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Why I no Longer Take Doxycycline for Malaria Prevention

doxycycline side effects

I wrote in an earlier post of my decision not to take malaria prophylactics. This is a personal decision and I don’t necessarily recommend it for everyone. As with everything on this site, you should always consult a doctor at a travel health clinic before making such decisions. What I want to talk about today is doxycycline and the side effects I experienced when I took it for 6 months as a malaria prophylactic.

Doxy as a malaria prophylactic

Doxycycline is an antibiotic primarily used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. For example, doxy may be prescribed for Lyme disease, acne, urinary tract infections, and even pneumonia. But it’s also prescribed as a malaria prophylactic. There are three malaria prophylactics available and doxy is hands down the cheapest. In Ghana, I bought 30 capsules for a few dollars. It is taken daily, starting 2 days before your trip and continuing for 4 weeks after returning (this is because malaria can stay dormant in your liver even after you have left an area where it is endemic). If it’s the cheapest prophylactic and it does the job, what’s the problem?

My experience with doxycycline side effects

Doxycycline’s principle side effects are loss of appetite, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and sensitivity to sunlight. There are of course a number of severe side effects that a small percentage of people may experience if they are allergic, and it must also be said that many people take doxy without experiencing any side effects at all.

Before taking it, I was concerned about the photo-sensitivity issue. I have pale skin and anything that makes me more vulnerable to the sun is potentially catastrophic. As it turns out, this side effect did not materialize for me.

What killed me was the acid reflux and heartburn. I had never experienced heartburn. No one in my family has it and I do not have a lifestyle that would make me susceptible to it (I’m not overweight, I don’t smoke, I am relatively active and I eat decently). But after taking doxy for 6 months, I now have a persistent heartburn problem that has continued for months after I quit taking it.

If you are prescribed to doxycycline, you will find a warning on the bottle that says “do not lay down within a half hour of taking this medicine.” If you don’t heed this warning, you may be in for a very unpleasant surprise. For most of my trip, I did not have any significant issues with heartburn while I was taking doxy. Nausea was the biggest side effect I felt, and I remedied this by making sure I took it with a meal.

The heartburn became an issue towards the end of my trip and it has continued even after I stopped taking doxy. I’m now taking medication to combat my heartburn (omeprazole aka prilosec)! Earlier, it caused me to postpone a trip to West Africa, because I honestly thought there was something wrong with my heart itself. The worst part was not being able to sleep. Lying horizontal continues to be a problem and if my head is not propped up, I may find myself waking up to something that feels like a combination of an asthma attack and cardiac arrest (did you know heartburn could be this awful?).

I will not be taking doxy again. If you are thinking about it as a prophylactic option, I strongly suggest discussing the possible side effects with a doctor. If you have acid reflux or heartburn in any capacity, do not even think about taking this medication.

Some other things to consider

Doxycycline is an antibiotic and in addition to taxing your liver, it actively destroys beneficial bacteria in your body. If you are planning on taking it for a while, you should look into taking probiotics to help restore your gut flora. If you eat yogurt for the same effect, you need to make sure not to eat the yogurt, or any dairy, with the dose of doxy – the medication won’t be absorbed if it’s taken with calcium.

If you have any experience taking doxycycline, please share it in the comments below.

{ 86 comments… add one }

  • Nj September 12, 2011, 12:49 pm

    Have your GERD symptoms gone away?

    • phil September 12, 2011, 1:06 pm

      Hi Nj,
      Nope. I’m still dealing with it. I’ve been taking omeprazole and watching my diet very closely. I’m hoping I can get off the omeprazole soon, but we’ll see. I was taking 40mg a day, now down to 20 mg. Do you have GERD as well?

  • Heidi November 1, 2011, 7:38 pm

    Thank you for writing this. I have been on doxycycline and metronidazole for almost two weeks now, and I will be done on Friday. Recently I started getting bad chest pain. At first it was dull and uncomfortable and really freaked me out, but now it feels like a burning all over my chest. I mentioned it to my PCP today, and she brushed it off since she likely thinks I’m too young to have heart problems (I’m twenty-two). It really scared me, though; I took baby aspirin last night because I was afraid I was having a heart attack. If this is just a side effect caused by the antibiotic, then that makes me feel a little better. I just hope it goes away after I’m done. I’ve never experienced anything like this before! I have also lost thirteen pounds in almost a week because I have zero appetite and the thought of any food makes me feel nauseated. The side effects of these drugs are crazy!

    • phil November 1, 2011, 9:16 pm

      Heidi,
      Yeah, it is very likely you were experiencing heartburn from the doxy. Sorry to hear this!! I have also been on doxy and metronidazole simultaneously. It’s no fun, although the metro didn’t really have too many side effects for me. Steer clear of the baby aspiring while in doxy. It will only aggravate your stomach more/produce more acid. Although, it’s totally understandable that you thought you were experiencing heart trouble. I would strongly recommend not taking doxy on an empty stomach, and also, do not lay down within 2 hours of taking it if you can avoid it!! Hope things get better for you.

  • Chris Rowson December 5, 2011, 5:46 am

    Hi

    Ive been having the same problems for 4 days, I took doxy then went to bed straight after. Cant eat and its painful to even swallow water.

    Have your symptoms gone? how did you manage to get rid of it?

    Id appreciate your advice

    Warm Regards

    Chris

    • phil December 5, 2011, 7:11 am

      Chris,
      Very sorry to hear this. If you are having short-term symptoms like this, I would get off of it and try taking something like omeprazole or even an antacid for a few days.

      My symptoms are much better now. I am taking 20mg omeprazole every other day. I stopped taking doxy a long time ago, but I had been taking it for 6 months and towards the end I started having a lot of problems. Are you taking it for malaria?

