Doxycycline Hyclate and anxiety

I'm currently taking Doxycyline for my Varicocele and so far I have been feeling very nauseated haven't been as hungry and I have anxiety in my stomach and I also feel shaky and nervous sometimes.. it is discomforting.Also I have been experiencing joint pain and an overall body ache.

I started taking Doxycycline Hyclate 100mg on oct 25,2009. I have had anxiety, its been something i have been battling with up until 2 years ago and since then i have had no anxiety attacks. When i started taking the doxycycline, i started to become anxious and starting having anxiety once again. I have also become very shaky, i have a hard time swallowing pills so i brake the capsule open and put it my cup, put just a little bit of water in there and mix it around. could this affect the way the medicine is suppose to work. i have no other option because i have to take it to clear my infection, but i don't want it to harm me. please email me at ****** if you can help.

i guess no one has fully recovered from the side effects of this drug.

i have lost all hopes because no one has recovered fully. NO ONE on this forum.

i still have this panic and anxiety attack at least once a day and ringing in the ears is constant now. not fully functional like how i used to be. physically.

I found this site 12 months after beginning Doxycycline for acne. A year ago I was the happiest person that I knew. I was a junior in high school and was very involved, liked sports, and had many friends. Me and my girlfriend were happy and to be honest, I had literally not felt happier.

A week ago I had come to the end of my rope. I literally decided to commit suicide. I finally reached out to God for help and I feel like he has saved me. About half an hour after praying for help from where I was I found this site. So, without further adieu, I am going to detail how horrific and absolutely from hell this drug is. ****PLEASE, I BEG YOU, IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR ANY OTHER SIDE EFFECTS DUE TO THIS DRUG, PLEASE CALL THE FDA SIDE EFFECT HOTLINE. THIS DRUG IS FROM HELL***

I broke up with my girlfriend because I would sit at home and think for over 12 hours at a time that she hated me. As a result of this racing thoughts, when I saw her or went on a date, I would have nauseating anxiety for literally no reason... This anxiety continued for about a year until I had almost lost every friend I have ever had. It wasn't their fault, just that no one else knew how to respond to this sudden change in me.

Racing thoughts were terrible. I couldn't sit in a room without thinking thousands and thousands and thousands of negative thoughts from hell. I would think of how my family, and my friends, and my girlfriend all hated me. Now, after discontinuing this medication, i realize that it is all a lie.

The depression was horrific. I would literally have rather had a serious physical disease for the past year instead of feeling like this. I wouldn't go to parties, I would sit home and cry. Mind you, NOTHING happened to make me feel like this. Absolutely nothing. I thought about suicide about once a week (at least). I honestly didn't know what to do.

Mood swings were awful. I would change life goals and life core beliefs within minutes. Everyday I would become a different person at least 10 times throughout the day. I would go from nice, to sad, to motivated to start my own business, to thinking about signing my soul to Satan all in one day. These are just a few of the horrific thoughts. Dark thoughts, thoughts from hell.

I can report no physical side effects, but honestly I have been through so much that I can't stand it with this drug. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for helping me realize that this drug can absolutely ruin lives. I think everything happens for a reason, but people, hear me. I write with tears in my eyes right now and I look back on all of the lost time and all of the friends and all of the opportunities that have literally flown passed me. Just know that you are not alone. Stop taking this drug! And start raising awareness!

I've been prescribed 100 mg. of Doxycycline Hyclate twice a day for 21 days for Lyme Disease. I was tested to rule that and rheumatoid arthritis out because of hand pain - and I don't know who was more surprised when I tested positive - my doctor or me. Any symptoms I had, including the hand pain, I attributed to the aging process (51/female).

Took the first pill in the later evening on a Friday and waited the 30 minutes before going to bed (instructions said not to lay down for 30 min.). I woke up in the middle of the night with terrible acid reflux, which I've never had. I found it difficult to time taking pill after not eating for 2 hours and waiting 1 hour afterward - never realized how often I ate small snacks. Same thing the next two nights - I also had heartburn, which is rare for me.

I realized it would be far easier if I took the pill immediately after rising and as soon as I came home from work. That has greatly reduced the heartburn and eliminated the acid reflux.

I am fully committed to taking the pill to have the best results in eliminating the bacteria from Lyme Disease, so I'm taking it exactly as prescribed on an empty stomach. This is causing some stomach upset and nausea, which is the worst in the hour after I take the pill while I wait until I can eat - especially in the last 15 minutes, when I feel on the verge of vomiting. I try to keep myself busy, but even without looking a clock, I can tell where I am in the hour. I am hopeful that by taking the meds on an empty stomach, I'll get maximum absorption - but it's been a struggle for me.

One other discovery I've made is that the nausea is less the rest of the day if I eat - and carbs seem to be what is most appealing. I'm far more easily nauseated during the entire day, some days more than others. I feel some fatigue, but nothing that is so severe I'm not able to function and go to work. I feel bloated and my stomach just vaguely hurts, so I'm trying to wear loose clothing.

I'm finding this drug therapy a bit difficult, as I felt pretty well beforehand. My doctor has recommended I give this my best effort, as it is the "go to" drug for Lyme Disease, but has said if I can't handle it, she will give me an alternative. I am trying to stick this out, partly out of determination and silly pride, but also because I am allergic to a lot of drugs and since I seem to be able to tolerate it, albeit with some discomfort, I figure I should suck it up. I have a little bit of the tingling, am occasionally feeling a little flushed - usually when I'm highly nauseated (which is a typical reaction for me), but nothing horribly bothersome.

I'm hoping I don't develop the sleeplessness, anxiety or depression that many of you have reported, as I feel terrible for you. That would become a deal breaker for me.

Unless it's my imagination, my hand pain is reducing and some achiness I just figured was normal has been lessening. If this was the result of Lyme Disease and I can get rid of that, this (hopefully) temporary discomfort will be worth it. Good luck to all.

