possible diagnosis for mirror images of STD/I

[Trooper73]

I am a 36 yo male.  

I was just recently deployed to Iraq, and as an advisor to the Iraqi army I had constant contact with the Iraqis in their compound on daily basis, in some very unsanitary conditions.  I state this as a precursor to this:  I returned home and after about 2.5 weeks, one morning after sex, I woke up I had a slight, very minor discharge from my penis.  At first I thought it was just semen from the sex we had the night prior, and I normally wash my penis right after sex, but from traveling, I just fell asleep that night.

Another 2 days passed, and I didn't really notice any discharge except for a tiny bit in the morning right before I urinated--nothing throughout the day, BUT, it started to itch for about 20 minutes after I urinated. I went to a clinic on the 4th day of the morning discharge and itching feeling post-urination, and was put on Doxy for 10 days as the Dr. said it could be an STI or just bacterial infection from "honeymooners rash."

BUT, 100% neither I nor my fiance have had any sexual partners outside of each other for 18 months.  She had a pretty serious UTI about 22 months ago, and other than that neither of us have had any medical issues with genitalia or STDs/STIs.  We are both in the military, and she actually had a full 100% STD screening about 2 months before we met, 26 months ago.  

Her last sexual partner other than me was about 28 months ago, mine was 18 months ago.

So, the Dr. gave me the "normal" 10-day doxy cycle, and said not to worry. literally within 48hours of taking the Doxy, I had no discharge or post-urination itching, and I continued the Doxy for the full 10-day period.  This was in January, and I've had absolutely no issues or re-occurrences since. But, because it was a military clinic, I wrote the doctor as a reminder back in early FEB (I just arrived in Afghanistan) to remind him about the lab results. They did just a urine sample and said it would be checked for the normal STIs.

Yesterday, I got an email telling me that I really should go to a clinic if one is available here and talk to a Dr. there, and if not let him know, but eh isn't really supposed to discuss it with me via email.  So, of course, I'm a little nervous at this point, because if there was never a situation for an STI, nor any symptoms still occurring, why the urgency.  I replied that I should be able to get to a Dr. within a week, but was there any reason to be worried since the symptoms subsided after first 48 hours and no problems after I completed the 10 day cycle of Doxy.

He replied again, "well the Doxy would tx the infection."  I'm assuming he by tx he meant treat.  

Always being upfront and honest with my fiance, I told her what the Dr. said, and that I may not be able to get to the clinic for about a week, so she has arranged to also go to the clinic to get checked out, but....(finally after all that background)... she is already "questioning" why I had STI symptoms AND now the Dr. is saying go get rec-checked, if there is no way I could have an STI.

Is it possible that this slight clear (tiny traces of milky white--almost like pre-cum) morning discharge and post-urination itch could mirror an STI/STD like gonorrhea or chlamydia without actually being an STD?

Would anything from some very unsanitary work conditions with the Iraqi Army possibly sparked something?

Also, I read on wikipedia (not the greatest source) that Acute Prostatitis would have symptoms of "Men with this disease often have chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, urinary frequency and urgency often at night, burning or painful urination."  which is exactly how I felt for the 4-5 days this occurred. Is this common at all?  and is it true that Doxy is sometimes also used to treat this?

I actually may be able to get to the clinic tomorrow, but being in the Army, I know how the Army works--everything is defaulted to the lowest common denominator---so, STI symptoms = STI. Hurt your back, sprain an ankle, break an arm - get 800mg of Motrin and an ACE bandage.  Unless there is some trace of something VERY seriously wrong with me that would be detected in my urine, I just know they are going to tell me I had an STD--and I know that CANNOT be the case.

Sorry for the long email, but being here, its hard to use phones or to actually get to the clinic.   Thank you!

[Vance2335]

No problem. Stop back to update things or if you have any further questions.

[Trooper73]

Thank you for all your advice and help so far...especially your encouragement for my service and for my relationship.

At this point, I have laid everything out to my fiance and she must decide how to proceed.

Thanks again.
-T73

[Vance2335]

Well from what both Dr's say on this site chlymida of the throat is very rare if at all possible. You will find other sites that say it is possible but from the info the Dr's on this site say that is it rare. And then to infect someone else very rare.

