Doxycycline belongs to a group of medicines called tetracycline antibiotics. It is also known as a broad-spectrum antibiotic and may be used to treat a wide range of infections caused by bacteria, these include:

respiratory tract infections
urinary tract infections
sexually transmitted diseases
skin infections such as acne
infections of the eye
rickettsial infections such as Q fever or tick fever
other infections such as malaria, cholera, brucellosis, leptospirosis, psittacosis and fevers caused by lice or ticks.

or prevent:

travellers diarrhoea, scrub typhus and leptospirosis.

Do not take Doxycycline capsules if you:

are allergic to doxycycline, other similar antibiotics (such as minocycline or tetracycline) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
are giving it to a child under 12 years old.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Doxycyline capsules if you:

have liver disease or are taking medicines which affect your liver
have porphyria (a genetic disorder of the blood)
suffer from myasthenia gravis, a condition characterised by muscle weakness, difficulty chewing and swallowing and slurred speech
are sensitive to sunlight
have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) a condition characterised by a rash (especially on the face), hair loss, fever, malaise and joint pain.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

You should not drink alcohol whilst taking Doxycycline capsules, speak to your doctor if you have any questions.

Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water, if the capsules irritate your stomach take them with food or milk. You should take the capsules either sitting down or standing up and well before you go to bed for the night to stop irritation and ulceration of your gullet. It is important not to lie down for at least thirty minutes after taking Doxycycline capsules.

The recomended dose is for at least 10 days unless otherwise directed by your doctor:

Adults, Elderly and Children 12 years or over:

General infections: 200mg on the first day as a single or two 100mg doses, followed by 100mg a day. For severe infections your doctor may increase the dose to 200mg a day.

Specific infections:

Acne vulgaris -50mg a day with food or fluid for 6-12 weeks.
Sexually transmitted disease - 100mg twice a day for 7-10 days
Syphilis - 300mg a day in divided doses for 10 days.
Fevers caused by lice or ticks - a single dose of 100-200mg depending upon severity of infection.
Malaria - 200mg a day for at least 7 days, should be given with other drugs such as quinine.
Prevent infection with scrub typhus - 200mg as a single dose.
Prevent traveller’s diarrhoea - 200mg on the first day of travel followed by 100mg a day throughout the duration of the stay. Do not use for more than 3 weeks unless advised by your doctor.
Prevent leptospirosis infections - 200mg once a week throughout the stay in the infected area and 200mg at the end of the trip. Do not use for more than 3 weeks unless advised by your doctor.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Stop taking the capsules immediately and seek urgent medical advice if:

you notice that your skin is very sensitive to light (you may get a skin rash, itching, redness or severe sunburn when out in sunlight or after using a sun bed).

Contact your doctor at once if the following reactions happen:

wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, fever, sudden swellings of the face, lips, throat, tongue, hands or feet, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, rash or itching (especially affecting the whole body), pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart)
swollen tongue, watery diarrhoea, fever and cramps (pseudomembranous colitis), soreness and itching around the back passage and/or genital areas, inflammation around the vagina, or thrush of the vagina or mouth
worsening of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
altered numbers of certain types of blood cells, you may notice that you bruise easily, have nose bleeds, or suffer from infections and sore throats, porphyria (sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, inflammation of nerves and stomach pains)
tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears)
inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), jaundice (yellowing of the skin or white of the eyes), liver failure and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
severe skin reactions such as erythema multiforme (circular, irregular red patches), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (rash with flushing, fever, blisters or ulcers), toxic epidermal necrolysis (reddening, peeling and swelling that resembles burns).
headache, fever, sweating, shivering, feeling unwell or sick, with joint pain, increased heartbeat followed low blood pressure (Jarisch- Herxheimer reaction)
drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction that includes fever, rash, and blood abnormalities (Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms - DRESS).