chlamydia/gonorrhea testing and transmission

[genesys]

doc, thanks for the help in advance. my questions are in all caps to help you go back and find and answer them...

i was given doxyxicline without being tested for std's to alleviate a mild burning/stinging sensation in the head of my penis just before and just after i'd urinate. the symptom showed up about 4 days after a sexual encounter with a stranger. the stinging is gone now after 4 days of treatment (still have 6 more days left)

although i never had any dicharge during the 10-12 days of mild stinging, i want to go back and get tested to see if i had any std's other than the possible chlamydia, such as gonorrhea or herpes. BUT HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I WAIT, AFTER I'VE FINISHED TAKING THE DOXY, TO GO AND GET AN ACCURATE TEST DONE FOR  GONORRHEA, HERPES, ETC.? WHILE ON THE DOXY, CAN I GO  GET TESTED FOR THE OTHER INFECTIONS SO I CAN BEGIN IMMEDIATE TREATMENT FOR THEM?

i've read that doxy is good for chlamydia, and that it may clear up gonorrhea. also, that chalmydia and gonorrhea can both cause painful urination, IF I DO/DID HAVE GONORRHEA, IS THERE ANY WAY TO TELL FROM THE SYMPTOMS AND THE TIMING OF THEIR ONSET THAT MIGHT DIFFERENTIATE THEM FROM THE POSSIBLE CHLAMYDIA? AND IS IT POSSIBLE THE DOXY WILL TAKE CARE OF BOTH POSSIBLE INFECTIONS?

also, i had red, bloodshot eyes one morning. not sure if they were irritated from looking at the tv and computer screen a lot, lack of sleep or if it was conjunctivitis. HOW BAD DOESN CONJUNCTIVITIS GET? DOES IT CLEAR UP ON ITS OWN? IS IT USUALLY REOCCURING? i haven't had any redness in my eyes since...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I wish I could help, but once treated, your tests for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection will be negative.  Unlike some STDs (herpes, HIV, syphilis), there is no test that can accurately diagnose past infection with gonorrhea or chlamydia.  Now that you're already on doxycycline, there is no way to know whether or not you had one of these infections.  The short incubation period (4 days) suggest gonorrhea more than chlamydia; but on the other hand, most gonorrhea would cause more prominent symptoms than you describe (more pain, overt discharge).  Doxy is virtually 100% reliable for chlamydia and ~90% reliable for gonorrhea.  So be alert for resurgent symptoms after you finish therapy, but if that doesn't happen, you can be confident the treatment was effective (if you had either gonorrhea or chlamydia).

The conjunctivitis probably is coincidental.  Most cases are due to viruses and resolve spontaneously after 1-2 weeks.  However, it is conveivably that you acquired adenovirus type 19, which sometimes causes simultaneous conjunctivitis and urethritis.

Good luck-- HHH, MD

[barneyc]

I have a question that is somewhat related to this post. I am a man and on March 2, I received unprotected oral sex from a woman for about 30 seconds and did not ejaculate. She had no visible sores, etc... I had no symptoms, but I was worried and on April 4, I was tested at an STD clinic for HIV, gonorrhea, chlymidia and syphilis. All the tests came back negative, but the clinic said the testing company could not issue a definitive report on the urethal swab because the swab was past its expiration date. I had no further symptoms, but this past week I began to experience some discomfort with my penis. There has been no discharge or sores, but I have a very slight burning sensation before and after I urinate, no pain at all during urination. I also feel as though I have to urinate more frequently. I have a feeling that this may just be a UTI, but wanted to see what you thought. I also wanted to know if I should take a prescription of amoxicillian that I have left over from a sinus infection in April. The doctor gave me the amox, but then had to give to give me a stronger drug - Avelox. He told me to keep the Amoxicilian in case I got another illness later. Would amoxicilian treat gonn, chylm. and a UTI? Do you have any idea what might be happening to me? Also, can I be comfortable with my Oraquick Rapid HIV test results that were obtained 33 days after my brief exposure?

[gab5]

you asked 90% of his question back in April.  The doctor is probably going to tell you to go to the doctor and get checked for a UTI.  That based on your exposure the 33 day Oraquick is fine.  Good luck.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

gab5 is right.  I have no more to offer you.  I will just add that moxofloxacin (Avelox) won't add anything (it isn't any "stronger" than other antibiotics); and the proper advice for unused antibiotic (your amoxicillin) is to discard it.  Saving it for self-treatment for future infections is irresponsible; it's bad medicine at a personal level, and at a population level that sort of approach just contributes to the spread of antibiotic-resitant bacteria.

HHH, MD

[genesys]

thanks doc. since yesterday afternoon my testical sack has kind of felt "warm" down there...like a feverish feeling you might get in your head when you get a flu or something. it's mild. and seems to come and go. and the skin may be more redish than usualli don't know if it's caused by my anxiety, is a normal reaction in the healing process or if it's a new symptom of something other than chlamydia or gonorrhea.

if i had gotten herpes...may 1st what would symptoms would've showed up by now typically?