I was about 1 month in to my 3 month cycle of taking doxycycline for blepharitis issues when I started having symptoms. It started on a friday night with extreme indigestion. There was a lot of pain in my chest and also into my arm. I was belching and very uncomfortable. Next day I woke up and only had the pain in my arm, belching and pain in my left abdomen under my rib cage.

I thought it was just really bad indigestion from something I ate so I continued with the medicine. Within a few days time I deteriorated more and more. The pain in my abdomen had spread from just being on the left to being left, center and right. I also got random pains all over my body it seemed. This seemed to come and go throughout the day. My vision would blur, I had extreme anxiety and also depression, my arm remained weak and then my legs got weak as well. The fatigue was overwhelming. I'm usually an insomniac who struggles to fall asleep by 1:30. I began to struggle to stay awake until 11. The lymph node in my neck also enlarged, and I began to experience a loss of appetite. I have currently lost 5 pounds in one week. I also always feel dehydrated and in a fog. I went to an urgent care clinic and the doctor really just thought I was crazy from what I could tell.

I stopped taking doxycycline about 5 days ago and the fatigue is slowly letting go(very slowly). The blurred vision has cleared up a bit but still comes and goes. My mood is still very down and I can't help to still feel anxious and can't stop wondering if I have some deadly disease process going on. The heartburn and abdomen pains are also subsiding slowly(I feel a little better each day).

I'm glad I found this website. It's helped me not freak out as much about my symptoms(although I still have my moments). Since I started feeling bad I've convinced myself that I have heart attack symptoms, pulmonary embolism symptoms, symptoms of AIDS and symptoms of lymphoma. It's still hard to not feel like doomsday is upon me but reading that many of you have had similar feelings and side effects makes me feel a little better.

I just hope this clears up soon because I think as long as I feel pain, tired or anything off I will be anxious about it. I have fear of ending up on Mystery Diagnosis lol.

I have been through hell with this drug, well i'm sure it was this drug, I have had minor anxiety in the past, but the anxiety i had the day after taking this was off the scale, I couldn't sleep, eat, or function in my life at all. I started to become very depressed and go into despair. I even had suicidal thoughts which freaked me out and is not like me at all. I was even taken to A and E at hospital it was that bad. I finished on Sunday and seen a bit of improvement, I was not as anxious and irritable. Today it has came back a little, I seem to have some mental confusion and memory problems also. It has been a long dark road, and I entered some scary dark places that felt horrible. Im usually so upbeat and busy. It was so not like me. I took this medication for 11 days at 100mg twice a day. Like I said i finished on Sunday, I still feel very unreal (dreamworld) depressed at times, no appetite yet and struggling to relax.

How long will this take to pass? please help I feel im going crazy

I was on doxycycline for three weeks because the doctor believed I had Lyme disease due to the slight headache, mild fever, and aching joints that I was experiencing. I was fine for the first few days, but then I began to develop some unusual symptoms. The symptoms fluctuated day to day, but I was never free from one or more of these symptoms: severe headache, chills, night sweats, tingling in my arms, weakness in my legs, ear ache, numbness in my face (especially my eyes and lips), anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain in my eyes, and neck, and stiffness in my jaw. At the end of three weeks, I seemed to have more Lyme symptoms than before I began the medication. My Lyme test was negative, but with my continuing symptoms my doctor recommended that I take the medicine for ten more days, and retest for Lyme. The first day back on the medicine I was sicker than ever. I waited it out because the doctor insisted that it was the best thing to do. I finished the medicine, and the effects were less intense. My second Lyme test was negative. I am being tested for Fifth's disease (my son was ill with it just as I began to experience my swelling joints - a condition that can not be treated, uggh). I seem to get worse if I don't drink all day and night - a lot of water is needed, all the time. The effects also increase when I go to bed, recline on the couch, allow myself to become nervous about my condition, or over work myself through the day. I was at the pediatrician with my son yesterday, and mentioned my problem, wondering how long it could take to get the medicine out of my system. She told me it could be as long as a few months. It's been two weeks since I took my last pill.

Has anyone experienced tremors and anxiety from taking this medicine? I was in perfect health before a dental procedure turned bad made it necessary for me to receive this medicine. I have been done with it for a few weeks and feel like I am falling apart.

Until yesterday, I took 14 days of a 4 week prescription of 100 mg twice a day doxycycline for a tick bite rash. I rarely take any medication. The first week I just had mild side affects. Late in the second week I started to notice that I was becoming increasing anxious for no apparent reason. Even after hard exercise the anxiety seemed to be persistent as if an impending panic attack. Yet, I had no external reason to explain the anxiety.

After two additional days the anxiety seemed to keep ramping up and I began to get very dizzy when I moved suddenly or bent down to pick up items from the floor. The pressure behind my eyes also feel like it was increasing. I was afraid my blood pressure was spiking but in actuality it was probably either cranial pressure or simply an fight or flight anxiety response. I also experience some pretty vivid dreams.

I finally searched online and found no official symptom of anxiety for doxycycline but found people complaining about it unofficially. I spoke with my pharmacist who also said she had no listing of anxiety as a known symptom for the drug. She suggested I stop taking it and see if my symptom subside.

It has been 24 hours since my last dose and the anxiety has reduced substantially but not completely. I feel like I have a hang over today but otherwise I do feel an immediate improvement. I am still a little dizzy but not like yesterday.

Like all drugs, you should be very cognizant of how the drug affects your body - even if a physician tells you otherwise because only you can really tell and everyone has different bio-chemistry which reacts in different ways to different drug compounds.

started this 7 days ago for a prostate infection... I thought i've been going crazy this week until i saw this post..im having a horrible reaction to this stuff..although it does seem to help my prostate...it leaves the rest of me in bad shape. First off ive been getting lightheaded like every other day to the point as i think im have a panic attack but heart isn't racing...I've gotten diarrhea 3-5 times a day i go now...i had a bagel the other day for breakfast..it was the hardest thing to eat as i felt sick to my stomach and knew i had to eat something so forced it in..today i had a banana and some grapes and 15 minutes later was throwing it all up. I just called my doctor and asked for a change in antibiotics as this thing has lead me to believe there was something wrong with me although my doctor seems to think these side effects don't generally happen...i come here and see they happen EXACTLY how i have been feeling and just hope this doesn't last much longer in my system!

