What are Doxycycline Capsules?
Doxycycline bnf is an antibiotic from the tetracycline group. This drug act against bacterial infections. The active substance doxycycline inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria. The bacteria die without being able to reproduce, so that after a few days the symptoms of bacterial infection, such as pain and fever, decrease.
How does it work?
This Anti Malarial Medication is a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic drug that works by inhibiting protein synthesis and blocks the binding of transfer RNA to the ribosomal complex of messenger RNA. Reversible binding occurs in the 30S ribosomal subunit of sensitive organisms. The synthesis of the bacterial cell wall is not inhibited. In addition, it has an anti-inflammatory action due to the inhibition it causes on polynuclear neutrophils, involved in the inflammatory phase of some infections, such as rosacea or acne, 9 and more recently its possible application in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. It is true that it has been stated that it is not a very effective retinoid and that it would only improve acne, in cases of very mild acne.
What are the benefits of taking it?
Doxycycline uses include being utilised to treat Malaria, it is also used to prevent the growth and spread of Gram-positive (+) and Gram-negative (-) bacteria. It is used in the treatment of pneumonia and other infections such as Lyme disease, acne, rosacea, periodontal disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. ........................
How do I use it and its dosage?
Doxycycline is administered orally. Your doctor will indicate the dose and duration of your treatment that is most suitable for you, according to your condition and response to treatment. Do not stop treatment sooner as, even if you feel better, your disease may worsen or come back.
If due to your pathology you need a dose and/or duration different from the usual dose, your doctor will indicate the dose and/or duration of treatment to be followed in your case. As a general rule
Side effects & precautions
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects
Stephanie Breen –
For Bacterial Infection “Had extremely painful sinusitis. Had been given 2 lots of Amoxicillin which didn’t work. Given a 7-day course of Doxy. 2 capsules to take on the first day, then one a day. This worked, and I did not suffer any side effects at all. Would definitely take this again.”
Leah Gabriel –
For Lyme Disease “Hopefully, this will help somebody. I was a chronic Lyme patient for 15 years. Doxy kept it in check, but I still had symptoms, even if I took up to 500 mg per day. The doc said it was then best to lower my intake to about 200 mg per day, the lowest amount that allowed me to still feel okay. After many years of this, I had some strange symptoms regarding my heart. I guessed that Lyme disease had affected my heart, which was partly true, and asked if I could try to increase the doxy to combat it. The doc said yes, we could try that again. I began taking 400 mg per day again and I never missed a dose. Six months later, I finally eradicated my Lyme disease. DO NOT miss a dose to beat this unique bacteria.”
Russel Sanders –
For Bacterial Infection “This is the only medicine that helps get rid of my sinus infections, and it looks like that goes for a lot of other people too. This is the only antibiotic that I can take because I am allergic to so many others.”
Carl Etheridge –
For Acne “I started doxycycline in late July 2019 for acne. At the end of the 1st week, my acne looked as if it dried up (meaning there weren’t any pimples, only acne scars). If you never used to wear sunscreen, well, you would need to, especially during the first months, your skin is so sensitive. Waxing is a no-no, and exfoliating is a big no (learned the hard way, lol). It also causes nausea, it is very important to take it while eating or right after a meal to avoid nausea. The scarring eventually goes away in 2 months or so after use (my experience). For quicker results, my doctor prescribed a skin lightening cream for spot treatment. After 6 months, I was off Doxycycline and I just use Retin-A and Deriva C alternatively. I don’t have any “active” acne, well, except the occasional 1 or 2 pimples that appear during menstruation.”
Pearl Manos –
For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection “Had a chesty, wheezy cough for nearly 4 weeks and during that time brought up a lot of green/yellow mucus. Snotty nose. No other symptoms like muscle aches and thought I’d soldier on. After 6 weeks decided to visit Dr. who said my right lung was crackly and prescribed amoxicillin. Taken for 1 week, only started to feel better on the last day of the course. Mucus reduced, cough still niggly. Cough became really wet and mucus restarted. Felt like a cup full every time I expelled some. So 10 days later and back to the Dr., and Doxycycline prescribed this time twice a day on day 1, then 1 a day ’til the blister pack is completed. Snotty nose disappeared 1st night, and on day 3 wheeze disappeared, and I still have 4 days of meds to take. No side effects as taken with food and a pint of water at ingestion. If I have anything like this again, I’ll press for immediate prescribing of doxy.”
