Warnings
What are the risks of taking doxycycline?
Doxyxycline hyclate can cause serious health issues that are even higher risk for certain groups. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options if you have any worries or concerns. Permanent teeth discoloration:
Using doxycycline during tooth development may cause permanent teeth discoloration (yellow, gray, brown). The risk of this adverse reaction is higher with long-term use of doxycycline and in children younger than 8 years old. Pregnant women should not use doxycycline. Doxycycline should only be used in children younger than 8 when the benefit outweighs the risks in life-threatening conditions such as anthrax exposure and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Inhibition of bone growth:
Using doxycycline during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and in children younger than 8 may stop bone development. This adverse reaction stops when the medication is discontinued, but the damage already done may persist. Severe diarrhea:
All tetracycline antibiotics can cause sun sensitivity. You should wear protective clothing and sunscreen before any sun exposure. Your doctor should discontinue your medication at the first sign of skin redness from sun exposure. Severe skin reaction:
The use of tetracyclines, including doxycycline, may cause an increase in brain pressure. This risk is higher in women of childbearing age who are overweight or have a history of high brain pressure. Isotretinoin should be avoided while taking doxycycline because isotretinoin also increases the risk of increased brain pressure. You should get medical care immediately if you experience unusual severe headaches, blurred vision, double vision, or vision loss. Incomplete suppression of malaria:
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What should I tell my doctor before starting doxycycline?
You should not take doxycycline if you already have a proven allergy to it or other tetracycline antibiotics. This includes minocycline, tetracycline, tigecycline, or demeclocycline.
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following:
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Asthma or sulfite allergy
- High brain pressure (intracranial hypertension)
- If you are taking isotretinoin, seizure medicine, or a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Your doctor may test you for gonorrhea, another sexually transmitted disease, if you take doxycycline to treat chlamydia.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or become pregnant while taking doxycycline. Doxycycline can affect tooth and bone development in the unborn baby. Taking doxycycline during the second or third trimester can cause permanent discoloration later in the child’s life.
Doxycycline can make hormonal birth control less effective; examples of hormonal birth control are oral birth control pills, patches, rings, and injections. It would be best to discuss with your doctor non-hormonal birth control such as condoms or diaphragm with spermicide to prevent pregnancy.
Do not breastfeed while taking doxycycline as it can pass into breast milk and cause permanent teeth discoloration in the child.
What proper medical care should I take while on doxycycline?
Keep all doctor and blood test appointments, especially if you take doxycycline for a long time. Your doctor will periodically order blood tests to check your kidney, liver, and blood status.
To prevent pregnancy, you should use a non-hormonal birth control method such as a condom or spermicidal diaphragm.
Avoid unnecessary, prolonged exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light in a tanning bed. Wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Doxycycline makes you more sensitive to sunlight. Tell your doctor right away if you get a sunburn.
Certain antacids, calcium supplements, iron products, and laxatives may have decreased absorption with the use of doxycycline. Take doxycycline 2 hours before or 6 hours after taking antacids, calcium supplements, and laxatives containing magnesium. Take doxycycline 2 hours before or 4 hours iron iron-containing products. Ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure whether your medications contain magnesium or iron.
If you take doxycycline to prevent malaria, you should still use insect repellent, mosquito nets, and clothing that covers the whole body. Doxycycline does not give you full protection against malaria. Stay in a well-screened area, especially from early nighttime until dawn.
What drugs can interact with doxycycline?
Certain antacids, calcium supplements, iron products, and laxatives may decrease the effectiveness of doxycycline. Ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure whether your medications contain magnesium or iron.
This is not a complete list. Other drugs, including prescriptions, over-the-counter products, herbal supplements, and vitamins, may interact with doxycycline. Not all potential drug interactions are listed in this guide. It is highly recommended to keep a list of all the drug products you are using (prescriptions, over-the-counter products, herbal supplements, natural products, and vitamins) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist.
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