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Does metronidazole treat chlamydia?

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 8, 2022.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Metronidazole does not treat chlamydia and is not a recommended treatment for chlamydia, but it may be given if symptoms of chlamydia persist after finishing a course of first-line treatments for chlamydia such as doxycycline, azithromycin, or levofloxacin. When metronidazole is given as follow up treatment for persistent symptoms of chlamydia, usually in addition to other antibiotics such erythromycin, it is there to provide treatment for other possible bacterial causes that may cause similar symptoms to chlamydia.

Infections linked with sexual activity that are usually treated with metronidazole include bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and moderate-to-severe pelvic inflammatory disease.


References
  • Chlamydial Infections Centers for Disease Control And Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/chlamydia.htm#:~:text=To%20minimize%20disease%20transmission%20to,resolution%20of%20symptoms%20if%20present.

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Metronidazole starts to work 1 to 2 hours after you take it, because it is quickly absorbed, and it reaches its maximum concentration after 20 minutes to 3 hours. But it may take a couple of days before you start to feel better or notice an improvement in your symptoms. It is important that you still finish the course of metronidazole that your doctor has prescribed, even if you feel better, because the infection may still be present, and it could flare up or recur if you haven’t finished the course. Continue reading

About 10% of women report a vaginal yeast infection (vaginal candidiasis) as a side effect of metronidazole treatment. Although metronidazole spares vaginal lactobacilli, which are naturally resistant to nitroimidazoles such as metronidazole, it does not restore a Lactobacillus-dominated microbiome and disruption in the normal vaginal microbiota can persist. Continue reading

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