Oxycycline tablets
Oxycycline is an antibiotic. Space out your doses during the day and make sure you continue to take the tablets until you finish the course prescribed. The absorption of oxycycline is adversely affected by food and dairy products. It is important that you take the tablets either one hour before a meal, or wait until two hours afterwards. Do not drink milk during the two hours before you take the tablets, or for two hours afterwards. Oxycycline is an antibacterial medicine. This means that it stops infections caused by germs (bacteria). It is prescribed as a treatment for chest infections such as pneumonia, and also for some mouth infections. It is also prescribed for infections resulting from some types of bites, and some sexually transmitted infections. Oxycycline is also prescribed for some longer-term skin conditions, such as acne and rosacea.
How to take oxycycline
Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about oxycycline, and will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it. Take oxycycline exactly as your doctor tells you to. If you have an infection it is likely you will be asked to take one or two tablets every six hours, and if you are being treated for acne or rosacea, the usual dose is two tablets twice daily. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you which dose is right for you, and this information will also be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what was said to you. Try to take your doses around the same times of day each day. This will help you remember to take them regularly. Space out your doses evenly throughout the day. Take the tablets when your stomach is empty. This means taking your doses one hour before you eat food, or waiting until two hours after you have eaten. It is also important that you do not drink milk within two hours (either before or after) of taking oxycycline. This is because both food and milk can reduce the amount of medicine absorbed by your body, making it less effective in fighting infection.
Your course of treatment is likely to last for a week or so if you are being treated for an acute infection. If you are taking oxycycline for acne or rosacea, your treatment could last for several months. It is important that you keep taking the tablets until the course of treatment is finished (unless you are told to stop sooner by a doctor).
If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with oxycycline, as a number of 'over-the-counter' remedies can interfere with it. In particular, do not take indigestion remedies, or supplements containing iron, magnesium, or zinc at the same time. This is because oxycycline combines with these things, which makes it less effective. If you need to take an antacid or any of the supplements mentioned, make sure you leave at least two hours before or after taking oxycycline before you have them.