  • Amanda Tracy January 29, 2013, 3:20 pm

    I I experienced the exact same thing! I am also in great physical condition, do not smoke, drink, I exercise, and I am probably considered underweight, but I am very healthy. I was originally prescribed doxy for acne and after a couple months of taking it I had severe heartburn. I had never had heartburn before so initially I thought that I had a pill stuck in my esophagus, it was horrible. It was so bad that I too couldnā€™t lay down it felt like there was seriously a patch of acid burning through my chest. I was miserable, it became hard to swallow even water. Some time had passed and I was planning a trip to Thailand, not even thinking of my previous reaction, my doctor prescribed me doxycycline for malaria. After reading up on the drug I made sure to take it in the morning with plenty of food and lots to drink. I was fine until about 3 days into my trip, talk about a damper on the Thailand experience without being able to eat Thai food. It was horrible, painful, miserable, could have ruined my trip horrible, so I stopped taking it. I have been home for about 20 days and Im still battling the heartburn, its not nearly the extreme that it was, but its still irritating. I told a pharmacist about my problems and he told me to get checked for H Pykori. He also said to stay away from PPIs such as Prevacid/Prilosec as new data is showing that they can permanently effect the acid level in your stomach negatively. Zantac/Ranitidine is safer to use long term.

    • phil January 30, 2013, 8:12 am

      Hi Amanda,
      Thanks a lot for your comment. Glad to hear I am not the only one. That is not good news for me if what you say about PPIs is true. I take omeprazole (prilosec) regularly and have been doing so since summer of 2011!! I have tried to stop taking it several times, but the heartburn has always come back with a vengeance. Once I am home, I will have to visit my doc again. Do you have any links with information on these new PPI studies?
      Thanks,
      phil

      • Rob April 23, 2018, 1:40 am

        I took esomeprazole (nexium) for years every single day. The heartburn will come back back horribly if you stop, but it’s worth it to leave it alone and after a month or two maybe with some zantec or the occasional tums it will go away and you’ll be better off for doing so. PPIs are honestly really bad for your body (helpful when you need them in the short term, as in a few months to a few years) but not meant to be taken for life, and will give you stomach polyps, or even stomach cancer if you don’t ever stop, not to mention weakening your bones unless you drink gallons and gallons of milk while taking them, which I can’t imagine is the case if doxy is also in the mix

  • Maggie H August 29, 2013, 11:21 am

    Hi – My son got acid reflux a few years back and this coincided with him taking doxycycline for acne. Drugs like Prilosec are very bad for you and remove the very thing that you need to get rid of acid reflux which is stomach acid. Great book by Dr. Jonathan Wright “Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You.” Explains it very well. My son takes apple cider vinegar for it whenever he gets it now and that completely gets rid of it. A good probiotic may help too?? Lots of lemon in all drinking water. Anything to help you digest your food. A big trigger for my son is pizza – we are not sure if it is the wheat, the tomato sauce, or the dairy in the cheese – or all 3 :/ – could be the perfect acid reflux storm??

    • phil August 29, 2013, 3:17 pm

      Hi Maggie,
      I’ve tried apple cider vinegar and I do take probiotics, but neither has brought much relief. I’ve also tried aloe vera and that made a slight impact. I will try the lemon water. Thanks for the tips. I’ve come to recognize a lot of my triggers as well and that has helped. I would love to stop taking omeprazole, but I haven’t gotten there yet!

  • Maggie H August 29, 2013, 11:36 am

    Gastrazyme gets great reviews as a very helpful product too.

    • phil August 29, 2013, 3:17 pm

      ok, I will check it out!

  • maggie h August 29, 2013, 9:54 pm

    Hi Phil – It is such a bummer to have to deal with that, my son really suffered!! So glad that seems to be behind him – fingers crossed! I think that you will need to be very comprehensive in your approach. If you took omeprazole and apple cider vinegar I think they will just balance each other out and render both ineffective. So then it would appear that the apple cider vinegar wouldn’t work. My son had to take a good amount of apple cider vinegar for it to work, ie 2 tablespoons at a time. The book by Dr. Wright has a protocol that calls for Hydrochloric acid. We tried it and it seemed too strong for my son. He eats mainly Paleo now and feels that helps him also. Just some thoughts. I really hope you are able to resolve this. Good Luck. M

    • phil August 30, 2013, 4:33 am

      Hey Maggie,
      I will check out the book, it sounds like it could be very useful. Thanks a lot for your advice as well. I’m not taking a comprehensive approach right now and that’s definitely part of the problem – not being willing to make enough diet and lifestyle changes. Thanks for the inspiration, Maggie!

  • mike April 23, 2014, 3:06 am

    I am curious, you said you were on Doxy for a few months? I personally would not take any antibiotic for that long regardless of possible malaria infection. I think that is extremely dangerous; however if you had a host of ailments they are probably cured including other parasites. Doxy is pretty amazing stuff. I had to be put on Malaria meds before going to Nigeria (Cant remember the name) but you just took it while I was there and not before or after. It really did cause vivid dreams so with any medication exercise caution. I have had gerd of years now and found ranitidine the best relief not to mention it works almost immediately.

    • phil April 23, 2014, 3:49 am

      Hey Mike,
      I agree. Not a good idea to take long-term antibiotics. It sounds like you were on mefloquine also known by brand name Lariam. I took that once in 2005 and remember having insane nightmares. Per your advice, I will give ranitidine a shot. Thanks.

      • phil April 23, 2014, 3:50 am

        Ah, nevermind, this is zantac, correct? Yes, I take this. And you are right, it does provide immediate relief.

