AngieW in Texas Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 My 14yo and 17yo have been on doxycycline for 1.5 weeks now for acne. It has done wonders for my 17yo already. She has had NO negative effects and her face has almost completely cleared up. My 14yo has had a lot of problems though. She has been sick since the 4th day. There have been no positive effects at all. She has nausea that comes and goes, feels generally "off", has had dry mouth/throat, ... She hasn't felt truly sick - more like the way she feels right before coming down with an awful illness. There hasn't been any fever. At this point, she wants to just stop the doxycycline and see if the dermatologist has something else she can recommend. Did any of your kids (or you) have this sort of problem with doxycycline? My dh has been on a much lower dose of it for years because of rosacea. He had the same kinds of problems with it right at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Doxycycline is well-known for causing stomach/gastro problems. They tell you not to eat it with food, which makes these problems much worse. It's contraindicated for foods with calcium, iron, and I think maybe one other mineral, as it binds to the doxy and makes it less effective. They think you're too stupid to avoid foods with those minerals, so they tell you to eat nothing, but then it makes you want to puke. I found oyster crackers made with unenriched white flour - basically food devoid of any nutrients. But they buffered the doxy. That made it much better. Carr's water crackers are also made with unenriched white flour. And make sure they're taking tons of probiotics - you need a good supplement that has multiple strains and millions (or is it billions) of live organisms. Take it as far away from the time you take the antibiotics as possible. This helps the gut repopulate with vital good bacteria that are also being killed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 I read about the problems with minerals, so my kids have been taking it at lunch (no dairy products). They are both taking zinc and magnesium just before bed along with probiotics (about 10 hours later). My 17yo hasn't had any problems at all, so I'm very happy about that, because she has tried everything to get her skin to clear up and nothing has worked. My 14yo just started having an issue recently, but she has such sensitive skin that she breaks out with most products, so the dermatologist thought going straight to an oral med would be best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Agreeing with matryoshka - both my doc and pharmacist told me that if it made me sick, take it with food. Just avoid dairy before and after. Crackers, graham crackers, no problem. And my doc also told me that it would take a while to start seeing results (though I was taking it for an eye issue, not acne). It is very important to remain vertical for at least 30 minutes after taking a dose. Is your child lying down after taking it? That's really important and an often missed instruction. Keep in mind that the doxy will heighten sun sensitivity. Your kids really need to wear sunscreen on their arms, legs, etc, anytime they'll be going out in it. I was sailing a lot that summer i was on it and was not super diligent about reapplication; my skin would redden quickly and I earned some new arm freckles and spots. Hopefully with food and a little more time you will start seeing the desired results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Oh, just a thought, I believe there are huge hormonal changes going on between the ages of 14 and 17 (which actually begin earlier for all and carry on longer for boys). Perhaps your 17yodd is already nearing the age where her teen years hormone surges are leveling off, while your 14yo is on the more volatile side of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Doxy is only one potential acne treatment. It didn't work at all for my ds. Just get something else for her. Topical retin-A and benzaclin worked magic for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 It is very important to remain vertical for at least 30 minutes after taking a dose. Is your child lying down after taking it? That's really important and an often missed instruction. This! I was recently on doxy for a short time and went to bed and a few min later remember I forgot to take it. I got up, took the doxy, and went back to bed. HUGE mistake! I woke up in the middle of the night with horrendous heart burn. And it lasted for a couple days. Nothing helped it. After looking into it, I learned that doxy is known to burn your esophagus if you don't drink enough water with it or lay down. I had a pretty minor burn based on others experiences I read. Some people ended up hospitalized because they couldn't eat for days. I'm not trying to scare you, but it is kind of a big deal. And it's easily prevented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Our personal use of doxy has been for Lyme. It was misery all day every day and they still have GI issues from it. It helped a bit to eat a little something with it, though it works better if you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyomarie Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I read about the problems with minerals, so my kids have been taking it at lunch (no dairy products). They are both taking zinc and magnesium just before bed along with probiotics (about 10 hours later). My 17yo hasn't had any problems at all, so I'm very happy about that, because she has tried everything to get her skin to clear up and nothing has worked. My 14yo just started having an issue recently, but she has such sensitive skin that she breaks out with most products, so the dermatologist thought going straight to an oral med would be best. Was your 14yo taking zinc and magnesium before she started taking doxy? Or did she start that around the same time? Zinc is also well known for causing stomach upset if not taken with food. It's guaranteed to make me throw up if I take it on an empty stomach. I am not on doxy now, but I have been on it at times. I never take it on a completely empty stomach, despite the instructions. If it's prescribed for more than once a day, you could try a few days w/o the med and then try it again at a lower dose and working up. This has worked well for others who need to be on it for longer than 10 days but have had a difficult time tolerating it. But it might be good to just give the doc's office a call and ask his/her advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I take Doxy to prevent Malaria when I'm in Africa. I'll be taking it the whole month of June this year! When I'm on a long course of Doxy I take it in the morning (I don't use dairy) and I take a strong probiotic every evening with dinner. I need to take it with some sort of 'food' or else I'll "pay" with terrible heartburn. The pro-biotic is a MUST-- if I don't take that then I get all sorts of nasties like yeast infections.... For me Doxy is still better than the other anti-malaria options! