For both males and females?
You have most probably stumbled upon this subreddit STD tests and endless amounts of Google searches and, like me, have already been diagnosed and treated after a Ureaplasma exam (“UP”) was positive but continue to have lingering and persistent symptoms and have concluded that either (i) the infection has not been eradicated notwithstanding the multiple negatives Ureaplasma test results and is “hiding” or has formed a “biofilm”; or (ii) you have contracted some other unknown super STI which is resistant to antibiotics which is causing your lingering symptoms. I am writing this to provide you with some hope and guidance as you heal and to avoid some of the mistakes and errors that I made, which made my lingering symptoms much worse and longer than they needed to be.
First, I want to say that Premepa is the Godfather.
He should consider writing a book on how to diagnose, treat and heal from this godforsaken infection. He is the reason why I have finally healed. Without his participation in this subreddit, I would have probably entered the ureaplasma nightmare cycle, which, if not handled properly, can lead to years of unnecessary antibiotic and STD Tests and treatments, pain and trauma.
However, for reasons I will state below, there are three things I disagree with Premepa on: (i) you need dual therapy as a first-line treatment; (ii) UP infection opens the flood gates to other infections such as Strep B or E. Fae, and (iii) these other infections are the cause of your lingering symptoms. I will explain why I disagree with these three points below. Everything else he says is spot on, and if you listen to his wise counsel, you will beat this thing and start living a normal life again.
Here are my takeaways after contracting UP, treating it, eradicating it and healing from the lingering symptoms:
(1) Do not take more antibiotics than you need after your Ureaplasma Test report. Ten days of doxy eradicated my infection. I have read almost every post on this sub going back one year, and many posters (like me) eradicated this infection with 7 to 10 days of doxy alone. Antibiotics lead to (i) inflammation of the gastro/intestinal/vaginal tracts; (ii) disruption of natural flora in the vaginal/genital area and gut; and (iii) deplete vitamins such as magnesium, B-12 and potassium which all lead to the lingering symptoms you are now experiencing. More/longer doses of antibiotics = longer recovering/lingering symptoms.
I am not advocating natural treatments/herbs/supplements to avoid doubt. You need antibiotics to cure yourself from this, but you don’t need long-term or multiple/dual STD Tests and treatments (at least not initially). Long-term or multiple antibiotics make your recovery time longer! Caveat: if the first-line treatment doesn’t work, then resort to dual treatment. Start slow.
DON’T OVER-TREAT THIS INFECTION. YOU WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD!
(2) Ladies: immediately after you finish your treatment, get checked for a yeast infection or BV. Unless you have a CONFIRMED case of a yeast infection and BV after your antibiotic treatment, DO NOT use probiotics, boric acid suppositories and yeast infection treatments as they make that distinct thin, white stinging discharge way worse (as do antibiotics). That mysterious Ureaplasma substance, a thin white discharge, results from the treatment (not a symptom of an active UP infection) and only goes away with time! The suppositories, antibiotics and probiotics (when they are not necessary) only irritate your vaginal area more and cause more disruption to your natural flora, which can only restore itself through time. Any time I took antibiotics during my recovery period, my thin white discharge would get worse. My discharge only went away when I left my vagina alone and stopped taking probiotics/antibiotics/suppositories.
It took between two to three months for it to clear after I stopped any treatment (whether medication or suppositories). No poster on this sub has solved the mystery of thin white discharge through baking soda baths, amoxicillin, probiotics, boric acid and yeast infection suppositories. I have read every single post going back one year. At best, posters on this sub found temporary relief. Only time heals this discharge. To make time go faster, wear loose cotton underwear, drink lots of water (at 2 litres a day) and avoid using toilet paper after peeing (use cold water instead). That area is inflamed and irritated and does not need any more irritants;
(3) Check yourself and your partner before resuming any sexual activity.
The Ureaplasma Test should be administered 6 to 8 weeks after treatment. In almost all cases, “recurrent UP infections” or “UP flare-ups” result from a re-infection, not a failed treatment. There is no medical evidence or support for the proposition that this bacteria “hides” or stays dormant until it is re-triggered.