Natasha Espinoza –
For Acne “This stuff is a gift. After struggling with acne for years without response to topical medications, I was prescribed this by my dermatologist. At first, I was a little hesitant because of the reviews (people talking about the purging phase, side effects, etc.), but after being on it for about 2 weeks, my skin is almost completely cleared up. Better yet, I haven’t had any of the side effects, and I didn’t experience a purging period. The reviews are worrying, but don’t knock it till you try it, seriously.”
Nicola Lancaster –
For Acne “I was prescribed doxycycline 100mg x 1 a day for three months, which was for my acne. Please persevere! After two months, my skin had made no improvement at all. I was getting new spots every day, and these were now causing scarring. I felt so down at the fact that it had done absolutely nothing for me! I started exploring other options and considered coming off this antibiotic but thought I’d stick it out for the final month. I’m so glad I did, as I’m now on my final week of the third month, and my skin is practically clear! The only thing I now worry about is whether my acne will come back after finishing the course… but we will see.”
William Bryant –
For Bacterial Infection “Every time I get a sinus infection I ask for Doxy it clears me up in a few days. I don’t have any bad side effects, guess I’m lucky. I would recommend this medicine highly for sinus infections since it works so fast. I have to work and don’t have time to be sick, I’m also a single mother and can’t be down too long and this medicine never lets me down!”
Barbara Owen –
For Bacterial Infection “I suffer from severe health anxiety and a medication phobia. When I’m prescribed a drug, I come onto these sites and scour the reviews, usually terrified from all the negative ones I see. I’m not sure why people leave these extremely negative reviews. I guess they just want to share their experience. But what happens is those experiences frighten people like me who don’t really have a choice in taking a prescribed drug. Let me now tell you my experience. I took this drug for 10 days and had no side effects except a little sleepiness. I am extremely thankful we have antibiotics like this in today’s times.”
Marla Reilly –
For Rosacea “I have been dealing with moderate Rosacea Subtype 2 for a few years. Manageable. This Christmas I had the worst flare I’ve ever had. My cheeks were covered in papules. My face was bright red and BURNED and stung horribly. It spread from cheek to cheek within weeks and nothing would calm it down. Derm prescribed Doxy 100mg 2x a day and within 2 weeks the burning subsided and bumps started to go away. I’m so thankful it worked. My skin is not perfect but the painful part is gone. I plan on continuing with the pills for another 3 months. Please try this medication if you’re suffering from this horrible skin condition. I’m sorry if you’re having to suffer with this painful skin. Good luck and remember this is temporary and it can be managed with antibiotics.”
Johnny Sims –
For Urinary Tract Infection “The two side effects that always got me while taking doxy were the feeling of nausea and having diarrhea shortly after taking the medicine. For the nausea, I would just eat and it would pretty much immediately go away. Anyways… I did a 10-day course because I noticed burning in my urethra while peeing and the need to go to the restroom very often, and after about the 3rd or 4th day, the burning was gone but it took until about the 7th or 8th day for the urgency to pee to go away. I’m an adult male, 6’1, 230 lbish, and I took a 100 mg dose twice a day, usually 12 hours apart. Hope this helps!”
Catherine Taylor –
For Urinary Tract Infection “I have a severe urinary tract infection, which has also affected my left kidney. Although this medicine makes me sick every time I take it, it’s in my system long enough to keep it there. It is the worst medicine to ever have to take, but I have to say it is probably doing its job! I still have 4 days of it left, wish me luck, but I would recommend this to anyone who has a serious infection. I have been on 3 other medicines before this one, ciprofloxacin included, and none of them even touched it! It’s worth the sickness sometimes for a healthier life!”
Tim Gonzales –
For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection “Doxycycline is a very good antibiotic which is very effective. Was given this for a sinus infection that has failed to clear after amoxicillin. Have had it previously so I am aware of the potential nasty side effects. Can make you extremely nauseous if not taken with an adequate meal and plenty of water. As with other antibiotics can upset your stomach and give you diarrhea. The cons have to be weighed against the pros though, as ultimately recovering from a bacterial infection is priority. I can handle upset stomach, nausea and headaches if an antibiotic is effective in treating the infection. You will ultimately recover from those but the infection could be the end of you if left to run its course. No drug is without side effects and this should be taken into consideration. People drink alcohol and look what that does to you.”
Cheryl Roman –
For Bacterial Infection “No side effects at all. I am not sure what all the negative reviews are about. If you’re having an allergic reaction, that is different. Allergic reactions are not the drug’s fault, but the reaction of your body to the doxycycline. You should definitely stop if you are showing signs of allergy. It worked great for me. I started to feel better in a couple of days and was completely better in about 4 days. I took the full course as directed.”
