Gonorrhea Treatment Plan
This treatment plan reviews the risks and benefits of the treatment we recommend. Please make sure to read this as well as the manufacturer’s pamphlet that comes with the medicine. The manufacturer’s pamphlet contains the full information on interactions, side effects, and other information you should know about the medicine before you start.
INSTRUCTIONS:
For treatment of Gonorrhea, you must take:
Two (2) Cefixime 400mg tablets, taken orally, once, as a single dose
Alternatively, if you are allergic to Penicillin-based medications: The clinician will prescribe a combination treatment of Doxycycline AND Levaquin instead. You must take:
One (1) Doxycycline 100mg tablet, orally, twice a day, for seven (7) days AND one (1) Levaquin 500mg tablet, orally, once a day, for five (5) days.
This can control the infection, which commonly transmits during sexual activity with an infected partner. Signs of this infection include pain, foul-smelling discharge with or without itching or burning with urination. Gonorrhea can cause pain or discomfort during intercourse and can be transmitted between sexual partners. If you are sexually active please disclose to your partner that they may need to seek treatment otherwise with continued sexual interaction re-infection may occur in either partner.
IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING YOUR TREATMENT:
- Avoid consuming alcohol for at least 72 hours after completing your treatment. Drinking alcohol while on antibiotics can increase the risk of side effects, interfere with the medication’s effectiveness, and delay recovery.
- For your safety and the well-being of others, we strongly recommend that you refrain from all forms of sexual activity for at least seven (7) days.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
This medicine contains the following active ingredients. If you are allergic to any of these components, similar components, or any of the other components listed in the manufacturer’s pamphlet, please do not take it.
Primary Treatment:
- Cefixime
Alternate Treatment:
- Doxycycline
- Levofloxacin
ALLERGIES:
This medicine may cause an allergic reaction if you are allergic to similar medicines or components. If you are allergic to any of the following, please stop the medicine and see your doctor in person:
Primary Treatment:
Cefixime:
- Penicillins: Amoxicillin, penicillin V.,penicillin G (Pfizerpen, Permapen), amoxicillin (Amoxil), amoxicillin/clavulanate (Augmentin), ampicillin (Unasyn), nafcillin (Nallpen), oxacillin (Bactocill), dicloxacillin.
- Other cephalosporin antibiotics
Alternate Treatment:
Doxycycline:
- Doxycycline
- Other Tetracycline antibiotics
Levaquin: - Levofloxacin
- Other Fluoroquinolone antibiotics
CONDITIONS:
We evaluate your health history and the specific health information you provide us; however, if anything changes and you develop or discover that one of these conditions applies to you, please stop taking this medicine and seek care in person:
- Pregnancy
- Liver problems
- Blood disorders
- Kidney Failure
PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING:
Cefixime does cross the placental barrier in pregnancy however no observed effects have been reported. It is unknown if Cefixime is present in breast milk. Doxycycline and Levaquin also cross the fetal placental barrier in pregnancy and do present in breast milk after oral intake. Because of the potential for complications, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the medication(s), taking into account the importance of the drug(s) to the mother. This decision should be made with direction from your primary care physician or another source of local medical care.
EMERGENCY SIDE EFFECTS:
This medicine can cause dangerous and potentially life-threatening side effects. If any of the emergency side effects listed in the manufacturer’s pamphlet or those below happen to you, please stop taking the medicine and call 911 or seek immediate medical help in person:
- Hearing changes (such as decreased hearing, and deafness)
- Eye problems (such as drooping eyelids, and blurred vision)
- Difficulty speaking/swallowing
- Muscle weakness
- Signs of liver problems (such as unusual tiredness, persistent nausea/vomiting, severe stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine)
- Fast/irregular heartbeat
- Severe dizziness
- Fainting
OTHER SIDE EFFECTS:
This medicine can also cause other side effects. If any of the other side effects listed in the manufacturer’s pamphlet or those below happen to you please stop taking the medicine and see your doctor in person:
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea/loose stools
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
MEDICINES, SUPPLEMENTS, AND FOODS:
We evaluate your health history and the specific health information you provide us; however, if anything changes and you start or discover that you are taking any of the medicines, foods, or supplements listed below, consult with your physician or local care before you take the medicine. Some of these can cause dangerous interactions with the medicine we are prescribing you and we will help you evaluate that risk and decide on an appropriate treatment plan:
- HIV medications
- Birth control (all hormonal)
- Narcotic pain medications
- Anti-seizure medications
- Antipsychotic medications
ACCURATE INFORMATION:
We evaluate the specific health information you provide and make our recommendations based on it. If you incorrectly provide that information, we may misdiagnose or fail to diagnose conditions that you may have which could affect our recommendation for treatment.
TREATMENT FAILURE:
This treatment is not 100% effective. It may not work or may only partially resolve the condition for which you are seeking treatment. If it is an emergency, call 911 or seek immediate medical help in person.
MISDIAGNOSIS OR DELAYED DIAGNOSIS:
There is also a risk that we will misdiagnose or fail to diagnose conditions that you may have which could affect our recommendation for treatment. This risk exists with a doctor in person as well but they may have additional signs and symptoms to aid their evaluation. We use an evidence-based practice and guidelines as well as clinical decision support to try to minimize these risks.
ACCEPTING OR DECLINING OUR RECOMMENDATION:
We recommend this treatment because the potential benefits of treatment outweigh the risks. You should evaluate this information as well as the manufacturer’s pamphlet, and any input from your in-person healthcare team, or other information to decide if this treatment plan is appropriate for you. You are free to decline our treatment recommendations although, doing so may prolong symptoms and be associated with negative outcomes.
OTHER TREATMENTS:
We have based our recommendation on your specific case and medical guidelines, but there may be alternative treatments or strategies that may be helpful to you. Some may be more or less effective than what we provide. Some treatments may require an in-person exam or procedure which we can’t provide.
SHARE WITH YOUR IN-PERSON HEALTHCARE TEAM:
You can access your records anytime. We strongly recommend that you update your in-person doctor, pharmacist, and the rest of your healthcare team to let them know about any new medicines you are taking or other changes in your health.