STD PCR (particularly cervical swabs) are extremely accurate tests, and this bacteria (notwithstanding what some posters say here) doesn’t learn how to trick these exams. Remember, you tested positive once, and there is no medical reason why you wouldn’t be positive twice (unless the exam was improperly administered). The more testing you do, the less statistically possible you get a false-negative. The reason why you believe you still have this infection is because of the lingering symptoms (which are real) and not because medical science has not caught up with this superbug. It’s perfectly reasonable not to trust the doctors when it comes to diagnosing and treating UP.
But it’s wild not to trust the tests.
(4) UP does not cause other bacteria (such as Strep or E. Fae) to flourish. Antibiotics lead to these infections because they kill not only the good bacteria but also the bad ones. And these types of infections are very natural after antibiotic treatments. These infections usually go away once your healthy flora is restored in your gut and genital tracts. So many posters on this sub sought treatment for these infections but found no relief from their dreaded lingering symptoms;
(5) Once you have a negative UP
STD test through PCR after 6 to 8 weeks) but still have lingering symptoms, get a urinalysis. If you have high or low PH, white blood cells, yeast cells or red cells, you may have an active infection (the other infections on your MicroGenX exam may cause that). But if you don’t have any of these markers in your urine, your symptoms do not result from other bacteria (whether or not they appear on your MicroGenX exam). Again, don’t go by your gut feeling or symptoms; trust the screening. While a urinalysis will never show an active UP infection or may not pick up the bacteria that a Ureaplasma PCR exam does, it will show whether your body is fighting an infection. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not understand what the purpose of a urinalysis is;
(6) If you still have symptoms but (i) are negative for yeast/BV; (ii) you and your partner are negative for Ureaplasma (and other STIs confirmed through an STD PCR test administered 6-8 weeks after treatment; (iii) and your urinalysis does not show any markers, congratulations, you have eradicated UP but have pelvic floor dysfunction, and you need therapy; and
(7) The recovery period lasts between 3-8 months,
As long as you deal with the pelvic floor dysfunction and stop overtreating the initial infection.
When I read Premepa’s posts on pelvic floor dysfunction, I would ignore them. I did not think they applied to me. After my Ureaplasma Exam, I had lingering symptoms. A thin white discharge, burning/swelling of my vaginal area, burning and pain in my urethra, tingling (constant arousal) of my clitoris and urination urgency/frequency. Intuitively, none of these symptoms appeared to me to be related to any muscle. Given that my discharge had finally stopped, but I was still experiencing every other symptom, I decided to see a specialist about this so-called pelvic floor dysfunction.
I have access to a great clinic for care, given my circumstances. So, I saw a surgeon (not a physiotherapist) who specialises in pelvic floor dysfunction (and surgical treatment options). And I told her my story. Also, I told her that she probably thought I was crazy and that these lingering symptoms were psychosomatic, given all of the negative Ureaplasma PCR tests. She asked me how I came to conclude that my lingering symptoms are related to my pelvic floor muscle.
She had no idea what Reddit was
I told her some guy on Reddit. We both laughed. She said that she suspects I am correct, given my clitoral tingling Mayne from having STD tests. And she did an internal exam (vaginal and rectal). She placed pressure on certain areas and asked if I needed to pee. So I screamed and said yes. She said I wasn’t crazy, that my pelvic muscle was out of whack. Worse than she had seen in years. And that the clitoral tingling was likely due to the nerve instead of the muscle. She prescribed me a Vitamin B supplement (specifically for nerves) and magnesium and potassium.
She also did a bunch of other accurate STD Lab tests, and I started physiotherapy. I don’t know if it’s the supplements, the therapy or the stretching/breathing exercises, but I finally feel normal. I mean, pre-UP normal. No pain. And No urgency. No weird/gnawing/tingling. Finally. Normalcy. It is because of Premepa and this thread.
Thank you. I don’t post things on the internet.
But I wanted to write here to give others the guidance and help that I wish I had when I was first diagnosed when I was confused. When I thought I had a Ureaplasma Home Kit Test superbug that hadn’t been discovered by medical science. When I thought I would never be cured or find relief. A post that will give others hope when they are going through the pain, endless exams and treatments. Your pain is real, and more importantly, there is a cure. Wishing a healthy recovery to everyone here!