David Bailey –
For Urinary Tract Infection “I noticed my urine had a very strong, pungent odor to it, was a little darker than normal, but no pain or problems urinating. I googled ‘why does my urine smell so pungent’. The response was a possible UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). I purchased AZO urinary tract infection home self-testing Test Strips at my local pharmacy, and the results were positive. My doctor prescribed Doxycycline Hyclate 100mg. Within 3 days, the color and odor of my urine returned to normal. I continued to take my prescription as prescribed for the next 7 days, took another AZO self-test, and the results were negative. This drug worked for me; no side effects.”
Betty Rangel –
For Acne “All I can say is that it changed my life. I had severe acne, but this year in January, I started doxycycline. In March, I stopped because my face was now clear. Till now, no doxycycline, no acne. I am really happy.”
Stephen Mathers –
For Bacterial Infection “Took this after a round of Amoxicillin for sinus and tooth pain. The Amox did not do much, but the doxy did. It also changed my digestion for the better and still cannot figure out why; totally unexpected result. My sinus headache and tooth pain cleared. Must be something in the gut it gets rid of also. I have experienced no side effects whatsoever. I now have no bloat, pain, or anything in the gut and can eat anything again without symptoms. Before, I couldn’t eat pizza, salads, dressings, cheese, mushrooms, spices, pickles, steak, and sauces without problems. Now I am all good – what gives? I have had gut pains for years, but recently no more. Strange, very strange. If I pass today, I was wrong, but not yet.”
Linda Bishop –
For Rheumatoid Arthritis “20 years ago (1998) my wife got a flu shot, which was contaminated with mycoplasma bacteria. The result was Psoriatic arthritis. She was treated with Remicade, a popular biologic, and methotrexate. In 2008, we were made aware of the fact that arthritis is a bacterial infection, not an ‘autoimmune’ disease. We found an ethical Rheumatologist who put my wife on Doxycycline 50mg daily. She saw results in 6 months and was off Remicade. She still took the poison methotrexate for 10 more years until it started causing liver cirrhosis. When she stopped that and with NAC (N-acetylcysteine) and milk thistle, she overcame the cirrhosis. The fact is ‘autoimmune diseases’ are usually a bacterial infection which can be cured, not just treated for the symptoms. The ethical doctor is now trying to get her off the Doxycycline, which means she is cured of the mycoplasma bacteria.”
Sandra Billy –
For Acne “So I’m almost 29. I’ve had acne for nearly 5 years. I thought I could cure my acne by just trying new creams, washes, and scrubs, but finally gave up and went to the doctor. She recommended doxycycline (3 months) and adapalene gel after telling me it looked like severe acne. I was a bit hesitant to take medication as I was afraid it’d come back. She told me the only option was to see a dermatologist, which was about $200-$300. I finally decided to take the meds and use the gel, and honestly, that was the best decision ever! I started to see a difference on the first day. 2 months in and I feel so confident with my skin. She said if I wanted to repeat it, I could. But I’ll try to attempt to get off it after my 3rd month. My scarring is still a work in progress, but there is a considerable improvement.”
Shane Dominguez –
For Pneumonia “Doxycycline is very responsive to pneumonia. If you follow the directions on the pamphlet, you will be successful! For example, sit up 10 minutes after taking it with a full glass of water. Refrain from dairy, calcium/magnesium supplements for a couple of hours to let it absorb into the bloodstream. Take exactly every 12 hours (twice a day), even if you have to get up at 3:30 am! Drink fluids all day and rest, strictly for the first 4 days, no errands! Additionally, 20 mg of prednisone once helps with cough and wheeze, so you can rest. When you do cough, it is productive, which is good. Turn on a vaporizer for 24 hours and clean it every other day with white vinegar! You will be a champ in 4 days.”
Elbert Gilmore –
For Chlamydia Infection “I had unprotected sex last December 2018 and got chlamydia. I took doxycycline for 10 days, and the symptoms were gone maybe by day 5. I really thought the infection was gone, but this month (April 2019) my symptoms came back. I don’t know what to do this time. If you have any suggestions, I’d really appreciate it.”
