Doxycycline Hyclate and headaches

Am on my second 3-week course of doxycycline for Lyme disease since the first go round didn't eradicate the infection. Have all the classic side effects mentioned, however the stomach ailments are GREATLY alleviated by taking a strong (70 billion parts per capsule) probiotic. Take it half way between the 2 doxycycline doses and although it isn't magic it does make a difference.
Although I have no appetite, I try to graze lightly on foods that appeal to me throughout the day and that seems to help with many of the horrific side effects.
Also, my MD suggested I take Aleve and NOT Ibuprofen for headaches since the Ibuprofen can cause a "headache" kickback (and causes stomach pain). Don't know if that's true, but the Aleve seems to help a little.
Worst side effects for me are utter exhaustion, dizziness, stomach pain, sore throat, and a head that hurts feels like it is filled with wet cotton. Also heart palpitations which may be part of the Lyme disease.
Hope some of this helps.

I'm taking Doxycycline 100mg 5x/day. Started a little over 2 weeks ago for Chronic Lyme. I have a 4 month course to complete.
In the past 14 years after that tick got me I was the living dead, those with Chronic Lyme know what I mean. I have virtually the same side effects as everyone else here and wonder if it even matters how much you take a day. A lot of you have the same doses (100mg 2x/day) and the same degree of side effects as I do. My side effects are headaches or a pain in my right temple whenever I cough, severe itching EVERYWHERE, blisters on my hands from itching, burns on my skin wherever the sun shines on me (I live in Florida), vomiting daily some days worse than others, mood swings, crying for nothing, nausea almost constantly, gassy (both ends), I have a bladder infection that started 2 days ago that after reading this can be attributed to the Doxy, asthma symptoms are getting out of hand, I also have this odd swelling/pain over my liver/gall bladder area that's been coming and going, ears ring, noise bothers me and actually starts a headache, diarrhea the first week and constipation the second week, skin feels tight and there's noticeable swelling all over.

With that said I want to say that yes this is not one of the more pleasant drugs to be on however in my case if I don't get these bugs out of me I am going to die so would rather deal with side effects knowing these bugs are being killed and I will be off them someday unlike the Lyme I will have for eternity. Lyme people and other chronically ill people on these meds say this is called "herxing" and this comes and goes also. You feel really bad and then you feel good, then bad and then good again and so on. I started out on this drug keeping in mind that any sikness/side effect was telling me those bugs are dying so in a sense I almost welcome them.

Good luck everyone:)

I am 19 year old male and was diagnosed with Epididymitis a couple of weeks ago. Prescribed 100mg Doxycycline HYC TB--taken twice daily for 10 days. Aside from the nausea and headaches, I have recently realized a tingling in my right calf. It has probably been feeling this way for about a week now. It feels numb and while there is no actual pain, it is quite uncomfortable
In addition, I recently developed a lump right under my right nipple. It's probably about an inch in diameter and feels as if it's a cyst.
Plus, Im not convinced my Epididymitis has totally gone away. There is still some very minor discomfort in that area.
Any similar side effects?

wow and I thought it was just me.
I have been on doxycycline for 6 days and talk about nausea, headaches, tightness in the chest and throat I am also contending with sore limbs almost flu like, also lots pf frothy mucus and a racing heart.
I have severe reflux normally but this drug is making it a nightmare.
depression is normal for me but now I am worried that is going to get worse.

After 3 days of doxy I had chest and back pain...2 days later extreme headaches on right side of head. My husband told me he thought it was the doxy, but at first I thought it had to do with the medical procedure I had. I went to the emergency room(i thought i was having a clot or something) and they just said it was a combination of everything I had been thru. I now don't believe that. I have had a lot of problems with headaches before, but when I get a severe headache is usually when I wake up tired. I have woken up completely rested and still severe headache. Doctor thought it also could be rebound from benadryl which i don't believe. I also have had some itching here and there(thought i was allergic to a new soap). I have been off the med for a week and still having a problem with this weird headache. When is it going to stop????

I was prescribed doxycycline for bronchitis/pneumonia and an ear infection. I've been taking 100mg twice a day for four days now. The heartburn started last night, and though I've had mild cases before, this is unbearable. I cough and feel like I'm going to throw up. I drink water, I feel like I'm going to gag. I can stand, I can sit, I can lay down, doesn't matter... feels like I have a rock lodged at the back of my throat and my throat feels scratchy all the way to my sternum. The headaches come and go all day and I feel like I'm in a constant fog. I was told it was not an allergic reaction, but it is a "normal" reaction. I won't take this med again. It isn't worth it.