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history_junkie Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I had a horrible experience with it. I took it as an anti-malarial for a missions trip a few summers ago. I felt awful when on it, and continued to have side effects months after it. I also had a lot of mental/emotional side effects that I think were caused by the havoc it was wreaking in my gut. I had terrible anxiety, insomnia, "feelings of impending doom" etc. At one point, I was so sick ( physically and emotionally) that I could hardly eat that I lost about 30 lbs in one semester. I have to run, but I'll check back later if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 15, 2013 Author Share Posted April 15, 2013 My 14yo and 17yo have been on zinc and magnesium for a long time already. Since they take that at night, they take doxy earlier in the day. They have both been taking it with lunch. My 14yo is the to the point where she isn't willing to try the doxy any longer and she didn't take it today. I'm going to call the dermatologist tomorrow to ask about other options. My 17yo is doing very well on it and will continue with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 My 14yo and 17yo have been on doxycycline for 1.5 weeks now for acne. It has done wonders for my 17yo already. She has had NO negative effects and her face has almost completely cleared up. My 14yo has had a lot of problems though. She has been sick since the 4th day. There have been no positive effects at all. She has nausea that comes and goes, feels generally "off", has had dry mouth/throat, ... She hasn't felt truly sick - more like the way she feels right before coming down with an awful illness. There hasn't been any fever. At this point, she wants to just stop the doxycycline and see if the dermatologist has something else she can recommend. Did any of your kids (or you) have this sort of problem with doxycycline? My dh has been on a much lower dose of it for years because of rosacea. He had the same kinds of problems with it right at first. My 24 yo has a lot of those symptoms when she takes docy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 I was going to make some of the above suggestions - staying upright for at least 30 minutes, eating with it, taking probiotics, etc. I was on doxy and other abx for many years, and those tips can help. But since you said she's been feeling this was since Day 4... I just have to ask - is there any chance she has Lyme, undiagnosed? What you're describing, that sort of flu-like feeling, sounds like a herxheimer reaction. And with Lyme, that typically shows up around Day 3 or 4. So your post kind of made me wonder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 I take Doxy to prevent Malaria when I'm in Africa. I'll be taking it the whole month of June this year! When I'm on a long course of Doxy I take it in the morning (I don't use dairy) and I take a strong probiotic every evening with dinner. I need to take it with some sort of 'food' or else I'll "pay" with terrible heartburn. The pro-biotic is a MUST-- if I don't take that then I get all sorts of nasties like yeast infections.... For me Doxy is still better than the other anti-malaria options! Dd takes doxy for malaria when she goes to the Dominican Republic. All the kids who use doxy on the trip take it in the morning with fruit. Last year she was the only one who took along probiotics for evening use. Gah, I need to remember to make a Dr. appt for the prescription -- they need to start a week ahead, and then continue for several weeks after.... Dh's biggest problem with it is the sun sensitivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3innc Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 I took it long term for awhile for Lyme. The gastro issues were pretty bad. It's all been said...good probiotics, eat with food, do not lie down. However, I had the biggest problem with sun sensitivity. I had the worst case of sun poisoning. We went to FL for a week while I was on it (in the spring). I knew sun sensitivity was an issue. We went to go on a boat for the day. I put on a hat, long sleeves, long pants, PLUS high level sun screen. And sat under cover a lot of the time. BUT I came out in the sun a few times and guess what burned...the knuckles on my fingers and toes--I guess the sunscreen wore off. To a point where I couldn't even shower. It all happened in about an hour. Just crazy. I was SO sick and had to stay in for the rest of the week. So be aware. It's no joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Oh! In addition to the probiotics, it might be a good idea to add Florastor. You can buy it a CVS or Walgreens, I think, or order it online. It is a beneficial yeast (S. Boulaardi), and it is a great addition to your probiotics. Very good for gut health while on abx. I will never take abx without S. Boulaardi again! (I think I'm spelling that wrong, sorry.) It can help prevent C. Diff, too. :) Might help with the gastro issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 This! I was recently on doxy for a short time and went to bed and a few min later remember I forgot to take it. I got up, took the doxy, and went back to bed. HUGE mistake! I woke up in the middle of the night with horrendous heart burn. And it lasted for a couple days. Nothing helped it. After looking into it, I learned that doxy is known to burn your esophagus if you don't drink enough water with it or lay down. I had a pretty minor burn based on others experiences I read. Some people ended up hospitalized because they couldn't eat for days. I'm not trying to scare you, but it is kind of a big deal. And it's easily prevented. That is EXACTLY what happened to me, too! :scared: And I mean EXACTLY -- except the pain was so intense that I actually thought I might be having a heart attack. I even went to the doctor for it, and he figured out immediately exactly what had happened. Your pain was probably just as bad, but you were less of a chicken about it than I was! :blush: So now I tell everyone to take it with food, drink at least a full glass of water with it, and remain upright for at least 30 minutes after taking it. And use sunscreen and eat your yogurt, too (just not at the same time you're taking your medicine -- get the timing right!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Doxy made my oldest so sick, all the time, and she caught just about everything there was...what a horrible time. She went off just because she couldn't take being sick all the time. We'll never do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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