  • Susan June 26, 2014, 8:47 pm

    I’ve taken doxycycline every year for a month or more while traveling in Africa. I’m usually there for about 4-6 weeks at a time so I take Doxy for about 2 months. By the way a lot of teens take it long term for acne. Last year I started getting a sore throat while in Kenya and related it to the doxy. I stopped taking it and just really used lots of deet ..yuck. last week my doc prescribed doxy for an ear infection. I had forgotten about my reaction last year until I had taken 2 doses and my throat swelled shut so that I couldn’t swallow. I didn’t connect it to the drug though because I had some other medical issues going on. Two days later I was in the ER. I have been off the drug 3 days now and still can’t swallow. I know know it was anaphylaxis and I’m allergic to the drug. Some of you sound like you have esophagitis from taking it. Good luck. I guess I’ll take maleron now for antimalarial meds.

  • Roman C Santos October 9, 2014, 6:56 am

    I’m currently in Vietnam and taking Doxycycline as an anitmalarial. I have been on it for 4 weeks exactly now. One of the first things I noticed were headaches but those went away after a day or two. I am diabetic and soon my blood sugars started dropping but that was easily corrected with food and less medicine. Two days ago I started having severe anxiety attacks and awful acid reflux. Afraid that I was having a heart attack I googled the side effects (something I should have done BEFORE) and found this site. It seems that everything I’ve been through seems to be on the list. I am also on omeprazole for other problems but I guess I will stop that also since it seems it may also be contributing to the acid reflux. I hope this clears up soon as I still have 5 weeks before I can return to the US.

    • phil November 2, 2014, 6:40 am

      Hi Roman, if you are experiencing acid reflux that may be able to explain the heart attack sensation. I know when I first starting having symptoms, I thought that it was actually heart trouble. I wasn’t familiar with the symptoms of acid reflux, and I was honestly convinced that I was having heart palpitations or something along those lines. I would definitely visit a gastroenterologist to get a proper diagnosis, however.

  • Amanda Millard December 24, 2014, 4:47 am

    Hi, I have taken Doxy on and off for a few years with no problems. It was prescribed for my skin and I hate to admit it, but I didn’t read the leaflet that came with it. I’ve also taken more than the prescribed amount if my skin got bad! As a busy mum, I sometimes forgot to take it during the day and a few months ago I took it before going to bed, with only a tiny bit of water. I have really suffered as a result of this. The next day it felt like the tablet was stuck, but when this feeling didn’t go away and I started getting heartburn and indigestion, I started to think it was a result of taking the doxy. I’m still getting heartburn and acid reflux and I’m really worried that I’ve caused myself long term damage as I’ve read that GORD cannot be cured! I haven’t been to the doctors yet and have just been using Gaviscon. Can you offer any advice?
    Thanks
    Amanda

    • phil December 24, 2014, 5:02 am

      Hey Amanda,

      I am very sorry to hear this. I know exactly what you are going through, and I am still dealing with GERD long after I stopped taking doxy. I would definitely go see a gastroenterologist. That would be my first piece of advice. There is not any research that I can find on long term GERD caused by doxycycline, but someone should be looking into this as many people have emailed me about it now. I am on a regiment of omeprazole, and I currently take 20mg a day. I have been doing this for some time now. It is fairly effective, and I can eat and drink relatively normally without issue, although there are flair ups every now and then. Sorry I can’t be more encouraging about this. I wish I could say that it will get better over time, but that has not been the case with me.

    • Laura May 24, 2018, 1:22 am

      Google dr. Nemechek he has a YouTube channel and website. You’ll find new information on heartburn and gut problems.

  • Jim Matthews February 20, 2015, 11:07 pm

    I’m glad I came across this article. I’ve been on Doxy for 10 days now… I didn’t experience a problem until yesterday. I thought I had some type of food poisoning or was having a heart attack. I had no idea that indigestion could be so miserable. Thankfully today is my last day on this stuff. This article makes me feel a little better … this may not be the new norm for me! Thanks

  • suzanne edwards February 26, 2015, 7:43 am

    do you realise that taking doxy does give you thrush i had thrush in my gullet when taking this and it awfull

  • Michelle March 27, 2015, 4:59 pm

    I was prescribed doxy for acne and was taking it for a month seemingly without problem. Very similar to Amanda, busy mom, i forgot to take it with dinner. So I took it later with little water and too close to bedtime. It felt like it was stuck in my throat. The pain continued and worsened so that I felt like I had a knife in my throat and was having difficulty swallowing. I went to the ER to be told that it was most likely the doxycycline….. Why don’t they warn you of this when they prescribe it, especially for acne!!!! Anyways, I was sent to the GI specialist. Endoscopy was normal so I was sent to the ENT. Diagnosed with LPR and put on meds. Two weeks later and no relief šŸ™ and the more I research it, the more depressed I am. No one seems to recover from this. I did read of someone yesterday who found relief from Elavil. It basically calmed the nerve endings down to provide relief. She however wasn’t really having the acid issues. Still, might be worth a shot! I know I’m going to ask my doctor about it at my next visit if nothing improves….

  • Dustin April 20, 2015, 7:56 pm

    I recently went to Vietnam (almost 3 months ago) and was prescribed with doxycycline tablets. After 10 days, I experienced violent GERD symptoms and was sent to hospital. After returning home, the symptoms improved after several weeks but have never gone away completely. They are worsened with certain types of food (mostly high fat and high spice foods, and certain preservatives). It is concerning that some have reported symptoms not going away after 3 years. My doctor has prescribed nexium, however I feel terrible after taking this medicine and I am not taking it currently. I will have another visit soon, and will probably go and see a specialist.

  • Laura June 16, 2015, 7:14 pm

    Started taking this yesterday for pneumonia.. ive experienced nausea- thankfully my doctor was nice enough to prescribe me some anti sickness medication, night sweats and extreme loss of appetite. This is probably the most notable- not being one to skip meals normally, I really had to force myself to eat a boiled egg.
    9 more days to go.

