As any other medicines, doxycycline can sometimes cause side effects. The significance of side effects cannot be underestimated – some of them show that the medicine is working properly and your body is adjusting to the dose – slowly but surely – while other symptoms may indicate you are not doing everything right or the dose you have been prescribed is the wrong one. If you can interpret the symptoms you experience right, then you treatment is more likely to be beneficial and enjoyable. You must never take more of this medicine to avoid making your symptoms worse. The following symptoms are possible if you happen to take too much of this medicine: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you have an overdose – report this to your local emergency center as soon as possible to have that problem treated. Since doxycycline is an antibiotic, it can sometimes cause diarrhea, and this will mean you have developed a new infection. Watery or bloody diarrhea must be reported to your health care provider as soon as possible. Your skin may also become more sensitive to sunlight. Make sure you always apply sunscreen to protect your skin in order to avoid getting sunburn. You are supposed to stop your treatment and talk to your health care provider as soon as possible if you suddenly develop any of the following serious side effects that can prevent you from safely taking doxycycline in the future: loss of appetite, easy bruising, dark colored urine, severe blistering, flu symptoms, blurred vision, body aches, confusion or weakness, urinating less than usual, jaundice, pale or yellowed skin, dizziness, red skin rash, and unusual weakness. In most cases, however only mild side effects are possible.
The following mild side effects are sometimes reported by people taking doxycycline: trouble swallowing, diarrhea, white patches or sores inside your mouth, sores or swelling, swollen tongue, mild nausea, vaginal itching, vomiting, and stomach upset. However, there are also other side effects possible in people using doxycycline to treat whatever condition they have. This has to do with the fact every person may react in a different way to the same drug, and therefore it’s best to watch your condition very carefully, especially at the beginning of the treatment, noticing any changes that occur and doing everything possible to deal with mild side effects that you get. You can always call your doctor and ask whether a certain side effect that seems bothersome is serious enough and needs to be treatment. In most cases you will be getting only a few mild side effects of doxycycline and they will most probably go away on their own without any need for anyone to interfere.