Gonorrhea of the throat would be a lot more common. But if this girl really does have oral chlymida then with the time frame of symptoms of 2-2.5 weeks it actually fits perfect.

So it does not solve the riddle but makes it an even more interesting situation.

To sum it up...while it is possible to get chlymida from oral sex it is very rare, but the timing of the symptoms do fit. So to be honest it is tough to really say if you got it from her or had it for 15+ months.

If you could show her the e-mail from your friend and have him vouch that you were passed out then this may help to save the relationship.

[Trooper73]

well, I don't know if this solves the riddle or just makes it more bizarre, but when I was on vacation between my Iraq tour and my current Afghanistan tour I went to visit some "friends" for New Years.

Long story short, I just got email today telling me that some neighborhood girl came back to party after the fireworks and while I was passed out was performing oral sex on me.  The "friends" said they knew with the jet lag, lack of sleep, and alcohol it was funny how I didn't even know what was going on.  Bottom line, they are saying now that she has sore on her mouth, something wrong with her throat, and another guy that is good friends with her saying she has some kind of STD/I.

timeline-wise of the my symptoms showing (like 2-2.5 weeks) this fits, but I'm so pissed off at my friends who knew I had a fiance, that I'm scared to even ask--but I know nothing about STD/I so I'm going to ask:

Is it possible for a male to get Chlamydia from a female that has it in her throat?  I read that you can get it in your throat, but can you catch it from there?  It seems strange that it is possible, but more likely than my (or fiance) not having had any sex outside each other and me getting it.

Being open and honest with my fiance, I told her about this new revelation immediate, so of course, this may spell end of this relationship, but now I'm wondering, if this could explain the chlamydia or did I actually just have two strikes against me?

-Confused, Hurt, Unsure, and following a downward spiral in Afghanistan.

[Vance2335]

I wish her tests would have turned out different because it would have shed a better light on the situation.

The only way to get it is from sex. So either you had it for 15-16 months or so which is possible and just recently gave it to her (I think unlikely if you 2 have had unprotected sex for most of the time you have been together but possible and she could have gotten a false negative in her last round of tests which is also possible but rare). Or she had sex with someone else, since you have said you did not.

There is not going to be a way to tell who had this first or who gave it to who or when either of you got it at this point.

[Trooper73]

ok. her tests came back positive for Chlamydia as well. so, now there's no doubt I had it and gave it to her....and despite my knowing 100% i didn't have sex outside the two of us in over a year, then what the hell?!?!

Now, I look guilty, because it wasn't her having sex either (absolutely not, and she has had other medical issues that has caused her to be tested in the interim periods)...so she keeps doubting me. She doesn't want to but she does.

Hell, even from my position, I feel guilty, and think she has every right to, but what could have caused this????

[Vance2335]

Let us know what you find out and of her test results if you could please.

[Trooper73]

She went in for the lab work yesterday, but in the military, it could be a few weeks before the results are back.  My situation was a bit different, but I had the lab work done in 3rd week or JAN and found out 2 days ago that something came up!

The False positive thing actually came up with the Dr here as well, and she along with the other advice that she said she'd have to look up and get back to me, such as how long it would/could stay dormant, she is supposed to let me know the percentage of both false positives of the urinalysis and the percentage of mismatched positive (such as NGU, which she said can be caused by the same bacteria that makes up chlamydia.

Thanks again to you both for your quick replies!  It is much appreciated.

[Vance2335]

I agree with Grace, unless you had protected sex with her the entire time then I find it highly unlikely that she would not have chlymida at this point.

I think you either got a false positive or it is a new infection that was aquired by someone going outside the relationship. At this point since you have been cured of whatever you had you will not know if it was a false positive or something else.

Did your girl get tested yesterday?