I can't even get up to go to church. I feel so weak and so sick. I have been off this awful stuff for 2 days and still feel so ill, I can't function. i just want to throw up. I have no support and no help whatsoever. How can this be happening. Will I make it through this horrific feeling. I can't do anything, not even eat. My whole body feels like someone has punched it all over. I don't know if I can hang in there. Please post, post, post.

My side effects are now going to be posted. severe to absolute mind boggling head aches, so bad couldn't even function. Burning eyes, depression. Racing heart, Panic attacks, insomnia. Burning skin especially on face around eyes, and i was given this awful drug, for my eyes. tired all the time. emotional to no end , and then again those constant headaches. I was given this nasty med to take for 2-3 months. Whatever. After finding this site, and coming to the conclusion that this deadly med has to be causing me so many problems, i am done and thinking about suing the drug company , that approved this.Please e-mail me at ****** I will give you ant information I get from all this. oh yes, lots more side effects, but we will start here.

Can anybody tell me how long this lasts? I've been off it for a week and still no relief. The drug should be out of my system now. Any feedback would be appreciated.

It seems that everyone is having similar symptoms. I have been on Doxy for about 14 days now and I'm feeling worse every day. I am on it because i had been bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease. I don't know much about the disease but it has me freaked out. I started taking the antibiotic 2 weeks after being bitten; losing my balance and almost falling to the ground. I also had a couple of dizzy spells after eating. I seemed to feel a little bit better the first week of taking it but started feeling the side effects. It started out with the occasional dizzy spell then came the exhaustion, anxiety, depression, lower back aches, soreness in the back of my eyes, stiff neck, headache in the back of my head, flu like shivers, racing heart, and complete body aches. I also found out the hard way not to go out into the sun while on Doxy. Felt like the tops of my hands were being pricked with a million needles and burning. I wish I could stop taking the drug and be done, but I am already scared about the outcome of the Lyme disease. I hope I can feel normal again soon.

I took this garbage for four days until I had to go to the ER for shortness of breath, chest pain, stomach pain, pins and needles sensation in limbs, hot flashes (felt like I had a fever) and blurry vision. The worst was the complete and utter mental breakdown, I became suicidal and had just horrible images coming through my brain.

It's been a week now and while the depression/suicidal thoughts have subsided, the anxiety, exhaustion, shortness of breath, and stomach pain remain. I'm curious how I can still have these horrible effects taking into consideration the half life of this drug. It should be out of my system now.

Any idea of how much longer this is going to last?

Today, I completed 10 days of taking 100 mg twice a day. It was prescribed to me by my dentist to prevent infection (took a tooth out). I had severe depression, nausea, dizziness, anxiety. I got to a point that I believed I needed psychological help. This is not me, so I begun research. Thanks to this site, I called my dentist and kaiser to told me to stop taking it since 10 is the maximum. The doctors do not believe it causes depression, but what do they know in my own personal experience with doctors with prescriptions they have put me through hell. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL...YOU WERE MY HELP...MY SANITY. GOD BLESS EVERYONE...I AM JUST HOPING NO MORE SIDE EFFECTS ON THE LONG RUN...AND TO BE BACK TO MY NORMAL POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC AND FUNNY SELF. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

This medication is deadly! I was prescribed 100mg twice a day for 2 weeks for a supposed pelvic infection (don't know yet if that's actually what I have - personally I don't think so). I took it for 6 and a half days (equals 13 pills) and when I found this website and read people's experiences I immediately quit. I experienced some mild nausea the first few days but didn't relate it to the Doxycycline. Then I noticed I was having more bowel movements than normal (5 in one day). I thought maybe I was eating too much fiber as I had increased my intact recently. Then on the 6th evening everything fell apart. I was panicking for no apparent reason; it was just washing over me in waves. My heart was racing and felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest. I barely slept that night because every time I drifted off I startled awake with my heart racing. My body felt weird but I don't know how to explain it; my feet were tingly. The next morning I got hit with diarrhea (I'm usually constipated). Then that whole day I was sobbing on and off throughout the day. I felt like I had hit rock bottom. I wanted to die but was trying to fight these thoughts. I thought I was going to go crazy and start screaming. That was yesterday. I did not take my evening dose then and today have not taken my morning dose and will never take it again. I managed to sleep during the night although my whole body was super tense. Today I am doing better already but am very nauseous. My stomach & back hurt a bit but I am not sure if it is because of the Doxycycline or not, because I have been having a lot of health problems lately. Looking back on the last week, I can see the other side effects I was having which included being really cold (which is totally unlike me and it's summer), occasional ringing in my ears, burning in my abdomen, mild headaches, dry lips, trembling, my face feels hot...I can't remember everything. The panic & depression was the worst. Don't take anti-anxiety meds or antidepressants to combat this. I have been on them and they make things worse -- withdrawal can take months and is hell-like. Just get off the Doxycycline.

WILL THESE SIDE EFFECTS EVER GO AWAY, I BEEN ON THE COUCH FOR 3 DAYS CANT EAT? ANXIETY IS HORRIBLE AND FEEL LIKE IM DYING...HAS ANYONE EVER FELT THIS WAY AND IF YOU DID PLEASE RESPOND AND LET ME KNOW IF MY MENTAL CLARITY WILL COME BACK JUST FEEL OUTTA IT AND READ WHAT OTHERS WERE SAYING BUT WOULD JUST LIKE SOME FEEDBACK..... THIS DRUG IS RIDICULOUS I SLEPT 9 HOURS AND I AM STILL TIRED..

