What is doxycycline?
Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic. It fights bacteria in the body.
Doxycycline is used to treat many different bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections, acne, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, periodontitis (gum disease), and others.
Doxycycline is also used to treat blemishes, bumps, and acne-like lesions caused by rosacea. Doxycycline will not treat facial redness caused by rosacea.
Doxycycline may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to doxycycline, or to similar medicines such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap).
Before taking doxycycline, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease. You may not be able to take doxycycline, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment.
If you are using doxycycline to treat gonorrhea, your doctor may test you to make sure you do not also have syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.
Do not use doxycycline syrup (Vibramycin) without first talking to your doctor if you have asthma or are allergic to sulfites.
FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby, including permanent discoloration of the teeth later in life. Do not use doxycycline without your doctor’s consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Doxycycline can make birth control pills less effective. Use a non-hormonal method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while you are taking doxycycline.
Doxycycline passes into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing infant. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Children younger than 8 years old should not take doxycycline. Doxycycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration and can also affect a child’s growth.
Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.
Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Doxycycline can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.
Do not take iron supplements, multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives within 2 hours before or after taking doxycycline.
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Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using doxycycline and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- severe headache, dizziness, blurred vision;
- fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
- severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
- urinating less than usual or not at all;
- pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
- severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate;
- loss of appetite, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
- easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness.
Less serious side effects may include:
- swollen tongue, trouble swallowing;
- mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach upset;
- white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
- sores or swelling in your rectal or genital area; or
- vaginal itching or discharge.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Interactions
Before taking doxycycline, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- cholesterol-lowering medications such as cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);
- isotretinoin (Accutane);
- tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A, Vesanoid);
- an antacid such as Tums, Rolaids, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox, and others;
- a product that contains bismuth subsalicylate such as Pepto-Bismol;
- minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and over-the-counter vitamin and mineral supplements;
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); or
- a penicillin antibiotic such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox, others), penicillin (BeePen-VK, Pen-Vee K, Veetids, others), dicloxacillin (Dynapen), carbenicillin (Geocillin), oxacillin (Bactocill), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with doxycycline. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
Other Names
Adoxa, Doryx, Doxy Lemmon, Doxy-Caps, Doxy-D, Monodox, Oracea, Periostat, Vibra-Tabs, Vibramycin, Vibramycin Calcium, Vibramycin Hyclate, Vibramycin Monohydrate, doxycycline, Adoxa CK, Adoxa TT, Alodox, Avidoxy, and Oraxyl
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
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