Doxycycline Hyclate and pills

Well, I have just started taking Doxy for a couple of days now and so far have noticed a change in bowel movements, appetite, a bit of nausea, my stomach has been feeling a bit bubbly and weird here and there. Also, it makes me feel high after taking it. And i know this sound funny but it makes my bottom itchy. Which is all really weird but over all I don't really care about the side effects as long as they dont become too extreme. I think as long as I take the medicine on terms that are best for me I will be just fine. I am just very glad to be getting rid of an infection that was causing me a lot more pain and discomfort than this med and will be glad when this is over. The biggest issue I have with the pills is getting them down my throat...I'm not a good pill taker and they make me gag. I can't imagine having to take them and deal with side effects for months at a time as some of you are doing so good luck to everyone!! And I also agree that doctors really do need to address the more serious side effects on this med! After coming to this site I will definitely take precautions.

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.

Began taking doxy 6 days ago for infected cut on my face. It worked great on the infection. However, the side effects are killing me. The first 3 days I had sore areas in my mouth, tongue, and one side of my throat, as well as congestion and cold-like symptoms. These are all listed as side effects. Also listed are stomach upset, diarrhea, and muscle aches, which I've had as well. It seems to make my GERD a little worse, but I'm careful not to lie down for an hour after taking it.

While the mouth & throat pain has cleared, the muscle aches are nearly unbearable. About 2 hours after taking the doxy I am almost floored with fatigue. At the same time diarrhea starts and menstrual spotting starts as well. On top of all that I'm finding myself more anxious, depressed, and physically exhausted. It's overwhelming.

My husband took doxy a month ago for epididymitis. He had serious mood issues, upset stomach, and sensitivity to heat as well as sun. He took his pills with food (he wasn't told not to) so his side effects were less severe, but I suspect it's because he wasn't absorbing as much of the medication.

I started taking Doxy 100 mg July 2007 for the first time. At first I didn't link my side effects to the pills but after a break from taking it and started up again I finally out two and two together. First, it upset my stomach BIG time immediately after starting on it. I felt bloated and everything I ate upset my stomach--as the result of this I lost about eight pounds from just not eating anymore. I even went to see a GI doctor about my stomach problems! Who recommended I eat more fiber and get more exercise (I told her about all the meds I was on)! I also got sudden and very severe headaches, but the worst side effect of all is the extreme mood swings I had. I think I was going crazy and this almost ended my marriage...all of a sudden I developed low self esteem, constantly thinking I was worthless, fighting with my husband over the stupidest things and even contemplating suicide during the worst spells. I couldn't figure out why the sudden change- at first I thought it was the tough Chicago winter, since I am originally from a much warmer climate, because by this time I had been on doxy for about five months.
I was prescribed the medication to help clear up moderate acne on my back and my dermatologist gave me the prescription for a year, but never said come see me in a month, two months, etc to see how you;re doing. I am so glad that I stopped taking it in February 2008 --- my moods suddenly got better, I was myself again, I started eating again, my GI problems disappeared...and then...in April I started taking it again because with summer coming up again I wanted my acne to clear up- BIG MISTAKE! Within days of starting again my stomach started being upset all the time regardless of what I ate. After the first month I was feeling depressed again, hating myself and not knowing why--this is when i finally figured it out...and decided to stop...I'd rather have pimples on my back than feel the way this medication make me feel, which is pretty much miserable!

I was recently prescribed this drug for mild acne, no advice was given to me about the possible side effects, or how best to take it (sitting up with plenty water) - it has given me severe chest pain, I am unable to swallow, I have cramps, and my last pill was 5 days ago! I only took it for a week. I am so shocked that they dish this out with such little care, yet it such a powerful drug, used for MALARIA!!! Will I ever feel normal and be able to eat properly again?

I am experiencing a dull pain in my right leg. My leg also feels heavy and numb. Also I have right side abdominal pain that spreads to my lower back. I am on 100mg twice daily and I have only been on it for six days. I've called my doctor to see if I can spread out the dosage to once daily as I have five pills left. My prescription is only for a week.

I've been on this drug for almost two weeks. About one week in I noticed my ankles were swelling. They look like an egg has been cut in half and applied to each side. I rarely have any swelling. It's not painful but looks bizarre. I've also been having tingling/numbness on the bottom of my feet - mostly the ball of my foot and up into my toes. In addition I'm having tingling in my forearms and hands, also my thighs, and a bit in my buttocks. It's bizarre. At first I just thought I'd pulled a muscle somewhere but as it has progressed I've decided it must be associated with the doxycycline. I have two more pills left and I'm hoping everything subsides once I'm done with it. The only painful thing was a neck crick, which I'm not sure was associated with the drug, but could have been. Also, I've had charlie horses in my legs probably a half dozen times since I've been on it. I haven't had one in probably 10 years prior to this. I've never noticed this kind of side effect with a drug. It has certainly cleared up the infection that wouldn't go away and as long as all these side effects go away it was worth it - no question - but these are odd side effects.

Taking doxycycline 100mg for almost 1 week now due to bronchitis and noticed an immediate tingling in my lips and hands. My hands are extremely sensitive to tap water (cold), putting them in the refridgerator to take out something and heat. At night when I'm laying around cuddled up in a blanket my hands are on fire and red. I thought it was the blanket. It's the strangest feeling and uncomfortable. It lasts all day but gets worse at night. I hate pills.

The drug insert for Doxycycline says to take the medicine with a full glass of water, and it warns not to lie down for a half hour after taking the drug. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Doxycycline, along with a number of other drugs, is quite corrosive.

I was on doxy for about a week when I woke up with the feeling of something caught in my throat. I had taken it with a full glass of water, but I had laid down immediately. I guess the pill had found its way back up to my throat. That night, I went to the hospital, did a barium swallow, and I eventually had an endoscopy to check out the damage. Thankfully it subsided after a couple weeks, but I had horrible pill-induced Esophagitis. I couldn't even drink water without pain and a feeling that I was choking. I didn't eat solids for 2 weeks, took double-dose Nexium, and I had to sleep SITTING UP because I also have silent acid-reflux, but when this happened, I could feel it intensely. I was lucky it wasn't perforated.

Anyway, lesson learned. Always follow the instructions. This can also happen with NSAIDs like Advil, btw.

Have been on Doxycycline Hyclate on and off for the last 6 months for acne treatment. I hadn't been enjoying the way the pills made me feel so I had neglected to use my last bottle of sixty (100mg 2Xdaily) until my acne flared up this past holiday season. On Friday the 18th of January I went to workout, came home and cooked myself a big breakfast, and then decided to lie down for a nap an hour later. The bottle was next to my bed and I hadn't taken my dose for the day, but I had just eaten a big meal so I wasn't too worried. I took the pill w/o water and lied down. BIG MISTAKE. I woke from my nap about 90 minutes later with the most intense burning sensation I've ever felt. It was just below my rip cage in the center of my body (I think it's the flap between the esophagus and the stomach) and now it's Tue. the 22nd of January and it still hurts every time I swallow and especially when I eat food. It sounds like I'm not alone with this problem and I would love to hear from somebody if this is temporary or what their Doctor told them to do. Thanks for your help.