July 28th
2009
6:47 PM
I'm 16 and I was prescribed Doryx (doxycycline hyclate) about a month ago to treat moderate acne. I've been taking it since then and I'm supposed to be on it until September, however, I'm not sure if I'm going to last that long if I keep taking it.
While I didn't experience any side effects for about the first week, after that, it turned terrible. I experienced insomnia, which included not being able to fall asleep, waking up about 5-10 times a night (often being unbearably hot and sweating intensely, even thought it was a cool 70 degrees F in our house.), and to make it worse, i was up for about half an hour each time i woke up. And to make it worse, I was always tired through the day, but I still couldn't sleep.
While sleeping I had very vivid dreams which is unusual for me. I also had pretty bad stomach pain, and terrible pain in my kidneys for a few days. It felt almost like a kidney stone.
I also am very rarely hungry and almost get sick when i eat. Since on this medication a month ago, I've lost about 10 pounds just because I can't eat.
I've had a difference in mood as well. Most of the time, I'm happy, but now, I have very noticeable mood swings and periods of depression.
And the medicine ISN'T EVEN HELPING with my acne.
Oh, and these are only SOME of the side effects I've had. So, right now, I'm not sure if i should quit the medicine, or if the medicine will put an end to me first.
-- By doxyisdeath | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
July 12th
2009
11:27 PM
I've been on doxy for about 10 days. I've never had problems with "photosensitivty" when it had been listed as a side effect on other medications. Totally disregarded the warning. I was put on it for some problems that might arise with acne due to a hormonal injection. I was going to the Florida keys in a few days and thought I should go to a tanning bed to get a little color so I wouldn't burn down in the Keys. Within a couple of days my hands began to tingle, burn with warm water, freeze with cool water. It was like my skin was burnt off and my nerve endings were exposed to the elements. While in Florida with my feet and hands in bandages to keep the heat/sun from causing pain I noticed blistering and still have them. I thought I had shingles, even though I had it on both sides of my body! Had an increased heart rate and 2t pitting edema in my feet and calves when flying home and increased itching on feet and hands. Very nervous at this point! I massaged my calves to increase the flow back towards my heart and it seemed to help. I am also experiencing GiI problems as well, severe heartburn and bloating. My son said I looked like I was pregnant! I can't wait to talk to my Dr. tomorrow and will stop taking this medicine. Thanks to all of you for your information. I'm relieved to find out what is causing all of this. I only hope my symptoms will go away sooner than later!
-- By dgallinatt | Reply | Private Message me
July 9th
2009
6:43 PM
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.
-- By ratkos | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
July 1th
2009
10:30 AM
Depression is not the word ....if this stuff was biblical, it would be the devil.
i have never felt like life didn't matter, i have never felt like i wanted to give up, but over the last few days i have, and i know it is a direct result of doxycycline. I stopped taking yesterday (had for lyme dis).
sever headaches, nausea, chest pain, panic attacks, etc....
NO WONDER THIS IS A FREE PRESCRIPT....they get you on your second visit after your doc prescribes zoloft or something for you.
-- By joseph1915 | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
May 24th
2009
12:44 AM
Damn! What don't they prescribe this for?!?!
I was just discharged from the hospital today and was given doxy thru an iv for 7 days, and was given a prescription for another 10. After a few days on doxy i became depressed. I started crying earlier and im not even sure why. Ive also been experiencing weird feelings in my chest, slightly warm with a little pressure sometimes. I feel weak and tired all the time. hot then cold within minutes without a change in tempt in the room. upset stomach and the list goes on. Ive lost my appetite completely, eating feels like such a chore. Doxy is such a pain in the ass!!! Im glad i found this website though..I thought I was going crazy!