I was taking doxycycline for a lesion on my face. I started to have tingling of my feet and fingers but did not associate it with the medication. I only used the doxycycline for two weeks. The tingling in my feet lasted for almost 5 weeks.

Several months later I went on Doxycycline because I thought I had lyme disease. After being on the Doxy for one week I started up with burning sensations of my hands and feet. Puffy, red hands...burning on different parts of my body. My Md said it was anxiety! An immunologist said it was peripheral nueropothy from drinking too much!!! I knew both diagnosis were bogis....then I started to research doxy and came upon this site...thank God. I finished the month of the Doxy. I have been off the med now for two months and the symptoms are finally starting to subside.
I can remember waking up one night and my entire chest felt like it was on fire. Wearing shoes was so painful that I wore slippers to work...I was a burning tingling mess and I am convinced it was the doxycyline.

okay so Im taking this cap, because im trying to get rid of an infection. The side affects are killing me slowly. um, this is the fifth day and the headaches, dizziness, being tired all the time. my eyes are loosing vision. I think i will stop... from reading all the other things i have read about this stupid drug.

me too. I am glad to hear I'm not alone. everyone else thinks i'm nuts. MY anxiety has been through the roof on this stuff ( i almost went to the er last night thinking I was having a heart attack, but decided it was a panic attack) I have been extremely light headed, dizzy and very jittery, my chest hurts. Im done with this crap.

Hello, PLEASE HELP

I've recently taken doxycycline for about a week. I have suffered anxiety,depression off this medication. I'm taking paxil also right now. Can someone PLEASE tell me how long before this stuff is out of my system?

Thank You!!

I'm so glad I found this site. I was prescribed doxy for a rash I got in the Dominican that they thought lead to some sort of infection. The first couple days were fine but one night I took the medication before bed and was up all night with the worst chest pains. I have been nervous ever since that when ever I take the pills I'm going to get the same reaction. I have had chest pains the past couple days and I've been really careful with what I take them with and have been making sure I drink at least two bottles of water with each pill. But today I feel so weak. The last week on the medication I've been so tired I want to take naps when I get home from work which is unusual for me. Today my head feels heavy and my leg feels like it's about to twitch but it doesn't. I've felt some tingling in my left leg and my left arm. I thought this was from whatever infection I had since the rash was on my left ankle, but I think it's from the doxy instead. I've also been feeling a dull pain in my thigh every once in a while. I normally have some anxiety but a couple days after I started the doxy I put myself into a panic and spent the entire day at work researching tropical diseases on the internet because I thought I had one from the rash. I've also had some shortness of breath. I have asthma but it feels nothing like that. Also the doxy made my birth control stop working and I started my period. I thought I just had bad cramps but I'm starting to think they were more stomach aches from the doxy. I've had diarrhea also. And I feel so light headed that I'm going to pass out but I don't. I'm definitely calling my doctor today to get a different antibiotic. Thanks everyone for your posts!

Please can anyone who has suffered anxiety/panic/depression/suicide on Doxy tell me how long after stopping taking it this went away???

DO NOT TAKE DOXYCYCLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY HISTORY OF DEPRESSION!!!

I do and doxy has sent me over the edge for about a month AFTER i stopped taking it.

I was given doxy by my doctor for a sinus infection for a week and stopped taking it just under a month ago. This past month has been absolute hell for me.

The day I stopped taking it I went from feeling fine into a 5 hour crying fit with suicidal thoughts in less than 30 minutes. During the fit I became convinced that this was how my life always is, that I was depressed, that I had always been depressed and that I needed anti depressant as I spend all my time crying. That was on 2nd Feb.

The next day I was shaky and felt very up and downy but went back to feeling normal pretty quickly and after I did some internet research on Doxycycline (the only change in my diet/lifestyle) assumed it was that. I read some pretty bad stuff on the internet about other people’s experiences which were very similar to the one I had had and I thought that must be it.

So I decided to drink lots of water and have been taking Milk Thistle to cleanse my liver.

Then this Saturday past I had exactly the same thing. I had another one of these 5 hour crying fits and more suicidal thoughts and I became convinced I was bipolar. This time was much worse in a lot of ways.

I felt it again felt like a panic attack and to me the change in my physiology was really noticeable. The noticeable dip in my mood – very sudden from feeling fine to feeling a little bit irritable and then withdrawn with some anxiety – and wanting to be reassured but also being a little aggressive in communication almost like trying to find a fight, then a change in breathing and heart rate and then plunge into dark thoughts and sobbing.

When I went to see the doctor on Monday my mood was still swinging up and down and I just felt crazy so I mentioend to him the doxy and he dismissed this without even asking a question about when or how much I'd taken.

I ask to be referred to a psychiatrist as I do get that I may have underlying issues and these mood swings were so bad and so strong and so by the time Wednesday came with my in and out moods I had convinced myself it was probably to do with my childhood and the difficult heart stuff and repressing how I really feel

Whilst I do have my fair share of childhood stuff and issues of the heart I think I’ve become so self aware and so careful with myself and I think I talk to my inner child so much and check that I am okay with things and I deal with things really well. so this has all come as a bit of nasty shock as I thought I was okay with everything. In fact I know I’m okay with everything as I write this.

But during these mood swings I am definitely not okay. I do not feel like myself. I become convinced that I have been lying to myself about being okay, that I have never been okay that I am mentally ill and that is why I am having mood swings and I start really analyzing everything and linking everything back to the past and trying to make links with things that are happening today and things that happened in the past. I haven’t had any change in my heart situation that this could be a reaction to, its remained the same for a number of months and I don’t have a problem with it but when I have this mood swing I blame that situation and my childhood together. I start wanting to blame people. I start thinking I have two personalities and I just start trying to find reasons and I have no idea what I feel, who I am or what I want, if I’m telling the truth of if I’ve ever told the truth. I start doubting everything and everyone. My head hurts, I get in a state of confusion and I become a little mean to people. I start trying to blame events and situations, anything I can find. It’s an absolute nightmare. Then I get confused about what I have and haven’t said and agitated that I need to say more to make myself understood. I might be stable for hours or even a day but it happens very suddenly and it’s a really physical sensation, first the dip in mood, the irritability, the breathing will change, I will feel anxious and can really feel my heart beating, like when you are really scared about something – that fight or flight feelings. I then get a really strong sense of insecurity and nervousness and will become really awkward at communication and almost aggressive and rude in my communications and then rueful.

