doxycycline UK

[brd888]

This Doxycycline antibiotic - anyone in UK tried it or tried to get it from NHS?

Regards.

[stella]

YES
I live in UK and have a co-operative and good relationship with my GP who is a woman
I went to her armed with a print out from the net about the use of doxycycline for MGD and after reading it (I had underlined the dosages and important bits to save her time)she quite readily agreed to start me on it
She admitted knowing nothing about the subject and said to try 100mgms daily for a week and if it helped I could continue
I did this and it started to help but I was concerned about the dosage being too stong longterm so she put me on 50mgms and I remained on that for a further 9 days meanwhile the improvement in my eyes was really good In fact it was the first thing that has really helped me in 7 long months - however I noticed side effects -digestive which I could manage OK -Taking it with food and no milk products or indigestion remedies for 4 hours after the capsule It was when my skin started to feel sore sensive and often itchy that I became alarmed and tried to
go down to 25mgms
That was difficult -the problems arose because in GB they do not produce a low dosage doxycillen
It is produced as a 100mgm capsule and a 50mgm capsule which of course you cant take half of
We overcame the problem after advise from the pharmacy by her perscribing Vibramycin-D ,a form of doxycillen that comes in 100mgm dispersible tablets
I went down to 25mgms by taking 1/4 of a tablet daily
Hope that is a help
Stella

[Guest]

Stella/Bruce

I asked my GP for Doxy and he said that the risks would outweigh the benefits, with your skin being more sensitive to sunlight and the coming summer months, he strongly advised me against it although would prescribe it if I understood and accepted the complications.

I decided at the time not to. Instead, I started on Pilocarpine (again some nasty side effects - excess saliva, sweating, etc) but I have noticed that it seems to be doing me some good - I think.

I started on a progressive dose from 5mg/day up to 15mg/day and it is for a 2 month trial to see how it goes.

Anyway, good luck with the Doxy, it may be worth a try but I have been told continually that I don't have any MGD issues - but then again, do they really know sometimes - we have seen countless stories of mis-diagnosis by people on this board.

Take care

Ian (prattstar)

[stella]

Thanks Ian -as usual you are always knowledgeable and helpful to us in GB Will hold the idea of Pilocarpine in reserve
Meanwhile I have resummed the Doxy at a low dose of 25mgms after a layoff of only a week 'cos of renewed symptoms
O dear - Its just trial and error
Cheers
Stella

[dianat]

Bruce,

I think doxy would be the best next step for. I've never had a doc here in the States even hesitate writing a prescription for it...even in the summer. I had a friend locally who developed spontaneous dry eye and it helped her tremendously. She's even tapered off of it and is still doing well.

Use sunscreen; my nose really took a beating.

Diana

[brd888]

Doxycycline 100Mg

Thanks,
I've started a course of these 100Mg capsules. Recommended duration is six weeks of 50mg. Found Nhs info about this which I posted about. Let's hope these have some positive effects - Ive had so many false dawns over the past 10 months in which I've been more self-involved with the problem.

It is still a confusing topic, Posterior Blepharitis. It is obviously a problem with inner surface of eyelid (side which touches ocular surface). Beyond that it is unclear. From what ive read:
1Lid hygiene is always recommended even if there is no gunk/debris there.
2Infection and inflammation may not be visible.
3Infection of the meibomian gland is very rare.
4Dry eye can be caused by infective organisms disrupting the meibomian gland output or interfering with the composition of this output.
5MGD and Posterior Blepharitis and intrically linked.

Honestly you could read up on this all day - there is just SO much information out there.

Regards,
Bruce.

[sazy123]

Just wanted to say that im now on doxy since 1 week ago. So its one more thing to try, havent actualy tried it yet. Im seriously gonna run out of things to try soon!

I printed out some info and took it to the GP. im on 50mg a day dont have side effects so far.

Does anyone know how long its supposed to take to work?

[Guest]

I've been taking the 100mg capsules for a couple of weeks now.

I haven't noticed any side effects at all, I have noticed that my eye lids are not as inflammed as they were prior to the treatment.

I still have a few weeks of treatment left so lets hope this is the "one" that works for me. Just not sure what happens long term yet.

Regards

Ian

[robinzb]

Does anyone know how long its supposed to take to work?

A Doctor in NHS gave me Dox a couple of months ago. That's about 5 week’s dosage. Unfortunately, it didn't help at all. Hope it will be different for u.

