Keflex

[Nonstopaxiety]

Dear Dr. H.,

I have a few questions I would like your opinion/advice on:

1. How effective is Keflex in treating gonorrhea?  Would it have cured the gonorrhea if I did receive it? I feel I may have been exposed in late August and took Keflex (for other reason) in December.  I took (4) 500mg pills daily for about 4-5 days. Does Keflex work equally as effective on both men and women?
2.  Would Keflex have any effect on chlamydia? What about Levaquin?
3.  If I had contracted NGU would I have likely had symptoms of it by now and what are the symptoms?

Thanks for your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1) In that dose, cephalexin (Keflex) woudl be effective against gonorrhea in eithe rmen or women.  2) Cephalexin has no effect against chlamydia, but levofloxacin (Levaquin) is excellent.  3) NGU symptoms usually appear in 1-2 weeks, virtually always within 3 weeks.  The main symptom is abnormal discharge from the penis, sometimes with painful urination.

HHH, MD

[Nonstopaxiety]

Thanks Dr.

Just a couple of follow up questions related:
1.  Should I be safe to assume that the Keflex has cured the gonorrhea or should I go on a treatment of a more recommended antibiotic?

2.  Even if I did get tested for it now would the results likely be negative?

3.  Does the type/amount treatment change whether the bacteria has been in the body for 3 mos. or say, 3 yrs.?

Thanks Again.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1)  See my first response; you don't need further treatment.  Anyway, if you had no symptoms of urethral discharge etc, you can be certain you didn't have gonorrhea to start with.

2) There is no point in testing now.

3) Gonorrhea clears up on its own within 3 months; chlamydia takes longer, but probably always clears up in men within a few months.  (Somewhat longer in women.)  Treatment is equally effective for brief or longstanding infection.

HHH, MD

[Chlamydia patient]

I just found out that I have chlamydia.I really can't believe that I have an STD. Would there be any other cause that's why I get chlamydia?Coz I only have one partner and I believe and trust him that I'm the only one he had sex with. I already took Azithomycin but I still feel ithcy down there.How long would that antibiotic takes effect before the itchiness be gone? Hope you can answer me.Thank you.

[slikerz]

A related discussion, proper dosage was started.

[TJ57]

A related discussion, Herpes was started.