Epididymitis from an STD: What's the Right Medication Plan?

Carson, a friend, asked for help late at night, saying that he had a sudden pain in his testicles and was diagnosed with epididymitis caused by gonorrhea. Holding the medicine list, he was full of confusion: "How to take these medicines?" Will there be any sequelae?

Many men hear "epididymitis" and "sexually transmitted diseases" (STDs) with panic or are ashamed to seek medical treatment, delay treatment, or indiscriminately use drugs due to a misunderstanding. 

Next, let's talk about how to use drugs correctly for epididymitis caused by sexually transmitted diseases.

The Relationship Between Epididymitis Caused by STDs and Drugs 

Epididymitis caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other sexually transmitted diseases(STDs) is essentially caused by bacterial invasion of the epididymis. The epididymis is the "training camp" of sperm maturation; once inflamed, not only is the pain unbearable, but improper handling may also affect fertility.

Antibiotics are the main way to fight this kind of bacterial inflammation, but they must be used precisely, with the right medicine, the full dose, and the full course of treatment, in order to completely eliminate the bacteria. 

If we use drugs at will like for the common cold, it will only delay the illness, even make the bacteria resistant, and increase the difficulty of treatment.

Correct Choice of Drugs 

Don't rush for medicine after diagnosis. Doctors usually arrange bacterial culture and drug sensitivity tests first, which are the basis for correct medication and are not unnecessary.

Bacterial culture: "capture" bacteria from urethral secretions or semen to determine whether they are gonococcus, chlamydia, or other miscellaneous bacteria. Different bacteria have different drug resistance, and only by finding the right enemy can we choose the right weapon.

Drug sensitivity test: a test that determines which antibiotics can kill bacteria fastest, avoids wasting time with ineffective drugs, and prevents bacteria from developing drug resistance.

Carson once disrelished the trouble of examination and wanted to prescribe medicine directly. The doctor reminded him, "Nowadays, there is a high incidence of gonococcal drug resistance, and the wrong medicine will aggravate the condition." 

The final examination found that the gonococcus he was infected with was resistant to certain quinolones, and the effective cephalosporin was replaced in time due to the drug sensitivity test.

How to Deal with Epididymitis Caused by STDs 

Antibiotics: 

Antibiotics are the main means to kill pathogens, and the specific types need to be determined by a drug sensitivity test. Commonly used cephalosporins, quinolones, and macrolides, when used, must follow the medical supervision of adequate dosage and a full course of treatment, which is the key to a cure.

Cephalosporins (such as ceftriaxone sodium) have strong bactericidal power. In the acute stage of epididymitis, most of them need to be injected and then taken orally to complete the course of treatment for 1-2 weeks. 

During the period of medication and within one week after withdrawal, alcohol should be absolutely prohibited to avoid a dangerous disulfiram reaction.

Quinolones (such as levofloxacin) should be used with caution in patients under 18 years of age and in patients with epilepsy because of drug resistance. When combined with chlamydia infection, it can be combined with azithromycin, doxycycline, and other macrolides, which can alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort after meals.

NSAIDs: Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drugs. They can be taken when epididymal pain or fever exceeds 101.3℉, which can effectively reduce the inflammatory reaction. 

This kind of medicine should not be taken for a long time and can be stopped according to medical supervision after the symptoms are relieved, which is to avoid damaging the intestines and stomach.

Drugs for topical use: If the epididymis is swollen and painful, the doctor may prescribe topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments such as diclofenac diethylamine emulsion, which can be applied to the scrotum to directly relieve discomfort. Clean skin before use and control the dosage according to the instructions.

Chinese patent medicine: the Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill 

Chinese patent medicine Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill from Dr. Li's clinic is an important part of the treatment plan, which can be combined with antibiotics to achieve "treatment of both symptoms and root causes." 

Antibiotics focus on killing pathogens, while they focus on regulating the internal environment of the genitourinary system, playing a prominent role in improving symptoms and consolidating curative effects.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, this kind of epididymitis is mostly caused by the accumulation of damp-heat in the lower body and stagnation of qi and blood.

The Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill contains more than 50 kinds of Chinese medicinal ingredients; among them, plantain seed promotes urination and treats stranguria to accelerate the discharge of inflammatory secretion, peach kernel promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis to relieve epididymal swelling and pain, and honeysuckle clears heat and toxic materials to inhibit bacterial reproduction. 

It can fill the blank of Western medicine in regulating the internal environment, is especially suitable for patients with residual symptoms after antibiotic treatment, can reduce the recurrence rate, and needs to adjust the dosage and course of treatment according to medical supervision when in use.

Misunderstanding of Medications 

Many people fail to treat the problem as not the drug itself, but the way of medication. Combined with clinical experience, these misunderstandings must be avoided:

Stop taking the drug as soon as the symptoms clear up: This is the most common mistake. Carson once wanted to stop taking the drug because of pain relief, but the doctor warned him, "The disappearance of symptoms does not mean clearance of bacteria, and the withdrawal of the drug will lead to recurrence and drug resistance." 

The whole course of treatment must be completed according to the medical supervision, even if the symptoms have already improved.

Buy drugs on their own: Some men buy "specific drugs" from the Internet because they are ashamed to seek medical treatment. The source of these drugs is unknown; even if they are regular antibiotics, they are not ineffective. 

There were patients who took azithromycin for half a month by themselves, but their condition was aggravated. After investigation, it was known that the gonococcus infected by azithromycin was resistant to the drug.

Blindly increase the dosage or combination of drugs: Some people think that "taking more medicine is better quickly" and increase the dosage at will or combine a variety of antibiotics. 

Drug dosage needs to be accurately calculated by doctors; excessive dosage will increase the burden on the liver and kidneys, and a combination may cause adverse reactions but affect treatment.

The cure period cannot help cross sexual activity: sexual activity must be prohibited during the cure, or it can accentuate epididymis hyperaemia, which is swelling; the likelihood still exists that it will transmit a bacterium to a partner, causing cross-infection, and you need to wait for a doctor to affirm that the ability is restored after the complete cure.

Conclusion 

Don't worry too much about epididymitis caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Illness is not terrible, but evasion and indiscriminate use of drugs are dangerous. Once epididymal pain, swelling, fever, and other symptoms occur, immediately go to the urology department of the regular hospital, truthfully explain the situation, and cooperate with the treatment.

After treatment, regular review should be carried out, and urine routine and bacterial culture should be done 1-2 weeks after withdrawal to confirm the complete clearance of bacteria. Pay attention to hygiene at ordinary times and do a good job of protection in sexual activity so as to avoid reinfection. 

I hope this article can help people in need, and I hope everyone can pay attention to their own health and stay away from disease.