  • Susie August 23, 2015, 11:16 am

    I’m so grateful to you for writing about this. I’ve been on a week’s course of Doxycycline for a sinus infection, since day 2 I’ve felt nauseous and sick, with heartburn and chest pains as you describe. I do always read information that comes with drugs and took heed of the warning about not taking it with antacid and sunlight but I didn’t notice about the water and not lying down after. It’s tiny writing on the third page – why don’t pharmas make it clear it can do this?! I also asked my GP about side effects but he said there wasn’t anything to worry about. Anyway, I really hope it doesn’t linger but at least now I know it’s not cancer of the oesophagus (the mind gets carried away when there’s no info!) thanks again x

    • phil September 24, 2015, 9:10 am

      Hey Susie,
      You know it’s really unfortunate. So many of these drugs get pushed to doctors and the side effects become less and less consequential with these efforts. I hope you are feeling better now after you stopped taking it!!!

  • Celeste November 19, 2015, 11:13 am

    I just began taking this medicine and wish I would have seen this post sooner. I have acid reflux and I just took the first does about 2 hours ago and now my acid reflux is on fire… I feel like I have a fire in my mid section and yet I am starving and scared to eat anything for a while, in fear that it will worsen the reflux…. Thanks for posting!

  • Lillian December 1, 2015, 6:34 am

    About a week ago I went to the doctor for a very bad cold that turned out to be bronchitis. I told the doctor the medications that I was currently taking, which included dexilant and zantac for acid reflux. After reading the comments about doxy, I am convinced that the doctor added fuel to the fire. Everytime that I took a doxy pill, a liquid would fill my mouth which I now know was the acid rising, I actually thought that it was the doxy that had dissolved. My acid reflux which had been getting better is now worse, I have 6 pills left which are going in the garbage. There was no warning on the instructions for doxy, but don’t you think that the doctor should have known not to prescribe doxy since I already had problems which acid reflux

  • Lakota Myers December 20, 2015, 8:10 pm

    For the second time in two months I experienced what felt like a heart attack-chest pain, nausea, tingling of extremities and weakness. I had to go to the ER in October while driving home from an out-of-state trip with my 3 kids. Frightening! My blood pressure was 189/121 and I almost passed out. After some Coumadin and testing, I was released. I have always had borderline high blood pressure and a heart murmur and sometimes a racing heart. Similar symptoms started last night. BP of 201/120! I took every home remedy I had at hand (garlic, fish oil, tumeric and magnesium) and tried to relax. After a bad night, the pattern dawned on me. Both times I had been prescribed doxycycline for a sinus infection. I will never take it again!

    • phil December 23, 2015, 12:58 pm

      Yikes. Sounds like a case similar to mine in that I didn’t notice the heartburn symptoms for what they were. Glad you found the culprit!

  • anna March 11, 2016, 10:38 pm

    I took Doxcycline 100 mg 2X/day for blepharitis for several months. Side effects were nose bleed and within one month I came down with what was diagnosed as acid reflux. I am not overweight and eat extremely healthy almost vegetarian diet. After 2 months on Kaufman’s acid reflux diet, I became worse not better. Nothing helped. Just started Protronix which has not helped – I understand it can take 6 weeks to kick in. But I started to feel, this is not a coincidence, nose bleeds and suddenly acid reflux. Then I found this post. Upper GI and barium swallow are negative, perhaps I should consider endoscopy to check further for ulcers or lacerations before I subject myself to anymore drugs that can cause future side effects.

  • ERICA March 20, 2016, 11:18 pm

    Was prescribed doxy, started taking it, noticed extreme irritability, anxiety but most of all heart palpitations. Took me a few days to realize everything, stopped the doxy but heart palpitations have continued. Anyone else have this or similar, I’ve been off doxy for 7 days, I would have thought the symptoms would have diminished by now.

  • Olivia April 5, 2016, 1:19 am

    I am relieved. I’ve been on doxy for about 5 months now due to adult acne. I’ve been fine with mild symptoms up until now. I woke up about 7 days ago in excruciating pain. It’s as everybody mentioned, I thought I was having a heart attack or heart issues. My chest was tight and tons of pressure. I went to the ER, no relief there. Then two days later, I went to urgent care – same, no answers but was given 40mg/day prescription. My chest is now filled with burning sensations and I have the inability of swallowing. Water hurts as well. It’s the most painful thing ever. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life like this. Today, the 7th day… I went to my DR to get to the bottom of this. I’m getting a H. Pylori, gotta wait three weeks on this medication, then I go back to see if I need an endoscopy. I’ve never had GERD or symptoms associated. I’m at wits ends. No answers anywhere until now. I came online to see if the doxy will affect GERD and I’ve come across your post. Ah, to my surprise. It may be the culprit. I’m just happy to finally hear possible answers. Nobody will tell me what’s wrong with me. I know, this isn’t normal. I’ve lost 10 pounds so far and everything really has me scared. I’m relieved in a sense, thank you.

  • Sharon June 1, 2016, 3:11 pm

    Thanks. I was prescribed doxycycline for a skin problem. Omg, I have been so sick!!# Throwing up, dry heaves and a severe case of heartburn. I can’t tolerate this med.

  • Tami June 25, 2016, 9:12 am

    Hi, I just recently stopped taking doxycycline after 6 months of taking for severe dry eyes. I to experienced severe heartburn and nausea. I had no choice but stop because I couldn’t sleep with the severe heartburn. Heartburn getting better but now I have Acne, I’ve never had acne in my life, not even as a teenager. Has anyone else experienced adult acne after stopping doxycycline? Thanks.

  • Heather July 27, 2016, 3:19 pm

    I was given doxycycline AFTER Keflex and Sulfa.

    Initially, the NP thought the bug bite I got was an “infected” bite (It never oozed or had an open wound. It looked like a mosquito bite with a red circle around it.). She gave me a shot of some kind of antibiotic and prescribed Keflex and Sulfa to be taken together.

