Chlamydia Antibiotics – Popular Solutions Available

If you have been tested and diagnosed with a Chlamydia infection, the treatment will be antibiotics. As a bacterial infection, the way to ensure that the bacteria are killed and prevent the symptoms and side effects are either stopped or don’t start in the first place.

Under the microscope STDS

The Chlamydia Trachomatis bacteria at 200x magnification

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There are some typical choices of antibiotics that health professionals will suggest for treatment of Chlamydia infection (hub page). In addition, there are some less commonly chosen courses of treatment that may be selected for those who are unable to tolerate the most frequently prescribed antibiotics for any one of a variety of reasons.

Common treatments

The most common treatments for a Chlamydia infection are Azithromycin and Doxycycline. Both of these are different types of antibiotics that the bacteria that cause the Chlamydia infection, Chlamydia Trachomatis, is found to respond to through the course of many years of trials and prescriptions.

Following testing (4 Chlamydia tests), or the testing of a partner if they are found to have the Chlamydia, your healthcare professional will recommend a course of treatment that is most suitable for you. This will depend on a number of factors including your current circumstances and past medical history, which you will need to discuss with them at the time of your consultation.

Common treatments

As mentioned above, there are two main choices made by health professionals when issuing first-line treatment for Chlamydia infection. This will be either Azithromycin or Doxycycline.

Azithromycin

Azithromycin is often the first choice for treatment because this antibiotic is probably the fastest way to get rid of the Chlamydia infection and its symptoms. A course of Azithromycin is usually just four tablets taken over four days and is particularly good if you’re the kind of person who struggles to remember to take medication for any reason.

The medication stays in the body for longer before being broken down and passed out of the system than some of the other antibiotics available for treatment of Chlamydia, which is why it is effective even though it is a short course of very few tablets.

The one potential downside with Azithromycin is that it can cause some side effects in some people, including diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pains. If you experience any side-effects that concern you while taking your treatment for Chlamydia or any other illness, you should always consult a pharmacist or the healthcare professional who prescribed it. It might be that there is a more appropriate medication for you to take.

Doxycycline

Doxycycline is the oldest treatment on the block when it comes to treating the Chlamydia Trachomatis bacteria; it is long-proven to be effective. The tablets are taken over a seven day period, which is usually sufficient to clear up the infection and any symptoms that come along with it.

Doxycycline doesn’t have any real known side effects but isn’t given to pregnant women or nursing mothers because of potential side effects for the foetus or through breast milk for babies who are still nursing.

Both of these treatments (2 Chlamydia treatment) are effective and safe provided they are taken according to the directions from your healthcare professional. However, if these medicines are inappropriate for you for whatever reason, there are other options available for treatment of the infection.

Alternative treatments for Chlamydia

There are many different antibiotics available, some of which are suitable for treating the same bacteria. This gives doctors and nurses the opportunity to offer treatment to people for whom certain types of medication are unsuitable.

As mentioned above, both of the main drugs used for treatment of Chlamydia infection can either cause side effects or are unsuitable for use in pregnancy or for mothers who are breast-feeding. Thankfully, there are other medications that can be used that are just as effective in curing the infection.

Amoxicillin

Most people will be familiar with Amoxicillin. It is the first line of treatment for many different types of infections from throat and ear infections to infected wounds and cuts.

It is not the most effective treatment for Chlamydia, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t effective at all. It just takes a little longer to work. It is most commonly used in pregnant women found to have the infection as it is safe to take during pregnancy.

Erythromycin

Another antibiotic that can be used in place of the main two choices, Erythromycin is also commonly used for a range of other infections and is effective in the treatment of Chlamydia.

baby passed stds via mum and dad

If untreated, Chlamydia can be passed on to a baby during birth in the form of Chlamydia conjunctivitis and can cause blindness

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This antibiotic can be used to treat the primary sexually transmitted infection but is most commonly used to treat new-borns with a Chlamydial eye infection. This type of infection can happen when a mother with the infection passes it on to the child during birth and needs to be treated promptly to prevent blindness in the child.

Levofloxin

Not usually the first line of treatment for a Chlamydia infection, Levofloxin is usually reserved for people who are allergic or react badly to any of the other treatments for the infection. Taken once a day for seven days, it is effective, but not as fast-acting as some of the other remedies available.

Whatever remedies your healthcare professional recommends for you, it’s important that you complete the course to ensure that the infection has been successfully treated. Chlamydia often doesn’t show symptoms until the infection is advanced, so it’s vital that you keep taking the tablets for as long as the doctor recommends.

Conclusion

The only way to ensure that your Chlamydia infection has been successfully treated is to take the course of antibiotics recommended until the bacteria that cause the infection have been eliminated from your body. The type of antibiotics you receive will depend on you, the severity of your infection, your medical history and your current circumstances so it’s very important to make sure you take advice before starting any treatment (12 Chlamydia treatments online).

medication on show for diseases

Online treatment providers might be able to help

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While it has some potentially serious complications, Chlamydia is easily treated provided you follow the advice you’re given and complete your treatment.

Image Credits: Wikipedia, Corey Heitz MD and Don Hankins