[stella]

Great stuff doxy!

Hi all
Just back from 6 weeks in a caravan in France /Switzerland.It rained and rained and we had one thunderstorm after another HOWEVER I HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY BECAUSE MY DE WAS WELL UNDER CONTROL THANKS TO DOXY.
I hardly knew i had it during the day and at night i stopped putting in celluvisc (heavy goop) and only used minims artificial tears.I was religious about eye hygiene mind -Dr Latkany style at night ,then just a hot face cloth in the morning but was able to go all day with only the occational squirt of "claramist" I took doxy at the dose of 25mgms daily
Problems are beginning again now i am home because I am trying to stop the doxy
ANYONE ANY IDEA HOW I CAN COME OFF THE STUFF ???
I understand i cant take it for life and since i live in the UK we dont have access to restasis or autologous serum or half the things you folk in the US can get
I would like to try to get hold of doxy eye drops ANYONE KNOW HOW I COULD GET THEM ???
Maybe since doxy works so well for me and i cant keep taking it into my system indefinately -local eye drops could be the answer (How i wish)
Would LEITERS PHARMACY send it to me ??
Sorry to ask so many questions - Maybe i should ask Dr Latkany
Do hope you guys had a great summer and are finding things that help you too
Stella
PS have been on doxy now for 12 weeks (Ist week at 100mgms;then 9 days 50 mgms; then 50 alternating with 25 a day for about 2 weeks then 25 mgms a day)

[sazy123]

Thats great that it helps you stella. How long were you on it to see the benefit?

Leiters pharmacy will probaly compound this but you need a perscrition, this is how i got my progesterone cream.

I know DrL percribes DHEA drops which have to be compounded. So you could email him and see if he could perscribe you them if you went to see him. I know its a long way but worth it if you know it helps, u could make a holliday of it. Unless you know other docs in the US i cant think of any other way.

[stella]

About a week to 2 weeks i noticed things had improved and then the aim was -to take as little of the drug as possible to maintain the improvement
Went to see my GP today -to get advise about the doxy and should i come off it
Her opinion was that since i had found it so helpful i should stay on it for the moment ,until i saw the consultant she has refered me to under NHS- so that could mean a lo---ng time.She said she had no problem perscrbing it at that dose since she had patients with acne and rosacea who had been on it for years without a break and on higher doses than my 25mgms a day.
She was full of praise that i had worked so hard to help myself!!
WAIT FOR THIS you folks in the UK---- My GP told me she had a dog who had dry eyes and the vet was able to perscribe an ointment that contained cyclosporin and it cured him - then she went on to say she could not perscribe this for me - apparantly only vets can get help for animals with DE but not doctors for their patients !!!!!!!!!1
It is disgraceful- Maybe we should go to the vet for restasis or its equivalent
Stella

[stella]

Just another thought - make sure you folk on doxy that you start high -like 100mgms daily and keep on that until you notice improvement ,then reduce to as low as possible Also bear in mind that doctors may be reluctant to perscribe it for social reasons- I mean it is now considered bad practice to perscribe longterm antibiotics since the bugs become resistant to them and that antibiotic becomes useless for acute infections
However that theory does not apply to us since we use it as an antinflamatory for the eyes and longterm in very low doses
I dont think the side effects are serious - I mean sensitivity to sunlight is not serious and neither is indigestion I requested liver function tests and that might be a good policy every few months - mind i had other reasons for requesting an LFT as i am also on NSAIDS and lipitor and i thought the doxy might just be a bit much for the liver on top of that
Cheers Stella

[sazy123]

Hi stella

My GP told me she had a dog who had dry eyes and the vet was able to perscribe an ointment that contained cyclosporin and it cured him - then she went on to say she could not perscribe this for me - apparantly only vets can get help for animals with DE but not doctors for their patients !!!!!!!!!1

ha ha, yes dogs get better treatment in the Uk than people. Im seriously not kidding here, vets are very efficient places. Some one just posted (from the UK) said her docs put her on dogs clorosporine (restasis active ingredant).

If i hadnt got my restasis from the net, i would seriously consider taking my dog to the vet and saying she had dry eyes and get some of it, as long as it was a low %. thats one i never thought of before! i could probaly blag it quite well, get all the hall mark symps down to a tee.

doxy: I am taking 100mgs but i will go down to 50 soon.

[stella]

I want to complain to somebody - any ideas who i could write to objecting??