[Question #9835] Follow up
28 months ago
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Hi doctors,
My light symptoms haven't improved. You suggested it might be due to inflammation that's still healing. Today i went to a dermatologist that claims i'm still infected. He struck me as "old school" yet knowledgable.
He identified (light?) meatitis, "milked" some discharge and swabbed it, did a prostate fluid test (rough massage then urine), also swabbed throat and rectum. He gave me quick results based on microscopic evaluation, and i'm waiting for further PCR/culture results. For now:
- Leukocytes ~20-30, in both urethra and throat
- Coliform-family bacteria and candida in the urethra
- Strep-family bacteria in throat
He recommends to immediately treat both infections with Cefixime 400mg 1x10 days; Fluconazol 100mg 1x7 days for the candida.
1. My big doubt is if i should start treatment now or wait a week and try to identify other pathogens (mycoplasmas/ureaplasmas, even resistant gonorrhea/chlamydia..) that might not be seen in PCR right now, since i finished antibiotics just 2 weeks ago. I know you said this is unlikely, but would it be worth it to have more assurance of what i have, while "risking" not treating an ongoing infection? Is this even surely an ongoing infection or could it be still healing?
2. Is his suggested antibiotics considered a good choice? I know you don't see strep/coliforms as STDs, but i hope you would still regard my question, since i understand coliforms might possibly cause my lingering urethral symptoms.
3. At the very least, should i wait until the more precise results come back (~1-2 days) before i start antibiotics?
Thank you
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
28 months ago
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I’m sorry that your symptoms continue to be troublesome to you. I am also sorry that you continue with your concerns that they may be due to an STI. I’ll try to answer your specific questions below. I should also add that your assistance that your questions and responses be deleted tends to hinder. and compromise our abilities to provide you with the results in the context of our previous responses.
The medication’s recommended to you by the physician you saw are no more reliable or effective than the therapy you have already taken. In fact, they may be slightly less effective. If you had gonorrhea, chlamydia, or had been exposed to syphilis these infections would have been cured. I am confident that your testing will prove this. The fluconazole that he recommended, however, may be helpful for the minor symptoms and meatitis that were diagnosed. The antibiotics you have already taken would, if anything, make the symptoms related to a fungal infection arising from the antibiotics that you had already taken worse.
In response to your continuing questions:
1. Both Dr. Handsfield that I have tried to dissuade you of the possibility that this is an STI. Given your difficulty in excepting our advice, I would strongly suggest you wait until you can obtain accurate tests to make further decisions about treatment.
2. Other than the treatment for candida which I have mentioned above, the treatment, he recommended basically duplicates the treatment you have already received. You are correct that this treatment would not cover coliform bacteria, which could well be related to your problem if it is a prostate infection.
3. See my comments above.
The results of the prostate massage that you described suggests the possibility of prostatitis, which is almost never an STI, and can be caused by gram-negative bacteria. Appropriate diagnosis of prostatitis would involve not only the prostate massage what you have already received, but also testing the urine both before the massage and after to determine whether the process of prostate massage leads to bacteria appearing in your urine. Should that happen, Non-STI prostatitis becomes a likely diagnosis. Non-STI prostatitis is treated with antibiotics other than the antibiotics you have received.
Once again, I urge you to wait for further testing before you make further Anwar to decisions regarding antibiotic treatments for an STI, that you almost certainly do not have. EWH.
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28 months ago
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Thank you for the reply doctor.
I understand your view that i either haven't had an STI or had it and cleared it.
I will wait for more testing before taking antibiotics.
For clarification, i want to ask and summarize to see if i understand your advice:
1. What could be the reason for the white blood cells right now? Is this considered an infection, or might it be still recovering from infection?
2. So do you recommend i try fluconazole anyway, and see if that helps with the meatitis?
3. The top priority for me right now is prostatitis diagnosis?
Thank you
Thank you
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
28 months ago
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1. What could be the reason for the white blood cells right now? Is this considered an infection, or might it be still recovering from infection?
Small amounts of WBCs can be normal. The number you report however appears to be a bit higher than normal. As I mentioned, this cold well reflect prostatitis which is NOT typically an STI.
2. So do you recommend i try fluconazole anyway, and see if that helps with the meatitis?
Yes
3. The top priority for me right now is prostatitis diagnosis?
Yes. A urologist would be the person best prepared to help sort this out. Another possibility is an ill-defined, non-STI syndrome called the chronic pelvic pain syndrome which is well defined on Wikipedia. This process in not an STI but does follow sexual contact on some occasions. Again, a urologist would be the one to start with here.
I'm glad you've decided to hold off on treatment until you take your test results. I really think that is the right decision. EWH
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28 months ago
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Hi doctor, thank you for keeping the question open. i do believe now it's a bacterial prostatitis caused by gram negative bacteria (e coli / kleibsella).
Had another prostate fluid test and this time the doctor claims he managed to get prostate fluid out after the massage:
1. Found bacteria in the fluid (don't know yet what concentration), i think he said gram negative like in the urine last time
2. The urine culture from the previous test returned with >100000 CFU by the way
3. Prostate does seem inflamed, symptoms seem to align with that as well
4. No WBC in semen
My questions are:
1. Would a partner be in danger if she gives me oral sex now (assuming ejaculation and swallowing)?
2. Still, is it possible i have a co infection of e coli and mycoplasma/ureaplasma, (which are harder to detect as i understand, especially due to recent doxycycline round) in the prostate? I'm waiting for results of semen PCR for the plasmas taken yesterday, would that be conclusive? (3 weeks after finishing doxy) or is PCR of post-massage urine taken today be more accurate?
3. What treatment would you recommend? I was prescribed 2 weeks of levofloxacin but read it can be quite dangerous, what is your view?
Thanks and sorry if I'm repeating myself..
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
28 months ago
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Thanks for the additional information. I agree with your doctor that everything here sounds a great deal like prostatitis due to a gram-negative, non-STI bacteria. FYI, your doctor has done a very good job in evaluating you, better than many would.
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In response to your follow-up questions:
1. No, there is no danger to your partner from any sort of unprotected sex from this infection. The bacteria causing your prostatitis are normal bacteria found in the genitourinary tract, which have, unfortunately, gotten himself into a place where bacteria are not normally found the cause your prostatitis.
2. I urge you not to go down the mycoplasma “rabbit hole”. The presence of mycoplasma in the urinary tract, other than possibly M. Genitalium, is entirely normal, and they do not typically cause disease. We have many clients, and even some healthcare providers, who have been misled by a positive test for mycoplasma. Mycoplasma found in urinary track specimens do not need treatment.
3. See my comments above regarding treatment for mycoplasma. Levofloxacin or other quinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin are excellent drugs for treatment of prostatitis. A word of warning - on some occasions two weeks is not sufficient to resolve bacterial prostatitis and treatment as long as four or even six weeks is sometimes required.
As you know, we provide up to three responses to each clients questions. As this is my third response, this thread will be closed shortly.
It sounds like you are in good hands. Take care. Please don’t worry further about STI’s. EWH.