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Does Levofloxacin cure both chlamydia and gonorrhea?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I had an IgG test for herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2) after four months of possible exposure, which was negative. Is it conclusive? Is there any need to do an IgM test? If IgG is negative, can I consider that I am not infected?

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

The time required for IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies to develop after exposure to HSV (herpes simplex virus) is usually 21 to 42 days. A negative HSV IgG means that you have probably not been exposed to HSV.

HSV IgM (immunoglobulin M) will tell whether you have an acute or current infection. These usually take 9 to 10 days to develop after the infection and last for 7 to 14 days. If the high-risk exposure was four months back and there had been no other exposure, HSV IgG will suffice.

I will also suggest that if you had a high-risk exposure, get your rapid HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) antibody test done.

Hope your query is answered, but if you have any other questions, please revert.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for replying.

I have had an HIV antibody test, which was negative. But my chlamydia IgG is negative, and IgM is weakly positive. I took Doxy 1 L-DR forte for seven days after this exposure. I also got a Gram stain urine test for gonococci, which was negative.

Now I am taking Levofloxacin 750 mg for ten days as per my doctor's advice.

  1. Is a negative HIV antibody test and HIV PCR conclusive after four months?

  2. Is a negative Gram stain urine test for gonococci definitive after four months?

  3. Why is chlamydia IgG negative and IgM weakly positive?

  4. Will urine PCR for chlamydia and gonococci detect infection if we check on the eighth day after exposure?

  5. For PCR, the first urine was taken at 6 AM and handed over to the laboratory at 10 AM. Will this time lag interfere with the final result?

  6. I had sex with my wife only once after this incident, and I checked her urine routine today. I am attaching the reports. Does it mean that she is also infected?

  7. Does routine urine culture detect chlamydia or gonorrhea?

Kindly help.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I have seen your wife's report (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Answers to your queries are as follows.

Yes, a negative HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) antibody test, along with a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test done at four months, is highly conclusive. Yes, a negative Gram stain urine test for gonorrhea is again conclusive at four months.

Chlamydia IgM (Immunoglobulin M) weak positivity indicates recent chlamydia infection, and after some duration, IgM will start waning, and IgG will appear. It is possible to detect infection after eight days of exposure.

This time lag is unlikely to affect PCR. Your wife's routine urine examination is normal. She was not tested for gonorrhea infection. Gonorrhea and chlamydia require specific tests.

Hope you have got answers to your queries, but if you still have any other queries, please revert.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

  1. Will Levofloxacin 750 mg cure chlamydia?

  2. Will a throat swab PCR detect both chlamydia and gonorrhea?

  3. After completing Levofloxacin, when should I get retested?

  4. Does Levofloxacin cure both chlamydia and gonorrhea?

  5. In my wife's routine urine test, the pus cells and epithelial cells are above normal. Does it mean she has an infection?

Please advise.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Levofloxacin 750 once a day for seven days will work for chlamydia. For chlamydia, a urine sample is given, and for gonorrhea, a throat swab is taken. Retesting is generally preferred at least after two weeks. Yes, Levofloxacin is used for both chlamydia and gonorrhea infections. Your wife's routine urine examination is normal.

Hope your queries are answered, but if you still have any more questions, please revert.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

I am attaching the urine PCR test of my wife on the 8th day of exposure. I still have some doubts:

  1. Can I consider these results conclusive?

  2. Is testing on the 8th day too soon for these tests?

  3. Do I need to test again?

  4. I have completed Levoflox 750 once a day for 10 days. What test do I have to do now to check whether the infection is eliminated or not?

  5. Earlier, my IgM (Immunoglobulin M) was weakly positive. After taking medication, if the infection is eliminated, will the IGM become negative?

  6. Do I have to test IGG and IGM?

Please help.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I could not see any attachment in this query. Testing or screening for Chlamydia can be done as early as 24 hours after the exposure. The incubation period varies, and it is suggested that the most accurate results are obtained by testing two weeks after the exposure.

If the Chlamydia test is positive, it is suggested to repeat the test after two weeks of treatment completion so as to confirm that the Chlamydial infection is cleared from the body. Chlamydia ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), IgM and IgG.

Yes, IgM will slowly wane off, and IgG will appear, and this will indicate a protective immune response and a past infection. Both are to be tested again, as your earlier result was weakly reactive.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

Please check the file attached.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

No file attached.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

I tried to attach the report, but was unable to do so. The following are the results of the urine PCR of my wife, which she did on the 8th day of exposure:

Chlamydia trachomatis, N.Gonorrea, Mycoplasma genetalium, Treponema pallidum DNA PCR, Gardnerella Vaginalis, Ureaplasma urealyticum/Pavum, Trichomonas vaginalis - All are negative, and the method is a CE-IVD-approved real-time PCR assay with high sensitivity and specificity.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV 1/2) DNA – Negative. The method is a CE-IVD-approved molecular diagnostic test. Relative qualitative PCR detects both HSV-1 and HSV-2 with higher sensitivity and specificity. Please tell me whether this is conclusive?

