Is Doxycycline really necesary?

[rhad]

Hello everybody, I have spoken with a few doctors, and what I have heard from several eye specialists is very interesting. I asked them a few questions about Doxycycline, if it is safe to use, what are the side effects, etc. They told me that they don't know why the drug even helps dry eye, and they told me not to take it, because it can have a lot of terrible side effects. they recommended that I not take it. maybe they are right? you know, I haven't been a big fan of taking drugs, I believe that man-made drugs can actually do you more harm then good. what do you all think? what experiences have you had with Doxycycline, or Side effects that you might have experienced?

[stephgurl1986]

yes, I am interested in that, too. I still haven't opened the package of doxy that I have, I'm just too scared.

[Rory]

Hello everybody, I have spoken with a few doctors, and what I have heard from several eye specialists is very interesting. I asked them a few questions about Doxycycline, if it is safe to use, what are the side effects, etc. They told me that they don't know why the drug even helps dry eye, and they told me not to take it, because it can have a lot of terrible side effects. they recommended that I not take it. maybe they are right? you know, I haven't been a big fan of taking drugs, I believe that man-made drugs can actually do you more harm then good. what do you all think? what experiences have you had with Doxycycline, or Side effects that you might have experienced?

I took it for 6 months many years ago...10plus... and had zero side effects and zero improvement on my symptoms.....but everyone is different..so who knows?

[stella]

Doxycillen is a one of the tetracycline family of drugs
It has been used for years for people with acne and is used for months at a time for teenage acne at a dose of 50 mgs daily
My daughter was on it for nearly a year to try to clear up her acne when she was 14 years old ( She is now married with 4 children and has a really good complexion)
It is a pretty safe drug to take and is taken for DE at a very low dose
Dr Latkany states a dose of 20mgs daily as a maintainance dose is what he recommends At such a low dose the side effects would be reduced
It is used for DE as an anti-inflammatory not anti-bacterial
(Usual dose as an anti bacterial would be short term 100mgs daily)
I used it for 4 months when i was really bad at 25mgs daily maintainance dose and it was the first thing that helped me ( I have blepharitis - MGD with evaporative DE)
I stopped it as i did not want to become resistant to it and now hold it in reserve in case i would have a flair up
The most common side effects are gastro - intestinal upset and skin sensitivity in sun(not every body has these side effects )It is best taken with food but avoid anti acid remedies 4 hours before or after taking as that interferes with absorbtion
Long term side effects could be vaginal thrush and it has been known to slightly increase your chances of breast cancer
I took acidophalus during the time i was on it - to ensure the good bacteria in the gut and elsewhere
I think i am correct in saying that it contiues to work on the eyes as an anti -infammatory for several months after you stop taking it
My GP was perfectly happy to prescribe this for me and the corneal clinic i attend were OK with it too It is one of the standard practices of ophthalmologists to prescribe this drug for MGD (google up blepharitis) The agreement on dose differs a bit
I would not advise anyone to go on this drug without being medically supervised but there is nothing to fear about it (as say in steroids)
It seems to work for some of us and not others - If you try it ,give it a few weeks to see if it works - mine kicked in after 2 weeks

[NYer]

Stella, that was an extremely helpful and informative post. Thank you for that!

[Rebecca Petris]

I asked them a few questions about Doxycycline, if it is safe to use, what are the side effects, etc. They told me that they don't know why the drug even helps dry eye, and they told me not to take it, because it can have a lot of terrible side effects. they recommended that I not take it. maybe they are right? you know, I haven't been a big fan of taking drugs, I believe that man-made drugs can actually do you more harm then good. what do you all think?

I've never taken it. Come to think of it, I've never taken any prescription drug for dry eye, on or off label. This, like so many things, is an off-label use of doxycycline.

In the US the tetracyclines are commonly prescribed for MGD, but I don't think the mechanism of action is well understood and the side effects can be significant. Over the years I've observed several patterns among users on these boards. Some get no benefit at all. Some get unacceptable gastrointestinal side effects from one (say, doxy) but not another (say, mino) and some from all. But a certain number of users have found it key to 'jump-starting' their MGs - they'll take it for a few months and then revert to maintenance with heat and hygiene, or heat and Omega 3s, or even Omega 3s alone.

It's kind of refreshing to hear about a doctor NOT pushing the Rx route.

[dianat]

I was on tetracycline for literally years during my greasy, pimply teenage years. It did wonders for my complexion. I never had any side-effects from it at all except for some yeast issues. If I found one of my children really struggling with acne, I wouldn't think twice but to allow them to use it.

Since my onset of dry eye, I have tried doxycycline and saw no effects from it. I also experienced yeast infections very easily during the time I used it. I am somehow less tolerant of it than I use to be.

My very good friend currently has had a sudden onset of dry eye following a bad reaction allergic reaction to a totally different antibiotic. Occasionally she feels the need to use doxycycline and it helps her a great deal. She has experienced no significant side-effects.

Quite honestly, if I found a drug that would eliminate my dry eye symptoms, but would shave a few years off my life, I'd take it and enjoy the heck out of the time I had left.

