Chlamydia; an eye infection??

[Jordan01]

I have had eye redness off and on for two months.  I have been to two optometrist and both prescribed me Z-pack because they believed it to be Chlamydia related.  making a really really ....really long story short i have not taken either prescribed Z- pack antibiotics.  I have been taking the precribed antibiotics my Primary Doc has given me but it wasnt Z- pack...this is such a long story and there is so much i want to tell and ask you but in short.

Does Chlamydia affect or infect the eye causing redeness?

I'm asking because since my unprotected infidelity almost 4 months ago my health has really been bad. I have had and still have sorness in my penis; buttocks..and different from my post with Mrs Warren is this eye thing..I have been tested for numerous std's numerous times and all came back neg.  I'm still pending my 16 week HSV igg test. Any remarks, suggestions or direction will be greatly appreciated....thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

1.0 gram of azithromycin is recommended therapy for NGU and following a 1 gram dose of the medication, the drug typically stays in the system for a week or more.  Thus your symptoms recurred while you had therapeutic levels of azithromycin and suggesting that your improvement was coincidence and not due to the drug.  Persons who fail recommended therapy with one of the two recommended drugs (azithromycin or doxycycline) should be treated with the other drug, sometimes in combination with metronidazole. In your case however, I'm not clear that you have NGU.  It sounds like your urologist is treating you for prostatitis which can require and sometimes repeated treatment.  I doubt that your penile symptoms and your eye problems are related to an STD.  EWH

[Jordan01]

HI, I’m writing because I still have my on going problems. This is my 6th bout of eye problems( redness), and my penis and buttock is still aching and sore...I am following to the T what my urologist and optometrist are prescribing me; however, I wanted your opinion and wanted to self educate NOT self diagnose or treat.

(some info.)
My urologist examend my prostate fluid and she said there was signs of inflamation but, no bacteria. she also said no bacteria in urine.

My questions/ concerns are with NGU and Azythromycin
here are my question...
Is taking 1000g of Azythromycin enough to take care of NGU?..( I believe the quick and easy answer is YES);   but Are there cases were more was needed to get rid of NGU? Could i have NGU even though there is no bacteria in my prostate fluid nor my Urine?

please know i have not been diagnosed with NGU and the olnly reason i took Azythromycin was because of my Optometricst. but when i took the Azythromycin it was very obvious to me that my symptoms in my penis along with my eyes were drastically got better and almost 100%. ( and thats before i read about NGU on the Asha website)and four or five days after the Azythomycin i could see my symptoms return in my eyes and feel the aching in my penis.  i dont even konw if the eye symptoms and the penis symptoms are related. thats for another day to find out

In my case it seems this dose and this specific atibiotic ALMOST cleared things up in my penis and in my eyes. I say this "specific" antibiotic because I am currently on Cipro for almost 2 weeks and there has been no improvement...I feel if only i had a little more Azythromycin it would have cleared things up for me( it sure felt and looked that way)....any comments regards or direction would be greatly apprecciated...thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I woould seek further explanation form your opthalmoloisst.  Taking the azithrmycin is not going to harm you but you deserve a better explantation and they should test you for chlamydia.   EWH

[Jordan01]

thank you for your previous remarks,

you said, "I cannot imagine why your doctors would think that chlamydia is causing your red, irritated eye." ...thats what i was thinking but after a Second Optometrist said the same thing i was/am willing to take the Z-pack..

" If it did, it would not come and go"...well i should not have said it comes "off and on"  but has been continous since May 1 ...because the red eye  really never goes away it just gets a little better...the eye goes from being really red to being a little red but never did it go back to 100%

i live in the USA


Thank you

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. Do you live in North America or Western Europe?  If so, chlamydial eye infections are vanishingly rare and are not a consequence of sexual activity.  In some developing nations there is a chronic eye infection called TRACHOMA which is largely a disease of children and is spread by flies, not sex.  I cannot imagine why your doctors would think that chlamydia is causing your red, irritated eye.  If it did, it would not come and go.   I suspect your eye redness is a coincidence and not related to your sexual exposure.

Hope this comment is helpful.  EWH