Examples
|
| Suprax | cefixime | |
| Rocephin | ceftriaxone | |
How It Works
Antibiotics kill the
gonorrhea bacteria.
Why It Is Used
These antibiotics are used to treat:
- A person who has a positive gonorrhea
test.
- Sex partners within the past 60 days of a person diagnosed
with gonorrhea, whether or not they have symptoms or used
condoms.
- A newborn whose mother has gonorrhea at the time of
delivery.
How Well It Works
Antibiotic treatment, when taken exactly as directed, normally
cures gonorrhea infections. If antibiotics are not taken properly, the
infection will not be cured.
Certain strains of the gonorrhea bacteria have become
resistant to some antibiotics, including quinolones,
penicillin, tetracycline, and sulfa drugs. When bacteria become resistant to an
antibiotic, they no longer can be killed by that medicine.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of medicines used to treat gonorrhea
are nausea and vomiting.
If you have side effects and cannot control them, contact your
health professional. Another antibiotic may be prescribed that causes fewer
side effects.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference
is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
It isn't unusual for a person to have a
chlamydia infection along with gonorrhea infection. In
this case, an antibiotic that kills chlamydia is used along with one that kills
gonorrhea.
To be effective, antibiotics need to be taken exactly as directed.
If doses are missed or treatment is not completed, the gonorrhea infection may
not be cured.
Call your health professional if symptoms continue or new symptoms
develop 3 to 4 weeks after treatment.
Do not engage in any sexual activity:
- While you are being treated for a
sexually transmitted disease (STD). If you are
prescribed a single-dose antibiotic, do not have sex for 7 days after treatment
so the medicine will have time to work.
- Until your sex partner has
been tested and treated (if infected). This is critical, whether your partner
has symptoms or not.
For
disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), antibiotic
treatment is usually given
intravenously (IV) or as a shot (injection). Hospital
care is sometimes needed.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF) 
(What is a PDF document?)
to help you understand this medication.
Credits
| Author | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Last Updated | May 9, 2007 |
