Doxycycline is a type of antibiotic used to combat certain kinds of bacteria. It is often used to treat gum disease, skin conditions such as acne and abscesses, and tick-borne illnesses including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. It is typically effective against various types of bacteria including rickettsia and streptococcus. Some bacteria is resistant to this medication and testing to ensure that it the bacteria is susceptible is generally recommended before proceeding. Various factors can impact the prescribed doxycycline dosage, including a person’s size, age and the condition for which the medicine is being given.
The standard doxycycline dosage is 200 mg the first day and 100 mg each day of treatment thereafter, with treatment lasting for at least a week. This dosage is increased in the case of chronic or severe infections. It is also increased to 200 mg per day for various venereal diseases such as gonorrhea and complications resulting from some types of gonorrhea. The doxycycline dosage used to treat syphilis is usually 300 mg daily, divided into three doses per day.
Children are given a doxycycline dosage based on the child’s weight. As with adults, the pediatric dose of this medicine is increased for severe infections. If a child weighs 100 pounds or more (45 kg) and is at least eight years old, he or she can usually take the adult dose.
The type and severity of the infection also controls the length of time the doxycycline dosage is given. Certain types of bacteria are treated with a course of antibiotics given over a period of seven days while other illnesses and bacteria, such as streptococcus, must be treated with doxcycline for 10 days. Stopping the drug too soon can cause the problem to recur and may have other negative consequences. One of the more serious effects of stopping the drug before treatment is completed is the development of resistant strains of bacteria that may no longer respond to the drug.
The normal doxycycline dosage can be taken with or without food, but in some cases the patient may be sensitive to it. When this happens the person may experience significant stomach upset. In such cases the dosage instructions must be amended so that the doxycycline is only taken with food and never on an empty stomach. In all cases, the medication should be followed by a full glass of liquid so that the pill doesn’t dissolve in the throat and cause complications such as ulcers in the esophagus.