Please answer with patience

[kissedagirl1]

Hi,  I am like many totally ignorant.  I received oral sex from a woman and four to five days went and got tested for the usual suspects.  The CBC was normal and Urine came back negative, VDRL/RPR non-reactive at that time as well.  HSV1 IGG positive but I think I had previously knew that.  I was so outwardly nervous and I was traveling so the doctor treated me empirically with a 1000 mg intramuscular shot of ceftriaxone and 7 days of doxycycline two times a day.  She told me when I got home from my trip to run another round of tests if I remained concerned, I did. Urine came back negative for Gon and chlam.  Blood negative for syphilis at 41 days after.  I came home having finished my meds and had unprotected sex with my GF and have been worried that even though I took the meds that something was not quite cured yet.....forgive my ignorance because this may not be how these diseases work.  I had no symptoms of the typical STDS and I was checking so missing them likely impossible.  I had a few painful irritations here and there pimples maybe but chalked those up to ingrown hairs etc.  I think I am most concerend with syphilis as my GF is pregnant and I know this disease can cause complications.

1.  did the drugs work and complete therapy
2. was I contagious of anything three days or so after finishing meds
3. is ceftriaxone, doxy, z-pac effective against syphilis.
4. a negative rpr/vdrl at 41 days, does that mean I never got the disease?  I have read that a positive would remain positive for a year or so.
5. negative finger ***** rapid test 90 days for HIV...conclusive?
6.  was seven days of doxycycline enough?

Do I have anything to be worried about?  Unprotected sex three days after finishing meds I have read you need to wait unfortuantely read that after the fact.  Did the ceftriaxone effectively ward off syphilis and gon on its own? Can I rest easy.  Thanks for your help.

[kissedagirl1]

Thanks,  called the test center to confirm and actually was 38 days after, non-reactive vdrl/rpr, but in any event they said I had no reason to worry as well I would have anti-bodies if I ever had active infection 38 days later as you stated as well. The time..... 38 days..... if no treatment and infection plenty to see antibodies so I guess that test was conclusive and definitive.  Thanks for your patience I am going to try to get passed this and will have your thread to refer to should I have anxiety creep in.  all the best. To answer the why are you stressed question, if it were just me no stress but there were other lives potentially involved and your mind can really wrap around these things and make you crazy thanks for being the voice of reason.

[auntiejessi]

Why are you stressed?

You just gave me great reasons why you shouldn't be stressed about this, and then said you were stressed.

You tested negative.  Its time to move on.  If you can't, please seek some help for this.  (And I say that with kindness, not criticism.)

[kissedagirl1]

Thanks, I was in China and I think the rates higher there.  I am not sure if you would consider that a developed country or not I was in a bigger city and in a higher end club but I am sure none of that matters.  I am hanging on to that fact and the fact that only 5% of the already small amount of infected people are infected orally.  I would guess a chancre in the mouth would rarely go unnoticed so I will hope and pray that i was not exposed, regardless from what you are saying 41 day non-reactive VDRL/RPR means I never got it.  I hope I had no contagious possibility when we had sex and this is all for nothing. I alos understand of the small amount of infected people most are MSM. Thanks again I am stressed.

[auntiejessi]

Another thing to help you ease your mind - syphilis isn't common at all anymore, especially in developed countries.  You can get syphilis rates for the area you were in by googling it, or if you want me to help find those, I can, but in the US, Canada and UK, its very low.  (I've found rates for all kinds of places lol).

Aj

[kissedagirl1]

Thanks I was concerned that somehow the seven days doxy was not enough and something lingered and i could have infected her I have zero understanding of how the drugs affect the disease.  I guess the negative test at 41 days says you do not have it, If I had it past the meds, I would still have it, I guess therein lies the disconnect.  I wanted to make sure the meds ended my chances of transmission to someone else i guess they did from what you are saying. Negative test at 41 days is conclusive and I should be putting this to rest.  Thanks for your compassion.

[auntiejessi]

Hi there -

You really are fine.  If you've tested negative, you are fine.  Whether or not you never got anything, or the meds prevented the infection, you are testing negative.

You do not need to retest for anything, ok?  Getting something from oral sex is low risk to start with, and combined with the meds, if you did have something, you got rid of it.

Your time frame, as I already stated, was fine to have sex.

Aj

[kissedagirl1]

Hi,  I am sorry to bother you but I have been doing some research which I see can be the kss of death for anxiety please answer the following questions if you can:

1. was seven days 2x a day doxycycline enough to ward off potential incubating syphilis
2. rate of false positives/negatives for vdrl rpr anythign to worry about
3. did the ceftriaxone have any effect on syphilis incubating?  The clinic told me that would have done the trick and the dosage for doxy I had was not enough....z-pac play any role dose of z-pac lower than usual 1g
4. sex after finishing antibiotic  was safe as long as I finished the doxy? together with non-reactive VDRL/RPR at 41 days mean I took care of incubating syphilis IF I was exposed and never got the infection? You ahd said above I would still show some level even with treatment.
5. should I get another VDRL/RPR test now five months out.  I do not think I have had any symptoms.
6. I have read here on the forum from one of the doctors that any treatment at all prevents transmission I was confused as to whether that meant transmission to me or from me to someone else or both.  He further said doxycycline was effective at preventing transmission within hours of the first dose. The thread was to someone named "son222" just want to make sure I am clear and acted appopriately and did not/could not have infected my GF.  

Thanks again for your patience.

[kissedagirl1]

Thanks so much for"answering with patience"  I asked the doctor a similar question but worded it incorrectly and he got impatient with me.  In any event the key answer was I would have had a reactive VDRL/RPR if I ever had the infection of syphilis.  I did not and 41 days is definitive meaning no reaction there will be none without further risks.  I am so relieved. I did not have sex until at least a couple of days after my seventh day of doxycycline so according to what you have said above I did the right thing, my ceftriaxone was a week earlier and z-pac was finished a week before sex.  I think that covers me.  She had her own Gon/chlam swab as a matter of course in Ob visit and they were negative, I was worried about syphilis. Thank you for your compassion in answering me we are anxiously awaiting a baby and now I can be anxious for other reasons lol.

All the best.

[auntiejessi]

Te ceftriaxone would cure gonorrhea, the doxy and z-pack would cure urethritis and chlamydia, and it sounds like you didn't have syphilis at all, or you would have had a positive test at 41 days.  Your syphilis test would have shown lower levels, but would still be positive at that point.

If you waited until you were finished the doxy to have sex, you are fine there.  You don't need to wait any longer.  The guidelines are 7 days after a 1 time dose, or after you finish the meds.  

You never had any risk for chlamydia or HIV from oral sex, so you are really fine, and can relax now.  :)

AJ