Doxycycline

Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic intended for the treatment of infections caused by bacteria that can be prescribed for such conditions as gum disease, chlamydia, gonorrhea, acne, urinary tract infections, amoeba infections and acne-like lesions, as well as any other ones your doctor thinks it will be efficient for. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are never supposed to take doxycycline that has been classified as FDA category D. The use of doxycycline in such women is very rarely justified as in most cases the risks outweigh all possible benefits. Doxycycline can pass into breast milk affecting the development of bone and teeth in the baby. Make sure you are not breastfeeding when starting to take doxycycline. Your doctor may recommend postponing the treatment or stopping the breastfeeding to make sure your baby is safe. Take doxycycline 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. Follow the directions on your prescription label if you were not recommended anything in particular by the doctor. The following side effects are possible when you are taking doxycycline: mild nausea, trouble swallowing, diarrhea, stomach upset, sores inside your mouth, vaginal itching, and vomiting, but they are very likely to go away on their own fast. If you get any of the abovementioned side effects and they do not seem to go away, or change in intensity – the best thing for you to do is talk to your health care provider to see if your dose needs to be adjusted or some other changes to your treatment schedule are required. More serious side effects are unlikely, but you still need to be aware of their possibility. The following ones are theoretically possible, although a very small percentage of patients taking doxycycline will ever get them: severe headache, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, blurred vision, weakness, dizziness, severe blistering, dark colored urine, flu symptoms, chills, confusion, yellowed skin, unusual weakness, fast heart rate, and body aches. Your treatment is expected to be safe and efficient provided that you never exceed the dose recommended. The following symptoms are possible if you happen to take too much of this medicine: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Make sure you report any cases of an overdose to your local emergency center to prevent them from getting worse. If you think doxycycline is not efficient for your case and you keep getting the same symptoms as before the treatment – make sure you talk to your health care provider but never stop taking it based on your own judgment. Stopping the treatment suddenly may lead to a relapse of infection, and you may need some more serious drugs to treat that. This drug has been reported to make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and artificial light. It’s therefore recommended to avoid sun exposure, or if you do have to stay outside in sunny weather – wear protective clothes and apply plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin and avoid sunburn.