Tetracycline is an antibiotic used to treat many types of bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs). It's also sometimes used to fight acne-causing bacteria. Tetracycline is available as a lower-cost generic capsule that's safe for adults and children over 8 years of age to take. The dosage is taken multiple times a day. Tetracycline can cause unpleasant stomach side effects. There's also a risk of teeth staining in young children whose teeth are still growing.
Bacterial skin infections
Severe acne
Respiratory tract infections, including in the nose, throat, and lungs
Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, syphilis)
Urinary tract infections (UTI)
Rickettsial infections (usually from ticks, fleas, or mites), such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and typhus fever
Tetracycline is a tetracycline antibiotic. It prevents bacteria from making certain important proteins for growth. This stops the bacteria from multiplying and spreading in your body.
Source: DailyMed
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
For all tetracyclines
More common
Increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight (rare with minocycline)
Rare
Abdominal pain
bulging fontanel (soft spot on head) of infants
headache
loss of appetite
visual changes
yellowing skin
For demeclocycline only
Less common
Greatly increased frequency of urination or amount of urine
increased thirst
unusual tiredness or weakness
For minocycline only
Less common
Pigmentation (darker color or discoloration) of skin and mucous membranes
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
For all tetracyclines
For minocycline only
More common
Dizziness, light-headedness, or unsteadiness
In some patients tetracyclines may cause the tongue to become darkened or discolored. This effect is only temporary and will go away when you stop taking this medicine.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Treats a wide range of bacterial infections, including acne
Good option for people with penicillin allergies
Available as a lower-cost generic medication
Safe to use in children over the age of 8
Need to take multiple times a day for most infections
Can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight
Interacts with certain antacids and dairy products, such as milk
Not safe for use in pregnancy or young children
Be sure to take tetracycline as directed and finish the full course of the medication, even if you start to feel better. Stopping antibiotics too early can worsen your infection or make it harder to treat.
Take each dose of tetracycline with plenty of water. This helps prevent the medication from causing burning, irritation, and harm to your esophagus (the tube that connects your throat to your stomach).
Tetracycline can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Avoid the sun and sunlamps while you're taking tetracycline. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen whenever you're outside.
Take tetracycline at least 2 hours before any medications (e.g., antacids, laxatives) or supplements that contain calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, aluminum, or sodium bicarbonate. If these products are taken too close to the antibiotic, they can prevent your body from absorbing tetracycline properly. This might affect how well the antibiotic works. Check with your pharmacist if you're not sure whether any of your medications contain these ingredients. They can also help you plan a medication schedule that works for you.
Make sure your providers know which medications you're taking before you start a new one. This is especially important if you take blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), because they can interact with tetracycline and raise your risk of bleeding. If appropriate, your provider might prescribe a lower dose of your blood thinner while you're taking tetracycline.
Like many other antibiotics, tetracycline can interact with birth control pills and make them not work as well. You might experience breakthrough bleeding or spotting while you're taking tetracycline. Consider using a back-up form of birth control, such as condoms, when you're taking tetracycline.
Never use tetracycline once it's expired. Studies show that taking expired tetracycline might cause serious kidney problems.
Tetracycline can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk factors: Use during the last half of pregnancy | Children age 8 and younger | Using tetracycline for a long time or multiple times
Tetracycline antibiotics can affect teeth that are still developing in young children. The teeth might permanently turn a yellow, gray, or brown color. In some cases, the teeth might not grow to be as strong because the medication might also affect the enamel of the teeth. Teeth development problems can also happen to an unborn baby if tetracycline is taken during the second half of pregnancy. People who are pregnant and young children should avoid tetracycline unless there isn't a safer alternative.
Like all antibiotics, tetracycline can raise your risk of developing infectious diarrhea. Normally, normal bacteria in your gut usually keep a specific bacteria called Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) under control. But when antibiotics change the amount of the normal bacteria, C. diff can overgrow in your gut, lead to an infection, and cause severe diarrhea. C. diff diarrhea can be very contagious and can lead to life-threatening dehydration. Get medical attention right away if you experience rapid heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day). You might need to get tested for C. diff infection and receive treatment.
