Doxycycline

Description

Doxycycline is an antibiotic. It is used in the treatment of bacterial infections affecting your lungs, eyes, reproductive organs, skin, urinary tract, etc. It works by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and preventing the spread of infection. Doxycycline has some common side effects like diarrhoea, loss of appetite, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting. These side effects are mild and may subside by themselves. Consult your doctor if these symptoms remain for a long time or become worse. Doxycycline is available in oral forms and injection. For oral forms, take this medicine with or without food as instructed by your doctor. Avoid taking more or less than the prescribed dose. Your doctor will determine the dose and duration of treatment depending on the severity of your health condition. Always finish the entire course of treatment with Doxycycline even if you feel better after few doses. Skipping doses or not completing the course of treatment may increase the risk of re-infection that would be difficult to treat in the future. Doxycycline injection will be administered by qualified healthcare professionals in a hospital setting. Doxycycline is not recommended for use if you are allergic to it. Inform your doctor if you have liver or skin problems, or any other health condition. It is not recommended for use in children below 8 years of age except for life-threatening conditions as it causes permanent decolourization of teeth. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Doxycycline

  • Stomach pain
  • Headache
  • Joint pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Diarrhoea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dry mouth
  • Nausea or Vomiting
  • Upset stomach

Uses of Doxycycline

What is it prescribed for?

  • Bacterial infections
  • Malaria prophylaxis
  • Acne
Read More
Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action
    The time taken for Doxycycline to show its effect is not clinically established.
  • Duration of effect
    The time duration for which Doxycycline remains active in your body is not clinically established.
  • Safe with alcohol?
    Avoid consuming alcohol during treatment with Doxycycline as the desired effect of this medicine may not be achieved.
  • Is it habit forming?
    No habit forming tendency has been reported for Doxycycline.
  • Usage in pregnancy?
    Doxycycline is unsafe during pregnancy as it may harm your foetus.
  • Usage while breast-feeding?
    Doxycycline is not recommended for use while breastfeeding as it may cause permanent teeth discolouration of your baby. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Allergy

Doxycycline is not recommended if you are allergic to it. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice symptoms such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc.
Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

Doxycycline is unsafe during pregnancy as it may harm your foetus.

Breast-feeding

Doxycycline is not recommended for use while breastfeeding as it may cause permanent teeth discolouration of your baby. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
General warnings

Photosensitivity

Doxycycline should be used with caution as it may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. It may cause itching, redness, skin rash, sunburns, etc. Therefore, avoid direct exposure to sunlight during treatment with this medicine. Consult your doctor if you experience such symptoms.

Use in children

Doxycycline may cause permanent teeth discolouration in children. Hence, it is not recommended for use in children less than 8 years of age except in a life-threatening condition.

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria no longer respond to the antibiotics intended to kill them. Hence, complete the entire course of treatment with Doxycycline even if you feel better after few doses to avoid antibiotic resistance.

Live vaccination

Doxycycline may cause live bacterial vaccines (such as cholera vaccine, typhoid vaccine, etc) to not work well. Hence, tell your doctor about the use of this medicine if any live vaccination is scheduled.

Serious skin reactions

Doxycycline should be used with caution as it may cause serious skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a skin condition in which painful rash occur followed by the formation of blisters), exfoliative dermatitis (a skin condition in which the top layer of the skin is shredded), etc.

Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is the weakness of your muscles that are responsible for movement. Doxycycline should be used with caution if you have myasthenia gravis as it may worsen your health condition.

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition in which the immune system of your body attacks its own tissues. It can affect the skin, kidneys, brain, joints, and other organs. Lupus erythematosus may worsen while taking Doxycycline. Inform your doctor immediately if you experience tiredness, painful joints, rashes, or lesions on the skin while using this medicine.

Increased pressure inside the skull

Doxycycline should be used with caution as it may increase the intracranial pressure (pressure inside your skull). This may lead to loss of vision. Consult your doctor immediately if you observe a blurring of vision. Avoid taking Isotretinoin (a medicine used to treat acne) along with Doxycycline as it may further increase the intracranial pressure.

