Sexually Transmitted Diseases Forum - Need Someone Who Knows Syphilis Treatment
Medical questions     Health forums     MarketPlace     log in    

Need Someone Who Knows Syphilis Treatment

New Topic  Reply  Ask A Doctor - Offline
Medical Questions-> Health Forums -> Sexually Transmitted Diseases -> Need Someone Who Knows Syphilis Treatment
Medical Questions
Author Message
lee_evan

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 1
Need Someone Who Knows Syphilis Treatment
Posted: 04-18-04 13:56pm

It's almost a week since i've developed a chancre at the right portion inside my mouth. I was bothered so I searched in the internet the cause & the treatment until I came upon a site that suggests it could be caused by an std (syphilis). This starts to alarm me because I remembered having a sexual reationship with a girl who is older than me, 3 months ago.

I haven't done any tests yet & haven't talked it out with her. But I started taking antibacterial medicine(amoxyxilin) & the chancre becomes little by little. I read thru the internet about the treatment for syphilis. Most says that it can be cured by a penicillin taken by injection.

My questions are: are there any alnernative treatment othr than penicilin injection? How about those otc drugs like amoxyxilin, can it treat the disease by taking it 2x a day for a week(as I read in another article)?

Could anyone please advise me regarding my problem. I'm 20 yrs old & still ashamed to see a doctor. Thank you so much
|
2ferano

Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 3717

Posted: 04-19-04 14:42pm

Primary stage
the primary stage of syphilis is usually marked by the appearance of a single sore (called a chancre), but there may be multiple sores. The time between infection with syphilis and the start of the first symptom can range from 10 to 90 days (average 21 days). The chancre is usually firm, round, small, and painless. It appears at the spot where syphilis entered the body. The chancre lasts 3 to 6 weeks, and it heals without treatment. However, if adequate treatment is not administered, the infection progresses to the secondary stage.

Secondary stage
skin rash and mucous membrane lesions characterize the secondary stage. This stage typically starts with the development of a rash on one or more areas of the body. The rash usually does not cause itching. Rashes associated with secondary syphilis can appear as the chancre is healing or several weeks after the chancre has healed. The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases. Sometimes rashes associated with secondary syphilis are so faint that they are not noticed. In addition to rashes, symptoms of secondary syphilis may include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue. The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment, but without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and late stages of disease.

Late stage
the latent (hidden) stage of syphilis begins when secondary symptoms disappear. Without treatment, the infected person will continue to have syphilis even though there are no signs or symptoms; infection remains in the body. In the late stages of syphilis, it may subsequently damage the internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. This internal damage may show up many years later. Signs and symptoms of the late stage of syphilis include difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia. This damage may be serious enough to cause death.

What is the treatment for syphilis?

Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year. For people who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. There are no home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that will cure syphilis. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair damage already done.

Because effective treatment is available, it is important that persons be screened for syphilis on an on-going basis if their sexual behaviors put them at risk for stds.

Persons who receive syphilis treatment must abstain from sexual contact with new partners until the syphilis sores are completely healed. Persons with syphilis must notify their sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary.
|
Related Topics
This Forum This Category All Forums
Jump to:  
New Topic   Reply
Medical Questions -> Health Forums -> Sexually Transmitted Diseases -> Need Someone Who Knows Syphilis Treatment



We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.