Drug Uses

Vibramycin (Doxycycline) is a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic used against a wide variety of bacterial infections, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other fevers caused by ticks, fleas, and lice; urinary tract infections; trachoma (chronic infections of the eye); and some gonococcal infections in adults. It is an approved treatment for inhalational anthrax. It is also used with other medications to treat severe acne and amoebic dysentery (diarrhea caused by severe parasitic infection of the intestines). Vibramycin may also be taken for the prevention of malaria on foreign trips of less than 4 months' duration. Occasionally doctors prescribe Vibramycin to treat early Lyme disease and to prevent 'traveler's diarrhea.' These are not yet officially approved uses for Vibramycin.

How To Use

Take Vibramycin with a full glass of water or other liquid to avoid irritating your throat or stomach. Vibramycin can be taken with or without food. However, if the medicine does upset your stomach, you may wish to take it with a glass of milk or after you have eaten. Vibramycin tablets should be swallowed whole. If you have difficulty swallowing pills, you can take Vibramycin by opening the capsule and sprinkling the entire contents onto a spoonful of cool, soft applesauce. Be careful not to spill any of the contents. If you do, you will not be able to use this dose and will have to start over with a new mixture. Swallow the mixture immediately, without chewing, followed by a cool 8-ounce glass of water. Discard the mixture if you are not able to use it immediately; do not store it to use later. Your doctor will only prescribe Vibramycin to treat a bacterial infection; it will not cure a viral infection, such as the common cold. It's important to take the full dosage schedule of Vibramycin, even if you're feeling better in a few days. Not completing the full dosage schedule may decrease the drug's effectiveness and increase the chances that the bacteria may become resistant to Vibramycin/ Doxycycline and similar antibiotics. If you are taking an oral suspension form of Doxycycline, shake the bottle well before using. Do not use outdated doxycycline.

Possible Side Effects

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
• Allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever
• Itching in the rectal or genital area
• Pain on swallowing
• Redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
• Severe stomach pain or cramps
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Unusually weak or tired
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting

Precautions

As with other antibiotics, treatment with doxycycline may result in a growth of bacteria that do not respond to Vibramycin and can cause a secondary infection. An overgrowth of certain bacteria in the colon could cause mild to severe—and rarely, life-threatening—diarrhea. If you develop this symptom, call your doctor immediately. Bulging foreheads in infants and headaches in adults have occurred. These symptoms disappeared when doxycycline was discontinued. You may become more sensitive to sunlight while taking doxycycline. Be careful if you are going out in the sun or using a sunlamp. If you develop a skin rash, notify your doctor immediately. Birth control pills that contain estrogen may not be as effective while you are taking tetracycline drugs. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you should use another form of birth control while taking doxycycline. Doxycycline syrup (Vibramycin) contains a sulfite that may cause allergic reactions in certain people. This reaction happens more frequently to people with asthma.

Overdose

Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical treatment immediately.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

Storage

Keep out of the reach of children. Store at room temperature, below 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). Protect from light. Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date. Taking this medicine after the expiration date can make you seriously ill.