Doxycycline should be taken exactly as directed. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy or stopping your topical skin care regimen and taking doxycycline alone to treat acne may
- Decrease the effectiveness of the immediate treatment
- Increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance and will not be treatable by doxycycline or other antibacterial drugs in the future.
You should not take doxycycline if you have a history of hypersensitivity to any of the tetracyclines.
Adverse effects/toxicities include:
Gastrointestinal: anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, glossitis, dysphagia, enterocolitis, inflammatory lesions (with monilial overgrowth) in the anogenital region, hepatotoxicity, esophagitis, or esophageal ulcerations
Skin: toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, maculopapular and erythematous rashes, exfoliative dermatitis, or photosensitivity
Renal: rise in blood urea nitrogen (dose-related)
Hypersensitivity reactions: urticaria, angioneurotic edema, anaphylaxis, anaphylactoid purpura, serum sickness, pericarditis, or exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus
Blood: hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, or eosinophilia
Other: bulging fontanels, intracranial pressure
Interactions Antacids (e.g., aluminum, calcium, magnesium containing), oral contraceptive pills, oral anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, bismuth subsalicylate, iron-containing preparations, methoxyflurane, penicillins, proton-pump inhibitors, oral retinoids, and urinary catecholamine assay
While taking doxycycline, to reduce your risk of skin irritation and redness:
- Avoid excessive sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light
- Use sunscreen or sunblock,
- wear a hat and UV-protected clothing
Discontinue therapy if phototoxicity (e.g., skin eruptions, etc.) occurs. Notify your Alpha clinician.
Drink fluids liberally along with doxycycline to reduce the risk of esophageal irritation and ulceration.
Absorption of tetracyclines is reduced when taken with foods, especially those that contain calcium. However, the absorption of doxycycline is not markedly influenced by simultaneous ingestion of food or milk.
Absorption of tetracyclines is reduced when taken with antacids containing aluminum, calcium or magnesium, bismuth subsalicylate, and iron containing preparations.
Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibiotics which usually ends when the antibiotic is discontinued. Sometimes after starting treatment with antibiotics, patients can develop watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) even as late as two or more months after having taken the last dose of antibiotic. If you experience this, contact your primary care clinician as soon as possible and notify your Alpha clinician.