Since PID infection is almost always caused by more than one kind of bacteria, your doctor will most likely prescribe a combination of antibiotics. Less than one woman in four is hospitalized for PID; so unless your infection is severe enough to need hospitalization, you will not receive intravenous (IV) medication.
For outpatients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend two chief alternatives:
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ofloxacin (Floxin) 400 milligrams orally twice a day for 14 days, plus metronidazole (Flagyl) 500 milligrams orally twice a day for 14 days, or
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a single intramuscular injection of 250 milligrams of ceftriaxone (or a single injection of 2 grams of cefoxitin together with an oral dose of 1 gram of probenecid) plus doxycycline (Doryx or Vibramycin) 100 milligrams orally twice a day for 14 days
Whichever regimen your doctor chooses, you should be checked within three days after the antibiotics have been started to ensure that they are working. If the antibiotics don't seem to be doing the job, your doctor may suggest hospitalization. If you are hospitalized, you can receive IV antibiotics that can work more quickly and more powerfully than ones you can take on an out-patient basis.
Since the great majority of PID cases are the result of sexually transmitted disease, it's not enough to be cured yourself. You need to make sure your partner also gets treatment. Otherwise, he'll reinfect you as soon as you resume having sex. Reinfection with chlamydia significantly increases your risk of developing subsequent PID. Studies have shown that women who've had two chlamydia infections are four times as likely to be hospitalized with PID.
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The Worst That Can Happen
With its exit to the uterus blocked by scarring in the fallopian tube, a fertilized egg may become implanted and develop within the tube instead. Such an ectopic (outside the uterus) pregnancy can be fatal if left uncorrected. Cramps and spotting shortly after the first missed period are the major warning signs. Surgery is invariably needed. |