Oesophageal ulcerations

Oesophagus is a tube that connects the mouth to your stomach. Doxycycline may cause irritation and ulcers in your oesophagus. Hence, avoid taking this medicine immediately before going to bed. Also, take this medicine with a sufficient amount of water to prevent irritation.

Missed Dose

Oral forms: Do not skip a dose of Doxycycline. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not double the dose to compensate for the missed dose. Injection: As Doxycycline is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of a missed dose is very low.

Overdose

Oral forms: Never take more than the prescribed dose. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect an overdose of Doxycycline. Injection: Since Doxycycline is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the chances of an overdose are very low. However, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by your doctor if an overdose is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol

Description

N/A

Instructions

Avoid consuming alcohol during treatment with Doxycycline as the desired effect of this medicine may not be achieved.
Interaction with Medicine

Warfarin

Ethinyl Estradiol

Digoxin

Calcium gluconate

Cholera Vaccine, live

Disease interactions

Colitis

Doxycycline can kill the helpful bacteria in your stomach and intestine causing diarrhoea. Therefore, this medicine should be used with caution if you have stomach and intestinal problems, particularly colitis (swelling of the inner lining of your large intestine), as it may worsen your health condition.

Liver Disease

Doxycycline should be used with caution if you have liver problems as it may cause further liver damage. Your doctor may suggest tests to monitor your liver function during treatment with this medicine.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Oral forms: Take Doxycycline as advised by your doctor. Take this medicine with a sufficient amount of water. Avoiding taking this medicine immediately before going to bed. Do not lie down for 30 minutes after taking this medicine to prevent irritation in your food pipe and stomach. Do not give your medicine to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours. Complete the entire course of treatment for better results and to prevent the risk of re-infection. For Doxycycline dry syrup, add water up to the mark and shake the content for uniform mixing. Ensure that it is dissolved properly. Measure an appropriate dose using the measuring spoon, cup, or dropper. For Doxycycline dispersible tablet, disperse it in a teaspoonful of water or a glass of water before administration. Do not administer if the tablet is not dissolved/dispersed completely in the water. Injection: Doxycycline injection should be administered by a qualified healthcare professional in the clinical or hospital setting.
Miscelleneous

Can be taken with or without food, as advised by your doctor

To be taken as instructed by doctor

Does not cause sleepiness

How it works
Doxycycline inhibits the growth and multiplication of bacteria and eventually kills them.
Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Tetracyclines, Antibiotics

Schedule

Schedule H

Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Vibramycin-D Dispersible Tablets 100mg - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/6262/smpc>

Drugs, H., 2021. Doxycycline: MedlinePlus Drug Information. [online] Medlineplus.gov. Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682063.html>

Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. DOXYCYCLINE HYCLATE CAPSULES, USP. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=bfd09049-1777-43e7-bf79-ceea4bdce13b>

Maynepharma.com. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://www.maynepharma.com/media/1889/doxy-hyclate-pi.pdf>

Gp2u.com.au. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://gp2u.com.au/static/pdf/G/GENRX_DOXYCYCLINE-PI.pdf>

Accessdata.fda.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/90431Orig1s010lbl.pdf>

Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. Doxycycline. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Doxycycline>

Glowm.com. 2021. Doxycycline. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://glowm.com/resources/glowm/cd/pages/resources/Pharmacy/doxycycline.htm>

Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Periostat 20mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/90/smpc>

Drugs, H., 2021. Doxycycline Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information. [online] Medlineplus.gov. Available at: < [Accessed 4 March 2021].

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601141.html>

How will this medicine affect me?

Consult top doctors online and get an answer now
Consult now
Consult now

Looking for a doctor?

Book an appointment with the top doctors near you
Book now
Book now
Something doesn’t feel right?
Report an error

Information on this page was last updated on 1 Oct 2021

Disclaimer

We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.