tetracycline

What is the most important information I should know about tetracycline?

What is tetracycline?

Tetracycline is an antibiotic that fights infection caused by bacteria.

Tetracycline is used to treat many different bacterial infections of the skin, intestines, respiratory tract, urinary tract, genitals, lymph nodes, and other body systems. Tetracycline is often used in treating severe acne, or sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. Tetracycline is also used to treat infections you can get from direct contact with infected animals or contaminated food.

In some cases, tetracycline is used when penicillin or another antibiotic cannot be used to treat serious infections such as Anthrax, Listeria, Clostridium, Actinomyces, and others.

Tetracycline may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking tetracycline?

To make sure tetracycline is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver disease; or
• kidney disease.

If you are using tetracycline to treat gonorrhea, your doctor may test you to make sure you do not also have syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.

How should I take tetracycline?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using tetracycline.

If you use this medicine long-term, you may need frequent medical tests.

Do not share this medicine with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

Throw away any unused tetracycline after the expiration date on the label has passed. Taking expired tetracycline can cause damage to your kidneys.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while taking tetracycline?

For at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking tetracycline: avoid taking iron supplements, multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

What are the possible side effects of tetracycline?

• severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
• pale or yellowed skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• any signs of a new infection.

Common side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach, loss of appetite;
• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
• swollen tongue, black or "hairy" tongue, trouble swallowing;
• sores or swelling in your rectal or genital area; or
• vaginal itching or discharge.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect tetracycline?

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

• any other antibiotic;
• isotretinoin (Accutane);
• tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A, Vesanoid);
• a blood thinner (warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven);
• an antacid or laxative medicine; or
• a vitamin or mineral supplement that contains iron, zinc, calcium, or magnesium.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with tetracycline, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about tetracycline.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 10.01. Revision date: 7/24/2023.