Doxycycline is a good choice of antibiotic for treating acne and some other skin infections, but you'll likely use it in combination with other drugs.
Extensive clinical investigation has shown doxycycline to be highly effective in infections of the respiratory tract, including atypical pneumonias; skin and soft tissue; genitourinary infection including gonorrhea, syphilis, nonspecific urethritis, and prostatitis; intraabdominal infection due to trauma, sepsis, or ...
In addition to being an antibacterial, doxycycline also exerts an anti-inflammatory effect, making it a good antibiotic for eye infections. This may help to reduce irritation and keep the eye's delicate tissues from scarring or otherwise being damaged by ocular bacterial infections.
Doxycycline starts working in as little as 2 hours after taking it. But depending on the infection you have, it may take up to 24 to 48 hours (1 to 2 days) to start seeing its effects. It typically takes 1 to 2 weeks for doxycycline to fully clear an infection, but some infections can take as long as 2 months.
This medicine may darken the color of your skin, nails, eyes, teeth, gums, or scars. Talk with your doctor if you have any concerns. Doxycycline may cause diarrhea, and in some cases it can be severe. It may occur 2 months or more after you stop taking this medicine.
Your doctor will usually review you after 4 to 6 weeks to check how well the medicine is working. If you're taking doxycycline for any other infection, tell your doctor if you do not start feeling better after 3 days. Also tell them if, at any time, you start to feel worse.
Doxycycline has a broad spectrum of activity and is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, spirochetes, and mycoplasma.
“Doxycycline helps reduce levels of acne-causing bacteria within the follicles which promote inflammation, and it's been shown to decrease activity of signals in your immune system that lead to the extra inflammation seen in the skin of rosacea patients,” says Zeichner.
Doxycycline does not directly cause weight gain. However, because it eliminates all bacteria including gut bacteria that is responsible for weight control and inflammation, it may temporarily increase your weight. However, any added weight gain should go away after you complete your dose of antibiotics.
No, doxycycline is not a long-term treatment. Once you're off of it, topical treatments should be sufficient to keep the results you've achieved.
Although doxycycline is generally well tolerated, adverse effects may occur. Allergic reactions are uncommon with doxycycline. Most of the adverse effects are reversible and include gastrointestinal irritation, rashes, and photosensitization.
Your dose of doxycycline depends on why you are taking it. The usual dose is 100mg to 200mg, taken once or twice a day. You might take a lower dose, such as 40mg once a day or 20mg twice a day, for rosacea or gum infections. Children younger than 12 years old may need to take a lower dose than adults.
The drugs can be quite harsh on the stomach, and might make you feel sick, or give you a dodgy tummy. This feeling normally passes within a few days, as your body adjusts.
59 In summary, doxycycline interferes with a microorganism's ability to manufacture proteins. At suboptimal dosage, it has little effect on the gut microbiota with the exception of enterococci and E. coli.
This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (such as common cold, flu). Using any antibiotic when it is not needed can cause it to not work for future infections.
Bottom Line. Doxycycline is an effective antibiotic that treats a wide range of infections. However, it is not usually recommended for children aged less than eight or pregnant women in the last half of their pregnancy.
Bacterial Infections
For mild to moderate infections, Doxycycline hyclate should be taken in doses of 100 mg every 12 hours on the first day and then 100 mg/day onwards. For pelvic infections, the dose is 100 mg twice a day for one week.
Do not take Doxycycline immediately before going to bed. While you are lying down the pill can reflux back up into the esophagus, where it can irritate or even ulcerate the lining of the esophagus. Take it at least 1 hour before bedtime.
Alcohol should not interact or cause a severe reaction with doxycycline. However, heavy or chronic alcohol use could shorten the effects of doxycycline in the body (Mergenhagen, 2020). While limited alcohol may not cause a severe reaction, it's still not a good idea to mix alcohol and doxycycline.
Do not take iron supplements, multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives within 2 hours before or after taking doxycycline. Avoid taking any other antibiotics with doxycycline unless your doctor has told you to. Doxycycline could make you sunburn more easily. Avoid sunlight or tanning beds.
Adults and children weighing 45 kilograms (kg) or more—100 milligrams (mg) two times a day (taken every 12 hours) for 60 days. Children weighing less than 45 kg—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor.