October 28th
2008
3:40 PM
Thank God for this site. I thought it was just my sensitivity and exaggeration. I've been on Doxy for 2 1/2 weeks for IBS. Immediately I was nauseated. The instructions were firm in saying to take on an empty stomach, otherwise it wouldn't absorb correctly. None of the side effects websites mention dizziness and extreme exhaustion. I thought it was just me, as I've been so lightheaded and so tired I can hardly function. I want to sleep all the time, but when I try to, it's off and on. I'm up during the night. But when I get up in the morning I feel like I haven't had any sleep. Afternoon naps don't help at all. Nothing, and I mean, nothing, looks or tastes good. I feel like throwing up all the time. I can't stand the sight of certain foods, and don't want to cook because it will make me woozy. I think it's making my already diarrhea worse. I mustn't forget the abdominal cramping.
-- By addyde62 | Reply | Private Message me
September 23th
2008
9:21 AM
ok so i got sick ( pretty sure i caught it from school ) on a Friday sick as a dead man. lots of sneezing and runny nose ( and i mean machine gun sneezing with waterfalls of snot ) sometime during the night i start coughing out phlem and now wheezing when i breathe n i had a fever , dizziness , well diarrhea comes in play and on Saturday i ate completely nothing.. i was scared after this because i was starving and couldn't even force myself to eat something to stay alive.. well the only thing better about Sunday i was able to manage some cereal for breakfast and a fajita for dinner.. coming Monday i stayed home from school went to see my doctor and he prescribes me "doxycyline" the doctor told me to get tablets.. but i ended up with capsules.. well wen i got back home i took one and immediately felt a kind of high ( like right now ) .. yea so today is Tuesday and i chose to stay home again.. and i just took my 2nd pill... im really starving n i think the only reason why im still typing is because of this pill...yea i have a really bad stomach ache / headache ... loss of appetite kinda wish i was dead feeling... im 18 and should i stay with this med? i don't even know if i can go to school 2morrow i have a doctors pass only for mon and tues.. i cant sleep .. i taste and smell this horrible taste i cant describe .. this is only the 2nd pill....and if i die in a week or two i think its bc of this drug .......
-- By amp666 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 13th
2008
12:11 AM
I am 21 years old and was prescribed this medication for "mild acne treatment." I have only been on this medication two days and already I am feel some side effects. My Dermatologist did not explain any side effects to me at all when prescribing this medication and gave me no instructions on even taking the medication. All he said was take one pill twice a day 1/2 hr - 1 hr after eating and thats all. I started feeling some symptoms this morning while at work. I got an upset stomach and started feeling extremely nauseous. I came home from work and immediately went to sleep. When I woke up, I felt even worse. I still feel nauseous and have upset stomach, but now I also have a loss of appetite, im tired, I feel weak and have no desire to do anything. I am debating still continuing this medication, since it is only for an acne treatment. I will probably continue for a few more days and if the side effects still persist, I will discontinue use. I had no idea why I all of a sudden felt this way, so decided to research a little. I am very glad I found this website, or else I would probably be wondering what the heck is going on. Thank you for all the posts about your side effects. Now I am aware of why I am feeling the way I am. Much appreciated...
-- By kristinah | Reply | Private Message me
September 12th
2008
10:50 AM
Diagnosed with staff infection, took one pill last night two hours after eating, sat up in bed reading and went to sleep no problem. Today, ate two cereal bard at 6:30 a.m., and then took the pill at 9:00 with water. I became extremely hot and nauseated about 10 minutes later and drinking water did not help. The nausea was so bad that I could hardly keep vomiting and it has not subsided. I do not have a weak stomach and have never experienced this degree of nausea with any antibiotic.
-- By mcorry | Reply | Private Message me
August 17th
2008
12:10 AM
I've been taking Doxycycline for two days now. I have a severs case of insomnia. I have not slept in over 36 hours, which is very unusual for me. I am experiencing shortness of breath, extremely exhausted (but can't sleep), nausea, dizziness, feeling of something in my throat, and weird weird moods (getting mad for no reason, which isn't usually me and people are noticing that something is different).
I'm supposed to be taking it for another 5 days for an infection. Any advice on what I should do? This whole no sleeping thing just isn't working for me.
August 8th
2008
8:42 AM
Help...I just have taken 200 mg as prescribed. I feel like being in a different planet. Everything seems unreal. I cant eat. I feel nauseous. Would like to throw up. I get Hot Flashes following by Cold Flashes. I feel dizzy and would like to sleep...the worst thing, I am at work...
-- By houman | Reply | Private Message me
August 4th
2008
7:46 PM
I started Adoxa (generic form of Doxy) about 2 weeks ago for a cyst. About 5 days after taking the med, I was swimming and my hands had the weirdest sensation... After I got out of the pool, my feet were on fire as were my hands. Thought I just had gotten sunburn, though I don't normally burn. A couple days later, I had a severe tingling/burning in my fingers and toes. Couldn't sleep because of the pain. This lasted 2 night and I stopped taking the Adoxa. Went to Urgent Care because the burning was not subsiding and and my toes and fingers were EXTREMELY sensitive. I couldn't even open a pop can. Dr. said I had Periphrial Neuropathy and it is not a side effect of the Adoxa that I was taking. Told me I had symptoms to a bigger problem. I have been off Adoxa now for 4 days and the tingling/burning/sensitivity has all gone away! I know that it is the Adoxa and will not ever take it again!!! Remember to trust your instincts when you take medications!!!!
-- By susanim | Reply | (1) replies | 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!
July 19th
2008
11:20 AM
On doxycycline now for 3 weeks 100 mg twice per day. I can't stop yawning. I am so tired and it is difficult to concentrate.
Suppose to take the regimen for at least 6 weeks for chronic lyme disease. I skipped last night's dose. Although I am so tired I feel at night like I have a fever and do not sleep more than 6 hours.
-Lizydoo
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 22th
2008
11:36 PM
I was on Minocycline (a cousin to Doxycycline Hyclate) for years. I’m not sure how long exactly as I didn’t write down the date that I started, but I believe I have been on it around 3-4+ years. Well I went to a dermatologist and he instantly looked at the outer area of my arms (just above the elbow) and recognized I am suffering from skin discoloration, and prescribed Doxycycline, and told me to stop taking Minocycline right away. I also have this blue-gray skin discoloration on my back near my shoulder blades. I took my Minocycline for the next two weeks till the Doxycycline came in then stopped the minocycline, and started Doxycycline on Sunday. I take a 100mg pill twice daily with a meal, and thus far have had no issues. Keep in mind that I have been on Minocycline for the past 4 years or so and maybe I’ve been suffering similar side effects on that drug, thus I would be unable to see the difference with Minocycline’s cousin Doxycycline. I am pretty sure the first year or two that I was on Minocycline I was depressed (other things in life may have contributed to this depression, but now that I see all of these people saying they have had mood swings, I must state that I have had many more mood swings in recent years then I ever remember before being on these meds). I have also been extremely sleepy the past few years. I used to NEVER be able to fall asleep in public, but (I believe about the same time I started Minocycline) I gained the ability to sleep anywhere. Now I mean, anywhere. I can sleep even after I get anywhere between 6 and 14 hours of sleep. I have had approx 7-9 hours of sleep on average for the past 6 months, yet am always tired. I can’t remember the last time I haven’t been sleepy, and have had many doctor visits to attempt to discover the reason for this, but hadn’t read the side effects of Minocycline. I’ve still been pretty sleepy since Sunday, but I’ll hope that this Doxycycline isn’t as bad. Anyone else have a similar issue, where you used to be awake, but now you are always sleepy (wake up in the mornings a bit dizzy and confused), and have a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time?
-- By acnefreedom | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
April 8th
2008
3:45 AM
i am amazed that doxycycline has given the SAME EXACT problems to other people. i never had side effects to any medication i ever took up until this point. I was on them for a week and on the 2 final nights I too took them right before sleeping and developed a case of esophigitis. I cant eat or sleep because it feels like i'm swallowing lumps that land in my stomach and burn. Even breathing ends up as burping that feels like its on fire. My throat feels swollen and eating solids is torture. Ive been so depressed over this, it makes me want to cry and not go to work because my head feels like i'm in a cloud. Past 24 hours i developed a fever and pain in the jaw/temple area but that might just be a flu going around. So i called the doctor who prescribed them to me for adult acne and says "you weren't supposed to take them before bed, sounds like you have esophagitis". Nice of him to tell me this prior to starting this medication. Im so worried these have caused permanent damage to my stomach that i'm going to suffer with forever. Have these symptoms gone away for anyone, and what helped you get through it if it has? also, how long? Maalox, Pepcid, and over the counter heartburn remedies dont seem to help. all i know is, doxycycline is the wrost drug ever and needs to be retired ASAP!
-- By ellas11103 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 20th
2008
4:01 PM
I have been taking doxycycline for about 4 days now. Last night I took it right before bed, with water, and upon waking at about 1 am I felt that the pill was stuck in my esophagus. And then my stomach starting burning and acid started coming up. I still feel like the pill is lodged in there, and it is very uncomfortable. Along with this issue, I have felt rather depressed, dizzy, yeast infection, and am extremely tired. I don't really know what to do at this point. I was prescribed it for pneumonia and a double ear infection. My chest is still killing me from the pneumonia and still have trouble breathing. My doctors have not been helpful what so ever through this process. I had to actually go to the hospital for the proper diagnosis. I don't even know if it is even working for me, but I don't have health insurance and have been out of work for over a week. Can any one give me ANY advice PLEASE???!!!!!
-- By makahfili | Reply | (9) replies | Private Message me
February 26th
2008
9:49 AM
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.
-- By sarie8712 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
February 3th
2008
10:57 AM
I started to take it after periodontal surgery. One night, I took it while in bed and without taking water. Stupid, stupid, stupid! That night I could barely sleep, waking every time I'd swallow due to the pain. It hurt from my throat down to the center of my chest. It even burned a little bit. While it does not burn so much now I still feel as if I have a lump in my throat. When I do swallow it is uncomfortable but at least not painful. It has been 36 hours.
I have stopped taking it until I can check with my doctor.
-- By dsagnella | Reply | Private Message me
January 29th
2008
3:03 PM
I have been having Doxy since last June (about 6 mo. ago) and still taking it. Its effects on my acne problem has just gotten apparent about one month ago. (Yep. For 5 months, I kept my faith and it is beginning to pay off.) I was determined to take the stuff as long as I need to. However, I just noticed that my stomach is bloating and I got tired very easily. I could play several games of rigorous racquetball before but no longer. My breathing has gotten harder and felt like something was obstructing my breathe just below the rib cage (in the middle).
I will see my derm to see if there is any long term problem with this side effect. He once told me I have to take this drug at least 2 months after all the major "bums" have disappeared. I hope that is within the next few weeks.
-- By windycity_guy | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
January 7th
2008
9:57 AM
Took it as a precaution for a dental surgery. I wound up having severe reflux (which resulted in throwing up one night) and the most severe heartburn I can imagine. I took it before I went to bed, which I found out is a no no, and was unable to sleep due to the burning in my throat and chest. I haven't taken the pill in over 12 hours and my chest is still burning pretty bad. I usually tolerate medicine very well. I will be asking my doc to take me off of this....
-- By jpasto81 | Reply | Private Message me
December 14th
2007
11:00 PM
Thanks so much for your advise on how to deal with the side effects of DOXY. I still have about 9 days to go for this drug and I really feel like want to stop it right now. The pill results my stomach bloating (which is why I was on this antibiotics at the first place) and fullness of my stomach, I was on and Somac at the same time, just finished Metrogyl treatment yesterday and still have about a month for Somac. I normally takes Doxy at least 3-5 hours before i sleep to prevent the upset stomach however it still affects my sleep, always wakes up very early in the morning, couldn't sleep well and feels like need to breath harder. I would like to take it in the morning but I can't because my first dose was at around evening and I can't miss that evening dose and take it the next morning instead. 9 days to go and now I am worrying about the continuous of side effects or causes other problem(upper back pain & reflux which I am experiencing now) after the treatment finished. Hopefully I m just worrying too much. God bless.
-- By alan26 | Reply | Private Message me
November 27th
2008
1:15 AM
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.
-- By decline20 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me