Now, 3 days later, I am having throat discomfort, dry throat, and  feeling like I have to clear my throat every few minutes. I am also having some discomfort in my ears.

1. Does this sound like symptoms of oral gonorrhea? 

2. Would oral gonorrhea symptoms start just three days after exposure?

3. This morning I got a prescription of cefeximide (400mg) and a Zithromax ( 1g). Is it likely that this will cure the oral gonorrhea?

4. Based on my exposure, do you reccomend I abstain from kissing my regular partner? 

There has been controversy for a few years about gonorrhea transmission by kissing -- historically believed to be no risk at all, but new data have emerged and expert opinions are changing. Initially I was a skeptic -- I even debated another expert with the opposite view at an international STD research conference a few years ago -- but now agree it probably happens. It appears to be almost entirely limited to men having sex with other men (MSM). Does that apply here? Probably not:  while the reason(s) for limitation to MSM are unclear, my theory is that kissing between men is often more prolonged and vigorous than in most male-female sex. Your kiss obviously doesn't meet that criterion. Is the risk zero? Probably not -- but it's close.

Oral gonorrhea usually causes no symptoms at all -- probably around 5-10% of cases. And then it's usually just minor sore throat; ear symptoms aren't known. It's far more likely you have a garden variety viral infection, which you might have caught that from the kiss, or anyone else in your environment.

Those comments start to answer your specific questions, but to be explicit:

1,2. The timing fits with gonorrhea and it could be the cause of your symptoms, but probably not. I'd put the chance you had it under 1 chance in thousands.

3. I hope you were tested before being treated (throat swab). Otherwise you'll never know. If you did have it, you were under treated. Reliable treatment requires an injection of ceftriaxone; cefixime might work, but a minimum of 800 mg is advised; and azithromycin also is not reliable. If you were tested and the result is negative, no worries. If not tested, consider testing in 2-3 weeks to assure you were cured, if you had it; or perhaps return to the doctor or clinic now and request proper treatment with ceftriaxone.

4. Given the low chance you had it, and the fact that it's generally harmless, you could continue kissing your partner. However, you might want to avoid oral sex on him until you know your initial or follow-up throat swab test is negative. The odds you would give him urethral gonorrhea is extremely low, so this is up to you.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

2. When should I go get a swab test?

3. I am also having post nasal drip in the back of my throat according to a PA I’ve seen. Is this a symptoms of oral gonorrhea? 

4. Also my regular partner is a female. Is she at greater risk if I engage in French kissing with her? 

2. Test of cure should be delayed until at least 2 weeks after treatment. Before then, the test can be false positive because of persistent DNA even though all gonorrhea bacteria were killed. However, you could take a chance 5-7 days after treatment; a negative result would be reliable, and of course that's what you should expect.

3. No. Like the ear pain, this fits more with a common cold than gonorrhea.

4. Good question in view of the uncertainties about the mechanism of gonorrhea transmission by kissing. However, I already said the risk to her would be very low, maybe zero.

2. Easy to cure with 500 mg ceftriaxone.

3. Oral gonorrhea rarely causes any symptoms at all. As already discussed above, your symptoms are much more likely do to a cold, especially with them persisting since ceftriaxone.

4. All gonorrhea goes away on its own over time, usually weeks to months for genital infection. Oral gonorrhea typically is gone within a month or two. It is no more likely to get into the bloodstream from oral versus genital infection. The symptoms of blood invasion of gonorrhea are dramatic -- you would know if it had happened. And now it's impossible.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope it has been helpful. The bottom line is that you almost certainly did not have oral gonorrhea, but if you did, it's now gone. No further worries about it.