Gonorrhea after 9 years

[isitreeally]

I've had on and off uti symptoms for 6 weeks, weeing up to 50 times a day and antibiotics but now they say urine clear.
I'm still weeing a lot and around my clitoris and urethra burns and stings all the time.
They are doing swabs and tests today, a paramedic from the gp called me today and one of her thoughts was gonorrhea.
For context I've been with DH for 9 years, neither of us have ever shown symptoms and I've had a baby in that time.
How likely is it that it laying dormant after all that time? Absolutely no chance DH cheated and neither have I!
Pharmacist thinks it's urtheritis after so much wee. Can it lay dormant for so long, google seems to say symptoms would eventually show. No pain during sex, no discharge.

Bump

If it's gonorrhea someone has cheated, it doesn't lie dormant for 9 years. It can only be dormant for 6 months max, you don't get it off toilet seats, towels etc.
But really you won't know until the swabs come back so no point speculating.
Do let us know, this kind of information is useful for all of us.

Absolutely definitely no cheating!

It's most likely just a stubborn uti
It's not helpful for the gp to be making comments like that when there's no other reason to think it's an STI .

@solice84
I know right. DH was happy to go down and get tested for anything, we work and live together. Pretty much together all the time except when he takes DS to soft play or plays football once a week with my brother. But clearly the gp thinks we are shagging around.

Don't jump the gun due to an ill-advised comment. I would recommend that you visit your local sexual health clinic for screening. If you'd rather not, then you can do discreet testing for free at home sh24.org.uk

They are doing swabs and tests today, a paramedic from the gp called me today and one of her thoughts was gonorrhea.

sorry what does paramedic mean in this context, your GP surgery employs paramedics? Why were they ringing to tell their thoughts? And how do you know the GP must think this too?

I wouldn’t dwell on it until you get result. You are clearly happy & confident that you and DH don’t cheat, so it’s obviously an incorrect ‘thought’.

A disease like that can't lie dormant for nine years, OP. I hope you find it's something easily curable and not passed on.

@loropianalover
They give you a phone call first, quite often it's a paramedic.
I'm totally confident DH hasn't cheated but I'm paranoid I maybe got something before I met him and it's lain dormant. No pregnancy issues either asides chronic morning sickness.

“sorry what does paramedic mean in this context, your GP surgery employs paramedics? Why were they ringing to tell their thoughts?”

Yes, this sounds weird. Or maybe it wasn’t a paramedic? A nurse?

@MeAgainAndAgain
Nope they said it's the paramedic calling, I've had it a few times. They are useless

It’s standard to do swabs for bacterial infections, chlamydia and gonorrhoea in cases of persistent urinary and vaginal/vulval symptoms. It’s unlikely you have gonorrhoea if no recent change of sexual partner or other partners.

Many surgeries are now funded to employ paramedics (instead of doctors and nurses but that’s a whole other thread…) and they will do “simple” things like UTIs, chest infections, sore throats, rashes etc.

Yes paramedics are employed by the health boards to work in surgeries for simple things. The OPs condition is no longer simple so a doctor should be taking over.

How old are you OP? Could you be perimenopausal?

@fiftyandfat
Yes 42, this was my other thought. My symptoms are now needing a wee a lot and horrible pain in my clitoris. I've tried thrush treatment, cystsitis treatment, lidocaine on the area. I've got a blood test and ultrasounds of my bladder tomorrow.
I'm miserable and want to cancel our much long for holidays next week to Spain.

I would go to a GUM clinic anyway simply because it's their area and they can test you for everything to rule out stuff. They're quicker and can refer on if needed. Better than faffing on at the GP.

You could ask for a trial of vagifem pessaries and see if it helps. I had exactly the same symptoms as you in my early 40s. Had loads of ABx for non-existent uti, bladder scan, the lot. Eventually they agreed to let me try some topical oestrogen (my mum had early menopause). It helped very quickly.

Topical estrogen like estriol will work if you’re starting to lack hormones

Oh absolutely. Any unresolved “simple” issues should be referred back but it doesn’t always happen 😕

@fiftyandfat
I can see a private gynae through work, would this be the best bet? I feel like the gp thinks I'm just a hypochondriac right now.
Do they have side effects? I tried hrt last year and it make me feel unwell and didn't ease any symptoms

Is it possible that these are perimenopausal symptoms and that you just need some hormone replacement

It can't do any harm especially if it is available to you.

There are lots of HRT types, if one doesn't work try another. Sound s painful

This sounds like genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Local oestrogen could make a big difference. There's a very supportive Facebook group called Vaginal Atrophy where there's loads of info.

Hmm I wonder if it's a language thing? We're used to "paramedic" meaning "very important medical bod who drives an ambulance and saves lives". But "para" just seems to mean "not quite" in general. Eg a paralegal isn't a solicitor. The Paralympics isn't the Olympics. So maybe they're using the term to mean someone who isn't actually a medical person but who has some medical training, but nowhere near the level of training the ambulance paramedics have? Nobody's job title is what they actually do any more is it? Got to admit, "Paramedic" does sound better than "medical checklist Googler who is going to triage you" or "telephone admin assistant". Patients are probably less likely to argue with a paramedic.

Hope the cure you soon OP. In the meantime, try Vaseline on clean dry skin to stop the wee getting on your outer bits.