What is Doxycycline?
Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic that can only be bought with a doctor’s prescription and is used to treat a wide range of infections. Doxycycline comes in hyclate, monohydrate, and calcium salts. It can be taken by mouth as a tablet or capsule, or it can be given through a vein. Tetracycline antibiotics stop bacteria from working and growing by stopping protein synthesis. This kills the bacteria that cause infections.
What are the most well-known brands of doxycycline?
Vibramycin®, Doryx®, Doryx MPC®, Oracea®, Acticlate®, Atridox®, Doxy 100®, and Doxy 200® are all well-known brands of doxycycline.
What is the purpose of doxycycline?
Doxycycline is the most common antibiotic given by dermatologists in the United States to treat acne. It is taken by mouth. The American Academy of Dermatology’s acne guidelines recommends doxycycline as an extra treatment for moderate to severe acne and inflammatory acne that is resistant to topical treatments. Most people who take doxycycline to treat acne see at least some improvement.
Doxycycline for sinus infection:
Doxycycline is not usually the first choice for sinus infections. Most people with simple sinus infections only need to be watched and have their symptoms treated. This is because most sinus infections are caused by viruses and not bacteria. If a person has an allergy to penicillin and has a bacterial sinus infection, he or she may be given doxycycline. How well doxycycline works to treat sinus infections depends on which bacteria are causing the infection.
How does doxycycline make you feel?
Common doxycycline side effects include feeling sick, throwing up, and having diarrhea. The drug doxycycline makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight. When taking doxycycline, it’s important to wear sunscreen or clothes that block the sun, and you should stop taking it if you get a rash in places that get a lot of suns. If you take the pill or capsule right before bed or don’t drink enough water, it can irritate your esophagus.
Interactions with Doxycycline
Some medicines, like antacids and supplements with calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, or sodium bicarbonate, can cause problems when taken with doxycycline. If you take these minerals two hours before or after taking doxycycline, these minerals could make doxycycline less effective. If you take doxycycline, birth control pills might not work as well, so you should use other methods of birth control while you are on this medicine.
What kinds of food can I eat while on doxycycline?
You shouldn’t eat milk, butter, cheese, eggs, kale, or spinach while taking doxycycline. If you eat or drink any of these things, do so two hours before or after taking doxycycline.
Can I drink while I’m on doxycycline?
If you want the antibiotic to work as well as possible while you are taking doxycycline, don’t drink alcohol. If you drink a lot of alcohol, doxycycline may not work as well. One study showed that the amount of doxycycline in the blood that was needed to treat an infection dropped to a point where it wasn’t working. Doxycycline doesn’t seem to be affected by drinking alcohol once in a while.
Can a pregnant woman take doxycycline?
Most of the time, women who are pregnant shouldn’t take doxycycline. There are some rare exceptions, like when a woman gets anthrax and can’t take a first-line antibiotic. Doxycycline can get through the placenta and hurt the baby. Taking doxycycline during the last half of pregnancy can cause the baby’s teeth to turn permanently yellow, grey, or brown. Babies whose mothers took doxycycline while they were pregnant may not get enough tooth enamel. Taking doxycycline early in pregnancy may also slow down the development of the baby’s bones.
Can too much doxycycline kill you?
Humans who take too much doxycycline in a single large dose have never been shown to get sick. In one case, a chronic overdose caused severe toxicity that could be reversed. It is strange that calves often get a serious or fatal heart condition when they are given three to ten times the normal dose by accident. So far, no one has said that this has happened to a person.
Can children as young as two years old take doxycycline?
In the past, doxycycline was not recommended for use in children younger than 8 years old because it could cause their teeth to change color and become stained. But new research shows that this is not likely to happen. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees that it is safe for children under 8 to use doxycycline for 21 days or less.
What should I do if I take doxycycline by mistake or if I take too much?
If doxycycline makes you feel bad or gives you symptoms you didn’t expect, call Poison Control right away. Online or by calling 1-800-222-1222, you can get a quick, personalized recommendation. Both options are free, private, and can be used at any time of day or night.
Ryan Kelly-Romero, a University of New Mexico pharmacy student
Susan C. Smolinske, PharmD, DABAT, is the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center and a professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration Sciences.