D

[Zarla]

I found doxy made a huge difference and didn't get any side effects. It took a year but it got me back into contact lenses (though never with 100% comfort). I still have an emergency supply for if the dry eye flares up and I start getting the mucus strands, arthritic eyelid feeling,that weird pain right down the nose, inflamed lids and decreased vision and almost with the first one I take I can feel the tears blinking back! None of the topical ointments had any effect, however, which is why I keep looking at my recently acquired Restasis and not actually using it. It must depend on the individual and how they react to the drug.

[Dotanne]

Doxy has helped me a lot!

Doxy at 50 mg per day has given me a new life. I am on my second 3 months prescription. This time last year I was a real mess and also developed dry mouth and burning tongue syndrome. I started taking clonazapam in April 2007 and that helped the face pain and dry mouth symptoms but my eyes were still a problem. I changed Dr and he diagnosed roseacea/MGD and gave me doxy and explained that I must keep on with the eye masssage, hot compresses etc. The result wasn't instant ( he warned me about that) as it takes a little time for the doxy to help clear the glands. It was such a relief to actually have a diagnosis and this summer I am able to generally lead a normal life with just a few precautions. My glands are half way to being functional and I have no more inflamation and burning in the back of my nose. I do the massage/compresses 2-3 times per day and I can go without drops for much longer. At night time I need Alcon polygel and tranquil eyes/or sleep mask and still need to add drops in the night. I am much braver at going out into different situations - I am better in the car with air conditioning (not great but BETTER) and the short flights I made in January were much more comfortable. I always wear my glasses with clear shields on the sides (moisture chamber) almost all the time - I am so greatful to the technician that did my glasses for me and his optician daughter who taught me eye massage the correct way! I feel it was the doxy that gave my glands the extra boost to start functioning again. I have had virtually no side effects. I have recently been getting a bit of heartburn so I am careful with what I eat and take acidophilis tablets. No worries about the sun.
We have been having a very hot dry summer here with no rain so it is great to be able to enjoy it!
We cannot get the drops here. We are a bit behind UK when it comes to getting new medications. But my new Dr (from Scotland actually) is up with the play and very understanding and helpful.
Dotanne

[Zarla]

I am in the Uk too and I'm afraid I did buy Restasis from a US online pharmacy, but I am reluctant to take it unless the Doxy stops working or things deteriorate further. I have mild dry eye and don't need any drops or special glasses although I do sometimes get quite a bit of pain which I managed with Syndol.

[NYer]

I just started Doxycylcline at 100mg. twice a day. This was prescribed to me by Dr. Latkany. I'm on my third day so, of course, I can't tell you if it's helping yet. But at the recommendation of my dermatologist, I'm taking it with meals and I haven't had any side effects.
Also, I take probiotics and so I doubled the amount of probiotics that I'm taking to make up for what the antibiotics destroy. (I take the probiotics at least two hours after each dose of Doxy.)
I'm kind of surprised at the dosage that you mentioned, Stella and Dotanne, and you said that it helped you. That's very encouraging because I'm not particularly happy about taking 200mg - and I'm supposed to stay on that dosage for the next 6 weeks till I see him again. But I'll give it a few weeks and see what happens.
At least it's good to know that it did help you guys.

[Zarla]

I took 200mg for a year (prescribed by Moorfields) and had no side effects and it did clear up the dry eye or at least make it manageable ( it took about 6 months to make a big difference and I still return to it periodically for short periods). I wasn't advised to take any pro-biotics though. I would be very of wary taking these as you might counteract the doxy. Is this what your doctor told you to do?

[NYer]

Both eye doc and skin doc said it was a good idea but to wait two hours after taking the Doxy. I know that cyclines have a tendency to cause yeast infections, so the probiotics help prevent that. Zarla, I'm curious - what was your dry eye like before you took the Doxy and what was it like after the 6 months (when you said it cleared up/got more manageable)?

[Zarla]

It was pretty bad but not as bad as some on this site. If you read my other posts you'll see some descriptions. I can't remember the results of the tests they did at Moorfields Eye Hospital as this was in 1998 ( I carried on going for 3 years after that). I couldn't produce any tears at all for about 6 months, which was very strange. Even wearing glasses (I couldn't wear contacts for a year) my vision was only passable and deteriorated during the day. I used to get this feeling as if my eyes had become arthritic (which I still get sometimes in my left eye). A kind of stiffness with every blink making a clicking sound. Also lots of redness and strands and strands of mucus clogging up the lid margins and needing to be removed every 10 mins!

At first the doxy didn't seem to work, then after 6 months I realised it had and after a year the dry eye was manageable. It is a low grade chronic condition so unfortunately it never goes away completely and for some it always stays severe.

I don't think anyone should be scared of taking doxy, though, if it's been prescribed by your doctor. If you read the potential side effects of just about every medication out there, you'd never swallow a pill again! But these only apply to a very small minority of people. It doesn't stay in your system for long, so if you got bad side effects you'd just stop taking it and they'd soon go away.

[Zarla]

It was 200 mg a day, sorry if I didn't make that clear.