NGU help

[helpmeplease101]

I am 33 year old male. I received oral and had vaginal intercourse, briefly without condom. The day after there was irritation at tip of penis. Urgency and frequency to urinate followed in next couple of days with occasional tiny but of clear discharge. I went to doctor 6 days after. There was no white blood cells in urine. Treated with zithro and cipro. urgency and frequency went away, but came back. gon/clam test came back negative. I got culture done which came back negative culture. There was trace of non hemolyzed blood. What is that? There were detectable ketones 40. What is that? Specific gravity of 1.005 and on other page 1.010. what do these things mean and potentially mean? Symptoms continued, I visited GP that day and got 2 gram dose of metronidazol and 1 week of erythromycin 500 twice a day. Symptoms again left and then returned. I visited uroligist he said nothing is wrong and gave me flomax which I have not used. After finishing erythromycin I went back to GP who gave me 1 dose of vantin and 1 week of metronidazol. Again symptoms left and returned after a couple of days. I am almost finished with that course and have sulfa ready to go if that does not work. I almost stopped taking metro and started sulfa however practitioner advised to keep taking metro even though it is not really working. I took one sulfa along with metro and symptoms kind of went away. but I am waiting to finish metro to start sulfa fully. I hate pills, antibiotics but I will take anything at this point. I am extremely freaked out, however I believe that I am freaked out because of the way I feel and not making myself feel this way from freaking out. What could it be? What should I do? Antibiotics are taking a toll on me. I have to pee all day long and I wake up at night to void. It all is subsequent the encounter. How reliable are tests? What could it be? Three courses of antibiotics and then potentially fourth. Could this be detrimental?

thank you for your input

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Even if the tests were not good (they are), you have now had at least three courses of recommended treatment for STDs (BTW, your health care professional is doing just the right thing, my congratulations to him/her) and, as a result, there is simply no way that you have a bacterial STD.  For reasons that we don't understand, sometimes following antibiotics there is a slight residual discomfort (whether this is drug effect or something else is just not known). In addition, following an STD experience such as your, persons tend to become very attuned to sensations in their urethra which they would have previously overlooked.  My advice is to have confidence in your health care providers, finish up your current course of antibiotics and stop.  There is no way there is a further STD which needs treatment and the temporal association of your symtoms with your exposure make it unlikely that anything else is going on.  

As for your other questions: a trace amount of non-hemolyzed blood might have indicated inflammation or might have been within the realm of normal. The ketones have nothing to do with infection of any sort- they may have been present because you hadn't eaten in a while.

Hope this helps.  EWH

[helpmeplease101]

Thank you for your response.  I am glad you have confidence in the treatment and doctors I have seen, I was beginning to wonder.

Why though would the urgency come and go seemingly in correspondence with drugs? and how long would those residual effects potentially last? I urinated like fourty  times the other day. I seriously have to pee all the time. My entire urinary tract feels horrible! back and kidneys are hurting too... urinalisis yesterday showed no signs of anything (not microscopic)

Also I was still wondering about what the specific gravity meant in urine culture report... Immense thanks for your input from immensely upset urethra.

Is their any diet choices that may enhance healing or reduce residual uncomfort?

Thank you, thank you. One question that was not answered and one new one.

I really appreciate this site and I want to point out how helpful it is not only to me but surely to others that are looking for info. Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The specifc gravity simply measures how dilute or concentrated you urine was.  It has no bearing on whether or not you had or have an infection.

Sorry, I cannot offer any dietary advice on this.  Beyond my expertise and experience.  EWH

[helpmeplease101]

Why would symptoms be allieviated and then return in seeming correspondence to therapy?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Sorry, no good answer.  EWH

[helpmeplease101]

last one I swear :) doctors said ngu/uti cannot be detected in urinalisis yet on here I saw that they were. I had symptoms but no accurate diagnosis

[helpmeplease101]

And thank you I will certainly use this site again never for this problem hopefully and gladly pay. cost is inconsequential to knowledgeable feedback