reactivity with other species of chlamydia, but I'm not sure for gonorrhea.

[Vance2335]

When you test for gonorrhea it just shows if you have the infection. I do not know if it has an antibody test.
But what would make you think that you had the infection in the first place? Just from that oral sex exposure? I'll say again the risk is small from oral sex. And when I say small I mean real small.

[Jim2006]

Oh because recently, I've had some symptoms of urethritis, slight burning after I urinate and possibly some discharge.  It's hard to tell because if it's discharge it's indistinguishable from urine and it's always after I urinate--as if I can't get the last drops out.  Are there other bacteria that can cause these effects?  

[Vance2335]

The discharge from gonorrhea is all throughout the day so you can rule that out. I am sure there are other bacteria that would cause it, I just don't know what it could be, only really a Dr would.

[Jim2006]

Thanks, I will reply in the same thread.  When you say that discharge from gonorrhea is throughout the day do you mean that it comes out even when you're not urinating?  Also, is there a color associated with the discharge?

[Jim2006]

Sorry, I just saw that you wrote there is a color associated with the discharge of gonorrhea in the other thread.  I assume by color you mean something other than the color of urine.  

[Vance2335]

Yes, it is normally yellow or green and it is a lot thicker then urine, it has a thickness like semen. And some people first notice it as stains on the underwear and then you see it develop more over time.

[Jim2006]

Ah ok, so the discharge gets more and more if the gonorrhea isn't treated right?  Also, can one tell a difference between the discharge of chlamydia from gonorrhea?

[Vance2335]

Yes the symptoms should progress from maybe notice a stain or two on the underwear a day to actually seeing the discharge.

I don't think so, maybe a Dr on a visual exam might but not an average person.

[Jim2006]

Do you think it's possible for medication to prevent any further damage if someone (me or my wife) has had gonorrhea for 2 years?  Would the medication still be effective?  

Also, I'm really worried about gonorrhea in the eyes.  Do you know what that looks like and/or symptoms?  Also, would eyedrops help that out?

[Vance2335]

Yes the medication would still be effective.

Gonorrhea of the eye...you are talking about 1 in 1,000,000,000 chance.

You started asking questions on April 1st it is now April 3rd, have you gone to get tested?

[Jim2006]

I've scheduled an appointment on Monday, so cross the fingers.  I'm really worried because I honestly think I have it.  

Really that low of a chance for gonorrhea of the eye?  If for instance, after urinating and wiping it off, if you rub your eyes later before washing your hands, could that give it to the eyes?  I'm so freaking out because this morning I woke up with extra mucus in my right eye, like I have to blink to clear it up.  

[Vance2335]

I think it might be time to post in the anxiety forum. You are talking about something from 2 years ago and somehow convinced yourself that you have it. As I said before you would have a lot of complications by now.
And you don't get gonorrhea of the eye that way. Hell I don't even know if it is possible due to the way gonorrhea is transmitted.

[Jim2006]

Could you tell me some of the complications of gonorrhea I might have by now or my wife for that matter?  That might help me a bit.  

I'm just worried because there's so much about it being a silent disease that women don't know they have it and all that my wife could go on for 2 years and maybe only think she has a yeast infection, which is what she says now.  

[Vance2335]

In men, gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the ducts attached to the testicles.

In women, the symptoms may be quite mild or can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever.

Again 2 years would be so uncommon not to show any kind of symptoms and probably after 6months to 1 year it would progress to the above.

[Jim2006]

Ok, thank you.  Well about a week ago my left testicle did start hurting.  Now it doesn't hurt.  I'll get tested and let you know.  See why I'd be worried though with having a lot of the symptoms and knowing that my wife has vaginal itching, which could get as simple as a yeast infection or as complicated as gonorrhea/chlamydia.

[Vance2335]

But here is the thing, 2 years after is not going to cause symptoms that are seen in the initial stages.
Your testicular pain has nothing to do with epididymitis...when they said painful they mean as much pain as getting kicked in the testicles.

[Jim2006]

AH!  That's painful.  :-)  Well, I'm hoping for the best but fearful for the worst.  I'm hoping there's some other explanataion.  

By the way, do you know if a woman has bacterial vaginosis if it's possible for her to transmit some of the bacteria to the guy and the guy to get urethritis from it?  Just seaching for alternative explanations.  

[Vance2335]

That I do not know

[Vance2335]

I wanted to add that I am sure it is possible because women pass yeast infection to men all of the time.

[Jim2006]

Ok, thanks. Also, can prostatitis cause similar symptoms as infection with gonorrhea/chlamydia?  The burning after urinating, discharges, and epididymitis.  

[Vance2335]

I believe it can

[Jim2006]

Ok, thanks for the help.  I'll let everyone know the results next week.

[auntiejessi]

Didn't I just answer this last week in the chlamydia forum?  I suggested then that you get tested.

Its possible, but rare, for a man to get the bacteria that causes bv, but you should have a urine culture to make sure.

AJ

[Jim2006]

Yes, I am now convinced that I couldn't have gotten chlamydia orally.  However, I'm still worried that it's gonorrhea.  I went to the doctor today and will get tested by the urethral swab test on Wednesday.  

I'm really scared I have gonorrhea because of the symptoms I have (discharge, and a bit of burinng) and my wife have (yellow discharge and itching).  I honestly don't know how we could have had it over 2 years and me getting tested negative twice!  That really puzzles me.  I can only guess that I passed it off to her before I tested negative but then recaught it.  But I will let everyone know what the results are like.  

[auntiejessi]

Is your wife getting checked too?

I'd wonder if you aren't passing an NGU or something.  They should also do a urine culture.  Why didn't they test you today?

Aj

[Jim2006]

They didn't test today because of lack of availablity.  

I will tell my wife soon.  I'm just afraid of the repercussions after I tell her, which is why I was waiting for results.  But we'll see.  There's no easy way to tell.

[auntiejessi]

What does lack of availability mean?   Doctors, with all due respect, get on my nerves.

You test this week, right?

Aj

[Jim2006]

Yes, I just got tested this morning, but with the painful swab test.  I should see some results Friday, but I'm really scared.

[Vance2335]

You really have nothing to worry about.

[Jim2006]

Ok, so my test results came back negative for Gonorrhea and Chlamyida.  Apparently all they found was some Staphylococcus epiderimdis, but I think that's normal bacteria.  My wife will get tested so I'm a bit worried about that, especially because I took clarithromycin 2 weeks before my test.  I don't know if that either got rid of the gonorrhea or affected my tests.  Do you think that could affect the results of the tests if I stopped taking it exactly two weeks before?

[Vance2335]

You have nothing to be nervous about.

[Jim2006]

Do you think exactly 2 weeks without antibiotics is enough time for the swab tests to be accurate?

[Vance2335]

I think this whole thing from something that happened 2+ years ago is not anything to worry about.