Dr Danny, you still here?

SamAdams · #1 29th June 2006, 07:54 AM

I got a e-mail from I guy I played with last Wednesday. He said that on Monday he went to his doctor and was diagnosed with a NGU, though not "the resistant one making its rounds in the city". He said he will know more next Monday, based on the culture. He swears he had to get it from me, as I am the only one he has been with (other than his wife) in the last three weeks. All we did was I performed oral on him. He says his doc told him he got it from a carrier and asked me if I have any symptoms such as a sore throat. I don't and can't rememeber the last time I did. So the question is, do I need to get checked out and if so, what do I need done? A throat culture? What will that show, don't we all have bacteria in our mouths/throats? It doesn't necessarily have to be a typical STD (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc), does it? Isn't that why it is call nongonococcal? Or should I just wait to hear his results on Monday.....if he will share them with me. He wants to cut off all contact.

cutguy · #2 29th June 2006, 11:41 AM

Yeah, I'm still around, but this board has gotten so dull in recent months, I don't spend too much time lurking. In fact, I just found a couple of PMs from months ago... Sorry about that boys.

Sam, sorry, but the answer is yes. Most, but not all NSUs are chlamydial, they can lurk in your throat/eyes (bad news), rectum, etc. Chlamydia can produce what we call a "viral" sore throat, because when strep doesn't check out, we assume it's a virus. And it can stick around, asymptomatically.

Here is the really bad part. While culturing the critter is possible, it really isn't practical, nor is it very accurate. In otherwords, you can be infected and not test positive,and you walk away with a false sense of security.

The incubation period is about 3-4 weeks, about the time you said you had your close encounter.

You need to speak to your doctor, and get treated. I don't even want to go into the politics of talking to your wife about what is happening; I've had to deal with that situation one time too many, and believe me, it ain't fun. Worse still, where there is one STD, frequently there are others, so you need a number of tests, syphilis, HIV, general inspection for warts.

Sorry it isn't the info you want to hear, but that's reality.

Keep me posted, and guys, my e-mail address is in my profile if you need to speak to me privately.

Danny

SamAdams · #3 30th June 2006, 08:19 AM

Your right about the board dying a slow death. It used to be pretty busy and interesting.

OK, bottom line, you are saying I need to get treated for chlamydia whether I test for it or not? And of course, the wife too.

To clarify the situation, he and I only played the one time, last Wed. By the weekend, he was having symtoms of an NGU and went to the doctor on Monday. He thought I must have infected him, as his last encounter he had with another guy was three weeks previous to our blow and go. So it sounds like the other guy (three weeks ago) probable infected my trick and in all probability, he has now infected me.......not me infecting him. A minor quible to be sure, but still a quible.

And Danny, thanks again for your expert advise to the board. You provide a valuable service.

cutguy · #4 30th June 2006, 11:40 AM

There is no way you could have infected him with a NON gonococcal STD in the time frame you are talking about. Gonorrhea, yes, but I have never seen asymptomatic GC of the throat. I have seen neisseria meningitis (the bug that causes really bad meningitis, as is you are fine one minute, and 6 hours later you are dead...) of the throat in gay men on many occasions which ranged from no symptoms to just a plain sore throat, and got a hell of a surprise when I found out what was lurking.

But if you have no symptoms, you only sucked the guy off last week, it is pretty unlikely that you are infected. Still, I would speak to your doctor, or an infectious disease specialist if you are uncomfortable. This is a kettle of worms, regardless. Again, keep me posted.

Dr Danny

Specific200 · #5 8th July 2006, 03:49 AM

Danny, I'm curious about this too.

What are the symptoms of GC (gonorrhea) of the throat? You said you have never seen any non symptomatic infection of gonorrhea in the throat.

So if you had it, you'd know? And for the record, what would the symptoms of nonGC of the throat be?

Last, I know from experience it is very easy to get nonGC from intercourse with a female--never had syph or gon ever, even back in the late 70s and 80 s when I was having lots of unprotected heterosexual intercourse with females. But I did get NONGC several times. It seemed like it showed up in like 3-4 days--a discharge.

So my question is, is it that easy to get nongc or GC in the throat from giving head for 2-3 minutes total with no orgasm in your mouth?

cutguy · #6 8th July 2006, 02:08 PM

My heterosexual, constantly famished, hell of a nice kid and frequent European travelling companion, nephew has just figured out that Uncle Dan is a little bent. After reality hit (like a ton of bricks...), after a lot of questioning, a lot of weird questions about sex and sexuality erupted. Well, at least the lines of communication are open. As a physician, I am constantly dumbfounded at the general level of ignorance that exists out there when it comes to matters sexual. In my case, ignorance begins at home, so I'm not too upset that these questions finally get vented, and answered!

Okay, here goes.