Naomi Russell –
For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection “This doxycycline is the only antibiotic that works almost immediately when I get a sinus infection. I had my first sinus infection about 2 years ago, was prescribed amoxicillin and was absolutely miserable while sick and this didn’t even touch it. Went back to the doctor about a week later, still feeling awful with all the normal respiratory symptoms and was then put on doxycycline. It started to work very quickly and I don’t remember experiencing any side effects. Fast forward to now when I started experiencing the same symptoms of this last sinus infection from 2 years ago (facial pain, runny nose, headache, sore throat) and immediately made an appointment with my doctor who prescribed doxycycline, as it worked so well before. Again, this started working almost immediately and the symptoms started subsiding. This is a wonder drug in my opinion and I highly recommend!!”
Tami Blankenship –
For Chlamydia Infection “I got tested positive for Chlamydia and was prescribed Doxycycline for a week and Ciprofloxacin for 10 days (for some reason) by my doctor. All symptoms have seemed to go within time, but the penile discharge hasn’t gone away. It’s been about 5 days since I stopped doxycycline and a couple of days since I stopped the other one. Is it normal to still be discharging?!”
Evelyn Fulks –
For Acne “I used this drug for annoying moderate acne. It started off weird. After 2-3 weeks, my skin looked like it was starting to clear up. It stayed like that for about a month. Then at the end of the 2nd month, my skin was the worst it’s ever been. Now, I think that was the purging stage because I stuck to taking it every day, twice, and now I’m in the middle of my third and last month taking it. My skin looks amazing and it’s the best it’s ever been. I would recommend this drug, but make sure you ride with it and trust it because it does take a while to see results.”
Stephany Loman –
For Bacterial Infection “I started taking this drug and instantly felt nauseous and fatigued to the point where I could not get out of bed. I started taking probiotics with it, which helped with the physical side effects, but the mental side effects were unbearable. I started off feeling extremely depressed, and then came intense waves of anger and anxiety. By my 6th day taking it, I had lost all memory of an entire day, and on the 7th day, I was so low. Luckily, I stopped taking it after the intense dark thoughts. It has been 2 days since I took the antibiotic, and I feel completely normal again. This drug is evil for anyone susceptible to mental health problems – do not take it!!!!”
John Richards –
For Urinary Tract Infection “I took doxycycline with food and a large glass of water both morning and night. I had no side effects whatsoever – no nausea, vomiting, headache, etc. I felt symptom relief after just 1 day. While I’m sure others may have had different experiences – don’t let that deter you from trying!”
Noah Herd –
Vibramycin (doxycycline) for Bacterial Infection “I was diagnosed with a bacterial sinus infection and was prescribed this antibiotic, due to being allergic to amoxicillin. The pills are 100 mg each. I am to take twice daily. At this time, many of my sinus symptoms have dissipated, which is an excellent sign that I’m finally on the mend. I haven’t had any side effects with this and have taken as directed. Avoiding dairy products, not laying down 30 minutes after ingesting, and making sure to take it with food and a large glass of water.”
Doris Jordan –
For Lyme Disease “I woke up 4 weeks ago with a red blotchy rash and immediately went to see my doctor. I was diagnosed with Lyme and started taking doxycycline prescribed for 21 days. I had the symptoms of extreme fatigue and what I thought were flu symptoms. I did the research on the doxy before I took it. I am not a fan of taking any medication. I read that it should be taken with a lot of water. I would drink 8 ounces of water before the pill and the same after. The only time I got sick was when I drank less than 8 ounces; it was an awful experience. I am on my last day of the meds. In my opinion, drinking almost 40 ounces of water a day has helped this process. It prevents you from getting sick and it flushes the toxins out of your body, your stomach will reward you, and you are helping your body detox. I am excited as today is my last day on doxy and looking forward to positive lab results in a few weeks. Wishing everyone that reads this a healthy and complete recovery!”
Robert Betz –
For Acne “I have always had acne, but it got significantly worse in the past 6 months, and I felt like I needed to see a dermatologist finally (I am 23). At the point of this review, I have been on doxycycline for only about two weeks, but already I am seeing a huge improvement in my skin. I haven’t really gotten any new acne except for a few small pimples that are nothing compared to what I have been getting. I am also using adapalene gel in the morning and tretinoin at night. I will say personally I MUST take the doxycycline with food – when I don’t, it makes me severely nauseous, even to the point where I throw up. The nausea would normally subside in about 45 minutes. But when I eat it with a full meal, it is totally fine, I just have to remember to do that. I will try to provide an update once I am done with the full 2-month treatment!”