    Well, after a week on both, I got the worse diarrhea of my life. I quit taking the antibiotics.

    Five days later, I woke-up with a migraine, stiff neck, fever, chills, aches, etc. – basically “flu like” symptoms. Back to the doctor. He told me given my symptoms, it needed to be treated as “tick-borne” (Lyme test was negative.). I was prescribed doxycycline, which I now refer to as “the devil.”

    No one told me about not laying down after taking the drug. Since I was trying to space it out in 12 hour increments, I would take it at 5:30. The pill sat on my nightstand and I took it with a couple gulps of water (just rolled over). Then I would lay back down and go to sleep.

    One week later, my throat and tongue started burning. It was literally “on fire.” In addition, my nasal passages dried up.

    Now, I am completely miserable. Nothing I am doing in terms of trying to balance my “oral health” is working. Food tastes terrible (I did go back to the doctor afraid that maybe it was oral yeast. Nope.).

    Last week, I decided to call my dentist as I have lost all faith in MDs. He told me it sounded like “dry mouth” and that my oral health was out-of-balance. He told me to gargle with Biotene, Act, and drink a lot of water. NOTHING has helped. I am at my wits’ end.

    One last thing, I have learned that some antibiotics, like Sulfa, can cause you to have a reaction 7-21 days after you stop taking the medication. My friend’s husband is a doctor and thinks that’s what might of happened to me. So, the “Lyme” I was given doxycycline for was probably nothing more that my body reacting terribly to the Sulfa and probably all the other antibiotics I was initially prescribed.

    DO NOT TAKE DOXYCYCLINE. IT IS THE DEVIL.

    If anyone can offer some ideas in terms of relief, I’m all ears!

    • Laura May 24, 2018, 1:31 am

      Please look up dr. Nemechek he’s written a book he talks about the autonomic nervous system and gut flora and what can cause heartburn and how to heal from it and many of the symptoms that are showing up in this thread.

  • Andres October 6, 2016, 10:44 am

    Night sweats, lost of apetite, headache

  • Vanessa charman October 12, 2016, 4:49 am

    I have been taking doxycycline for five days twice I’ve been rushed into hospital with chest pains plus under my left rib I’ve got gerd and copd but the acid from these tablets it’s awful never taking these again it stops you doing everyday tasks even eating you throw up all the time

  • Mjc December 31, 2016, 3:44 pm

    In regards to the comments that mention throat irritation, difficulty swallowing, or lying down / immediately sleeping after taking the doxycycline…you’re not meant to lie down for at least 30 minutes after taking doxycycline because it is an oesophageal irritant. If you lie down while it is in the stomach, it has the potential to ‘wash’ back up the throat. Symptoms of throat irritation will go away after a few days, but this is really something that should have been mentioned to you by the prescribing doctor and/or pharmacist.

    For Heather, the throat irritation is a result of this. The flu-like symptoms are a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the sulfonamide. The dry mouth…either coincidental or due to the hypersensitivity reaction, but not likely the doxycycline.

    Tami, doxycycline is used to treat acne because it kills the bacteria that lives in pores. Following withdrawal of the antibiotic, this bacteria is no longer suppressed and will grow rapidly, potentially causing acne in people who did not have it before. In situations like this, apply benzoyl peroxide to prevent it for 1-2 weeks while the skin normalises.

    Erica, and anyone experiencing palpitations. Take a magnesium supplement and see if that resolves it after a few days. Many medications affect electrolytes and this can cause prolonged symptoms after withdrawal if your diet doesn’t provide enough.

    As for the drug information, which should be included and read by all consumers, this details how to take the medication. Full glass of water and no lying down for at least 30 minutes, but better for at least an hour to be honest. Don’t take with antacids, calcium, minerals, or iron because these bind to the doxycycline and lower the absorbed dosage. Take on empty stomach if possible for best absorption, but if nausea occurs it is fine to take with a meal, but avoid dairy to maximise absorption. Avoid excessive sunlight because it is phototoxic (doxycycline in the skin makes the skin more susceptible to the sun’s UV). Doing all of this will reduce your risk of heartburn, throat irritation, and other symptoms while on the drug.

  • lymey January 6, 2017, 5:24 am

    Hi. I took 2 x 100 mg of Doxycycline orally for 10 days against disseminated lyme and severe insomnia.

    After 7 days I got about 2 dozen pus filled pimples on my upper body (breast, neck, back) which quickly disappeared after stopping doxycycline.

    It’s been almost 2 months since I took it and I’m still shitting bricks. My stool (faeces, fecal matter) became very solid, dry, compact, clumpy ever since. During the doxy it was also very dark, almost black. The color is now back to normal but the consistency is still rock solid.
    I did take probiotics many hours after ingesting doxy and I still do.

    I guess shitting bricks is still better than bloody diarrhea huh

  • Jeremy January 14, 2017, 11:47 pm

    Phil,

    Have you managed to turn the corner on this yet? I have had the same side effects. I had an infection and was given this for an antibiotic. It was only for 7 days but I have had severe acid burning pains in abdomen, back wash feeling to my throat and burning sensation with what seems like palpitations around my left chest. The doctor did an ecg and chest xray which was normal. I have no history of heartburn and it is very apparent now that doxy is the culprit. Mine comes at night or end of day. I told my doctor and his reaction was hmmmm… thats it. Nothing prescribed. I would love to know your progress and what worked. Thank you.

    • phil January 15, 2017, 6:12 am

      Hi Jeremy,

      I have made a bit of progress, but I have not definitively turned the corner by any means. Chewing sugar free non-mint gum has helped me a lot as has changing my diet as much as possible, but I still have bouts of heartburn and reflux. Overall, though, it is much better than it was 2 or 3 years ago I do have to say. I assume your doctor knows that you were taking doxy?? Your case sounds very similar to mine as I also had tests on my heart when I wasn’t sure what it was.