[gracefromHHP]

well it's either you had chlamydia all this time and never had symptoms to know it until something gave you symptoms now that got you testing to find it out or it's  a false positive test. I find it hard to believe you'd be having sex with your current gf this long and she didn't get it if you were infected unless you always had protected sex.

while std's are on both of your minds right now, I'd make sure you both got type specific herpes igg blood testing done too just to err on the side of caution ( and to make sure no surprises later ). typically herpes is not a part of routine std testing so you have to ask for it specifically.  might as well cover all your bases while you are at all.

grace

[Trooper73]

No, I hadn't being in the military, and being immunized against everything (well, generically speaking) and getting HIV tests every year, I just never did it.  I had a real bad break up right before I met my fiance, and for about a month there was was very sexually active/careless.  Other than that, there is no more "secret" or "rest of the story." i was with one girl when the fiance and I first met, it was a 1-night stand, and that was about 16 months prior to my symptoms, and I was with a girl, another 1-night stand, 13 months before the symptoms.

That's it. no other sexual contact, not even kissing, except with my fiance.  

This is killing me, because the more I try to figure out WHY, the more I even don't believe myself (or wouldn't if someone was telling me this)--so I can't BLAME her for questioning me.  But I know 100% that neither of us had sex with anyone else in last 18 months except the two times mentioned above.

:-(

[gracefromHHP]

I have never heard of this occuring and have absolutely no idea where this provider got this info from.  

You mentioned your partner having a full std screening prior to you, had you also covered your bases?

grace

[Trooper73]

Vance, thank you for your quick reply.

so, I was able to clear my schedule and get to the medical clinic here today, and they were able to pull up my electronic records/lab results.

I was told it was positive (via urine test) for chlamydia.  

Again, KNOWING that I have not cheated on my fiance, nor vice-versa (this is 100% despite what many may think!!), I had a long talk with the dr today.  She said, that chlamydia symptoms in males are actually normally dormant verus active, and that I actually could have had it in my system for more than 12-15 months or so then something could cause the sudden outbreak of symptoms

so, could I have had it sitting dormant for that long?  

I asked her why it would just appear, and she said many reasons---first, actually USING it (having sex after a year i Iraq) and severe stress, mixed with severe weather changes or other ongoing environmental (as in where I live, not weather)----

I explained to her that I went on R&R in OCT (2009) and was definitely having sex then, but that I I had no symptoms until JAN 2010.  BUT, NOV-JAN was VERY STRESSFUL for me, and I was sexually active with my fiance from Chritsmas up until this started.

The Dr. said she wold do some research because she said there is a probability of error----not that I was "clean," but it could also be a positive result from NGU, or another bacteria infeection of the urethea, caused also from sex (among things) that would appear to be chlamydia in the test.

i asked why my fiance's tests would be negative for it (she was tested for some bladder issues around AUG-SEP last year) or if my fiance still could be negative even if I I was carrying it.  She said, if it was just dormant in me, then my I may not have actually passed it on to my fiance, and that again, come stress and sex after my tour, in all likelihood, if we were having sex, on a regular basis once I was irritated enough for symptoms to appear, I probably did give it to you.

I am totally upfront with my fiance, so she knows all this is going on, and even went to get tested herself today. But, as soon as she told the dr while she was there, both the clerk and the dr said there is NO WAY that from the explanation of the symptoms (this was before I was told my urine tested positive for chlamydia) that is was anything except me cheating on her.  :-(   Now, I'm dealing with her questioning our relationship, which I really don't need.

She said she wants to believe me, but with the dr and nurse saying that it can't be anything else, period, that it makes her feel stupid to trust me.

I know an STD means "from Sex," but I am at a loss here.  So, is it possible for chlamydia to have just lain dormant for 15 months or so and then get irritated enough with my stress, environment change, and then actual engaging in sex to cause a  "flare up" so to speak?

[Vance2335]

Complex issues with no clear answer to give you. I can say that in no way could you have picked up a STD from anything you did in Iraq unless you had sex with someone.

Now it is possible that you could have gotten a STD from sex with your fiance but that would mean that she would have had to aquire it from someone else.

If she gave you oral sex then it could be NGU, which from the symptoms I would lean more towards. NGU is just bacteria which is common to the mouth that enters the uretha and causes an infection.

But it could be other things not STD related. Other bacteria that had gotten into the uretha and caused an infection. At this point if you were to test I don't see how you would get a result that is not negative based on the Doxy and lack of symptoms. So your fiance would be best to get some tests done and a general uranlisis.

Hope I answered your questions and if I need to clear something up or have more questions or if I missed something let me know.

Just want to add thank you for your service.