Tetracycline can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and cause you to get a sunburn more easily. Make sure to wear sun-protective clothing and use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 when you go outside, even on overcast days and during the winter. Also avoid tanning beds while you're taking tetracycline.
Risk factors: Women who can get pregnant and are either overweight or have history of high pressure in the brain | Taking isotretinoin with tetracycline
Tetracycline antibiotic use (like with ) might be linked to high pressure around the brain, a condition called intracranial hypertension. You might be a higher risk if you're also taking an acne medication called isotretinoin because it's also known to cause this problem. This high pressure around the brain usually goes away after you stop taking tetracycline, but permanent vision problems is possible. Call your healthcare provider right away if you experience headaches and changes in your eyesight, including blurry vision, double vision, or vision loss.
Risk factors: Currently pregnant | Women who can have children | Premature babies
Avoid using tetracycline if you're pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant, as it can harm your unborn baby. Based on findings from animal studies, tetracycline can cross the placenta and have harmful effects on the growth and development of your unborn baby's teeth and bones. Similarly, premature babies who take tetracycline might not grow as quickly because the medication affects growing bones. If you're pregnant, you shouldn't take tetracycline unless your provider says it's absolutely necessary.
Risk factors: Kidney problems | Taking tetracycline long term
If you have kidney problems, it's possible for tetracycline to cause more harm to your kidneys. And if you also take tetracycline for a long period of time, there's a risk that the antibiotic can damage your liver as well. Because of the risk for liver damage and worsening kidney problems, your provider will prescribe a lower dose of tetracycline for you to keep you safe. If you're taking the antibiotic long term, your provider might order lab tests so they can check your kidney and liver health.
General dosages
Adults: The typical dose is 500 mg by mouth twice daily or 250 mg by mouth four times daily. You might need a higher dose for more severe infections or for infections that don't improve with smaller doses.
Children over 8 years of age: The dose is based on your child's body weight. The typical dose is 25 mg/kg to 50 mg/kg of weight by mouth daily, split into four doses throughout the day.
Recommended dosages for specific infections
Brucellosis: The typical dose is 500 mg by mouth four times daily for 3 weeks, taken along with another antibiotic called streptomycin.
Syphilis: The typical dose is 500 mg by mouth four times daily for either 15 or 30 days, depending on how long you've had the infection.
Gonorrhea or Chlamydia trachomatis infection: The typical dose is 500 mg by mouth four times daily for at least 7 days.
Severe acne: The typical starting dose is 1 gram by mouth daily, divided into smaller doses throughout the day. Once you see improvement, you'll continue taking the medication at a maintenance dose ranging from 125 mg to 500 mg daily.
Your dose might differ if you have kidney problems.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Allergy to other tetracycline antibiotics, such as doxycycline and minocycline
Bacterial skin infections
Severe acne
Respiratory tract infections, including in the nose, throat, and lungs
Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, syphilis)
Urinary tract infections (UTI)
Rickettsial infections (usually from ticks, fleas, or mites), such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and typhus fever
Respiratory tract infections, including in the nose, throat, and lungs
Infections caused by ticks, mites, or fleas (Rocky Mountain spotted fever or typhus fever)
Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, and syphilis
Lyme disease
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Severe acne
Anthrax
Plague
Cholera
Moderate-to-severe acne
Respiratory tract infections, including in the nose, throat, and lungs
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, and syphilis
Skin infections
Rickettsial infections (usually from ticks, fleas, or mites), such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and typhus fever
Other infections such as anthrax, plague, cholera, and more. Tetracycline can be used to treat many other less common infections not listed here.
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Chartwell RX, LLC. (2023). Tetracycline hydrochloride- tetracycline hydrochloride capsule [package insert]. DailyMed.
Faus-Matoses, V., et al. (2017). Severe tetracycline dental discoloration: Restoration with conventional feldspathic ceramic veneers. A clinical report. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry.
MedlinePlus. (2017). Tetracycline.
National Eye Institute. (2023). Idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Sánchez, A. R., et al. (2004). Tetracycline and other tetracycline-derivative staining of the teeth and oral cavity. International Journal of Dermatology.
Snowden, J., et al. (2023). Rickettsial infection. StatPearls.
Tsabai, C. (2019). Potential drug interactions in patients taking oral contraceptive pills.
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