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The stigma of a sexually transmitted infection can make it hard to diagnose or treat. For many, it is embarrassing to even complete a simple search for symptoms. But the good news is that many sexually transmitted diseases, like chlamydia infection, can be treated and cured quickly with medication.
The chlamydia trachomatis bacteria causes a chlamydia infection through sexual contact, including oral and anal sex. For women, the sexually transmitted disease can present itself in the throat, cervix, and rectum. In men, the infection can be found in the urethra, throat, and rectum. Symptoms are not always present and the disease can be spread even without symptoms.
Understanding this infection can empower you to obtain treatment confidently. Let’s take a look at what a chlamydia infection is and how you can find treatment.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia bacteria infection, more commonly referred to as simply chlamydia, is a sexually transmitted disease that can impact both men and women. This infection is incredibly common with more than 200,000 cases in the United States, reported by the CDC every year. What makes chlamydia a more serious sexually transmitted infection is its impact on pregnancy and its sometimes symptom-free existence.
If symptoms do occur they usually include pelvic floor pain, abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis, and pain during sexual intercourse or while urinating. Treatment for chlamydia comes in the form of antibiotics. Typically this is a medication prescribed to you by a gynecologist, primary care physician, or urologist.
How is chlamydia diagnosed?
Unfortunately, symptoms of chlamydia rarely occur and that means you can live undiagnosed for a long time. If you have had unprotected sex of any kind, you can be at risk for chlamydia. There isn’t a way to guarantee you will be safe from chlamydia, however you can reduce your chance of infection if you are properly using a condom during sex.
It’s important to know that chlamydia doesn’t only occur in the cervix or urethra. Eye infections, epididymitis, and throat infections can occur as well. Chlamydia isn’t spread through any one sexual activity, oral sex and anal sex can also lead to chlamydial infection. Reinfection is also possible so it is important to participate in regular sexually transmitted diseases (STD) screenings, especially if you are engaging in high-risk sexual activity such as unprotected sex.
Symptoms of chlamydia can include abnormal vaginal discharge, burning when urinating, pain or swelling of the testicles, and rectal pain. If you suspect you may have contracted chlamydia or if you are showing symptoms of chlamydia you should contact your primary care doctor, urologist, or OBGYN immediately for testing. Your doctor will likely swab the urethra or cervix for lab analysis. They may also request a urine sample that they will test for both chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Chlamydia treatment options
The great news is, chlamydia is completely curable and can easily be treated. It’s important that anyone receiving treatment for chlamydia informs their sexual partners of the diagnosis due to how quickly it is spread. Chances are the partner or partners of someone diagnosed with chlamydia will also have an infection.
It’s also important that chlamydia is treated as soon as possible because prolonged infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or PID in women. Untreated chlamydia can lead to issues for pregnant women specifically. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to the inability to get pregnant, long-term pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia infection can also lead to preterm labor, which is the early delivery of the baby.
Chlamydia medications
Except for cases of severe chlamydia in women, the sexually transmitted infection will be treated using oral antibiotics. These antibiotics are also usually recommended to the partners of someone with a chlamydia bacteria infection. It’s important to take all of the antibiotics, as directed by the doctor, to prevent chlamydia from spreading to areas like the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Antibiotics
Chlamydia is exclusively treated using antibiotics of varying types. All treatments are completed orally and typically last 7 to 14 days. The types of antibiotics used to treat chlamydia include single-dose azithromycin, doxycycline, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin. Often times the doctor will prescribe these by their generic names, although there are some more common brands such as Zithromax. Current recommendations include azithromycin and doxycycline as the first-line medications for chlamydia treatment. Side effects of antibiotics include nausea, stomach pain, vaginal itching, and diarrhea. Please also note that antibiotics typically have an adverse effect on hormonal birth control, rendering these medications less effective. Although you should not be sexually active while being treated for chlamydia, it is important to note the impact antibiotics may have on birth control.
What is the best medication for chlamydia?
Finding the best medication for chlamydia isn’t too much of a struggle as antibiotics tend to be pretty effective. However, different patients will have different needs, allergies, and factors that determine their best medication. The correct antibiotic to treat your chlamydia may vary from the one that works for another patient. Consult a healthcare professional when selecting a medication for your chlamydia, especially if pregnancy is suspected.
| Best medications for chlamydia | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Drug class | OTC/Rx | Administration route | Standard dosage | How it works | Most common side effects |
| Zithromax (azithromycin) | Antibiotic | Rx | Oral | Single-dose unless otherwise stated | Stops the growth of bacteria | Stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea |
| Acticlate (doxycycline hyclate) | Antibiotic | Rx | Oral | 150 mg tablet taken once or twice daily | Stops the growth of bacteria | Stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea |
| Clarithromycin | Antibiotic | Rx | Oral | 500 mg tablet taken every 12 hours | Stops the growth of bacteria | Diarrhea, nausea, headache |
| Cipro (ciprofloxacin) | Antibiotic | Rx | Oral | 100 ml taken every 12 hours | Stops the growth of bacteria | Nausea, dizziness, headache |
| Levaquin (levofloxacin) | Antibiotic | Rx | Oral | 500 mg taken every 12 hours | Stops the growth of bacteria | Nausea, headache, dizziness |
Dosage is determined by your doctor based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.
What are common side effects of chlamydia medication?
Since antibiotics are the exclusive treatment for chlamydia, side effects tend to be pretty similar for those that experience them. However, this is not a full list and you should discuss any possible side effects with your healthcare professional.
Some of the most common side effects of chlamydia medication include:
- Stomach upset
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Trouble sleeping
- Diarrhea
What is the best home remedy for chlamydia?
The only consistently proven cure for chlamydia is antibiotics. There are a few products and home remedies out there recommended by countless websites for “curing” chlamydia at home. Unfortunately, the results of these treatments can be inconsistent and never involve the use of actual antibiotics. The only guaranteed method of treating bacterial infections, like chlamydia, is antibiotics.
Frequently asked questions about chlamydia
What is the common treatment for chlamydia?
The most common treatment for chlamydia is an oral antibiotic. Typically this is azithromycin or doxycycline, however other antibiotics are sometimes used as well. An oral antibiotic is the easiest way to combat a bacterial infection, which is exactly what chlamydia trachomatis infection is.
What is the best antibiotic for chlamydia?
Your doctor will prescribe you the antibiotic they’ve found to work best in treating chlamydia. It will likely be a commonly used product such as azithromycin or doxycycline. The most important part of treating chlamydia is that you use an antibiotic, not a home remedy.
How many days does it take to recover from chlamydia?
It can take up to two weeks to recover from a chlamydia infection. Most prescriptions last 7 to 14 days on average and chlamydia is typically cleared up at the end. However, you will likely have to be retested after 3 months to ensure you have recovered fully. If you have severe chlamydia it may take longer to recover and a hospital stay may be involved.
How easy is it to get rid of chlamydia?
It is relatively simple to get rid of chlamydia after receiving a diagnosis. The typical recovery time isn’t much longer than two weeks for an average case. One of the largest hurdles for many patients comes with detecting chlamydia in the first place. This is why it’s important to regularly schedule STD screenings that include chlamydia and gonorrhea while sexually active with multiple partners.