The crazy thing is my mood is just absolutely all over the place in a way it has never ever been before, even in my days of deepest darkest moments when everything in life sucked and people were horrid to me. I don’t understand why I would, after all my years of learning how to deal with this and cope with this be even worse when my situation is so much better. It just doesn’t feel like its actually real. I don’t feel like anything I’ve said when I’ve been in these moods is actually a true reflection of how I feel when I am out of the swing.

Then I come back to feeling more like a version of myself but not quite and then I swing again very quickly and go from very hyper and laughing to almost the polar opposite in a very short space of time.

This is the first time in a week that I’ve felt like I am completely normal again. Right now I feel very calm and grounded and rational like I have been feeling for a very long time and I feel very clear in my head that I am completely fine and this is a reaction to some chemicals in my body affecting my mood rather than a psychological issue.

I am fully prepared for another full scale attack of mood swings and totally losing the plot again though.

I am lucky in that I have a good friend who called a doctor friend of his in the US and the first thing the doctor friend said when asked about Doxycline was 'don't tell me, you know someone who's had anxiety attacks and suicidal reactions'. According to this doctor this is VERY common and very well documented. There should be no lasting effects or permanent damage and now the doxy is out of my system I should not be experiencing these moods swings.

HOWEVER - he thins that because I have a history of depression due to my childhood issues the doxy has basically destabilised me and driven me to the edge again.

I did some really lengthy research because I really feel like this is a brain chemistry issue rather than a psychology issue and knowing I've dealt with everything and I just don't get why these issues would re-arise. I'm going to go get some therapy no matter what but I just wanted to know the brain chemistry.

Obviously if my GP doesnt even recognise that doxy can have this affect there is going to be no interest in helping me figure this out so I will figure it out myself.

From what I can understand Doxy decreases some amino acids in the brain which is important as simply put, amino acids get converted into neurotransmitters which play a critical role in your brain. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals which help your brain cells 'talk' to each other. Low levels of certain neurotransmitters have been associated with depression and anxiety.

I feel like I am 'back' from the Doxy but to be honest, I have no idea what it has done to my brain and I doubt there has been that much research into it...if so why on earth would they prescribe a drug that does this to people?
Particularly people who have a history of depression.

I am going to try taking amino acids to see if that helps - it can't hurt.

If anyone else is going through the same thing please get in touch and let me know!
This site totally helped me!! Thank you everyone who has posted on it. It really makes a huge difference to know that there are other people out there going through the same thing. I have felt like I am absolutely crazy! Thank you so much :-)

February 22nd
2009
My side effects (Charles Clark)
3:00pm

It started with diarrhea after a couple days treatment. Then my hand muscles starting to contract on there own. Then I started having high blood pressure up to 212/118 and high heart rate and anxiety beginning to set in. My wife wanted to take me to the hospital but I refused to go (I wish I had. They might have taken me off Doxy then, but no, I was still taking it). I then started having problems breathing (like something was stopping me. Not like hyperventilating). My wife called the doctor and she said to stop the Doxy and come in. At the visit, she gave me meds for high blood pressure and ordered a heart monitor and stress test as she believed my problem was more likely with my heart. I didn't start the blood pressure medications as I needed to have the tests done in a week and a half. I had a panic attack before the stress test. There was a patient there who stated her granddaughter had developed panic attacks after she had taken Doxy for Lymes disease. What a coincidence. That weekend my blood pressure and anxiety increased and my wife called the doctor. They convinced me to start the blood pressure medicine as all of this might be caused by High Blood Pressure. I returned to the doctor 4 days later and she took more blood work as well as tested for Lymes disease again. Everything was normal and NO lymes disease. So what was causing all of these problems. That night when I came home from the Doctors I started feeling like someone just sprayed me like you spray a wasp/bee. I started to shake and twitch inside like I was dying I could feel my stomach convulsing and getting cold. Now at this point I had been off Doxycycline for a few days. My wife called the doctors emergency line and they called in a prescription for Xanex. I took it and it put be out. I woke up the next day feeling like I was on a bad rollercoaster ride going over the edge and trying to climbing out of my skin. I was unable to even take care of myself at this point. I started getting muscle twitches all over my body. I could not control my thoughts and had a hard time talking; my skin was so hypersensitive to the touch or movement. The only way I could deal with it was just lay down and not move. I felt like was going to die. More symptoms came: my middle finger on my left hand went numb; I was so nauseated I had a hard time eating; depression set in with sever panic attacks/anxiety, ears ringing, slight pain in my chest like I was having a heart attack and was becoming bed ridden and afraid of everything at this point. That next week I returned to the doctor and she noted how it seemed a struggle for me to walk into the office. She felt that I should begin meds to decrease the anxiety that was paralyzing me. She suggested seeing a psychiatrist and stated that if I got worse my wife should take me to the emergency and be admitted to the mental health program. So I began to take Paxil as well (I hate medications, but I was desperate). I was terrified that I might have side affects from these meds and I couldn't be alone and I was afraid to go anywhere, afraid I would have an attack or worse, stop breathing all together. I was terrified and my family was getting very worried about me and unsure what to do. Thanks to my best friend, my wife, and my family for taking care of me. If it were not for them, I would not know what to do. My dear mom even came in from Virginia to help take care of me. I can not express my thanks enough to my family! I have been off the drug now for almost seven weeks now and all my side effects are slowly, very slowly, dissipating. How come the Doctors don't know about this? Thank GOD for this site and the ones that took the time to post there experience with this drug! THANKS EVERYONE GOD BLESS YOU!

