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Hey So Ive Recently Tested Positive With Chlamydia, Im Currently
Question: Hey so ive recently tested positive with chlamydia, im currently out of country but still met with a doctor, he prescribed me amoxcillon for 6 days and he said after that i should take 32 capsuls of eritromicin which is two boxes. Im just questioning because when i spoke to someone before i left the country i was told there was a one time treatment. Are the medicines he prescribed the right and safe medicine for me?
Brief Answer:
One antibiotic should be enough: Azithromycin or Doxycycline are the first lines of treatment
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and understand your concern.
Chlamydia infection is generally treated with a single antibiotic. The first line of treatment is one of the following:
- Azithromycin 500 mg, 2 tablets at one time (1 g as a single oral dose) or
- Doxycycline 100 mg, one tablet every 12 hours for a week (a total of 14 tablets).
Erythromycin is an alternative treatment nowadays (it has been used a lot previously but is substituted with one of the above antibiotics because it causes a lot of stomach upset and should be taken 4 times a day- it is not so convenient).
As for amoxicillin, I am not sure why the doctor has prescribed it, it generally does not cover chlamydia infection.
To conclude:
- amoxicillin will not cover chlamydia, whereas erythromycin may cover it but should be taken 4 times a day (every 6 hours) and may cause stomach upset.
- other better treatments are available recently. You can take azithromycin or doxycycline- one of them (the dose as described above). Doxycycline may cause hypersensitivity to the sunlight and might not be the best treatment if you are planning to be on the beach or to have increased sun exposure.
- while you get treated you should not be sexually active for a week, or at least you should use condoms
- all your partners should be treated at the same time as you, otherwise, you risk taking it again (getting reinfected).
- you may also need to be tested on other sexually transmitted diseases as it is thought that these travel together, meaning if the patient has one, he risks having other sexually transmitted diseases as well. It would be good to have the following checked: HIV, Hep B, Hep C, syphilis, etc.
I hope this answers your query and is helpful to you. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician
One antibiotic should be enough: Azithromycin or Doxycycline are the first lines of treatment
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and understand your concern.
Chlamydia infection is generally treated with a single antibiotic. The first line of treatment is one of the following:
- Azithromycin 500 mg, 2 tablets at one time (1 g as a single oral dose) or
- Doxycycline 100 mg, one tablet every 12 hours for a week (a total of 14 tablets).
Erythromycin is an alternative treatment nowadays (it has been used a lot previously but is substituted with one of the above antibiotics because it causes a lot of stomach upset and should be taken 4 times a day- it is not so convenient).
As for amoxicillin, I am not sure why the doctor has prescribed it, it generally does not cover chlamydia infection.
To conclude:
- amoxicillin will not cover chlamydia, whereas erythromycin may cover it but should be taken 4 times a day (every 6 hours) and may cause stomach upset.
- other better treatments are available recently. You can take azithromycin or doxycycline- one of them (the dose as described above). Doxycycline may cause hypersensitivity to the sunlight and might not be the best treatment if you are planning to be on the beach or to have increased sun exposure.
- while you get treated you should not be sexually active for a week, or at least you should use condoms
- all your partners should be treated at the same time as you, otherwise, you risk taking it again (getting reinfected).
- you may also need to be tested on other sexually transmitted diseases as it is thought that these travel together, meaning if the patient has one, he risks having other sexually transmitted diseases as well. It would be good to have the following checked: HIV, Hep B, Hep C, syphilis, etc.
I hope this answers your query and is helpful to you. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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