Minocin (Minocycline Hydrochloride Oral Suspension) Patient Information: How Should I Take the Drug at RxList

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May 27, 2012

Minocin

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever »

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) facts

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii.
The bacterium is spread to humans through the bite of infected ticks, and so the disease is most common in months where ticks are active, such as summer.
Despite the name, the disease is not limited to the Rocky Mountains but rather occurs throughout most of the U.S.
Symptoms of headache, fever, and fatigue begin about a week after exposure. A few days later, a rash develops. The rash may be so mild that it is hard to see or so dramatic that it progresses to gangrene. Other possible symptoms include confusion, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
Most cases require hospitalization, and severe cases require intensive care.
The disease is diagnosed by finding high titers of antibodies in the blood or by seeing the organism under a microscope in specially stained skin biopsies...

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Minocin

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Minocin Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking minocycline (Minocin)?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to minocycline, or to similar medicines such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap).

Before taking minocycline, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease. You may not be able to take minocycline, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during therapy.

If you are using minocycline to treat gonorrhea, your doctor may test you to make sure you do not also have syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby, including permanent discoloration of the teeth later in life. Do not use minocycline without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Minocycline can make birth control pills less effective. Use a non-hormonal method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while you are taking minocycline.

Minocycline passes into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give minocycline to a child younger than 8 years old. Minocycline can cause permanent yellowing or graying of the teeth, and it can affect a child's growth.

How should I take minocycline (Minocin)?

Take this medication 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.

Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.

You may take this medication with or without food. Do not take the medication with milk or other dairy products, unless your doctor has told you to. Dairy products can make it harder for your body to absorb the medicine. Certain brands of minocycline may not have restrictions about taking them with dairy products. If your doctor has instructed you to take minocycline with milk, tell your pharmacist that you need a brand of minocycline that can be taken with milk.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet (Solodyn). Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Minocycline will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not give this medicine to another person, even if they have the same condition you have.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking demeclocycline. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Throw away any unused minocycline when it expires or when it is no longer needed. Do not take any minocycline after the expiration date printed on the label. Using expired minocycline can cause damage to your kidneys.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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