P.S. please reply on what you did to get rid of the side effects, how long did it take for them to go away and did your Doctor believe that the Doxycycline caused them. because I can't find a Doctor that thinks the Doxycycline can have these side effects.

Thank God for you all that posted! :) I don't feel all alone. I'm usually a healthy, strong guy that rarely complains. I've been on a 100mg 2x a day dose of doxy. The first week was ok. just minor stomach nausea. Then i noticed chest tightness, mood changes ( and on the norm im a really passive guy, in a good mood) dizziness, very scary panic attacks(mind racing with negative thoughts), headaches.. Its my 2nd day off of it. Still feeling nausea.. sharp abdomen pains, in and out of depression. I truly hope this thing goes away asap. Never again will i take this med. Very scary times.

I have taken an oral form of Doxycycline daily for at least a year.
Before, I thought such symptoms were relevant to a fluctuation of bodily chemicals during pubescent growth.
I am now sure otherwise.
During the time between when I was prescribed and today, I would never have known that these things were side effects of an antibiotic.
I'd wake up every morning, take a shower, and feel like I'd vomit if I kept standing. I laid down on my bed and realized I felt way too hot. I'd take off my shirt and lay down in front of my floor fan.......Now, every morning after I take a shower, I stand out in my back patio, 45 degrees, in only my boxers--completely comfortable for as long as whenever.
I have terrible sleep.
I stay up at night thinking too much about almost nothing.
Overwhelming self-conscious thoughts.
Overwhelming.
Sometimes I feel like I have to do simple things manually, instead such movements occurring normally, like auto-pilot.
Walking. A majority of the time I walk, its like my first steps:
bring left knee forward, put left heel down, bring right knee forward.....
Blinking.
Concentration.
Anxiety, paranoia, you name it--
I developed a smoking habit that numbed out all the stress.
I am not quite sure if I was addicted other the occasional crave of a cigarette, but...
Look,
every now and then, because my doxycycline came in the mail, I would have a week or two without it.
I think, antibiotic, right? Doesn't matter right? just like a Vitamin? just take it and whooosh its all good, it does what it does, helps my acne whatever--
during those periods without it, I felt distinguishibly happy and calm and I didn't even crave cigarettes.

As of now, I realize that those were not loony mood swings, and, a multitude of people suffer and have suffered from doxycycline.

I was prescribed Doxycycline Hyclate 100m for acne on January 20th 2009. Then, on February 6th, I took the medication at 11:00 only to wake up at 11:40pm with severe chest pains. I have never had anything wrong with me heath wise and the first thing that popped into my mind was the medicine. I went to the doctors the next day because the pain had become so severe and i could not eat or drink anything (even water) without feeling a sudden sharp pain. They did an x-ray and found nothing wrong. I was told it was probably anxiety and this medicine had nothing to do with the chest pains. I
went ahead and took it again last night only to still have chest pains so i decided to do research on this medicine and came to this where i found posts in which similar things were experienced upon taking the medication. I have just stopped taking the medication today and am hoping for the pains to go away.

I was on Doxy for about a week, and everything seemed ok. I was getting a little sick of the uncomfortable feeling from the prostatitis, but everything seemed ok. During that time, I started taking Celexa for obsessive tendencies and general anxiety. That seemed not to work at all because of side effects, and I quit after one dose. However, as the days wore on, the symptoms of nausea and diarrhea set in, and that triggered major, debilitating panic attacks. I called a pharmacist thinking it was Celexa, and she said it was the Doxy, though she said the panic was something else. I quit it, but is am in a tailspin. The panic, which triggered after the nausea, is still around and seemingly worse. I don't even know how I made it through work today. I am really hoping I am reacting to the things others are experiencing on this site because this is as scary as anything I have ever encountered.

Well, ive been off the doxy for about 5 days now, and im still experiencing the side effects, noticeably, the depression...and weakness....and still don't have a strong appetite. From what im reading, it will take several weeks for these symptoms to go away....I told my doctor about the side effects, and he did not at all seem concerned or surprised, except to say that he would not put me on doxy anymore....i will never take this drug again....thank heavens for this site, because I at least I know what all this is caused by. Just a quick recap of all the side effects I have suffered....Ringing in the ears, loss of appetite, major gas, weight loss, depression, headaches, lethargy, loose stool, chest pains, back pains, and burning eyes.

Thank you so much for this site and your posts. I am on my 4th day of doxy. and I had a panic attack today and anxiety--I was doing fine until now. I would consider myself a calm person so this caught me out of the blue. I called the pharmacist who thought I was nuts, I'm sure. She said it was not a side effect of the drug!! I also noticed some nerve pain over my body. But my infection is lots better so I don't want to stop, but I don't want to have panic, either or get sicker.

I also get the stomach queasiness when taking a dose and always eat a slice of bread with it. I have noticed a worsening of reflux and I make sure to sit upright for at least an hour after taking the medication.

Man oh man. This is the worst experience of my life to this date. I'm 20 years old. An awesome person in my own opinion, but really just fell off the cliff. I just wrote an entire page of how I have been feeling lately to my mother and father with no intentions of giving it to them. Its basically explaining that if I do not wake up tomorrow that its because of this drug (doxy). It has made me so depressed that I cannot bare it any longer and I refuse to take any more of this. I can handle depression but actually sitting here and physically writing a letter is not something I would every do healthy.

I feel exhausted and I don't want to do anything. my stomach is fine but I have gotten sores on my tongue and a blister. I thought I may had picked up an STD from the only girl I have ever been with for my first time about 2 1/2 months ago but everything came back negative after I had already been taking the drug for 5 days. Now I have no clue whats wrong with me and this drug isn't curing my symptoms, its only adding on and making me feel terrible. I do not fear of doing anything to myself but I cant get over the fact that Im going to spontaneously pass in my sleep or something messed up. In fact writing this entire thing is completely unlike me. Depression is a powerful thing.

