What is Doxycycline Monohydrate: Uses, Warnings & Interactions

Take this medicine as directed. Do not change the doses or the duration of treatment.

Take all the medicine in your prescription to clear up your infection, even if you feel better after the first few doses.

Drink plenty of fluids to avoid esophagus irritation or ulcers.

It’s best to take doxycycline monohydrate on an empty stomach, but you can take it with food or milk to prevent stomach problems.

How to take doxycycline monohydrate tablets or capsules:

• Swallow doxycycline monohydrate capsules or tablets whole with a glass of water.

• Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature below 86˚.

How to take doxycycline monohydrate oral suspension (Vibramycin monohydrate):

• Shake the bottle well before measuring a dose.

• Use a calibrated oral syringe or other calibrated measuring device to measure the dose.

• Throw out any unused medicine two weeks after you pick it up at the pharmacy.

• Store the doxycycline monohydrate solution in a closed container at room temperature below 86˚.

Take a dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then and take a regular dose. 

Do not take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

This medicine is not right for everyone. 

Do not use it if you have had an allergic reaction to doxycycline or another tetracycline antibiotic.

Tell any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you that you are using this medicine.

Your doctor may need to do lab tests regularly to check on the effects of this medicine, especially if the treatment lasts for a long time. Keep all appointments.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tell your doctor if you have:

• Liver disease

• A history of yeast infections

• Allergies to sulfites (relevant only if you’re taking Vibramycin)

This medicine may cause the following problems:

• An increase in pressure inside the head (women who are overweight or of childbearing age are at higher risk)

• Fungal infections, including vaginal yeast infections

• Serious drug or skin reactions

This medicine can cause diarrhea, which can occur 2 months or longer after stopping the drug. Call your doctor if the diarrhea becomes severe, does not stop, or is bloody. Do not take any medicine to stop diarrhea until you have talked to your doctor. 

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing. Do not use sunlamps or tanning beds.

Doxycycline can interfere with the growth and development of teeth in children younger than 8. For children who are young, it’s only used when the infection is serious, and there are no other equally good alternatives.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse.

To avoid potentially hazardous drug interactions, tell the prescribing healthcare provider about all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements you use before taking doxycycline.

Tell other healthcare providers you are using this medicine before they prescribe new medications.

Some medicines can affect how doxycycline works or increase the risk or severity of side effects. Alternatively, doxycycline can affect how other medicines work. Tell your doctor if you are taking:

• Blood thinners

• Penicillin drugs

• Birth control pills

• Barbiturates

• Retinoids such as the acne drug tretinoin

• The anti-seizure medications carbamazepine and phenytoin

Some medicines block the absorption of oral doxycycline doses, making it less effective at fighting off bacterial infections. You may need to take doxycycline doses several hours before or after taking one of these supplements or drugs. These include:

• Antacids containing magnesium, calcium, or aluminum

• Any drugs, supplements, or electrolyte drinks containing iron, calcium, zinc, or magnesium

• The stomach protectants bismuth subsalicylate or sucralfate

• Buffered medicines

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs called bile acid sequestrants

• Lanthanum carbonate, used to treat high phosphorus