[genesys]

sat down and really did the math. it was probably more like 5 or 6 days before i had a slight "itch" or slight inflammation inside my penis from base to tip,  and the stinging followed 1-2 days after. so on the 6th or 7th day, definitely the 8th day the stinging had started.

should i call and ask the doc to prescribe cipro or something that works better against gonorrhea? or trust in the doxy?

and, what about getting tested for HIV, herpes, syphilis based on symptoms and exposure? would the doxy make those tests come out falsely negative as well? i know it won't cure them, but will it affect the outcome of the tests?

oh, and i was wondering. if i was exposed to (had sex with a) partner that has chlamydia and gonorrhea, is it possible for me to catch only chlamydia or only gonorrhea?

my new partner

thanks again.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can be exposed to multiple infections and acquire some but not all.  You don't also need cipro.  It wouldn't hurt, just not necessary; if your symptoms respond to doxy and con't return, you can be 100% confident you didn't also acquire gonorrhea.  Doxycycline also will prevent syphilis; there is no point in testing for that infection.  It will have no effect against herpes or HIV, but the risks for them are too low to worry about.

HHH, MD

[genesys]

doc you never answered my question about testicle sack swelling and i have some swelling by the sphincter now at times it seems. the testes themselves don't seem swollen, just the amount of fluid or whatever is in the sack. the pain in the head of my penis before and after urinating is gone. but what's with this new twist? could it be something else?

[dar28]

Genesys, well this may not be the answer, but everyone seems to be willing to add their own little piece to the puzzle, so I thought I'd add mine.  I had a similar encounter with a girl that I didn't know (and whom I now regret).  I ended up being VERY tired the next day, tingling sensation in the penis, no discharge, etc, etc...  I went to the doctor, he gave me the Cipro and Doxy and called it a day...  I also had that conjunctivitis.  Only mine was VERY bad; debilitatingly so...  I got up in the morning and my eyes were blood red, it was horrible..  The doc said that I probably had gotten the Adenovirus also and that there was nothing he could do for me except give me some eye drops (which didn't help).  I took all the medication, thought it was working, but then it didn't.  I ended up with the same warm feeling in the scrotum, and the same pressure in the perenium (between scrotum and anus), except mine wasn't just a slight pressure.  It started off slight, I didn't think much of it, but after a week or so it was HORRIBLE!  It was so bad that I had to take two sleeping pills every night just to pass out for four or five hours.  All the lymph glands in that area were swollen as hell, all the way down my inner thigh!  Also, I was tired beyond belief, I had a fever, chills, night sweats, etc, (I subsequently tested negative for every STD there is a test for...  I never had an STD...).  I went back to the doctor, he gave me pain killers (Vicodin), and more antibiotics.  Apparently, somehow I had gotten prostatitis.  Some kind of infection in my prostate.  They gave me 4 more weeks worth of doxy, which should have gotten rid of it, but it didn't, then four weeks of gatofloxacin, and there was some other antibiotic tossed in there somewhere that I don't remember the name of.  I think that the biggest problem that I had was not going straight to a urologist as soon as I started feeling that pressure down there, but rather just letting the urgent care doctor look at me and tell me that there's nothing wrong with me because he couldn't see any sores or discharge...  If you end up with the same thing, do yourself a favor and get a specialist to check it out lest you should end up like me, having had an inflamed prostate for the last year because it doesn't want to heal now...

[g unit kix]

ok i have a question, im 18 years of age,and im all worried. i recently noticed that my testical sack has gotten red. and they have itched a bit more than usual. there are a few red dots on my penis. i have a few things that have happened recently that may have caused this. i have dont some "rubbing" , with clothing on with my girlfriend. also i ahve gotten a kitten..wich may have nothing to do with it...i was thinking maybe they are just dry from the over "rubbage". do you have any idea what it may be..also i may add my gf is on birth control..and was she checked for std's durign the process of that? id appriciate your help i am very worried, but i also hate wasting the money to the docs if its nothing big...thanks

[treykeadle]

I am amost 100percent sure that I contracted gonorrhea over the weekend.  Although the girl I slept with only performed oral sex on me.  My penis never entered her vagina, however the tip of it contacted her vagina at times.  I didn't perform oral sex on her at all.  A few days later I now have pain on urination and a discharge (dark yellow).  My question is:  I have 11 pills of doxycycline left from a acne prescription earlier this year.  Is this enough to do the trick?  Most of what I have read says to take 14 pills (over 7 days), but shouldn't 11 work (over 5.5 days)?  Thanks.

[Banky711]

Doc,

Will Cipro get rid of Chlamydia. I recently Prostatitis... well thats what the docter told me... I think Im just freaking out. But the symtoms seem like Chlamydia (Without discharge)... I havent been with anyone other then my girlfriend for about 2 months. Are the symtoms the same for both... should I not worry since im on a four week cycle of Cipro?

Any help at all would be great...


thanks

[havetoknow]

I worried because my friend is having sex with his girlfriend after she has told him she had been treated for gonorrhea in the last two weeks. When he was tested he was found to be negative. She told him she has been faithful and that this gonorrhea was from six months ago before she meet him. He has had intercourse with her twice a week for the last five months. He believes her and I am worried that she may be lying to him and he will end up ill. How possible can this be? I know that she had to be positive because she is now pregnant and they would not have treated her with medicine, without being sure.

[alangeordie]

i recently had chlamydia which a course of tablets cleared that was two month ago and i have the same warm sensation just returned is it possible to return