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1. What Doxycycllne Is and what It Is used for

Doxycycline belongs to the tetracycline group |of antibiotics. Doxycycline can beused to rtreat avarietyofinfections, including bacterial infections that affect the eyes, nose, throatand Respiratory system (chestinfections), sexually

fleas and tick bites or diseases spread by animals fe.g. leptospirosis); and in the prevention of traveller's diarrhoea, scrub typhus, leptospirosis

Your blood tests may show:

■    reduction in red blood cells which can makethe skin pale or yellowand causeweakness orbreathlessness

■    reduction in white blood cells which can cause

■    an increase in thenumberofwhite blood cells

■    reduction in blood plateletswhich increaserisk of bleeding or bruising

■    a risein liver function tests

■    an increase in thenumberofwhite blood cells

ReportIng of sIde effects

fyou getanyside effects, talktoyour doctoror

pharmacist This includes any possiblesideeffects

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I beforebedtimeoriflyingdown.

Patients being treated for certain diseases may peed monthlyblood tests tochecktheinfection is clearing up.

Adults and older people [Therecommended doseistwo capsules(200mg) on Ithefirstday (either asa singledoseoronecapsule followed byafurther 100mgcapsule 12 hours later), followed by one 100mg capsuledailythereafter.

To treatmore serious infections your doctor may prescribe two capsules (200 mg) to be taken daily, thefollowing dosesmaybegiven to treat Specific infections:

Sexually transmitted diseases: therecommended

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ll of thIs leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because It contains Important information for you.

■' "is leaflet. You mayneed to read itagair ave anyfurtherquestions, askyour or pharmacist

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6. Contents of the pack and other Information

What Doxycycline contains

■    The activesubstanceis doxycyclinehyclate, equivalentto 100mg ofdoxycycline.

■    The other ingredients aremagnesium stearate, talc maizestarch.Thecapsule shell is made

of gelatin and contains thecolourings patent blue (E131), titanium dioxide (E171)and iron oxides (E172). The printing inkcontains shellac, titanium dioxide (E171), propylene glycol, and either ammonium hydroxideand simeticone, or sodiumhydroxide and povidone.

2. What you need to know before you take Doxycycline

Do not take Doxycycline

•    ifyou are allergic to doxycycline a similar medicine or any of the other ingredients ofthis medicine (listed in section 6).

•    ifyou are pregnantor breast-feeding

•    ifyou area child under 12 years old, as tetracyclines can affect growing bones and teeth and can also causestaining and a reduction in the amountof enamel in theteeth.

Warnings and precautions

Talktoyour doctororpharmacistbefore

taking Doxycycline

•    ifyou haveliver disease or aretaking medicine

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thefollowing:

•    anticoagulants tothin the blood e.g.warfarin

•    antacids, used for indigestion

•    sucralfate used totreatstomach or gutulcers

•    zinc sulphate

•    preparationscontaining iron

•    barbiturates e.g. phenobarbital

•    antiepilepticse.g. carbamazepine, phenytoin

•    medicinecontaining iron

•    oral contraceptives: Doxycyclinemayreducethe effectiveness of the combined oral contraceptive pill. Additional contraceptiveprecautions should be taken asadvisedbyyourdoctor.

•    ciclosporin.

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necrolysis (reddening, peeling and swelling that resembles burns),

severeheadacheswith changes in eyesightand blurred or doublevision, or loss ofvision, rarely, liver problemswhich can causeyellowing of skin and whites of eyes, dark urine, pale stools, inflammation ofthe pancreaswhich causes severe pain in the abdomen and back, severediarrhoeawith blood in the stools, pericarditis (inflammation ofthe membrane

haemolyticanaemia (lownumber ofred blood cells). Signs include tiredness, headaches, being shortof breathwhen exercising dizziness with yellowing ofthe skin and/oreyes,

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!7you"afego7hg't6"havean'oi5?rat76n'ah3'hee7"an' (anaesthetic, tell theanaesthetistor dentistyou are (taking Doxycycline.

Doxycycline with alcohol

Do not drink alcohol during treatment.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding Do not take Doxycycline ifyou arepregnant, jthinkyou maybepregnant, or plan tobecome pregnant, as it can affect the developmentofyour Unborn baby.