I will cause no harm to myself, but I think that anyone less educated about depression would. I really feel like if I didn't know everything was normal I would be ready for something to end my life. So I hope other people who are as severely depressed as I am will read this an know that its not the end and you just have to sort everything out.

Thanks to all of you people now I know that there is nothing wrong with me and its just doxycycline. And I feel a lot less anxiety and panic attacks. :)

I took tetracycline for 10 days (it had been prescribed for 30 days for emergency oral surgery...I had cracked a molar and it had to be extracted)

On the tenth day I was ready to die from the progressive side effects that were completetly intolerable.....I thought I was going to die and the fear was so unreal that I thought I was possessed by the devil or some evil force that was going to kill me and my family....it was horrific!!

Taking an anti-anxiety med Ativan helped but I also made the decision to stop taking the anti-biotic tetracycline...within 24 hours I felt fine....the racing thoughts, the heat, the chest pains and blinding fear were suddenly gone....I know now that this drug is not good for me and have asked the doctor for another antibiotic.....

If anyone experiences these symptoms stop taking this drug immediately....I took it for ten days and I wished I would have stopped sooner....

I especially don't recommend Tetracyline or any of its similarly-based antibiotics for anyone who suffers from depression or anxiety....

I hope my experience can help others understand the adverse side effects of this drug.

I took Doxy for about 2 weeks as a remedy for a bump on my eyelid. This first exposure to Doxy seemed only to cause a little skin sensitivity and burning in my fingers, no big deal.

When my eye problem didn't go away, my eye doctor prescribed Doxy for a second time a month later. This time my side effects were much different. Within a couple hours of taking my first pill I felt a bit off, I felt anxious and unsettled. I Continued on the medication for a total of five days. During this time my side effects progressively worsened. The first few days I had very abstract thoughts, and began feeling strangely claustrophobic. By day three I was beginning to feel paranoid and fearful over just simple everyday things. Day five is when it all hit the fan. I started having difficulty breathing and feeling extreme tightness in my chest. My feelings of claustrophobia had also worsened to the point where I began having panic attacks, like I was trapped inside my own body. It was at this point I made a desperate attempt to search the internet for a possible cause, in hopes it might be the Doxy medication I was on. I was somewhat relieved to find this website and read that others had similar symptoms, maybe I wasn't losing my mind. I immediately quit taking the medication, but unfortunately the symptoms didn't go away for several more days. That night I was unable to sleep, I had mild nausea, and would wake up in the middle of the night in a panic and would shake uncontrollably. Lovely huh. It gets worse. I began to feel extreme fear and paranoia like I was going to die, or lose my kids and family. I began to feel if this didn't go away, I would not be able to go on. Thank God it did, and by day eight the extreme thoughts began to subside. I continued to have the breathing difficulty and mild depression for several days after, but the worst was over. Within a month I was back to normal.

I write this as a warning to those who are taking this med and feel anything close to this... stop taking it! I am a healthy, normal, 40 year old male, that has no history of mental issues, other than a "blue" day from time to time, and within six days I was entertaining thoughts of suicide. The psychological side effects of this drug NEED to be addressed. This is very serious stuff!!!!!!! Though it may be a small percentage of people that are susceptible, for those who are, it is a deep dark hole.

Hi there - can anyone tell me of any suicides or attempted suicides by people taking this drug. We have just had this happen to a family member and the anxiety/depression symptoms mentioned by many seem to fit his symptoms. He was on Doxy for over 12 months as anti malaria medication

He went from a very capable fit man to a complete wreck.

I have been having many of the same symptoms while taking Doxycycline for Rosacea. Sweating excessively during the day and night sweats. Aching stomach whether taken on empty stomach or with food. Tightness in chest and feeling of anxiety and very emotional. I think it's the Doxy, I have been tested for hyperthyroid, because the symptoms are similar. This med. makes me feel like I'm going crazy. Has anyone stopped and how long does it take for all symptoms to go away. Has anyone switched to Tetracycline and had no side effects.

I took this medication as a malarial prevention whilst traveling through India.
Never EVER again. My boyfriend had suffered from depression in the past and we had heard bad things about Larium in relation to anxiety and insomnia so we specifically asked our doctor for the malarial tablets with the least amount of side effects associated with that kind of stuff. He reassured us that there was no record of Doxcycline ever having caused those sorts of effects.
So off we went- we followed the instructions exactly and began our trip.
A week or so into India I began to notice shortness of breath and stomach pain- I put it down to typical India travelers upset and thought no more about it. A bit later I began to suffer moments of anxiety that were really out of character ( I've never suffered from anxiety or depression). I'm very well traveled ( I work in the travel industry and have traveled extensively in the Americas, Africa, Australasia and se Asia) and so although this was my first trip to India- i knew my anxiety had nothing to do with India itself. ( people kept telling me this but I loved India)
It came to a head on a overnight bus from Goa to Hampi- I was feeling really anxious, sweating and clammy, I couldn't sleep and my breathing was really tight. Eventually I had a full blown panic attack that was almost like a out of body experience- I couldn't see and I couldn't breath. The whole bus had to stop ( embarrassing!) at 3am in the morning. Eventually I managed to get back on and make it to the next town ( although not as far as Hampi) so we could take stock.
I was petrified and had no idea whatsoever what was going on. It never occurred to me it could be the malaria tablets as we had been so clear and our doctor so confident they didn't have these kinds of side effects.
I was worried about being on buses, trains even planes again since I didn't know what caused the attacks and I was terrified another one would happen. I had no valium or any other sort of thing that might have helped. In the end we had to cut our trip short and make it back to Mumbai - In Mumbai I suffered from another two panic attacks- one where I could see the walls closing in in our cheap hotel room. Shortness of breath, tightness all through my body, hysteria, blurry vision - it was awful! And also this ongoing pain and upset in my stomach.
I ended up cutting short a RTW trip that my boyfriend and I had been saving for for over a year and coming home to Australia 2 months early.
It was devastating and I still had no idea what was causing it. Finally a friend said her doctor had mentioned sleeplessness and anxiety as a rare side effect of this drug when she was taking it for some problems to do with vaginal bleeding and spotting. I started searching on the internet and was amazed to find loads of sights with people experiencing heaps of the side effects that I'd been told were never a problem with this drug!
Obviously Malaria is really serious but if I had been properly informed I could have made the decision to come off the drugs and look at alternate medication. For now - Im taking the risk of no malaria tablets at all for my next couple of trips (to Borneo- so not a major risk anyway) and will actually research much harder before taking anything again!

