What antibiotics are used to treat gonorrhea and chlamydia

So, you (or your partner) have gonorrhea. The good news is, this common sexually transmitted disease (STD) is easily treated. And you’ll want to get treated as soon as possible. If you don’t, gonorrhea can cause a number of long-term health problems for both women and men.

Gonorrhea Treatment

If you have this STD, the CDC now recommends a single 500-mg IM dose (1000 mg in patients weighing ≥150 kg) of the third-generation ceftriaxone. The antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax) may be added as a precaution against possible clamydia.

Combining oral azithromycin with either oral gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin may be helpful if you’re allergic to ceftriaxone. That medication is in a class of drugs known as cephalosporin antibiotics.

Never share your medication. Also, be sure to tell your doctor about any drug allergies you have, especially to antibiotics. Ask them about possible side effects and what to do if you experience any negative ones.

After Treatment

You and your partner should wait at least 7 days after you both finish treatment to resume sexual activity. Your doctor may advise you to follow up for testing to make sure the infection is completely gone.

What If Symptoms Persist?

Unfortunately, some types of gonorrhea bacteria don’t respond to the usual antibiotic treatment. Doctors call this “antibiotic resistance.” They’ve been seeing a rise in these stronger bacteria for several years. If you continue to have symptoms a few days after treatment, see your doctor again. They may prescribe a longer course of different antibiotics

Chlamydia can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics. More than 95% of people will be cured if they take their antibiotics correctly.

You may be started on antibiotics once test results have confirmed you have chlamydia. But if it's very likely you have the infection, you might be started on treatment before you get your results.

The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are: 

  • doxycycline – taken every day for a week
  • azithromycin – one dose of 1g, followed by 500mg once a day for 2 days

Your doctor may give you different antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or erythromycin, if you have an allergy or are pregnant or breastfeeding. A longer course of antibiotics may be used if your doctor is concerned about complications of chlamydia.

Some people experience side effects during treatment, but these are usually mild. The most common side effects include stomach ache, diarrhoea, feeling sick, and thrush in women.

When can I have sex again?

If you had doxycycline, you shouldn't have sex – including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom – until both you and your partner(s) have completed treatment.

If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex (including oral sex).

This will help ensure you don't pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.

Will I need to go back to the clinic?

If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.

However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:

  • you had sex before you and your partner finished treatment
  • you forgot to take your medication or didn't take it properly
  • your symptoms don't go away
  • you're pregnant

If you're under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia 3 to 6 months after finishing your treatment because you're at a higher risk of catching it again.

Testing and treating sexual partners

If you test positive for chlamydia, it's important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you've had are also tested and treated.

A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.

Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021
Next review due: 01 September 2024

Diagnosis

To determine whether you have gonorrhea, your doctor will analyze a sample of cells. Samples can be collected by:

  • Urine test. This can help identify bacteria in your urethra.
  • Swab of affected area. A swab of your throat, urethra, vagina or rectum can collect bacteria that can be identified in a lab.

For women, home test kits are available for gonorrhea. They include vaginal swabs for self-testing that are sent to a specified lab for testing. You can choose to be notified by email or text message when your results are ready. You can view your results online or receive them by calling a toll-free hotline.

Testing for other sexually transmitted infections

Your doctor may recommend tests for other sexually transmitted infections. Gonorrhea increases your risk of these infections, particularly chlamydia, which often accompanies gonorrhea.

Testing for HIV also is recommended for anyone diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Depending on your risk factors, tests for additional sexually transmitted infections could be beneficial as well.

Treatment

Gonorrhea treatment in adults

Adults with gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics. Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax).

If you're allergic to cephalosporin antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, you might be given oral gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin and oral azithromycin.

Gonorrhea treatment for partners

Your partner also should go through testing and treatment for gonorrhea, even if he or she has no signs or symptoms. Your partner receives the same treatment you do. Even if you've been treated for gonorrhea, a partner who isn't treated can pass it to you again.

Gonorrhea treatment for babies

Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea who develop the infection can be treated with antibiotics.

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Preparing for your appointment

You'll likely see your family doctor or a general practitioner. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.

Make a list of:

  • Your symptoms, if you have any, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment, and when they began
  • All medications, vitamins or other supplements you take, including doses
  • Questions to ask your doctor

For gonorrhea, questions to ask your doctor include:

  • What tests do I need?
  • Should I be tested for other sexually transmitted infections?
  • Should my partner be tested for gonorrhea?
  • How long should I wait before resuming sexual activity?
  • How can I prevent gonorrhea in the future?
  • What gonorrhea complications should I be alert for?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?
  • Will I need a follow-up visit?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Questions your doctor is likely to ask you include:

  • Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
  • How severe are your symptoms?
  • Have you been exposed to sexually transmitted infections?

What you can do in the meantime

Abstain from sex until you see your doctor. Alert your sex partners that you're having signs and symptoms so that they can arrange to see their doctors for testing.

Oct. 05, 2021

Which antibiotics treat chlamydia and gonorrhea?

To cure gonorrhea you are receiving cefixime (sometimes known as “Suprax”) or cefpodoxime (sometimes known as “Vantin”). The other is called azithromycin (sometimes known as “Zithromax”). It will cure chlamydia.

Which antibiotic is the best to treat gonorrhea?

Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax).

Do you treat for both gonorrhea and chlamydia?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that patients diagnosed with gonorrhea infection also be treated for Chlamydia.