Amanda Flores –
For Urinary Tract Infection “I was prescribed this medicine for UTI. So far (day 3) my UTI pain has gone down a lot. If you’re like me and you research every detail of a medicine before you take it, please listen to me. I have extremely bad anxiety and I’ll think I have tons of symptoms after I take my medicine but it’s just my anxiety. Take a deep breath. Take some probiotics, eat (if it is with food) and then take your antibiotics and you’ll be fine. Get some rest and drink water. This medicine gave me no symptoms. Stop researching! Everyone’s different, just because someone had a bad experience doesn’t mean you do!”
Mary Howard –
For Acne “I have been taking doxycycline for about a month and a half now and finally see improvement in my acne. I have been taking pictures every week, and the first month was horrific. My acne got way worse, and I started to get a little depressed. I still have acne and whiteheads, but I can see a difference in my skin, although I have acne scars all over my cheeks. I will update next month.”
Frank Simmons –
For Pneumonia “What are all these bad comments towards doxycycline? First of all, taking it for 2 days? Come on now. Take your full course. Second of all, nausea? It is a side effect. It is a 7-day course; you should persist. I’m sure sepsis is a lot worse. Photosensitivity? It’s not even sunny. If it is, wear sun cream. I was on this medication, and as a result, I did not get sepsis, and I did not die. My lungs did not necrose, and I did not choke on my own purulent sputum. This medicine is amazing.”
Monica Ramos –
For Bacterial Infection “I started on Doxycycline a few days ago after a week of headaches and painful sinuses. I was running a low-grade fever and coughing up phlegm like crazy. Every part of my body hurt from the fever. Once starting doxy taken with a full glass of water, no vitamins, and no laying down for 30 minutes, I started to get better. I had a few graham crackers so I didn’t take it totally on an empty stomach. My fever broke, and the headaches are gone. I had many sinus infections until having surgery on them for a drainage issue 20 years ago. I never had another one until this year, and it’s a doozy. Doxycycline is the only thing that works for me on these sinus infections.”
Mickey Dawkins –
For Acne “I’m writing a review because I feel like most people come on to let people know their bad experiences to warn them. But I have nothing but good things to say about doxycycline for acne! I have been on doxycycline for 10 weeks now. It is awesome! I have had zero side effects, and my face is clearer than it’s ever been. Completely clear actually. It did take about 6 weeks to start seeing a noticeable difference but I would absolutely recommend it 10/10. I even had someone comment on how nice my skin is! I would have never thought that would happen to me!”
Ying Martin –
For Chlamydia Infection “DON’T let these reviews scare you! I was terrified to take these meds after testing positive for Chlamydia because these reviews are so scary. I have a massive phobia of vomit/vomiting and had a huge panic attack before taking my first dose. I awaited the inevitable side effects. 1 week later and I can say that I have had ZERO side effects from this drug. No nausea, no bowel issues, no heartburn. After day 4 all symptoms of Chlamydia were gone and I was feeling very healthy. Here’s hoping my retest comes back negative and I’ll be very happy with the experience and result. All I can say is, don’t worry. Remember that everyone experiences side effects differently and most of these reviews are horror stories. I had a full glass of water with every dose and then another full glass over the next 10-20 minutes after taking it. Hope this helps someone out there! Good luck.”
Marcia Lopez –
For Bacterial Infection “I was terrified of taking this medication due to the reviews here, which are so scary, but had to take the medication for chronic sinusitis that was the worst for me. DO NOT let these reviews deter you as I had no side effects, only that I had to eat before taking the meds…just a cracker will do even, to stop nausea. I was feeling so much better in just two days but kept taking my 14-day course to complete. I am allergic to penicillin and usually get many side effects listed on medications, BUT NONE FROM THIS. I had a headache anyhow from the sinusitis, so just took a paracetamol as well as the doxy, which is allowed, and this sorted me right out. Should you be prescribed doxycycline, then take it and do not worry about all the bad reviews, just get better.”
Clarice Neilson –
For Urinary Tract Infection “I had a severe urinary tract infection and walking pneumonia, and doxycycline saved my life. I had 8 seizures back to back due to the serious infections, and they tried keflex first, but it did not work. Doxycycline is awesome, and I’m alive today because of it!”
Jacqueline Morrow –
For Acne “I posted my review on my 8th week of doxycycline a while back ago under Bigdawg – December 20, 2019. YOUR ACNE WILL GET BAD!!!! February 2nd will be my 3-month mark and so far my acne is clearing up. Just be patient, all these side effects are normal. You’re not going to magically wake up and have clear skin or any side effects, so bring yourself to reality. YOUR DR SAID 3 MONTHS for a reason, not 1 month or 2 months. Stick to it and be patient; it works!”