I have to take Doxy for 2 weeks twice a day. I have all the same side effects as everyone has listed here... very down and depressed, itchy pimple rash all over legs, face, neck, chest and back of shoulders, cold sores, severe headache, bloating, stomach pain, tiredness, lack of interest in anything, dry mouth, tingling toes and anxiety. Can't wait to finish the course, but am disappointed to read that the side effects carry on after stopping, does anyone know how long it takes for them to subside?

I didn't realize how many problems this med has caused for other people as well. I've been on Minocin for acne and Cipro for prostates in the past and never had any major side effects until taking Doxycycline. I've been on it for two weeks and have two more left for a prostate infection. My latest is an aching pain in my lower legs and tingling in my feet and toes. My main advice for this med would be 1) Take with a decent sized meal and 2) DO NOT lie down for at least one hour after taking or it could irritate your esophagus. I took it before bed the first couple of days and had some bad heartburn for a couple of days but it is gone for the most part now. I've also had the tightness in the face, throat, and chest. My advice there is to relax and take some deep breaths to eliminate any anxiety that could make it worse. If it doesn't go away or gets worse and you have trouble breathing or anything like that you may be having an allergic reaction. I'm definitely going to have a talk with my doctor for not warning me about all of these side effects before putting me on this crap for a month.

I have been on Doxycycline for about a year now, and have had side effects.

I have had hot flushes, abdominal pain, chest pain, extreme mood swings, anxiety, depression which lasted a few days at a time and have felt dizzy and exhausted alot (I had never gotten these symptoms before taking the anti-biotic). I didn't get any side-effects while starting doxy, but about 2 weeks after, they began. My symptoms are becoming worse, as well as waking up with a headache for the past 2 weeks everyday. My Dr says it's perfectly fine for me to continue, but the side effects are becoming too much.

Also, i take my doxy before bed, and not necessarily after eating, and they go down perfectly fine! I have no problems with it through the night. I take it in conjunction with my pill, and all is well.

After having a break from Doxy (I've had a 2 week break about twice in the year I have been on them), I have gotten a severe flu, which has had me in bed for about 4 weeks at a time.

But my acne has cleared immensely, everyone comments how clear my skin is now. In my opinion, it's worth the side-effects. My confidence has improved so much!

This is odd to read all of these. I'm getting the exact opposite effects. I have a mood disorder which consists of depression and anxiety. I take 5mg Lexapro antidepressant for this. In the past 4 days I've been taking 200mg daily Doxycycline for sinusitis and noticed that I do not feel at all sleepy by bedtime. I notice that I am energetic, a bit too much, during the day, and food does not taste and smell like it usually does. I feel a bit too energetic and even a glass of wine in the evening doesn't seem to help me relax.

I can take this medicine on an empty stomach with no problems. I just noticed that I have lots of energy. I can't complain, as I'm only going to be taking this antibiotic for ten days. I usually have to take a nap in the afternoons on many days. Not anymore.

I'm being treated with doxycycline for chlamydia, I'm experiencing rashes, upset stomach,and anxiety (increased heart rate). I believe the rashes is related but has not been mentioned on side effects but the stomach aches and anxiety I beleive are common. I have sensitive skin so anyone with sensitive skin should be alert and aware of the temptation to itch.

I was placed on Doxycylcine for Epididymitis, which is an inflammation or infection of the epididymis, a convoluted duct that lies on the posterior surface of the testicle. I took Doxycycline for one week. 100 mg twice daily. I ate a meal with every pill. I did not experience nausea or vomiting like I see many did. I did however have fatigue, loss of appetite, diarreha, increased anxiety (I have anxiety and panic attacks), depression, agitation, pains shooting down the back of my quadriceps, abdominal pain and some acid reflux type symptoms towards the 4 th day of taking this drug. It has been a little over a week since I finsihed this drug and I am still having pains down my right leg in in different places, when I sit or lay down is when it is most painful. The doctor can only describe it as a possible slipped disc. How? I was bed ridden for a week! The pain in my leg is not severe but very annoying! Like others here my doctor says that he does not see how Doxcycline could cause this. I will never take this drug again! I will from now on request Zithromax. I have had to use Zithromax quite a few times in my life and have had no problems with it.

I started taking this med for treatment of acne. Doxycycline 100 MG twice daily. Within 4 days, I started experiencing chest pain, arm and back pain, palpitations, dizzieness, weakness in the legs and arms, diarrea, pain in the eyelids. I thought i was dying! I followed all of the instructions from the pharmacist and the doctor, and it still happened. They tried to tell me it was a problem with anxiety since it runs in my family. After finding this site, i think differently. I think anxiety might be a part of it, but not what caused it, i will never take tetracycline based products again, and will never recommend them to anyone.

I had taken doxycycline for malaria prevention . After taking it for 3 weeks, I started feeling sick. I was getting dizzy spells and a constant cloudiness in my head. I also experienced anxiety and panic attacks. I felt it difficult to concentrate and was very sensitive to noises.There were days that I couldnt function and just wanted to sleep all the time.I stopped taking it 10 days and am starting to feel better only now. My advice to anyone taken doxycycline is to STOP it immediately. I have spent loads of money trying to find out what was wrong with me