Doxycycline Capsules Bp 50mg
Doxycycline 50mg and 100mg capsules
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet T| What Doxycycline capsules are and what they are used for ■2 What you need to know before you take Doxycycline capsules 3| How to take Doxycycline capsules 3 Possible side effects 3 How to store Doxycycline capsules 3 Contents of the pack and other information
3 What Doxycycline capsules are and what they are used for
Doxycycline belongs to a group of medicines called tetracycline antibiotics. It is also known as a broad-spectrum antibiotic and may be used to treat a wide range of infections caused by bacteria, these include:
• respiratory tract infections
• urinary tract infections
• sexually transmitted diseases
• skin infections such as acne
• infections of the eye
• rickettsial infections such as Q fever or tick fever
• other infections such as malaria, cholera, brucellosis, leptospirosis, psittacosis and fevers caused by lice or ticks.
or prevent:
• travellers diarrhoea, scrub typhus and leptospirosis.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking
Doxycyline capsules if you:
• have liver disease or are taking medicines which affect your liver
• have porphyria (a genetic disorder of the blood)
• suffer from myasthenia gravis, a condition characterised by muscle weakness, difficulty chewing and swallowing and slurred speech
• are sensitive to sunlight
• have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) a condition characterised by a rash (especially on the face), hair loss, fever, malaise and joint pain.
Children and adolescents
Doxycycline capsules are not recommended for use in children under 12 years of age as it can cause permanent discolouration of tooth enamel and affect bone development.
Other medicines and Doxycyline capsules
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently
taken or might take any other medicines.
• warfarin or other anticoagulants (to stop the blood clotting)
• penicillin or rifampicin (to treat infections)
• medicines such as antacids containing aluminium, calcium or magnesium or other medicines containing iron, bismuth or zinc salts. Do not take at the same time as Doxycycline capsules, as absorption of doxycycline may be reduced. phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin or primidone (to treat epilepsy)
• methoxyflurane (an anaesthetic), if you need an operation, tell your doctor or dentist you are taking Doxycycline capsules
• ciclosporin (used following organ transplants).
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant, breast-feeding, think or may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine as doxycycline could harm the baby.
3 How to take Doxycycline capsules
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
3 What you need to know before you take Doxycycline capsules Do not take Doxycycline capsules if you:
• are allergic to doxycycline, other similar antibiotics (such as minocycline or tetracycline) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• are giving it to a child under 12 years old.
You should not drink alcohol whilst taking Doxycycline capsules, speak to your doctor if you have any questions.
Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water, if the capsules irritate your stomach take them with food or milk.
You should take the capsules either sitting down or standing up and well before you go to bed for the night to stop irritation and ulceration of your gullet. It is important not to lie down for at least thirty minutes after taking Doxycycline capsules.
The recomended dose is for at least 10 days unless otherwise directed by your doctor:
Adults, Elderly and Children 12 years or over:
• General infections: 200mg on the first day as a single or two 100mg doses, followed by 100mg a day. For severe infections your doctor may increase the dose to 200mg a day.
Specific infections:
• Acne vulgaris -50mg a day with food or fluid for 6-12 weeks.
• Sexually transmitted disease - 100mg twice a day for 7-10 days
• Syphilis - 300mg a day in divided doses for 10 days.
• Fevers caused by lice or ticks - a single dose of 100-200mg depending upon severity of infection.
• Malaria - 200mg a day for at least 7 days, should be given with other drugs such as quinine.
• Prevent infection with scrub typhus - 200mg as a single dose.
• Prevent traveller's diarrhoea - 200mg on the first day of travel followed by 100mg a day throughout the duration of the stay. Do not use for more than 3 weeks unless advised by your doctor.
• Prevent leptospirosis infections - 200mg once a week throughout the stay in the infected area and 200mg at the end of the trip. Do not use for more than 3 weeks unless advised by your doctor.
If you take more Doxycycline capsules than you should
If you (or someone else) swallow a lot of capsules at the same time, or you think a child may have swallowed any contact your nearest hospital casualty department or tell your doctor immediately.
If you forget to take Doxycycline capsules
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you forget to take a dose take it as soon as you remember it and then take the next dose at the right time.
If you stop taking Doxycycline capsules
Do not stop taking the capsules because you feel better, it is very important to take all the capsules your doctor has prescribed for you, if you do not your condition may recur or get worse.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
_4 Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not
everybody gets them.
Stop taking the capsules immediately and seek urgent medical advice if:
• you notice that your skin is very sensitive to light (you may get a skin rash, itching, redness or severe sunburn when out in sunlight or after using a sun bed).
Contact your doctor at once if the following reactions happen:
• wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, fever, sudden swellings of the face, lips, throat, tongue, hands or feet, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, rash or itching (especially affecting the whole body), pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart)
• swollen tongue, watery diarrhoea, fever and cramps (pseudomembranous colitis), soreness and itching around the back passage and/or genital areas, inflammation around the vagina, or thrush of the vagina or mouth
• worsening of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• altered numbers of certain types of blood cells, you may notice that you bruise easily, have nose bleeds, or suffer from infections and sore throats, porphyria (sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, inflammation of nerves and stomach pains)
• tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears)
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• inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), jaundice (yellowing of the skin or white of the eyes), liver failure and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• severe skin reactions such as erythema multiforme (circular, irregular red patches), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (rash with flushing, fever, blisters or ulcers), toxic epidermal necrolysis (reddening, peeling and swelling that resembles burns).
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following side effects or notice any other effects not listed:
• Glands and hormones: discolouration of thyroid tissue (does not affect thyroid function).
• Central nervous system: headache, increased pressure in the skull (severe headaches, blurred and/or double vision, blind spots), permanent loss of vision, bulging fontanelles (soft spot on head) of infants.
• Gastrointestinal tract: stomach pain, loss of appetite, feeling or being sick, heartburn, diarrhoea, difficulty swallowing, sore or painful tongue or mouth, inflammation and/or ulcers of the gullet, discolouration or underdevelopment of teeth.
• Liver: changes in liver function tests.
• Skin: detachment of the nail from finger bed.
• Muscles and bones: muscle or joint pain.
• Kidneys: an increase in urea in the blood.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
How to store Doxycycline capsules
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Store below 25°C in a dry place.
Do not use Doxycycline capsules after the expiry date stated on the label/ carton/bottle. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
_6| Contents of the pack and other information
What Doxycycline capsules contain
• The active substance (the ingredient that makes the capsule work) is Doxycycline hyclate. Each capsules contains either 50mg or 100mg of Doxycycline base.
• The other ingredients are gelatin, magnesium stearate, shellac glaze, sodium lauryl sulfate, starch, quinoline yellow (E104), erythrosine (E127), patent blue V (E131), titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide black (E172), and propylene glycol.
What Doxycycline capsules look like and contents of the pack
Doxycycline 50mg are green and white hard gelatin capsules
and Doxycycline 100mg are green hard gelatin capsules.
Doxycycline 50mg capsules are available in pack sizes of
28 capsules.
Doxycycline 100mg capsules are available in pack sizes of
8 & 50 capsules.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Actavis, Barnstaple, EX32 8NS, UK
This leaflet was last revised in April 2016.
Cactavis
Actavis, Barnstaple, EX32 8NS, UK