May 12th
2009
11:43 AM
I was prescribed Doxy 100mg twice daily for 14d for a Mycoplasma pneumonia. Day 6 I started to get a bit dizzy and some changes in my vision, sort of having a hard time to focus but I just though it was symptoms of fatigue or just being hypochonric. From day 8 I started to get really depressed and felt that I was going to die and that everyone was leaving me. On day 10 I also started to get anxiety attacks and had extreme difficulties to concentrate on anything. By this time I also got tremor, weakness and tingling in my arms and severe neck pain. Throughout this time I was aware of the risk for benign intracranial hypertension, but I didn't get any headache or nausea until d 16, i.e. 2 days after I stopped the medication. I never had fever. I then dropped 6 pounds in a week and had a hard time eating. It is now 6 weeks since I stopped taking the medication. My pneumonia is totally gone. The depression/anxiety is almost gone although some social withdrawal and lack of initiative still remains. It's still a bit up and down but much better. My neck pain is still there but is also getting better and I only have minor tremor in my arms. The visual changes still persist but every now and then I feel like my old self again for a few hours/day. The whole episode have been, and still are, the worst experience of my life. I keep my fingers crossed that it will all go away over the next few weeks.
-- By nomoredoxyforme | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
April 28th
2009
9:19 AM
I was on Doxy for a few days. Then decided to look up if this drug could cause depression.....well. I see it has caused emotional and psychological trouble for others. This is my answer for sure. I woke up with fast heart beats in middle of night. then morning was calling hubby upset thinking what I would do if something happen to him. That is so not like me.
I have stopped the med for few days now and feel my good old self. It that tick got me well it is what it is. thanks for all who shared it has been a great help to me. I hope others think to look for this site if they are not feeling their self while taking this med.
-- By yoon | Reply | Private Message me
April 12th
2009
8:47 PM
I was prescribed doxycycline on Saturday and immediately filled it and took the first dose. It helped with my infection but I started having problems by my evening dose on Wednesday. I took it with a small amount of water and lounged around for a half hour or so before getting ready for bed. I woke up about 2 hours later with horrible burning pain in my chest like the pill was stuck. I grabbed a water bottle and drank it down. It felt a little better and I went to sleep. On Thursday the pain was very uncomfortable and I had difficulty eating and swallowing. I went to the store and got antacides with no relief. I was careful for the next few days but I am having a lot of trouble swallowing and now a burning sensation between my shoulders. I went to the doctor today because of the pain. I felt it was due to not enough water when taking it and not sitting up straight for a half hour. She gave me a GI cocktail and sent me on my way with a prescription for pepcid. I just read some postings but I took my pill about a half hour ago. I wish I would have read this first and stopped taking it. It is amazing to me that our professionals are clueless about the relationship between the symptoms and the antibiotic. I to can only hope for no long term permanent problems. I will give it a few days and see how I feel after stopping it.
-- By adgomme | Reply | Private Message me
March 12th
2009
7:52 PM
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!!
-- By greekboy | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
March 9th
2009
10:40 AM
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!
-- By brooklynnv | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message me
November 28th
2008
3:35 PM
It feels so great to have seen that other people are experiencing the same unlisted side effects. I am on 100mg of doxy twice a day for 20 weeks. I've only been taking it a few days but holy crap. I have been so depressed lately. All I do is cry. And I can't explain why or what I'm thinking that triggers it. I do have things in my life going on that are upsetting me, but nothing that should get me to this point. I have random thoughts of suicide, which is getting me even more down. I have always been such a fun loving, care free person. But now everyone is always asking what's wrong me. I didn't suspect the drug, but getting off and calling my derm ASAP. Other than the depression I've spent a few days throwing up after taking the antibiotic, but I hadn't had too much to eat that day.
-- By jenmarie727 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
October 22th
2008
7:51 AM
Is this normal, I have been on Doxycycline for 5 days for a urinary tract infection and from day one i had a sore throat with swollen glands, extreme anxiety and feeling pretty ill, yes it has helped my infection a lot but I have now developed very bad pains in my chest like extreme indigestion and finding it hard to swallow anything, even water, without it hurting??
Im thinking about talking to the Doctor Im feeling pretty rough at the moment and not too sure whether this is normal or not!!
