Can Saline Injection Cure Gonorrhea? Your Symptoms

Gonorrhea - Will it be cured with a penicillin injection?

I experience pain during urination and have some discharge.
I visited a general urology clinic, and the doctor diagnosed me with gonorrhea and recommended an injection.
However, I noticed that the IV drip was labeled saline solution 0.9.
Will a single injection of saline solution cure gonorrhea, or could it just be a case of simple urethritis?

Xiao He, 30~39 year old female. Ask Date: 2016/05/02

Dr. Lin Wenxu reply Urology

If it is indeed a gonorrhea infection, appropriate antibiotic treatment, either through injection or oral medication, is usually required for a cure.

Reply Date: 2016/05/02

More Info

Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, typically requires specific antibiotic treatment for effective management. The symptoms you describe—painful urination and discharge—are indeed common signs of gonorrhea, but they can also be associated with other conditions, such as non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) or urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Saline injection, specifically 0.9% sodium chloride solution, is primarily used for rehydration, as a diluent for medications, or for flushing purposes in medical procedures. It is not an antibiotic and will not cure gonorrhea or any bacterial infection. The treatment for gonorrhea usually involves antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or azithromycin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a dual therapy approach to effectively treat gonorrhea and prevent antibiotic resistance.

If your doctor diagnosed you with gonorrhea and prescribed an injection, it is crucial to clarify what medication was administered. If it was indeed saline, this would not be an appropriate treatment for gonorrhea. You should follow up with your healthcare provider to ensure you receive the correct antibiotic treatment.
It is also important to consider that untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, which can result in infertility, and disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) in both men and women, which can affect joints and skin. Therefore, timely and appropriate treatment is essential.

In addition to seeking the correct treatment, it is advisable to inform any sexual partners about your diagnosis so they can also be tested and treated if necessary. Gonorrhea is highly contagious, and without proper treatment, it can easily spread.

In summary, saline injection will not cure gonorrhea. You should ensure that you receive the appropriate antibiotic treatment as per your doctor's recommendations. If you have any doubts about your diagnosis or treatment, do not hesitate to seek a second opinion or consult a specialist in infectious diseases or urology.

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