Doxycycline

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Doxycycline, antibiotic drug used to treat various types of bacterial infections including urinary tract infections, traveler’s diarrhea, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, trachoma, and syphilis. It is also sometimes used to treat early Lyme disease and to prevent the spread of malaria. Doxycycline belongs to a group of antibiotics known as tetracyclines. It works by interfering with the invading bacteria’s ability to form essential proteins, thereby halting their growth.

This drug is available by prescription in capsules, tablets, and liquid forms, which are taken orally, although one form of liquid is made for injection. Typical dosages range from 100 to 200 mg per day, taken in one or two doses, with a recommended maximum dose of 300 mg a day. Unless this drug causes stomach upset, it should be taken on an empty stomach (one hour before or two hours after a meal) with a full glass of water. Doxycycline usually relieves symptoms after 48 hours of treatment, but it should be taken for the entire prescribed length of time to avoid recurrence of infection.

Patients with liver disease and pregnant or breast-feeding women should not use this drug. It may be taken by children over the age of eight at a dosage based on body weight. Possible side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, itching, light sensitivity, headache, facial swelling, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, or bulging forehead (in infants). Children may develop discolored teeth, especially with long-term use.

Doxycyline may interact adversely with antacids and other common gastrointestinal medications, birth control pills, barbiturates, blood-thinners, penicillin, phenytoin, sodium bicarbonate, and carbamazepine.

Brand Names:Doryx, Vibramycin, Vibra-Tabs, Bio-Tab

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