The following side effects are expected to occur with the use of doxycycline. Contact your doctor if these symptoms are severe and/or do not go away:
How Common (based on clinical studies)
| Nausea | <100mg of doxycycline: Up to 1.5% of all users> 100mg of doxycycline: Up to 13.1% of all users |
| Headache | Up to 9.4% of all users |
| Vomiting | <100mg of doxycycline: Up to 2% of all users> 100mg of doxycycline: Up to 4.2% of all users |
| Diarrhea | <100mg of doxycycline: Up to 2% of all users> 100mg of doxycycline: Up to 4.2% of all users |
| Irritation or itching in the vagina or rectum | Up to 3.1% of all users |
| Infection and inflammation of hair follicles | Up to 2% of all users |
| Abdominal discomfort | Up to 1.8% of all users |
| Sore, scratchy, or painful throat | Unknown |
| Swelling of the tongue | Unknown |
| Discoloration of the skin, nails, eyes, mouth, or scars | Unknown |
| Decreased appetite | Unknown |
| Increased nervousness or anxiety | Unknown |
| Back pain | Unknown |
| Dry mouth | Unknown |
If you experience any of the following side effects, stop using doxycycline immediately and contact your doctor or get emergency medical care right away:
- Changes in vision, including blurring of vision, seeing double, or loss of vision
- Persistent and/or intense headache
- Rash that occurs alongside fever and swollen glands in the neck or elsewhere
- Abnormal bruising or bleeding
- Abdominal cramps, watery stools, or blood in stools either during treatment or up to 2 or more months after stopping treatment
- Peeling, blistering, or redness of the skin
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Reappearance of sore throat, fever, and/or other symptoms of infection
- Swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue, throat, or face
- Change in the color of teeth
- Joint pains
- A sudden appearance of swelling and rash (known as hives)
- Chest pain
Doxycycline may also cause other side effects that are not mentioned here. Contact your doctor if you experience any other troublesome symptoms when using doxycycline.
References
- Up to date. Doxycycline: drug information. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/doxycycline-drug-information?source=search_result&search=doxycycline&selectedTitle=1~150. Cited 15 February 2017.
- Kus S, Yucelten D, and Aytug A. Comparison of efficacy of azithromycin vs. doxycycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Clin. Exp. Dermatol. 30(3), 215-20 (2005).
- Toossi P, Farshchian M, Malekzad F, Mohtasham N, and Kimyai-Asadi A. Subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline in the treatment of moderate facial acne. J. Drugs Dermatol. 7(12), 1149-52 (2008).
- Maleszka R, Turek-Urasinska K, Oremus M, Vukovic J, and Barsic B. Pulsed azithromycin treatment is as effective and safe as 2-week-longer daily doxycycline treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority study. Skinmed. 9(2), 86-94 (2011).
- Leyden JJ, et al. A randomized, phase 2, dose-ranging study in the treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory facial acne vulgaris with doxycycline calcium. J. Drugs Dermatol.12(6), 658-663 (2013).
- Moore A, Ling M, Bucko A, Manna V, and Rueda MJ. Efficacy and safety of subantimicrobial dose, modified-release doxycycline 40 mg versus doxycycline 100 mg versus placebo for the treatment of inflammatory lesions in moderate and severe acne: a randomized, double-blinded, controlled study. J. Drugs Dermatol. 14(6), 581-586 (2015).