Doxycycline tips from pharmacists

• Even if your symptoms improve, you should not discontinue therapy prematurely. Not using the entire course of treatment can cause your infection to come back and be harder to treat.

• You should use a non-hormonal birth control method such as a condom or spermicidal diaphragm. Let your doctor know if you become pregnant while taking doxycycline. You should not take doxycycline during pregnancy, especially during the second or third trimester, because it can cause permanent teeth discoloration later on in the child’s life.

• If you are taking doxycycline for chlamydia and your doctor has not suggested it, you may want to get tested for gonorrhea, another sexually-transmitted infection.

• Wear a long-sleeved shirt, hat, and sunglasses if you are under direct sunlight, as doxycycline can cause sun sensitivity. Let your doctor know if you have a sunburn.

• If you are traveling to a malarious area and taking doxycycline for malaria prevention, remember that this medication does not completely protect against malaria.

• If you use iron or calcium-containing products, you should take doxycycline 2 hours before or 6 hours after taking antacids, calcium supplements, and laxatives containing magnesium, and 2 hours before or 4 hours iron iron-containing products. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re unsure if your medications contain iron or calcium.

• Doxycycline can cause Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) associated diarrhea (CDAD), a rare but serious bacterial infection. Let your doctor know if you have bloody, watery diarrhea and severe stomach pain that does not go away.