-- By mikeystan01 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
September 30th
2008
9:48 PM
I have a pretty severe form of cystic acne which I had a 9-month treatment for when i was 16. It went away completely after a course of accutane up until about 5 months ago when i started smoking cigarettes for the first time. within a few days, i had full blown acne again around my mouth. i'm 23 and its been literally six years of perfect skin i didn't even have to think about. i didn't realize it was the smoking until a month and a half ago. so i stopped, and the acne cut down drastically but not completely, so i went to the dermatologist for medication.
i was given doxycycline, 100mg twice a day. ive been taking it for a month and my skin is back to perfect however I feel like i'm forever feverish, i get extremely nauseated if i don't even enough to eat when i take it, and i get insane hot flashes within 30 mins of taking it. i'm basically sweating nonstop all day long everyday. i want to stop taking it but i don't want the acne to return. i cut down to one pill a day and already see some acne returning. i'm so glad i found this site -- none of the side effects ive seen listed include hot flashes or constant sweating. i also have pretty intense lower back pains
-- By letterex | Reply | Private Message me
July 26th
2008
2:13 AM
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!
June 11th
2008
5:57 AM
Finally after a whole week of not eating because of the pain swallowing and the burning in my chest, I am able to eat again! Doctor gave me Omeprozole, 20mgs a day which calms acid, and it seems to be kicking in. They diagnosed Esophagitis, caused by the Doxycycline. I will never take anything again without reading the leaflet and considering alternative more natural remedies!!! Just wanted reassure anyone having problems after taking this - you will be able to eat and swallow it will take a good few days. I took advice to try take down only soft, gentle foods (was all I could do to eat a mouthful of mashed potato or scrambled eggs) and I drank lots of water. Thanks to everyone who showed support via this webpage. : )
-- By louise1809 | Reply | Private Message me
May 23th
2008
11:15 AM
I had to take Doxycycline for 3 weeks last August when a tick bite I had developed the classic "bulls eye"... a sign of Lyme disease. Everything went well for the first 10 days then I started getting kind of nervous and couldn't sleep well at night. I was constantly starving, really ravenous and had to eat constantly otherwise the nausea got worse. I was glad when I was finally able to stop taking the meds, BUT then after 24 hours I became depressed and really fuzzy in my head and disoriented. This lasted for another 2-4 days. I'm feeling much better now, but I have noticed that I'm just a lot more sensitive to other stimulants...coffee, sugar, alcohol, chocolate. I know I have a few other allergies, hay fever, food allergies etc. I was just wondering, does anyone else out there who has had a negative reaction to doxy have any other allergies or intolerances, or asthma? How much sugar, either in the form of sweets or alcohol do you usually consume? Daily, weekly, monthly...none at all? Feedback would be greatly appreciated. I would like to get to the root of this problem.
-- By webmom2000 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
April 25th
2008
7:07 PM
I have been on Doxy now for about 6 weeks for a couple chronic infections. I have noticed it does make me sick to my stomach when I take it on an empty stomach. Well, about three days ago I started to feel like maybe I was having heartburn but it was a different feeling. I felt like I had food stuck in my esophagus and it hurt right at the end about where the breast bone ends and up in my throat. I felt like it was spasming and the pain would refer to my jaw. I have never had heartburn much and certainly nothing like this. I hurt all day long and the pain was worse when I ate or drank. Of course I was freaking out until I saw on this site that Doxy can cause damage and apparently a lot of pain. I think it was my fault though because I didn't always take it with a full glass of water and I often took it right before I went to bed and sometimes while I was still in bed. No one told me not to lay down after taking it or anything. The only info i got was a little explanation that it can cause an upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting so take it with some food if that occurs. Well, i would definitely recommend taking it with some food an apple or something and not before you go to bed, and drink a lot of water with it!!!
I have a Dr. apt next week but I am going to try not taking it for a few days to see if the pain lessens.
April 12th
2008
3:21 AM
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!
-- By pmatilda | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 26th
2009
8:19 PM
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.
-- By lyndyb | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me