Doxycycline

When is Doxycycline prescribed?

Doxycycline is commonly prescribed to prevent malaria when you are travelling to malaria risk areas. If you are traveling to another continent or country, it is important to find out before you go whether you will need to get malaria prevention medication.

High risk areas include, but are not limited to Asia, Africa, Central and South America and parts of the Middle East. To find out whether the country that you are visiting is at risk, you can check on the NHS Fit for Travel website.

No treatment gives complete protection against malaria, but doxycycline will reduce your chances of catching it. This means that it is still important to take any precautionary measures possible to decrease the risk of malaria, this can mean using mosquito netting or spray when sleeping or leaving the hotel.

Dosage:

When using Doxycycline to help prevent malaria, you should take 1 100mg capsule once a day. You should start to use doxycycline 2 days before travelling, and keep taking the medication for the full duration of your travels and 4 weeks after you return home.

When using Doxycycline, you should always swallow the tablet whole with water, and with or without food. Do not lie down for at least 30 minutes after taking the tablet. Do not exceed the stated dose.

Side effects:

Like any other medicine, Doxycycline comes with the risk of side effects, but not everybody will experience them. Some of the side effects that this medication can cause are more common than others, but if you suffer any side effects, you should get in touch with your GP or doctor as soon as possible. Some common side effects include:

• Diarrhoea
• Upset stomach
• Feeling sick or nauseated
• Headache

How to reduce side effects:

Before using Doxycycline, you should always read the patient information leaflet thoroughly to help you reduce the risk of side effects as much as possible. Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water, if the capsules irritate your stomach take them with food or milk. You should take the capsules either sitting down or standing up and well before you go to bed for the night to stop irritation and ulceration of your gullet. It is important not to lie down for at least thirty minutes after taking Doxycycline capsules. Following these instructions will help to minimise your risk of side effects.

You should always let your GP or doctor know about any existing health conditions or medications you are taking to help them determine whether the medication is right for you and to avoid any side effects that could be caused due to interactions. Doxycycline can interact with other medications and affect how they work, so it is important you inform our doctors about all the medicines you take when filling in the consultation questionnaire.

Who can and cannot take Doxycycline?

Doxycycline, like many other medications, can interact negatively with some medications and health conditions. If you suffer from any of the following health conditions, you should avoid using Doxycycline:

• Suffer from allergies to Doxycycline or any of the ingredients in the medication
• Are currently pregnant or breastfeeding
• Suffer from liver problems
• Suffer from kidney problems

If you are using Doxycycline, it can make oral contraceptives less effective. If you are using oral contraceptives, it is advised that you also use other forms of contraception such as condoms or other barrier methods.

Some medicines may reduce the effectiveness of Doxycycline capsules, these include:

Antacids (indigestion remedies), iron preparations, oral zinc or bismuth, carbamazepine, phenytoin (medicines used to control epilepsy) and barbiturates (used to control epilepsy or as a sedative). These should not be taken at the same time of day as Doxycycline capsules.

Doxycycline is not suitable for children under the age of eight unless directed by the child’s doctor. Caution should also be exercise when giving the medication to the elderly.

Where can I buy Doxycycline?

You can buy doxycycline online safely through MedsRUs. Doxycycline is a prescription only medication meaning that you cannot buy the medication over the counter from supermarkets or pharmacies. To save yourself the hassle of arranging an appointment with your doctor and waiting for a face to face consultation, you can arrange a consultation with MedsRUs to get a prescription for doxycycline with the click of a button.

During this quick and easy process, you simply need to answer a few short questions by filling out an online questionnaire. Once you have answered the questions, one of our certified prescribers will check over your answers to see if this medication is suitable for you. If deemed suitable for your condition, the medication will be dispensed and sent directly to you.

Our service is completely discreet and confidential, and you can order the medication you need without even having to leave your house.