Minocycline

Minocycline is available as a prescription oral treatment. It is available as a capsule and a tablet.

• Available forms:
  
  
  • Oral treatment: 
    
    
    • Capsule / Pellet-filled capsule / Extended-release capsule:
      Available as prescription
      Generic available (US)
    • Tablet / Extended-release tablet:
      Available as prescription
      Generic available (US)
      
  • Brand names:
    
    
    • Cleeravue-M®
    • Dynacin®
    • Minocin®
    • Minorila®
    • Myrac®*
    • Solodyn®
    • Ximino®*
      
      * This brand name is no longer available. 

• Available in these doses:
  
  
  • Capsule: 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg
  • Tablet: 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg
  • Extended- release tablet/capsule: 45 mg, 65 mg, 90 mg, 115 mg, 135 mg

Dosing information:

Only the extended-release tablet and capsule are prescribed in the treatment of acne. The dose is based on body weight and is usually 1 mg per kg of body weight per day, as a single dose, for a duration of 12 weeks.

• Who is it for? 
  
  
  • Gender:
    • Males and females
  • Severity of acne:
    • Moderate-to-severe
  • Age:
    • Children of 12 years and older, adolescents, and adults
    • Children between 8 and 12 years: use is determined by a physician (use and efficacy have not been fully determined in children younger than 12 years)

How to use it:

Minocycline is an oral treatment. Only the extended-release tablet or capsule is prescribed for the treatment of acne and is taken once a day. 

When taking minocycline, drink a full glass of water. It is better to take minocycline with food, as this lowers the risk of irritation or ulcers in the throat. 

Capsules and tablets should be swallowed whole. Do not break, crush, or chew the tablets or capsules. 

If your acne does not improve or gets worse after 12 weeks, contact your physician. 

Follow the instructions on your prescription carefully and use minocycline exactly as prescribed by your physician. Do not change the dose or the frequency of your medication. If you have any questions about the medication or the prescription, ask your physician or pharmacist. 

Be aware of: 

• Before using minocycline, let your physician or pharmacist know if you are allergic to minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline, demeclocycline, or any of the other ingredients in the capsules or tablets.
• Tell your physician that you are taking minocycline before any medical tests. Minocycline may affect the results of some medical tests.  
• Before using minocycline, inform your physician about the prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are using/taking. You will find a complete list of drug interactions below.
• Beware that the following medications interfere with minocycline making it less effective: magnesium, aluminum or calcium, calcium supplements, zinc or iron products, and laxatives containing magnesium. Minocycline should be taken 2 hours before or 6 hours after taking these medications.
• Before using minocycline, inform your physician if you currently suffer from or have ever suffered from lupus (an inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks certain tissues such as skin, joints, blood, and kidneys), asthma, intracranial hypertension (increased pressure in the skull), diarrhea, kidney or liver disease, or any infections.
• Minocycline may reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills, patches, rings or injections. To ensure adequate contraception, ask your physician about other forms of birth control, including condoms, diaphragms, or a contraceptive foam or jelly. 
• Minocycline may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight so avoid unnecessary direct or prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially between 10 am and 3 pm, and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen (with an SPF of at least 15) while taking minocycline. Do not use a sunlamp or tanning bed. Inform your physician if you develop a skin rash, itching, redness, or other discoloration of the skin, or a severe sunburn after exposure to the sun. 
• Minocycline may cause darkening of your skin, nails, eyes, teeth, gums, or scars. 
• Minocycline may cause dizziness or lightheadedness, so do not drive a car or operate heavy machinery until you are sure that these symptoms do not occur. 
• If you are using minocycline and are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, talk to your physician about using minocycline during pregnancy because minocycline can harm the fetus. Minocycline use during pregnancy can cause permanent staining of the teeth in the baby. 
• In males, minocycline may affect the formation of sperm cells. 
• If you are using minocycline and are breastfeeding, talk to your physician about using minocycline during this period.
• If minocycline was prescribed for acne, you can continue your regular diet unless your physician advises otherwise. However, some evidence suggests that dairy may increase the risk of certain side effects. Talk to your physician about your diet when on minocycline. 
• Do not share your medication with anyone else. 
• Keep your regular appointments with your physician to track your response to minocycline.

Drug interactions: 

Some drugs interact with minocycline and should not be used together with minocycline. However, your physician may prescribe other drugs together with minocycline which may cause a slight interaction, and in this case, precautions are necessary.

Inform your physician or pharmacist about all the prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan on taking before starting minocycline. Also inform your physician or pharmacist of the skin products you use including soaps, cleansers, moisturizers, and cosmetics. 

Drugs that should not be used with minocycline at all are:

• Acitretin

What if I overdose? 

In case of overdose, contact an emergency facility or call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 1 (800) 222-1222 (available 24/7).

If immediate assistance is necessary because the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened, call 911 at once.

Information can also be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help

Symptoms of overdose may include:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting

What if I miss a dose?

As soon as you recall that you have missed a dose, take the missed dose. However, skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose and continue with your prescribed dosing schedule. Do not increase the quantity or frequency of dosing to make up for the missed dose.

Storage:

Store your medication in the container that the pharmacist provided and keep it out of reach and out of sight of children. Many containers can be opened by children. Keep the container tightly closed. Always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location that is up and away from the sight of young children, to prevent poisoning (www.upandaway.org).

Store the medication at room temperature. Keep the medication away from excessive heat and moisture – do not store in the bathroom. Do not freeze minocycline.

Disposal:

Do not keep outdated medication and medication that you no longer use. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in a way that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. Do not flush the medication down the toilet. Contact your pharmacist to learn about the availability of a medicine take-back program in your neighborhood, or get in touch with your local garbage/recycling department to ensure safe disposal. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information on safe disposal of medication on the FDA website: (https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm)