Doxycycline For Dental Use (Systemic)

Brand Names : Periostat

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For doxycycline, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to doxycycline or to other tetracyclines. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Use of doxycycline is not recommended during the last half of pregnancy. Tetracyclines, such as doxycycline, may cause the unborn infant's teeth to become discolored and may slow down the growth of the infant's teeth and bones if they are taken during that time.

Breast-feeding - Use of doxycycline is not recommended since tetracyclines, such as doxycycline, pass into human breast milk. Tetracyclines may cause the nursing baby's teeth to become discolored and may slow down the growth of the baby's teeth. It may be necessary for you to stop breast-feeding during treatment with doxycyline. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your dentist and doctor.

Children - Tetracyclines may cause permanent discoloration of teeth and slow down the growth of bones. Doxycycline should not be given to children up to 8 years of age unless directed by the child's doctor.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of doxycycline in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking doxycycline, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) - Tetracyclines may decrease clotting of blood, which could increase the effects of the blood thinner

• Antacids or
• Bismuth subsalicylate (e.g., Pepto-Bismol) or
• Iron-containing medicine - Use of these medicines with doxycycline may decrease the amount of doxycycline absorbed into the body and decrease its effects

• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) - Use of birth control pills with tetracyclines may decrease the effect of the birth control pills and increase the chance of unwanted pregnancy

• Penicillins - Tetracyclines may decrease the effects of penicillins against infection