      • Jeremy January 15, 2017, 10:34 am

        Yes, he was aware of the doxy. He actually prescribed it but never took the time to talk about side effects or the importance of water and lying down. It was in tiny print at the bottom but you would thought something this serious as a side effect would be discussed. Anyways, he acted surprised at my telling him about the effects. While they did chest x rays , they paid no attention to my abdomen . I am mostly dealing with burning pains right above and below my left breast with quick burning pains across my stomach. I might try the apple cider method but I am thankful it was only 7 days of taking it. 7 days too many.

        • phil January 15, 2017, 5:05 pm

          Hmmm, you might want to see a different doctor, or even better, a GI specialist. My general practitioner wasn’t much help either. A gastroenterologist can help you identify the problem, and if it is indeed reflux/heartburn (which it sounds like it is), they can evaluate the extent of the problem and possibly prescribe something or make other recommendations.

          • taru February 14, 2017, 1:28 pm

            I took doxycline 100 mg for 2 weeks after that I am facing severe heartburn and stomach burning sensation. GI prescribed me omeprazole. does it goes away. i am worrying lot.

  • Laurie April 9, 2017, 6:02 pm

    My husband was prescribed Doxy 100 mg tablets bid for peridontal deep cleaning that is taking place in two sessions. The tablets were twice as expensive as the capsules and I feel have more side effects. He has to take this for 20 days. 4 days after taking (yesterday) begin experiencing severe nausea and was also very irritable and lethargic. My sister who is a pharmacist recommended Florjen (OTC probiotic) also very expensive for OTC. Has been taking this for two days with no relief. Pharmacist at Walmart did not review drug (Oxy) and side effects.. Husband also takes a Statin and has history of high liver enzymes. It was never discussed that he should stay away from dairy, probably not take a statin while on Doxy. I don’t think this peridontist should have prescribed Doxycyline to someone who who is on a statin with high liver enzymes because of possible liver problems it can cause. In fact I not sure after reading this very informative blog while they prescribe this for anyone.

  • Ryan May 20, 2017, 7:19 pm

    Hi, I was prescribed Doxy for a suspected sinus infection just over a year ago which was causing me to cough non stop (post nasal drip – the doc said) Anyway immediately after taking it I noticed the reflux, everytime I ate or drank anything it would come back up into my throat and mouth. I asked my GP if it was safe for me to continue taking them and he said yes and that the symptoms should subside when I stop taking them. Well here we are over a year later and I still have the heartburn, I’ve been prescribed omeprazole twice which seems to help but gives me quite bad stomach gripes but after my course is finished hello reflux again. Another thing that started shortly after taking the Doxy is the skin on my neck, face and scalp can become quite itchy and blotchy with small spots forming. The only thing I find that provides relief is hydrocortisone ointment. I keep seeing doctors about these issues which I am convinced is a result of these antibiotics but never really get anywhere. Just how long after finishing doxy can it take for your body to recover? I only had a 7 day course and I can’t cope if I am doomed to suffer with this for the rest of my life. If I had known it would cause so much discomfort for so long I would have just put up with my coughing in the first place!

    • phil May 21, 2017, 5:42 am

      Hey Ryan,

      I hope for your sake that this is not the case as well. You would think a seven day course would not be able to do irreparable damage, but at the same time, it is clear that not enough is known/not enough research has been done on the negative side effects of doxycycline — ESPECIALLY those side effects that continue after you stop taking the medication. I don’t have a concrete answer for you, Ryan. I am hoping for the best for you. At the same time, I can only speak for myself, and indeed my heartburn has not stopped in what is now several years after I stopped taking the medication. You had a much shorter course of treatment (I was taking it for months), so perhaps there is still some reason to be optimistic.
      Cheers,
      Phil

      • Justin time January 14, 2019, 8:54 pm

        L-carnitine powder as directed for 30 to 60 days. Amazing results and immediate relief

  • Josh June 5, 2017, 1:01 am

    I took Doxy 100mg on an airplane with a bit of water (about 3 sips). One hour later I ate fruit salad with pineapple and the pain began in my chest on the left side. Today is day 4 and the pain on the left side of my chest is horrible. It hurts to brush my teeth or pick up clothes from the floor. It hurts when I lay down or move my left arm. It even hurts when I yell at Lebron James (watching the NBA finals). Thankfully, I still have an appetite. I’m going to see a Gastro today. Anyone know how long this pain will last?

    • phil June 5, 2017, 4:53 am

      I would definitely see a gastroenterologist and I would also stop taking the doxy. Brushing your teeth makes sense if you have mint flavored toothpaste. Mint relaxes the sphincter between your stomach and esophagus, allowing acid to rise. As for how long it will last, it’s hard to say. If you stop taking the doxy, and it continues, well, then you are dealing with something that I am going through along with several of the other people commenting here. Hopefully it will just go away once you stop taking doxy, though.

  • Joyce July 9, 2017, 10:57 pm

    I was bitten by a Tick and my Doctor put me on a regimen of Doxycycline for 21 days. I have never taken a drug that has so many side effects that have affected me. I was mostly sick for 21 days. My Doctor warned me that the drug is hard on the gut and that I was to take acidophilus daily and/or yogurt on a daily basis. Just about all my other pills either have calcium or magnesium in them which bind with Doxy, so I had to wait the 2 hours after taking the Doxy to take my other pills. The pharmacist read me the riot act on the do’s and dont’s of the drug, and so I followed them to the letter. The bad bacterias in my system disappeared due to the Doxy and some things that I had but didn’t know what they were are now gone. I never want to go on that drug again. I felt like I had a bad head cold, runny nose and coughing, stomach pain daily, huge amounts of saliva would fill my mouth and then I’d be gagging and vomiting and the only thing that came up was yellow bile and then green bile. One of the side effects is diarrhea, but I had constipation instead. I felt like bugs were crawling on me constantly. I had headaches every day, brown urine, sore neck and back, nausea, coated tongue, and no desire to eat anything.