My urine Gram stain test for gonorrhea is negative. Will I be infected with oral gonorrhea if the person with whom I engaged is having gonorrhea? That is only oral gonorrhea, not genital gonorrhea?

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

The complete STD (sexually transmitted disease) panel performed for your wife is conclusive. Gonorrhoea can be acquired from a person infected with it during oral sex. The bacteria spread through oral sex with an infected partner. If you had oral sex with that person, a throat swab is preferred.

Hope your query is answered, but please do not hesitate to ask or call for any doubts.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

Suppose the person I engaged with has gonorrhea, and I am doing both intercourse and oral sex. Will I get only oral gonorrhea?

I think if I do both acts, then I will get genital as well as oral gonorrhea. I am asking this because my urine Gram stain is negative. I engaged in both oral sex and intercourse.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Most men who are infected with Gonorrhoea show symptoms within​ two to five days after exposure, with a possibility of manifestation up to 30 days. This could be in the form of yellow- white discharge from the penis, burning in the urine, pain, or swelling of the testicles.

Gonorrhoea infection of the mouth is usually without symptoms. But if present, this includes soreness or redness in the mouth or throat. The throat swab culture test will help to determine the Gonorrhoea infection.

The specimen choice depends on the sexual orientation of the person, besides other factors. Urethral swab and or throat swab is preferred. A urine sample is one of the specimen types suitable for a PCR test.

Hope you have got answers to your query, but please feel free to ask or call.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

  1. Does a throat swab Gram stain test detect oral gonorrhea?

  2. Does routine throat swab culture detect oral gonorrhea?

  3. If neither test detects oral gonorrhea, then which test do I have to do?

  4. For the throat swab test, do I have to do any preparation before the test?

Kindly help.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

A throat swab for Gonorrhoea is generally recommended in men who have sex with men and have oral sex. Gram stain is sensitive and specific for urethral samples, but it is not sufficient for throat samples. In addition to culture, the NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) is also available.

Yes, although tests are very sensitive and specific, there is a very small chance of being a false negative. In the throat sample, the back of the throat and tonsillar area are swabbed with a sterile swab. The swab is just like a cotton bud, but is smaller and round in shape. No prior preparation is required.

Hope your queries are answered, but feel free to ask any questions.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for your response.

Today I met my doctor and told them about the oral gonorrhea (not tested). He has given me Azee 500 mg, two tablets to be consumed once, as I am allergic to the injection, and Cefixime 200 mg twice daily for a week.

  1. Is it fine for oral gonorrhea if I am affected?

  2. If I am doing routine throat swab culture, do I need to tell the lab to test oral gonorrhea specifically, or just ask them to do routine culture, and I can find the same in the result?

  3. If I am infected with oral gonorrhea, what will be written in the throat swab culture report?

Please advise.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

You have been given adequate treatment. If you have not yet started the treatment, wait for it; if you are planning to go for a throat swab. If you have already started with it, inform the lab person about the medicines you are taking.

You need to tell them that you require a throat swab culture for Gonorrhoea. Do not worry about the report card. It will be given by a designated lab person. It could be in the form of Gram-negative, oxidase-positive diplococci isolated, indicating Gonorrhoea, or it can be negative for it.

Hope your questions are answered, but you are always welcome to ask or call anytime.

Regards.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thanks for the reply.

After treatment of chlamydia, which test do I have to do:

  1. Which is most appropriate - immunoglobulin (IgG and IGM) or can I do urine PCR?

  2. What about oral gonorrhea? Which test do I have to do after treatment, PCR of throat swab or culture?

  3. As my Gram stain urine test for gonorrhea is negative after 4.5 months, does it need to be repeated?

  4. What other STD tests do I have to do?

  5. What about EBV and HPV?

Please advise.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

You can go for urine PCR for Chlamydia. About PCR - no, you do not need to repeat it. VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) for syphilis (if it has not been done before). Just to highlight the fact that even if a partner has an STI, it does not necessarily lead to transmission.

The risk of transmission from a single exposure is not known. There is no point worrying about HPV (human papillomavirus) or EBV (Epstein-Barr virus). There is no need to go for it.

Hope I have answered your questions, but do not hesitate to ask or call anytime.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thanks for the reply.

  1. After treatment of chlamydia, how many days does the burning sensation of the penis exist?

  2. I have some small milky bubbles seen in the lips, especially in the corners. What is that?

  3. Sometimes my tongue looks white. Why?

Please analyze this and answer.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Get your routine urine examination as well as urine culture sensitivity. There could be many causes. It requires proper examination. However, sending photos of lesions might be of some help.

Best wishes.

Thank you.

Answered byDr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At May 8, 2017
Reviewed AtJune 4, 2026

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva
Dr. Ravinder K. Sachdeva

HIV/AIDS specialist
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