Gonorrhea is a bacteria that infects mucous membranes, preferably vaginal or urethral (pee tube). It will also infect the throat (and eyes). It causes a very red, very sore throat and some pretty bad breath (which is a clue, especially in single men). The bug is extremely delicate, and won't survive in a full oxygen environment, or at temperatures much above or below 98.6. Since most doctors can't even imagine that their patients just might be cock suckers, the thought of GC being in a differential diagnosis is almost unheard of. Therefore, if you a) have a sore throat, and b) the rapid strep test comes back negative, than c) clearly you have a viral infection. Unless your doctor is a pervert, (like I am) and has a brain between his ears.

Symptoms of a "non GC" sore throat? Most of us usually get non GC sore throats. Symptoms? It hurts! Tends to be red, swallowing hurts, and tomato soup makes you wish for death. GC is the same. I want a sexual history of all of my patients, the overwhelming majority of whom just happen to be straight. But there is the occasional guy who is willing to be honest with me, and for him, a routine sore throat is not necessarily a simple sore throat. It usually is, but not always.

So cutting through the bull shit here, gonorrhea resides in the urethra of the penis. Any leakage during oral stimulation will result in bugs being released, and exposed to your oral membranes (or rectal, or foreskin, or whatever). The bug as a rule won't make it into the seminal vessicles or your prostate (not that it can't, you understand), which means even if the guy doesn't ****** a wad into your mouth or rectum, you can still get infected. Chlamydia, the main source of non gonococcal infection, behaves the exact same way. It however, has an incubation period of almost a month. Which means, if you sucked Bruce off last month, and haven't done anything other than beat your peter in the interim, you could have non GC pharyngitis. Or you could have old fashion viral pharyngitis. Or even strep you were exposed to last week. This is where patient history comes into the picture. BUT, and it's a big but, if you haven't done ANYTHING for months, you sucked a guy off 2 days ago, and now you have a slightly sore throat, and your kid brother also has a sore throat and a runny nose, and everyone at work is sneezing, its a good bet that you have a cold, and nothing more exotic.

Sorry for the verbosity, I'm sure my old bud Scruffy would approve, but I hope this answers your question(s).

Just because you are gay doesn't mean you can't come down with a routine illness. But, and this is a big caveat, BECAUSE you are gay, you are open to a host of illnesses that most other people do not come down with. And unless your doctor is aware that you engage in naughty behavior that can, at least in theory, result in the more exotic, it is unfair not to inform him or her what really does go on in your life.

Enough!

Specific200 · #7 9th July 2006, 12:27 AM

Dr. Danny,

Thanks for all of that. I wonder if that is why when I've been to a public clinic to get checked for any STDs that they of course take blood for an AIDS test, and then swab your pee hole and throat--not with the same swab.

Then, and here is the kicker, they give you the one big bang pill, and tell you even if you do have something, you won't in a week after you take the pill. I guess it wipes all bacteria out of the STD sort. I've asked them that question before, and that was the response I get.

They also remind me that since I have only three or less sexual encounters every two years, and I don't use intravenous drugs nor have anal sex with men, that I'm a VERY low risk candidate for AIDS. They also say that the big bang pill is expensive and they only have so many per year. So again, since I'm a low candidate for STDs, they said that if I come in near the end of the year, I may get all the test, and no big bang pill until I come back positive for a bacteria.

That never happened--I've been three times in like eight years, simply because I just start thinking about that syphilis that never showed any symptoms and is eating my brain away, unknown to me.

My last question is this: Does a full does of antibiotics clear the system of bacterial STDs? For instance, let's say you go in and have an ear infection, and the doctor prescribes 10 days of Sulfa. I know that some STDs are resistant to some antibiotics, but I'm not clear on that subject.

cutguy · #8 18th July 2006, 11:45 AM

Sorry about the delay. The answer is, t more often than not, that yes they do. It really depends upon the bug, but most of them remain sensitive to the common antibiotics. If you are on long term tetracycline for acne, it will knock out the gonorrhea or chlamydia you may have been exposed to. But please be aware that there are drug resistent bugs out there. Gonorrhea acquired in Thailand or Hawaii should not be treated with tetracycline. Syphilis remains very sensitive to ancient penicillin, but you need to take a lot for a long period of time. The antibiotic only works when the spirochete is making baby spirochetes, and it is a very slow grower. So a 5 day course of gorilla-cillin will not be sufficient to knock it out. As my general rule, I like to give the erythromycin like drugs for routine illnesses because at the proper dose, they do have the potential to knock out other little critters that might be lurking in warm and dark places.

Specific200 · #9 19th July 2006, 02:10 AM

Danny, thanks.

This is interesting stuff. So what knocks out Syph the fastest? I've noticved now too that a standard dose of antibiotics is I think 10 days instead of the old school 15?