Doxycycline
Updated onBenjamin Clanner-Engelshofen is a freelance writer in the medical department. He studied biochemistry and pharmacy in Munich and Cambridge / Boston (USA) and noticed early on that he particularly enjoyed the interface between medicine and science. That is why he went on to study human medicine.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.The active ingredient doxycycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic, i.e. an antibiotic that is effective against a large number of different bacteria. Its main area of application is bacterial infections and associated diseases. In addition, doxycycline is used against some unicellular organisms, such as the causative agent of malaria. Here you can read everything you need to know about the effects of doxycycline, side effects and areas of application.
This is how doxycycline works
Doxycycline is an antibiotic belonging to the tetracycline group. Like all other tetracycline derivatives, it has a growth-inhibiting effect on the bacteria, so it is a so-called bacteriostatic agent.
In order to be able to grow, bacteria (like other organisms) have to read the information from their genetic make-up and use the information obtained to produce proteins that fulfill vital functions in the cell. This reading and translation of the bacterial genetic information is specifically inhibited by tetracyclines such as Doxycylin - the pathogens stop growing, giving the body the chance to get the infection under control by means of immune reactions.
Human cells are not hindered in their growth by doxycycline, as the antibiotic only acts selectively on protozoa.
When is Doxycycline used?
Doxycycline is used to treat various infectious diseases. Examples are bacterial respiratory infections (such as chronic bronchitis, atypical pneumonia, sinus infections, and otitis media).
The antibiotic can also be administered for Lyme disease, diseases of the urinary tract, the genital tract and the prostate, various gastrointestinal diseases (such as cholera) and skin diseases (such as rosacea and acne vulgaris).
Another area of application for doxycycline is particularly interesting for long-distance travelers: malaria. In certain travel destinations, the antibiotic is suitable for both the prevention and treatment of the tropical disease. Especially in areas where the malaria pathogen is resistant to many different antibiotics, doxycycline is usually administered in combination with one or more other antibiotics.
In Germany, however, there is no preparation with doxycycline that is approved for the treatment of malaria. Should a vacationer return to Germany with malaria, doxycycline can only be used for treatment in this country "off-label" - i.e. outside of its official approval.
This is how doxycycline is used
The dosage and duration of use depend on the type and severity of the disease. The patient should strictly follow the doctor's instructions.
The duration of treatment with doxycycline for acute infections is often five days to three weeks, since doxycycline, as a growth inhibitor of bacteria, has a delay in action compared to bactericidal (bactericidal) antibiotics. Apart from acute infections, doxycycline can also be used over a period of several months (e.g. for the skin disease rosacea).
Doxycycline is normally prescribed orally, i.e. to be taken in the form of tablets, capsules, capsules with delayed release of active ingredients (retard capsules), effervescent tablets or as granules for the preparation of a suspension. The usual dosage is 50, 100 or 200 milligrams per single dose.
Doxycycline can be taken once a day or divided into up to three doses (morning, noon, evening). It is recommended to take the antibiotic with a meal with a glass of water (no milk or dairy products), as the digestive tract can then better tolerate the active ingredient.
It should be taken in an upright position and at approximately the same times each day.
What are the side effects of doxycycline?
Various side effects can occur with treatment with doxycycline. The ingestion of preparations containing doxycycline can lead to irritation and inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Sometimes there are gastrointestinal complaints (such as vomiting) or irritation and inflammation of the pancreas.
Hypersensitivity reactions to doxycycline (e.g. in the form of swellings in the face, mouth and throat area and breathing difficulties) are possible consequences of therapy. These symptoms are considered to be signs of an allergic reaction. It can turn into life-threatening anaphylactic shock, which is why a doctor should be alerted immediately if the symptoms mentioned occur.
Other possible side effects of the antibiotic are photosensitization reactions: The active ingredient makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight and UV radiation in tanning beds. The consequences can be severe sunburn and severe skin damage.
Make sure you have adequate sun protection during therapy with doxycycline!
What should be considered when taking doxycycline?
Contraindications
In the event of hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or to other ingredients of the drug, another preparation must be used because of the risk of severe allergic shock. Further contraindications are:
- severe liver problems
- simultaneous intake of isotretinoin (active ingredient for acne therapy)
Interactions
Experts recommend avoiding alcohol during treatment with doxycycline. In combination with alcohol, the antibiotic is broken down more quickly in the liver, which means that the amount of active ingredient in the body is too small to achieve the desired therapeutic effect.
Some other drugs such as rifampicin (antibiotic), phenytoin and carbamazepine (anti-epileptic drugs) and colestyramine (anti-high cholesterol drugs) also weaken the effect of doxycycline.
Doxycycline increases the side effects of coumarins (anticoagulants), sulfonylureas (antidiabetic agents) and ciclosporin (immunosuppressive agent). In addition, the antibiotic may reduce the safety of oral contraceptives.
Doxycycline forms poorly soluble complex compounds with calcium and magnesium ions, which hinder the absorption of the active ingredient in the intestine. For this reason, no dairy products (such as cheese, yogurt, quark) should be consumed two hours before and after taking doxycycline.
Therapy with doxycycline can temporarily impair visual performance and the ability to react. This can make driving and using machines dangerous.
Sunbathing and visits to the solarium should be avoided during the entire treatment period because the antibiotic makes the skin more sensitive to light.
Age restriction
Doxycycline should only be used in children under eight years of age for life-threatening infections. In this age group, the active ingredient can lead to tooth discoloration, tooth enamel defects and bone growth disorders.
pregnancy and breast feeding period
During pregnancy, doxycycline should only be taken if the disease is particularly severe. It is contraindicated from the 16th week of pregnancy (so it must not be given).
In fetuses from the age of four months, the storage of doxycycline often leads to bone growth disorders or permanent discoloration of the teeth and to tooth enamel defects before the end of the tooth eruption phase.
For the same reasons, women who are breastfeeding and children up to the age of eight receive only limited treatment with this active ingredient. Other antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides are preferred.
How to get medication with doxycycline
Doxycycline requires a prescription in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is only available in pharmacies in any dosage on a doctor's prescription.
The doxycycline gel available in Germany and Austria for periodontal use (for periodontal disease) is not approved in Switzerland.
How long has doxycycline been known?
The first representative of the tetracyclines, which also includes doxycycline, were discovered in 1948. It was a metabolic product of certain bacteria and was called aureomycin.
A little later another natural tetracycline was discovered in bacteria, the oxytetracycline. By modifying its molecular structure in the laboratory, researchers finally arrived at doxycycline. It is one of the best-known and most widely used tetracycline antibiotics today.
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