1. Community
  2. Infections
  3. Antibiotics

Still suffering side effects after stopping Doxycycline- please help!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

Kelacx
Kelacx

Hi there,

I am new here so any advice would be greatly appreciated! I took Doxycycline for 4 weeks for an eye issue (it should have been 6 but I stopped due to side effects). I stopped taking doxy about 4 days ago and I have been suffering from horrible nausea, occasional vomiting, diarrhoea, and fast heart rate.

I only experienced nausea and the occasional diarrhoea when I was on the medication but now that I have stopped taking it, I am really sick! Is it possible that the Doxycycline is causing this?

I did have my gallbladder taken out nearly 4 months ago and I felt amazing after the surgery, but started experiencing nausea etc again after 6 days of Doxycycline. I am vomiting bile in the morning and it appears in the diarrhoea so I was questioning whether it could be related to that but surely this wouldn't happen 4 months AFTER the surgery?

Does anyone have any advice on whether it could be the Doxycycline that is making me so ill? I am absolutely miserable. Thanks in advance!

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • aceman
    aceman Kelacx

    Posted

    I seriously doubt the doxycycline has anything to do with what you are experiencing. It is a very safe drug with a proven track record of safety over multiple decades. If you are going to experience side effects with doxycycline - and many people do but this is dose dependent - then it will be while you are on the medicine not when you come off it. 
    • dan15739
      dan15739 aceman

      Posted

      Ever hear of uti symptoms coming back 10 fold like extreme burning with urination?came off doxy early them symptoms startred,was taking it for prostatitis,did my infection get worse for stopping early?
    • kim59492
      kim59492 aceman

      Posted

      But one of the side effects is palps and fast heart beat
    • katie6557
      katie6557 aceman

      Edited

      as a patient who has experienced this i disagree- the problem with statements like this is they are built on fallacies created by missing data and reperpetrated again and again by doctors who defer to "but this medication is supposed to do that." many studies cater to male bodies and lack representation of large groups of people. just because a side effect wasnt documented in initial trials does not mean it does not exist or effecting you. everyone has a different body and can be affected differently by things. there are several reasons why this could be happening, id wager if it is doxy related it is either due to upset gut microbiome (which would require probiotics) or it could be an immune response from the treatment or withdrawal of it, which can be helped potentially by herbs or antihistamines. but please consider all other possibilities as well, as there could be a new and serious problem you dont want to overlook. trust your instinct, if you feel there is a connection between your symptoms and antibiotics there likely is one.

  • kim59492
    kim59492 Kelacx

    Posted

    i took two doxy yesterday for a sinus infection, oh my word i had the worst palpatations, im due to take another one now and im scared, i have to take them becuse they are a very good antibiotic and i want to clear this up but im o scared. ive never had an anti do this to me before 
  • cathy428
    cathy428 Kelacx

    Posted

    I have been suffering from chronic bronchitis, pneumonia or infective asthma recently, this info from my gp. I have been coughing, wheezing, and have chest pains. I was on clarithromycin for 5 days now gp said not working! On steroids also. Today he changed me to doxycycline and 3 hours after my 1st dose had severe stomach cramps and nausea followed by a long sit on the loo, if you get my drift! Now 1.15am still in pain with nausea with a hot water bottle on stomach. I do not intend taking another tomorrow and will see gp on thurs. I feel as I have glutened but for longer. I know nothing else would have caused it has to be the antibiotics. Allergic to penicillin now this! I feel for you perhaps it stayed in your system it does take several days for it to exit depending on how long you have been on it. Perhaps this antibiotic is not as safe as people think?
    • cathy428
      cathy428

      Posted

      Just found a report saying side effects can occur 2 months after stopping. I suffer from a lot of antibiotics and the list is growing.
  • karmar2
    karmar2 Kelacx

    Posted

    I am not sure the two are related but I can tell you this. I had my gallbladder removed in 1989.  I never did get past the point of feeling sick all the time.  Last year I saw a specialist. He asked me, didn't the doctor that removed your gallbladder tell you that you should be taking medicine the rest of your life?  I asked why. He said because your body can't  dispose of the bile from your liver.  I don't know if that is true or not. He told me to take Bioplasma cell salts, so I have been taking them since.  Have they helped? I don't know because I have other issues that make me sick all the time..... Sure wish I could find a doctor that really cared about a patients wellness : ((  My dermatologist put me on Doxycycline to deal with Rosacea in my eyes. Is it helping? I don't think so because they still itch. ???? I just printed off the side effects from Doxycycline and thought about stopping the drug. The side effects I am having are horrible.  I have an appt with her this Friday, but until then, I am done with the drug.

  • JJinTX
    JJinTX Kelacx

    Posted

    I had a similar, violent reaction to Doxy. I followed directions - to take the drug on a full stomach. Nonetheless, soon after taking the first dose, my stomach started to churn and gurgle. I had a large dinner that night and took a second capsule. I was fine. The third capsule, the following morning after a large bowl of oat bran (no dairy) set the wheels in motion. I had attacks of gas and an aching stomach. After lunch, it was all over for me, with explosive diarrhea, cramping and nausea. I haven't puked yet, but the idea does have appeal at times.

    Last week I had a stomach bug that knocked me out for a day and a half. The Doxy experience is reminiscent of the stomach infection. Perhaps I wasn't entirely cured and the drug kicked me off again. I also have had a problem with malaria preventatives (not Doxy) with stomach problems and nightmarish dreams. I am thinking Doxy isn't for me and hope that my doc can come up with another course of action. I have asked to be tested for penicillin sensitivity and hope that's going to work out OK.

  • stepstep1023
    stepstep1023 Kelacx

    Posted

    i have had to take doxycycline for 3 weeks due to a dental abscess. when i started taking it i would notice nausea here and there a couple of days at a time. ... however i was sure it was from the ativan i take when i go to the dentist because it usually only lasts 2 days right after i take it. this time it never went away. i woke up with the most painful burning in my stomach up to my throat in the middle of the night. then i started feeling a lump in my throat and regurgitation. the nausea got so bad i could not move without throwing up. if i stood, walked, sat, laid, talked shut up i threw up. i just stopped 4 days ago and i literally still feel like throwing up. i went to my doctor because i was afraid i had sepsis or cancer or something because too be sure this medicine and gerd cant make you that nauseous right????.... wrong.!! my doctor who is a cancer survivor even told me that if she takes doxycycline she throws up. its a known side effect and some people get it worse than others. i was on it for a long time and taking it on an empty stomach because i was already nauseous. that made it worse. i had horrible headaches and my head felt like it would burst at any moment. i say all of that to say this..... i am day 4 no doxycycline and i am taking zofran from the nausea it has caused me. my dr told me between taking it and 4 ibuprofen 4 to 5 times a day for the last 6 days due to the insane headache i got from it i was destroying the lining of my stomach. i am now still taking the zofran and although i still feel nauseous its the first day i was able to eat or drink anything in the past 6 days. i have to take dexilant for the severe ulcers it gave and carafate to coat the lining of my stomach so it can heal. i still questioned if just that alone could make you that horribly nauseous and she said yes. it caused gerd and gerd can do it. its also a known side effect. you took too much ibuprofen the headache . all of those combined is enough to destroy your insides. needless to say i hope you feel better and it is def. reassuring that others are experiencing the same issues. DOXYCYCLINE IS THE WORSE MED I HAVE EVER TAKEN AND WILL NEVER AGAIN TAKE.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.