What is the most important information I should know about Doxycycline?

Do not use this medication if you are pregnant. It could cause harm to the unborn baby. Doxycycline can make birth control pills less effective. Use a second method of birth control while you are taking doxycycline to keep from getting pregnant.

Doxycycline passes into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give doxycycline to a child younger than 8 years old. Doxycycline can cause permanent yellowing or graying of the teeth and it can affect a child's growth.

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, calcium supplements, antacids, multivitamins or laxatives within 2 hours before or after taking doxycycline. These products can make doxycycline less effective.

Throw away any unused doxycycline when it expires or when it is no longer needed. Do not take any doxycycline after the expiration date printed on the bottle. Expired doxycycline can cause a dangerous syndrome resulting in damage to the kidneys.

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, periodontitis (gum disease), acne, gonorrhea, chlamydia and others.

Doxycycline may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking doxycycline?

Before taking doxycycline, tell your doctor if you have liver disease. You may not be able to take doxycycline or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during therapy.

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.

If you have a asthma or are allergic to sulfites, do not use doxycycline syrup (Vibramycin) without talking to your doctor first.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby. 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 second method of birth control while you are taking doxycycline to keep from getting pregnant.

Doxycycline passes into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing infant. Do not take this medication without talking to your doctor first 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.

How should I take doxycycline?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor.

Take doxycycline with a full glass of water (8 ounces).

Do not crush, break or open a delayed-release capsule (Orecea). Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

You may take this medication with or without food. Do not take the medication with milk or other dairy products, unless your doctor has told you to. Dairy products can make it harder for your body to absorb the medicine. Certain brands of doxycycline may not have restrictions about taking them with dairy products. If your doctor has instructed you to take doxycycline with milk, tell your pharmacist that you need a brand of doxycycline that can be taken with milk.

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Doxycycline will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not give this medicine to another person, even if they have the same condition you have.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking doxycycline. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Throw away any unused doxycycline when it expires or when it is no longer needed. Do not take any doxycycline after the expiration date printed on the label. Using expired doxycycline can cause damage to your kidneys.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

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.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a doxycycline overdose may include vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

What should I avoid while taking doxycycline?

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, antacids, calcium supplements or laxatives within 2 hours before of or after taking doxycycline.

What are the possible side effects of doxycycline?

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, blurred vision or confusion;

nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, clay-colored stools, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness.

Continue using doxycycline and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

mild nausea, vomiting or diarrhea;

trouble swallowing; or

vaginal yeast infection.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect doxycycline?

Before taking doxycycline, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:

cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid);

an antacid such as Tums, Rolaids, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox and others;

bismuth subsalicylate such as Pepto-Bismol;

minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and over-the-counter vitamin and mineral supplements;

carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol);

phenytoin (Dilantin);

didanosine (Videx);

a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

sucralfate (Carafate);

a barbiturate such as phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal) or pentobarbital (Nembutal); 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.

You may not be able to take doxycycline or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment.

Doxycycline can make birth control pills less effective. Use a second method of birth control while you are taking doxycycline to keep from getting pregnant.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with doxycycline. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.