Should doxycycline be taken with food?
Doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, is used to treat many different bacterial infections and skin conditions such as acne and rosacea. Different doxycycline products may have different instructions for how to take the medication.
In general, most brands of doxycycline may be taken with milk or food. This is especially helpful if the medication upsets your stomach. Milk and food haven’t been shown to affect how well doxycycline is absorbed. However, the Oracea brand must be taken on an empty stomach. This means you should take it at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. This is because taking Oracea with food could cause less of it to get absorbed into your body, causing it to work less well for you.
If you have questions about whether it’s ok to take your brand of doxycycline with food, contact your pharmacist or doctor.
References
Acticlate Cap - doxycycline hyclate capsule [package insert]. Revised 11/2017. Aqua Pharmaceuticals - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5e96d473-63dd-4446-88cf-eef2cd3339f0
Doryx - doxycycline hyclate tablet, delayed release [package insert]. Revised 05/2023. Mayne Pharma Commercial LLC - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=99cf2de6-e0a3-42f2-9929-d33e107af948
Doxycycline monohydrate capsule [package insert]. Revised 10/2023. Chartwell RX, LLC. - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=02aa8731-d40f-43d8-8b63-a79a0503f8db
Oracea - doxycycline capsule [package insert]. Revised 03/2022. Galderma Laboratories, L.P. - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=aa15c93a-ff4c-447a-8a21-96da506d8997
Vibramycin calcium - doxycycline calcium syrup [package insert]. Revised 01/2024. Pfizer Laboratories Div Pfizer Inc - https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d6f98d3c-5a20-4cbf-9a9c-abef10b9e465
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Drug information
- Doxycycline Information for Consumers
- Doxycycline prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Doxycycline (detailed)
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