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On treatment for four weeks but symptoms continue
My symptoms started around four weeks ago with burning during urination, also the head of my penis became read and itchy. Around three days later I started to have a white discharge coming out of my penis also the burning intensified and I could feel a a lightly dull pain stretching around my testicles.
That's when I went to a public STD clinic (around one week after symptoms occurred first). They took blood tests for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia also a saliva test for HIV and the doctor made a physical examination and took a swap test from the discharge. He said it's not gonorrhea but most likely a bacterial infection and gave me Doxocycline (100 mg, 2 capsules per day) for seven days. The blood tests came back all negative when I called for the results ten days later (actually I called three times, just to be sure)
I took the medicine as prescribed and the symptoms got better, the discharge stooped and the burning disappeared almost completely. But I still could feel that I was not 100% OK and a light itching on the top of the penis continued.
I waited one week and when the burning and the discharge returned, I went to my PCP. I described her my symptoms and she took a urine sample for a "bacterial culture" also she put me on Ciprofloxacin (500 mg, 2 capsules per day) for one week.
I took the medicine for one week but it didn't help anything (even so I could feel some of the side affects from the drug, like headache and vision problems)
Today I called my PCP for the urine test results and she said she could only find a "very small amount of bacteria inside," but didn't specify what kind of bacteria.
Right now my symptoms continue with the discharge and a light itching, also my testicles feel tender. I have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon, but slowly I'm getting worried since none of those drugs seam to work and so far nobody can tell me exactly what kind of infection I'm actually having. I personally guess it's a persistent chlamydia, but I'm not sure and not a doctor. What's your advice?
That's when I went to a public STD clinic (around one week after symptoms occurred first). They took blood tests for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia also a saliva test for HIV and the doctor made a physical examination and took a swap test from the discharge. He said it's not gonorrhea but most likely a bacterial infection and gave me Doxocycline (100 mg, 2 capsules per day) for seven days. The blood tests came back all negative when I called for the results ten days later (actually I called three times, just to be sure)
I took the medicine as prescribed and the symptoms got better, the discharge stooped and the burning disappeared almost completely. But I still could feel that I was not 100% OK and a light itching on the top of the penis continued.
I waited one week and when the burning and the discharge returned, I went to my PCP. I described her my symptoms and she took a urine sample for a "bacterial culture" also she put me on Ciprofloxacin (500 mg, 2 capsules per day) for one week.
I took the medicine for one week but it didn't help anything (even so I could feel some of the side affects from the drug, like headache and vision problems)
Today I called my PCP for the urine test results and she said she could only find a "very small amount of bacteria inside," but didn't specify what kind of bacteria.
Right now my symptoms continue with the discharge and a light itching, also my testicles feel tender. I have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon, but slowly I'm getting worried since none of those drugs seam to work and so far nobody can tell me exactly what kind of infection I'm actually having. I personally guess it's a persistent chlamydia, but I'm not sure and not a doctor. What's your advice?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your symptoms and the description overall are consistent with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). Chlamydia causes 20-40% of cases, but the causes in the remainder aren't certain. It's an STD, so your partner(s) need to be examined and treated.
Doxycycline is one of the standard treatments, but treatment failure is pretty common; up to 20% of men have a relapse after the first course of treatment, just as you experienced. Chlamydia always responds to doxy, assuming you took the full 7-days treatment, and the standard chlamydia tests are highly reliable--so you can be certain that's not the problem. If you resumed sex with an untreated partner, maybe you were just reinfected.
Ciprofloxacin isn't the usual treatment for recurrent NGU. CDC recommends, and I endorse, that when doxycycline fails, patients should be re-treated with a combination of azithromycin (Zithromax) and metronidazole. Together these drugs cover some of the possible causes that are resistant to doxy.
The terminology you use to describe your doctor's advice, as well has his choice of the wrong treatment for your relapse, suggests he isn't up to speed on STD issues. You may want to get a second opinion, either from an infectious diseases specialist or at your local health department STD clinic.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Doxycycline is one of the standard treatments, but treatment failure is pretty common; up to 20% of men have a relapse after the first course of treatment, just as you experienced. Chlamydia always responds to doxy, assuming you took the full 7-days treatment, and the standard chlamydia tests are highly reliable--so you can be certain that's not the problem. If you resumed sex with an untreated partner, maybe you were just reinfected.
Ciprofloxacin isn't the usual treatment for recurrent NGU. CDC recommends, and I endorse, that when doxycycline fails, patients should be re-treated with a combination of azithromycin (Zithromax) and metronidazole. Together these drugs cover some of the possible causes that are resistant to doxy.
The terminology you use to describe your doctor's advice, as well has his choice of the wrong treatment for your relapse, suggests he isn't up to speed on STD issues. You may want to get a second opinion, either from an infectious diseases specialist or at your local health department STD clinic.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
I just want to ad to my posting that I didn't have any kind of sexual intercourse since this infection started, so being re-infected from my partner is not possible.
Thanks
Alex68
Thanks
Alex68
Alex, how noticeable is the discharge?
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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