Do NOT use Doxycycline if:
- you are allergic to any ingredient in Doxycycline or to another tetracycline
- you are taking acitretin, isotretinoin, or a penicillin (eg, amoxicillin)
- you have recently received or will be receiving a live oral typhoid vaccine
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Before using Doxycycline:
Some medical conditions may interact with Doxycycline. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
- if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
- if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
- if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
- if you have diarrhea, a stomach or intestinal infection, a history of lupus, or the blood disease porphyria
Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Doxycycline. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
- Barbiturates (eg, phenobarbital), carbamazepine, or hydantoins (eg, phenytoin) because they may decrease Doxycycline’s effectiveness
- Acitretin or isotretinoin because side effects, such as increased pressure inside the skull (resulting in severe headaches and vision problems) may occur
- Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin), digoxin, methotrexate, or methoxyflurane because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Doxycycline
- Live oral typhoid vaccine, hormonal birth control (eg, birth control pills), or penicillins (eg, amoxicillin) because their effectiveness may be decreased by Doxycycline
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Doxycycline may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
How to use Doxycycline:
Use Doxycycline as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
- Doxycycline is usually given as an injection at your doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic. If you will be using Doxycycline at home, a health care provider will teach you how to use it. Be sure you understand how to use Doxycycline. Follow the procedures you are taught when you use a dose. Contact your health care provider if you have any questions.
- Do not use Doxycycline if it contains particles, is cloudy or discolored, or if the vial is cracked or damaged.
- Doxycycline works best if it is used at the same time each day.
- To clear up your infection completely, use Doxycycline for the full course of treatment. Keep using it even if you feel better in a few days.
- If your doctor directs you to switch to medicine that you take by mouth, be sure you understand how to take it.
- If you miss a dose of Doxycycline, use it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not use 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Doxycycline.
Important safety information:
- Be sure to use Doxycycline for the full course of treatment. If you do not, the medicine may not clear up your infection completely. The bacteria could also become less sensitive to this or other medicines. This could make the infection harder to treat in the future.
- Long-term or repeated use of Doxycycline may cause a second infection. Tell your doctor if signs of a second infection occur. Your medicine may need to be changed to treat this.
- Mild diarrhea is common with antibiotic use. However, a more serious form of diarrhea (pseudomembranous colitis) may rarely occur. This may develop while you use the antibiotic or within several months after you stop using it. Contact your doctor right away if stomach pain or cramps, severe diarrhea, or blood stools occur. Do not treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor.
- Doxycycline may cause you to become sunburned more easily. Avoid the sun, sunlamps, or tanning booths until you know how you react to Doxycycline. Use a sunscreen or wear protective clothing if you must be outside for more than a short time.
- Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Doxycycline before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
- Hormonal birth control (eg, birth control pills) may not work as well while you are using Doxycycline. To prevent pregnancy, use an extra form of birth control (eg, condoms).
- Doxycycline may interfere with certain lab tests. Be sure your doctor and lab personnel know you are using Doxycycline.
- Doxycycline should not be used in CHILDREN younger than 8 years old; permanent yellow-gray-brown tooth discoloration may occur.
- PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Doxycycline has been shown to cause harm to the fetus. If you think you may be pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Doxycycline while you are pregnant. Doxycycline is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Doxycycline.
Possible side effects of Doxycycline:
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Loss of appetite; nausea; sensitivity to sunlight; vomiting.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); bloody stools; chest pain; dark urine; decreased urination; fever, chills, or sore throat; moderate to severe sunburn; severe diarrhea; severe or persistent headache; stomach pain or cramps; throat irritation; trouble swallowing; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual joint pain; unusual tiredness; vaginal irritation or discharge; vision changes; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
If OVERDOSE is suspected:
Contact your local Poison Control Center or emergency room immediately.
Proper storage of Doxycycline:
Store mixed powder at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) for up to 48 hours. Mixed solution is stable under fluorescent light for 48 hours, but must be protected from direct sunlight during storage and administration. Mixed solution may be stored up to 72 hours before administration if refrigerated and protected from sunlight and artificial light. Infusion must be completed within 12 hours of mixing. Throw away any unused portion. Keep Doxycycline out of the reach of children and away from pets.
When frozen immediately after mixing in sterile water, the solution is stable for up to 8 weeks when stored at 68 degrees F (20 degrees C). If the product is warmed, avoid heating it after the thawing is complete. Do not refreeze the solution once it has been thawed.
General information:
- If you have any questions about Doxycycline, please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
- Doxycycline is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
- If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
- Check with your pharmacist about how to dispose of unused medicine.
This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Doxycycline. If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