  • Shantel Taylor July 25, 2017, 10:18 pm

    I have been taking metron and doxy along with acidic and a insert pills call triben-ven and .now am Tru and all I can feel is my vagina burning out.what may be the cause?does anyone experience this before?

  • Dagmara October 26, 2017, 1:50 am

    I lasted about 10 out of 14 days on doxy. I always have acid reflux but this is horrible. 4 days off of it and still have the symptoms. I doubled my omeprazole to 40 mg. The only thing that seems to help is boiling some flax seeds and drinking the thick mixture and eating the seeds. It coats my stomach with some relief.

    • phil October 26, 2017, 7:44 am

      Oh I’m so sorry you started taking it while already having reflux. I hope it gets better!!!

  • Caroline November 18, 2017, 6:43 am

    Hi, I have just finished taking 2×100 mg Doxy a day for 7 days. I have heartburn this morning so found this site as I thought it might have something to do with finishing the Doxy. I am relieved as I wasn’t sure if it was tightness in my chest/infection coming back.
    I was started on it in A&E (emergency room) and maybe I was told about side effects but was only able to concentrate on trying to breathe at the time so didn’t take any other info in. I certainly don’t remember reading or being told not to take the meds lying down (I was actually given it twice in hospital while lying down). I also specifically asked about taking it with or without food and was told it didn’t matter!
    I hope this heartburn isn’t permanent as it is quite painful but at least I can breathe.
    I wouldn’t scare people away from taking Doxy (just make sure you read all of the instructions and ask your doctor if you have concerns before stopping taking it).
    This was also the drug that my son was prescribed for acne several years ago and took it for at least a couple of years, he now has a large permanent raised red mark (like a birthmark) on his face, probably caused by photosensitivity. Pros, cons & alternatives should maybe be weighed up by the doctors before prescribing for non life-threatening conditions.

  • Freya March 4, 2018, 11:10 am

    I took Doxycycline for 4 months whilst I was travelling in Africa, since coming off Doxycycline I have experienced severe nausea and light headedness, which is only alleviated when I eat. However, it soon reappears after I have finished eating. It might be because the antibiotic has killed both the good and the bad bacteria in my gut, but I did not think I would be experiencing the side-effects almost 2 months after I have finished taking the doxycycline. I went to the Doctors who said I was suffering from gastritis, and prescribed omeprazole, but 4 days into taking this I had a very sore throat as well as troubles controlling my breathing. I was wondering if anyone would recommend anything that might work to relieve the symptoms.

  • John April 4, 2018, 4:56 am

    my experiences on this drug was so terrible! after taking this doxy for 2 times i stop taking it after feeling anxious, loss of appetite, acid reflux. now im on a diet without any milk or fatty food. for your acid reflux you can try mixing 1tbsp of apple cider vinegar with warm water in morning and evening. you try this for 3days, avoid any soda, coffee just drink plain water you will feel the difference. also avoid junk food or fatty food, go for fruit and veggies. and lots water. my style is i dont eat too much but i eat every 2hours, hope we can recover from this horrible drug.

  • Jack April 6, 2018, 4:09 pm

    Took one pill. Woke up with really bad heart burn. Haven’t had heart burn in many years.

  • Cindy I Stalbaum May 10, 2018, 4:15 pm

    I took doxycycline twice a day for 2 weeks. I began to get severe heartburn and burning in my throat, my lips even burned. Last week I woke up with chest pains I thought I was having a heart attack, I went to er and they said probably gerd, was given omneprozol been taking it for 3 days and I still have these symptoms

  • Awfully tired May 16, 2018, 4:44 pm

    Just finished 2 months of dreaded doxycycline because blood tests showed Lyme. Awfully horribly tired. A bit more stomach cramps….
    How long now that I finished, till I recover from the doxy?
    Or is the tiredness from the Lyme not the doxy?
    Should I take probiotics now?

  • Monica May 16, 2018, 10:45 pm

    I never lay down after taking, until usually around 3 or 4 hours after cause i’m busy with school, but in the car I get horrible motion sickness, and during the day I have a fever and chills (which is usually a tell tale sign I HAVE a fever for me), dizziness and nausea when i’m going through my day. I just started getting this recently, and have been taking it for 2 almost 2.5 months and hate the feeling. šŸ™ Is this common???

  • Maddy June 21, 2018, 8:49 am

    I am taking doxycycline 100mg for infection in a tooth
    It gives me a bad headache, light headed abdominal pain , and muscle aches.Should i keep taking them. I was prescribed 7 pills. I now have taken 3

  • Mel June 23, 2018, 5:12 am

    Hey,

    So I’ve recently started taking Doxycycline for an infection. I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach and felt really dizzy and sick. Another concern that I have is that I am not experiencing loose stools and a lot of blood in them. Is this normal?

    Many thanks x

    • phil June 23, 2018, 5:38 am

      Hi Mel,

      I would immediately contact the doctor that prescribed you the doxy if you are having these symptoms!!!

  • Nickie July 4, 2018, 4:28 pm

    Just after finishing my 10 days of doxycycline I awoke at 2am feeling something stuck in my throat.This feeling continued for 48 hours followed by chest pain and still at a lesser extent the feeling of something stuck in my throat.This is day 4 and I’m still feeling these systems that worsen when I swallow especially swallowing food

    • haider March 3, 2019, 8:35 am

      How long did last ?
      I have the same symptoms I feel like something in my throat and I cannot burp

    • haider March 3, 2019, 8:44 am

      Are you still having the same feelings ?

