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In this Article

• What is doxycycline (Monodox)?
• What are the possible side effects of doxycycline?
• What is the most important information I should know about doxycycline?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking doxycycline?
• How should I take doxycycline?
• What happens if I miss a dose?
• What happens if I overdose?
• What should I avoid while taking doxycycline?
• What other drugs will affect doxycycline?
• Where can I get more information?

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking doxycycline?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to doxycycline, or to similar medicines such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap).

If you have liver or kidney disease, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take doxycycline.

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

Do not use doxycycline syrup (Vibramycin) without first talking to your doctor if you have asthma or are allergic to sulfites.

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 doxycycline without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Doxycycline 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 doxycycline.

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

Children younger than 8 years old should not take doxycycline. Doxycycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration and can also affect a child's growth.

How should I take doxycycline?

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 doxycycline with a full glass of water (8 ounces).

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 doxycycline may not have restrictions about taking them with dairy products. If your doctor has instructed you to take doxycycline with milk, tell your pharmacist that you need a brand of doxycycline that can be taken with milk.

Do not crush, break, or open a delayed-release capsule (Orecea). Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening 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. Doxycycline 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 doxycycline. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

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

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