Drug Database: Doxycycline

How is doxycycline used in people with HIV?How is doxycycline used in people with HIV?

How is doxycycline used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and/or the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV include recommendations on the uses of doxycycline in people with HIV to:

• Treat:
  • Malaria
  • Certain Bartonella infections (also called bartonellosis)
  • Syphilis
  • Community-acquired pneumonia
  • Toxoplasma gondii encephalitis
• Prevent
  • Syphilis from occurring the first time
  • Malaria from occurring the first time
  • Certain Bartonella infections from recurring

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of doxycycline. See the Adult and Pediatric Opportunistic Infection Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of doxycycline in adults and children with HIV. Doxycycline may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before using doxycycline?What should I tell my health care provider before using doxycyline?

What should I tell my health care provider before using doxycycline?

Before using doxycycline, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to doxycycline, tetracycline antibiotics, or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, including:
  • Liver or kidney problems
  • Lupus
  • Intracranial hypertension (a condition causing increased pressure inside the skull)
• About anything that could affect your ability to take medicines, such as difficulty swallowing pills, difficulty remembering to take pills, or any health conditions that may prevent you from receiving medicine by injection or infusion.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of using doxycycline during pregnancy. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV may include other recommendations on the use of doxycycline during pregnancy. Please refer to these guidelines for additional information.
• If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. For mothers with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. Mothers with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk. Although most medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breastfeeding.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Doxycycline may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how doxycycline works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between doxycycline and the other medicines you take. 

Use doxycycline according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much doxycycline to use and when to use it.

It is important to complete the full prescribed course of treatment with doxycycline, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop using doxycycline too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be fully treated, and the bacteria may become harder to treat (resistant). 

Before you start doxycycline and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

Doxycycline may cause side effects that can be mild or serious. To learn about possible side effects of doxycycline, see the FDA drug labels for doxycycline powder (for oral suspension), capsule, tablet (film coated), tablet (delayed release), and injection or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist. Tell your health care professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.