I took one capsule of this medication at 2:00pm on 12/12/07 and about twenty minutes after taking this medication I began to feel nauseous, than I went and ate something about one hour later just a piece of toast. About ten minutes of eating I began to throw up and started having a headache, so I just kept going not really thinking about it, because the side effect do say headache may occur so I continue my day, about 1 hour and 30 minutes after regurgitating my head was hurting so severely that my eyes was watering and pulse could be heard through my ears, like a drum beating. I then became dizzy and things seemed to get blurred so I laid down and about 10 minutes in laying down my mouth began to fill with thick mucus almost like cotton in my mouth, began to be extremely thirsty so I got up and got water, to throw it back up. I then began to feel my jaw tightening up feeling like I was getting lock jaw. I then called my doctor office and talked to a triage nurse who then called a doctor and called me back and told me not to take any more of the medication and to take 50mg of Beneadryl because of a allergic reaction to the medication, but I am also allergic to PCN and ASA so she said it is rare for people to have an allergic reaction to this medication. Now my symptoms was not over that night I could not sleep, I also had bad dreams, severe night sweats, and nauseous that morning. I started having lower abdominal cramps, and still having problems sleeping, and sometimes I feel like crying and for no reason. Today is 12/20/07 and I still am having severe abdominal cramps, still nauseous in the mornings, no headaches or cotton mouth but the stomach cramps have not yet left and I only took one capsule, today makes a week, tomorrow is my doctor apt. hopefully I can get something to help me out but this is my story about this mess up drug.

My son took this medication for a month, about a month later he started with the headaches. He can not concentrate, he feels like he is in a fog and wore out all the time. It messes with his vision. He has been having these symptoms for about a month and a half with trips to the emergency room and numerous Drs. He never had any problems till this medication. He is missing work. What we need to know from anyone - how long do the symptoms last.
Please respond if you have had the same --headaches and vision problems.

I'm a 54 year old female. I was given Doxycycline to help treat what may be Interstitial Cystitis - bladder inflamation of unknown origin. Within 20 minutes of taking, I felt like it crossed the blood-brain barrier. I would get a weird dizzy/nausea sensation. I only took it for 10 days and I was so glad to be done as I hated how I felt while on it. What I'm worried about now and this is why I wound up on this site, is that it feels like it is still in my system a week after finishing it. After every meal, my stomach hurts. I've been having headaches --which I don't typically have. I'm having trouble concentrating and focusing on work that I have to do and feeling suddenly sleepy for no good reason. I struggled for years with depression, but have felt relatively good for the last 10 years--I never took any depression meds. Since taking this drug, I have sensations of sadness and hopelessness like I haven't felt in years. I'm worried about the time it's taking for this drug to leave my system and whether it's done some kind of permanent damage.

I recently had gum surgery and was prescribed dox. I am only taking 100 mg/day, but I've had extreme lethargy, headaches, itching, swollen lips, nausea and bouts of confusion and dizziness. I feel very sad on this medication and I'm usually a very happy person. I'm stopping the meds today, so hopefully I will be back to my normal self within the next week. I wish I had researched the drug sooner so that I could have stopped taking it earlier...I thought my reactions were due to the pain meds, but I was mistaken!!!

I started taking doxycycline for a simple cold and cough. by the 3 day of taking the medicine, I was feeling extremely dizzy, with headaches, had heartburn, small lumps under the skin around my eyes and over the bridge of my nose. Also tiny bumps that are painful on my tongue. I had nasuea, and stomach ache so bad I quit taking the meds after 5 days. The day after I quit taking them, my stomach is much better and no more heartburn. But still have the lumps under my skin around my eyes and nose and on my tongue.

I took 100mg of Doxycycline twice daily for suspected Epididymitis. The first few days I followed the instuctions and didn't notice any side effects. One night though I woke up with incredibly painful heartburn. I think I may have taken the pill without enough water right before bed. After that I continued to take the pills and the side effects started to become worse. I had headaches, dizziness, loss of appeitite, and painful heartburn. My advice to anyone taking this medicine would be to follow the instructions and not take the pill right before sleeping. It has been two days since I stopped taking Doxycycline and the side effects still have not subsided.

I took doxycycline twice a day about 2 1/2 weeks ago for 7 days for an STD it turns out I didn't have(mixed up test results). I had horrible nausea and headaches every day. I had no appetite until late at night. My legs were really itchy too. Now my period is late for the first time in 3 years!! I know I'm not pregnant because I havn't had sex since my last period and I think it has to be because of this medicine.

I been on Doxycycline for three days now for cervitis and I have loss of appetite, headaches, muscle pains, and dry mouth. I really thought, and still think sometimes, that I have something more serious because these symptoms could go with anything else. This website actually has done wonders for me these last couple of days..

I have experienced negative side effects from doxycycline. I have had chest pains, headaches, and nausea. It is perscribed for a sinus infection but I think I would rather deal with the pain of sinus pressure than the side effects.

I was perscribed this medication for a bacterial infection. I have only been on doxycycline for 3 days (1 dose of 100 mg in the AM and another in the PM) and each morning with or without food I am nausiated until late afternoon. I have also experienced a loss of appetite, headaches, acid reflux, and severe hot flashes. The doc says to keep taking as perscribed unless my side effects get much worse. I can't wait until I am normal again!