Do not breast-feed ifyou aretaking Doxycycline bs doxycycline can passintobreastmilk.

Ifyou are pregnantorbreast-feeding, thinkyou maybe pregnantor are planning tohave a baby, (askyourdoctor or pharmacistforadvice before

4. Possible side effects

affects, although noteverybodygets them, fanyofthefollowinghappen, stop taking Doxycycline and tell your doctor Immediately or go to your nearest hospital emergency department:

■    allergic reactions such as severeskin rashes, red itchy swollen skin, blistering of theskin swollen ankles,jointpain,fever,swelling ofthe lips, tongue.facethroat, tightening ofthechestand difficulty breathing, chestpain, shock, lowblood pressure, a racingheartbeat,

■    Severeskin reactions such as erythema multiforme(circular, irregular red patches), Stevens-Johnson syndrome(rash with flushing.

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Doxycyclinecan alsocause pain and difficulty swallowing - this is less likely to happen ifthe capsulesare taken with plenty offluid whilst sat upright(see 'section 3'),

Soreness, itchiness and a fungal infection (Candida) in the genital or anal area, Bulgingfontanelle (softspoton head) of babies, Headache, ringing in theears,

discolouration of the thyroid tissuewhen given for long periodsoftime (this medicine does not affect thyroid function),

exposure to thesun.

7d7e7s7i50mg'tw’ce"3aily."D?peh3ingon'ifie"fype"d7 nfectionbeingtreatedyyour treatmentmaycontinuc 'or between 7to10days.

Primary and secondary syphilis: the recommendec dose is 200 mg twice a dayfor 2 weeks.

Louse and tick-borne fevers: the recommended dose is a singledoseof 100 mg or 200 mg To treat malaria: (when chloroquine is not effective): the recommended dose is 200mg daily 'or at least 7 days. Your doctorwill also prescribe another medicine aswell, possiblyquinine, tohelp treat the disease.

To prevent malaria: therecommended dose is 100mg daily starting 1 or2 days before travelling to themalarial area.Treatmentshould continueduring

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■    ifyou sufferfrom a raredisordercalled porphyria

■    ifyou sufferfrommyasthema gravis (a disease causing muscleweakness)

■    ifyou have SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) Avoid strong sunlightorultravioletlightas Doxycycline can makethe skin more sensitive. If /our skin becomes red and patchy, tell your doctor as hemayneed tostoptreatment.

fyou arehaving tests, such as liver function tests or a urine test, tell your doctoryou aretaking Doxycycline.

Other medicines and Doxycycline

^lease tell your doctorifyou are taking anyother

medicines including medicines obtained without

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your skin becomes sensitive to sunlightor UVlight. Poxycydinecan causestaining of theteeth during tooth development(e.g. during pregnancyand if given to children under 12 years). Stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor straight awayifthis happens toyou. It is more likely in patients on (long-term treatment

|fyou have SLE (lupus), Doxycyclinemaymakethe (symptomsworse. Stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor if this happens toyou.

Other side effects Include:

!• musdeandjointpain,

(• feeling or being sick, diarrhoea,loss of appetite,

I swelling or soreness ofthetongueor mouth,

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To prevent scrub typhus: therecommended dose

jsasingledoseof200mg

To prevent traveller's diarrhoea: the

Recommended doseis 200mg as a single dose on the dayoftravel (or 100mgfollowed bya second idoseof 100 mg 12 hours later), then 100mg daily Jhroughoutthestaylup to3weeks).

To prevent leptospirosis: the recommended dose js200 mg onceaweek throughoutthestayin the iarea and 200mg on completion ofthetrip.

Use In children

boxycycline must not be given tochildren under (12 years of age.

What

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Driving and using machines

3. How to take Doxycycline

If you take more Doxycycline than you should

fyou take more Doxycycline thanyou should contactyour doctor or hospital emergency department Immediately.

If you forget to take Doxycycline

f youforgetto takea dose ofDoxycyclinetake it as soon asyou remember unless itisnearlytime 'or your next dose. Never take two doses at the

If you stop taking Doxycycline

Do not stop taking Doxycyclinewithouttalking to your doctor first. It is importanttofinish the course ofantibioticas instructed by your doctor, fyou have anyfurtherquestions on theuse of this oroduct, askyour doctor or pharmacist.

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