Patient was educated on the side effects of using Doxycycline as follows:
- Diarrhea
- Human intestines have a lot of bacteria, both good and bad, living in a sensitive balance with each other.
- This helps maintain the normal natural intestinal environment. Doxycycline works by killing the bacteria.
- While doing this, Doxycycline does not differentiate between good and bad bacteria.
- Consequently, apart from killing the bad infectious bacteria, Doxycycline also kills the good bacteria in the intestinal system, thus compromising the balance between good and bad bacteria.
- This can result in reduction in the number of good bacteria and increase in the number of Doxycycline resistant bad bacteria, leading to irritation of the intestinal mucosa and diarrhea.
- Diarrhea secondary to the clostridium difficile bacteria in the intestines, is a standard example for this.
- Anaphylaxis
- A rare, but serious anaphylactic response can occur for Doxycycline.
- Patients can present with extreme itching and rash, swelling of the face and throat, dizziness, bronchoconstriction, and difficulty breathing.
- This is an emergency and medical attention should be sought immediately, without any delay.
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Long term Doxycycline intake can lead to serious problems of the peripheral nerves, thus resulting in altered sensations, such as, pain and numbness, tingling, and burning sensations in the extremities.
- These altered sensations can result in disturbance in the touch, pain, temperature, and pressure sensations in the extremities, contributing towards changes in the vibration and body position sense.
- This can lead to falls and accidents, thus jeopardizing safety.
- Doxycycline use can also result in slowing down of conduction of nerve impulses, resulting in muscle weakness.