I've had the same symptoms as many of the other posts....Dizzy, with headaches, and just a general "cloudy" feeling in my head....and nausea too, but I haven't actually vomited....just feel bad....it comes and goes and eating pretzels/crackers with water helps...

i was put on it for 3rd stage lymes's disease. The doctors dont even know if I have 3rd stage lyme's disease but they're "assuming" because of all of my symptoms. I have never done well with medications and yet again this one didnt work well. Ive been on it for 2 weeks now out of 4 and I have been very sick to my stomach, headaches, my vision has changed, i bruise easier. I also have had horrible stomach problems, cramping and I have not been able to have a bowl movement for 2 weeks. I also have been sleeping up to 17-20 hours a day missing classes and work. I can barely function I'm more like a zombie. And all my doctor back home said (i'm in college) was that "these are side effects it will happen." However the doctor up here took me off it immediately. I need this med to take my pain away w/the "lymes disease" however these side effects are incredibly painful and causing a problem in my daily life. Not a good medication i feel

My son was prescribed doxycycline, 100mg, 1xday for acne. Within 3 days he began to have severe nausea and vomiting. The only change in his life has been this medication. We even saw a specialist and they never asked us about medication he was on. They just tested him for acid reflux-inconclusive results. He has also had headaches, blurry vision, itching, and chest pain.

am taking 100 dox 2x daily for 2 weeks after being bitten by a tick. wasn't concerned when they told me to start this medicine, didn't expect much in the way of side effects. i will also add that take thyroid meds and they were adjusted downward 3 weeks ago.

i am also being menopause. The first things i noticed were the hot and cold sweats. bone chilling deep inside you cold. menpause? Then the ringing in the ears. Waking up hungry in the middle of the night after the anorexic effect of the medicine wore off. blurred vision ans swollen face. not enough to tell the doctor, but around my eyes especially.

A couple of nights panic attacks and sleeping but not really knowing it. Next came the waking up dizzy with the bad headaches and or having neausa and stomache aches after taking it.

irritability on occasions as well as chest pains. was surprised at my low level of tolerance to noise. i'm stopping this today even though have just one day left.

I have been taking Doxycycline for almost a month. I started having HEADACHES everyday. Then I around the third week I started feeling BURNING SENSATION IN MY TOES & FINGERS. When I am in the sun my skin feels like it is on fire.

HEADACHES, BURNING IN FINGERS & TOES, & SENSITIVE TO SUNLIGHT.

In Guyana ,South America ...we just had a flood about 50 deaths from Leptospirosis ...medical teams handed out Doxy like candy...to 75% of the Guyanese population (Guyana where Jim Jones killed people with KOOL AID ) about 450000 people drank Doxy ( 2 X 100 mg ) in one dose per week ...the population is in the second week of Doxy ..the side effects were bad ...for me personnally ..bad headaches,lethargy ...all of the above symptoms described by u guys were reported by individuals ......anyhow
hoping i never have to drink that shitck again

Fatigue, Nausea, headaches, and body aches mainly in my neck and back

took over a month for mild acne until i started getting headaches and cloudiness in my head ( i felt out there) the headache i would get was this pain in the left side above my ear.. so i stopped taking the doxy-whatever.. for a few wks now i still have this pain, especially when i touched the spot, it just feels really tender. i had a headache yesterday, it felt like it was my sinuses.. well stupid me decided to try the medicine out again today and a few hrs later what happens?.. i started to feel light-headed.. i called the doctor he told me to stop using it and i am seeing him on tues.. he also told me that the medicine shouldnt be giving these side effects.. so to tell you the truth everyone acts differently to medicines..
i am soo done with this medicine!! especially after reading everyone's comments.. im going to look into accutane which i heard works really well. hopefully i wont have any more problems!

I have been on Dox for 2 weeks for cystic acne, and for the past 4 days I have experienced a bad case of 'heartburn'. But only when I swallow. A major pain right at the top of my stomach. No headaches though. That seems to be a popular one. I take it at night because otherwise I feel so sick in the morning that I have to go back to bed. I wonder, is this worth it?

rash on face and neck, dizzy, chesty, flu like feeling, slight fevers, sore eyes and headaches, body pains, sore lower back

After four days on this medication my husband experienced a bad upset stomach and lost a lot of blood when he would use the toilet. He now has headaches, sunburn, and grinds his teeth at night. He was very short tempered and lost interest in food. Normally he looks forward to meals. Now all he wants to do is eat sweets especially dairy products which he normally does not eat such as ice cream. This seems like a lot to put up with just for an infected tooth. Can someone please explain some of this as it is very frightening especially the blood.

Terrible headaches after taking the doxycycline for
only three days but will try to complete the five day
course for chest infection.

I have experienced the following during the time of taking the course: nervousness, rash pops in the skin that disappears in hours, headaches, skin changes color.
One day after taking the full course: weakness, drowsiness, diarrhea, sinus FLU