    • haider March 3, 2019, 8:54 am

      any update?

      • phil March 4, 2019, 4:02 am

        Their post was written almost a year ago so I am not sure they will be checking back. But I hope they are doing better.

  • Fox July 9, 2018, 2:30 pm

    Started feeling pressure in my chest area somewhere in March, followed by excessive burping, heartburn, acid reflux, heart palpitations, anxiety, dizziness and this weird sensation of pressure in my head and ears. I even was hospitalized in April for a possible stomach bleeding (I’m glad the gastroscopy revealed that everything is fine in there, heart condition was perfect). But the burping and reflux is much worse today. Looking back, I see that the only thing changed in my life is the doxycycline that I’ve been taking everyday since February for acne. I asked my specialist again and again whether the doxy could be the culprit. The answer was ‘no’ again and again. But my gut feeling says it is. I’m so glad I found this thread. I’m seeing my dermatologist this week and I’m going to insist to take me off this evil thing. 5 months of torture is more than enough. I don’t know if it’ll ever go back to normal, but I’m sure I don’t want to continue damaging my body like this. I’ve been taking probiotics and apple cider vinegar as a remedy for a few days now. Fingers crossed…

    • haider subhi March 7, 2019, 11:55 am

      Hi
      I hope everything is good now and hope you can see my message
      I took Doxycycline only
      *4 times * two days
      I’m suffering with same symptoms since 5 days burping and sometimes I can not burp I feel like there is something trapped the gas in my esophagus I did endoscope end nothing wrong in my esophagus …. I went to 2 doctors I don’t know what to do.
      how long did take this burping problem with you

  • Gail Segal July 22, 2018, 5:32 pm

    Perhaps you have a condition known as ” hyatial hernia” as a result of the doxycycline. I am currently taking it for lyme and yes it is making me quite nauseous with disturbing acidity flowing up & down, also have cold sweats at times & flushing burning face. Personally I would recommend a different anti malaria drug.

  • Timothy Muzgatama September 8, 2018, 1:27 am

    Am so glad I have come across this article huh! This drug made me feel like am about to die. I only took it for three days and it’s now over a week and I can’t stand the side effects. Terrible it is!!!! I get this feeling like am about to have a heart attack and cough my life out at the same time. I am so never taking this drug again. Never. After reading this article I bought some antiacids and they made me feel way better. Lying down became a night mare. Am glad I now know the cause

  • Caz October 4, 2018, 9:42 pm

    I am so glad I fallen upon this page tonight. I’m taking Doxycycline for a chest infection, I am nearing the end of a two week period of taking these but when I got up this morning I have got the worst indigestion ever and I’ve had it all day and it will not ease up at all. I’ve taken everything I know for it too. I have got hiatus hernia and GERD which hasn’t troubled me for a long time but now I’m in agony! I have raised blood pressure and AF. I am not taking another one of these tablets anymore.

  • Steph December 5, 2018, 9:54 am

    Iā€™ve been on Doxy for 7 weeks so far for late stage Lyme disease. Research herxheimer reaction if you feel worse on doxy with infection. The side effects I get are acid reflux (which I havenā€™t had in years) but I am often bedbound because of how sick I am so itā€™s very difficult for me to not lie down for half an hour! I also get heart palpitations (but this could be the Lyme!), very very poor appetite and food not tasting nice. I was only 7.5 stone when I started treatment but Iā€™ve lost half a stone. My GP wonā€™t prescribe any different antibiotics for the Lyme as they ā€˜arenā€™t as safe for long term useā€™. Any tips welcomed šŸ’–

  • Rochelle February 22, 2019, 6:43 pm

    Hi was prescribed Doxycycline for potential lyme disease. I did vomit, had bad headaches, and like others took it a night with too little water and had acid that burned my esophagus and was extremely painful to swallow. I took the drug for 12 days and got it changed to a different drug for the last two days because of a severe headache. Ever since then – five months ago I have had heartburn, bitter taste, lump in my throat, gurgling in my throat every day. I am healthy, exercise daily, trim, and eat a vegetarian type diet with fish. I have always eaten in moderation. Four months ago I cut out all the things they say to cut out for GERD plus dairy. I was on nexxum for two weeks and it didn’t do much or the Omeprazole for two weeks. I am now taking probiotics. This seems to control some of the gas I was having but so far not impacting the other symptoms. The symptoms were more heightened three months ago but are still a daily challenge. I believe the Doxycycline set off some reaction to create these daily symptoms as I rarely experienced heart burn and have not experienced the other symptoms like the bitter and sour taste before. I also noticed I will get dry mouth if I don’t drink alot of water.

    Reading the other comments was helpful because there is little information about the causal relationship and the physiological reason between the drug and these symptoms. I will carry on with trying new remedies and testing to hopefully see some difference. thank you

  • haider subhi March 7, 2019, 11:57 am

    Hi
    I hope everything is good with everyone
    I took Doxycycline only
    *4 times in two days
    I’m suffering since 5 days with burping and sometimes I can not burp I feel like there is something trapped the gas in my esophagus I did endoscope and nothing wrong in my esophagus …. I went to 2 doctors I don’t know what to do.

  • Nicole March 18, 2019, 12:17 pm

    I have been experiencing insomnia while taking doxy. Is this a common symptom?

  • Emma King April 4, 2019, 8:03 pm

    Hi I am sorry to read what everyone is going through, have been on this drug. I took 10 days ago for nearly 2 weeks, (I was prescribed a 7 week course for rosacea, but seeing another doctor they told me it was adult acne and to use benzodyl peroxide cream), since starting the tablets, I have had bloating, trapped wind, loss of appetite, and acid reflux. I didn’t have any of this before I took the tablets. I am hoping things improve now I have stopped taking it but reading this it could be a long problem :(. I hope everyone improves soon.

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