It is also effective against Yersinia pestis (the infectious agent of bubonic plague), and is prescribed for the treatment of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.Doxycycline is indicated for treatment of:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus fever and the typhus group, Q fever, rickettsialpox, and tick fevers caused by Rickettsia
Respiratory tract infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Lymphogranuloma venereum, trachoma, inclusion conjunctivitis, and uncomplicated urethral, endocervical, or rectal infections in adults caused by Chlamydia trachomatis
Psittacosis
Nongonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum
Relapsing fever due to Borrelia recurrentis
Chancroid caused by Haemophilus ducreyi
Plague due to Yersinia pestis
Tularemia
Cholera
Campylobacter fetus infections
Brucellosis caused by Brucella species (in conjunction with streptomycin)
Bartonellosis
Granuloma inguinale (Klebsiella species)
Lyme diseaseWhen bacteriologic testing indicates appropriate susceptibility to the drug, doxycycline may be used to treat these infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria:
Escherichia coli infections
Enterobacter aerogenes (formerly Aerobacter aerogenes) infections
Shigella species infections
Acinetobacter species (formerly Mima species and Herellea species) infections
Respiratory tract infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae
Respiratory tract and urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella speciesSome Gram-positive bacteria have developed resistance to doxycycline. Up to 44% of Streptococcus pyogenes and up to 74% of S. faecalis specimens have developed resistance to the tetracycline group of antibiotics. Up to 57% of P. acnes strains developed resistance to doxycycline.
Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum tetracycline class antibiotic used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat bacterial pneumonia, acne, chlamydia infections, Lyme disease, cholera, typhus, and syphilis. It is also used to prevent malaria in combination with quinine. Doxycycline may be taken by mouth or by injection into a vein.Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an increased risk of sunburn. Use during pregnancy is not recommended. Like other agents of the tetracycline class, it either slows or kills bacteria by inhibiting protein production. It kills malaria by targeting a plastid organelle, the apicoplast.Doxycycline was patented in 1957 and came into commercial use in 1967. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Doxycycline is available as a generic medicine. In 2019, it was the 90th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions. Medical use
In addition to the general indications for all members of the tetracycline antibiotics group, doxycycline is frequently used to treat Lyme disease, chronic prostatitis, sinusitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, acne, rosacea, and rickettsial infections.In Canada, in 2004, doxycycline was considered a first-line treatment for chlamydia and non-gonococcal urethritis and with cefixime for uncomplicated gonorrhea. Antibacterial
Moraxella catarrhalis, Brucella melitensis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are generally susceptible to doxycycline, while some Haemophilus spp., Mycoplasma hominis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have developed resistance to varying degrees.It is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of anthrax and Leptospirosis.