Description

Doxycycline is an antimicrobial drug, a tetracycline derivative. It has semi-synthetic molecular structure and a high level of the pharmacological safety.

As to pathogenic microflora, it gives a bacteriostatic action. Doxycycline rather quickly inhibits an ability of bacteria to proliferate. Due to a special chemical structure, this antibiotic completely penetrates inside the cells of microbes and break synthesis of protein inside these cells. Protein is the main nutritious element of all microorganisms, and therefore, bacteria die during the decreased level of protein, and they cannot spread all over the body.

Doxycycline is able to stop a growth of bacteria in several days after the use. A lot of gram-positive, anaerobic, aerobic, gram-negative bacteria are sensitive to it. Therefore, it provides a broad action and may be used during infectious processes of the different sites and severity level:

• Infections of the respiratory tract and ENT
• Purulent infections of skin and soft tissues
• infections of the genitourinary system
• Primary and secondary syphilis
• Severe infections of the intestine, stomach and abdominal organs

In what dose is Doxycycline used?

To treat infectious diseases, regardless of their site, patients are recommended to take a pill of Doxycycline 100 mg 1 to 3 times per day. The treatment may be started from the maximal dose of Doxycycline 300 mg per day. The dose may be gradually decreased during the improved disease symptoms.

The treatment should be continued for 2 days after you feel a complete disappearance of the disease symptoms. The maximal length of taking Doxycycline is 14 days. If an infection is not completely neutralized within this period, it is necessary to have an additional medical examination.

The capsules of Doxycycline are used one hour before meals. But if nausea, stomachache appear, the capsules may be used after meals with enough water.

Precautions

• As most tetracycline antibiotics, the use of Doxycycline is contraindicated children under 8 years old. In the body, it may interact with calcium and create stable complexes which may change color of enamel, worsen a formation of the bone tissue
• Doxycycline is one of the antibiotics which are prohibited for pregnant women
• Severe hepatic failure is a serious ground to change an antibiotic. If you have any diseases of liver, tell your doctor about it and do not take Doxycycline
• The use of Doxycycline during lactation may be if the breast-feeding is stopped

Side effects

The use of Doxycycline may be accompanied by the following side effects:headache, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, temporary loss of vision.

A chance of the development of side effects grows during the overdose or a long-term use or without a medical control. Therefore, patients should not neglect the rules of the precautions and should take the antibiotic according to the recommendations.