Doxycycline

What is Doxycycline?

Doxycycline is a form of antibiotic. It’s often used for a wide range of infections, but it’s also very effective against bacterial acne. It’s a powerful treatment that both brings down acne and calms the underlying inflammation.

It comes as a tablet and you take it everyday. It’s a good choice if you have bacterial acne and creams or gels haven’t worked for you. It’s much stronger and works across your whole system.

How does Doxycycline work for acne?

Doxycycline is a type of antibiotic called a tetracycline. It works by binding to the cells in bacteria and stopping them from making new proteins. This kills off the bad bacteria and stops new bacteria from growing. So it’s an effective way of fighting bacterial acne.

Doxycycline also helps with acne by bringing down inflammation. It does this in ten different ways, by stopping inflammatory cells from being made and released. Inflammation is a major cause of bacterial acne, so Doxycycline’s anti-inflammatory effects stop it at its source.

What doses of Doxycycline are there?

The usual dose recommended for acne is 50mg of Doxycycline a day. Always take the dose recommended by your clinician. Don’t stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor, even if your acne has cleared up.

If your current dose isn’t working for you, you might need a higher one. If you’ve ordered through us, just log into your account and send us a message. We can see if a larger dose might be right for you, or if you need a different treatment.

How to take Doxycycline

Your clinician will talk you through how exactly to take Doxycycline before you start treatment. If you have any questions, just log into your account and message send us a message.

• Try to take your tablet around the same time each day. If you’re worried you’ll forget, you could set an alarm or use a reminder app on your phone.
• Swallow the tablet whole, don't crush them or chew it.
• Make sure you’re upright when you take the tablet, either sitting or standing.
• Drink a large glass of water when you take your tablets.
• Take Doxycycline with a meal. It'll lower your risk of getting an upset stomach.
• Try to avoid eating or drinking dairy for a couple of hours before and after you take your tablet. Dairy affects the levels of doxycycline that are active in your system.
• Don’t lie down for 30 minutes after you take your Doxycycline. This stops the tablets from getting stuck in your throat, so they can move quickly into your stomach and get absorbed.

How long does it take Doxycycline to work?

Doxycycline is absorbed by the body quickly. It reaches peak levels in your blood just two to four hours after you take a tablet. So it starts fighting the bacteria and inflammation causing your symptoms pretty fast. But when you’re taking it for acne, it can take some time for the effects to start showing on your skin. You’ll usually take Doxycycline for acne for 6-12 weeks, depending on how severe it is. Many people see improvements after just a couple of weeks. But even when your skin starts looking better, you shouldn’t stop taking Doxycycline without talking to a clinician first.

What should I do if I make a mistake while taking Doxycycline?

If you forget to take your Doxycycline at your usual time, just take it as soon as you remember. If it’s less than twelve hours before your next tablet, skip the missed dose and carry on with treatment as normal. Don’t take twice your normal dose to make up for missing a tablet. If you take too much Doxycycline, get medical attention. Take the packaging of the medication with you so they can see what you’ve taken and how much. If you’ve only taken one extra tablet, it’s unlikely to cause you any problems. Still, seek help if you have any worrying symptoms.