Doxycycline and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2023

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I had terrible side effects from doxycycline. Slowly recovering since going off it 2 weeks ago. After 4 days of 100 mg daily for my dermatitis staph infection, I almost passed out. All of a sudden, my head got so heavy and exhausted, and pressure all over my head and behind my eyes. I went to sleep, but my mind felt like it was racing and all confused, like you’d feel if you had a concussion and fever. I woke up in the morning, and my brain felt like it had not slept at all. Brain extremely fatigued. I also had chronic nausea, tinnitus, dizziness, foggy head, confusion, and high anxiety and irritability. It honestly felt like I had suffered a traumatic head injury. I will never take doxycycline again."

• Sup...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I had a bacterial infection, Ureaplasma Urealyticum, and was definitely hesitant to take this doxycycline pill due to the nasty reviews. The first time I took this medication, it was terrible, but that was because I took it on an empty stomach. It takes about 30 minutes to kick in, and if you haven't eaten, it will be miserable, but once I ate 30 minutes prior to taking each pill, I didn't experience any nausea or vomiting."

• Den...
• December 12, 2009

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "I've been on Doxy for about four days, and the nausea is horrible. Today I had to leave my final exam because I was afraid I'd vomit. It's been that way since the first time I took it. I tried not eating with it, since that's what the bottle instructs, but the nausea isn't so bad if I eat. I have noticed improvements though. I'd had a bad respiratory infection for months but didn't know what it was. Finally got diagnosed and got this, and now I don't feel like death, but I do have a horrible headache. Didn't realize it could have been a side effect of it, but that makes sense now. Basically, it's a good cure for the respiratory infection, but the side effects are bad. On a side note, it'll be cool to see what it does with my mild acne."

• cbr...
• May 13, 2017

For Lyme Disease "Even though it says it is absorbed better without food, I would definitely advise taking it with food (as my pharmacist suggested to me). I tried to take the first dose without food, big mistake. Within an hour, I started getting really shaky and nauseous, felt like throwing up big time. I had to hurry up and down some food quickly to stop it. As long as I take it right after a meal, and with plenty of water, I am fine. Occasional headaches with this medicine. You can definitely tell it is a strong medication (for an antibiotic), so be careful. I was prescribed two weeks of doxycycline to prevent possible Lyme disease from being bit by a tick a few days ago. As long as you can stick through the side effects, this medicine is effective."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "This antibiotic works well for me, but side effects stink. Took it for a bacterial infection. I was advised to take it on an empty stomach, but within 30 mins, I get super nauseous and dizzy. Started eating a small amount of food before and after and feel less nauseous. I prepare myself to be miserable for a couple of hours in the morning after taking it and then take my second dose before bed, so I can sleep it off."

• NYG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2016

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "Developed bronchial infection a couple of days into a cold. Tried usual cold remedies, but was feeling worse. Got up enough strength to drive over to my primary physician, who is also a pulmonary specialist. I wanted a chest X-ray as I had double pneumonia years ago, was hospitalized, very ill, so ill they brought a priest in for my last rites. My physician prescribed 100 mg doxycycline 2 x daily, told me to take it with food if I felt nauseous. The first 2 days I was okay; took it with 8 oz. of water as directed, ate some bread with it, waited to eat my full meal, stayed off dairy. On the third day, nausea and dizziness began; my head felt like vice grips were squeezing it. Into day 4 now, still same side effects, but the med is breaking up and clearing out the infection."

• Pot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2020

For Pneumonia "I started a 10-day round of this antibiotic, doxycycline, for walking pneumonia. I am on day 7. Things to note: DO NOT TAKE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. You will feel like it is the end of your life. I have tried every way possible to keep the nausea away, and the best thing I have found is eating before you take it. Be sure to drink a full glass of water with it (8 oz should suffice) and then maybe finish whatever you were eating. The nausea will still come, or in my case, it did. You can have some sweats with this med too, and it does make you feel crappy. No way around it. My repeat chest X-ray was this morning. I have no clue what the results are yet, but I am also doing an emergency ProAir albuterol inhaler at night, and I did a 6-day round of prednisone. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, be sure to eat prior to taking. I am hopeful this med is doing its job clearing the pneumonia. I do feel better a little each day since beginning it."

• tha...
• August 3, 2014

For Acne "I've had acne for nearly three years. I tried everything: Clearsil, Proactiv, EVERYTHING, nothing worked. I finally went to the doctor, and he put me on 50 mg of doxycycline a day for 6 months. I'm 2 months in and have seen some very up-and-down results. Within the first week, my skin had gone completely smooth. I still had acne, but nothing was raised. Within two weeks, no new acne seemed to be appearing, and by the third week, 70% of my scarring had disappeared. One month in, my acne came back with a vengeance along the side of my face and all down my neck. Now, at the two-month mark, my acne is about 80% gone and I could not be happier. Word of advice: be patient and expect it to get worse before it gets better. I suffered really bad nausea also."

• sin...
• June 3, 2023

For Bacterial Infection "Well, where do I begin? I started taking tablets and had to take 2 straight away. I felt terrible pins and needles everywhere, chest tightness, felt sick, neck pain, and can't sleep. If people reckon these tablets are good, think again. I'd sooner have a sinus infection than take these. If you have too many of them, it can be dangerous. Good luck to anyone who is taking these at the moment. I just hope I will feel better soon."

• Axe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I have a bad sinus infection, so I called my doc, whom I see weekly because of my BP, and they gave me this. Within 20 minutes of my first dose, the sinus pressure became beyond extreme, I became dizzy, extremely hot, sweaty (it’s cold where I live), and I blared my air conditioner, and I got so nauseous I puked. Now, after vomiting, it’s still intense, and I had to take a migraine pill and an anti-nausea pill. If you have a sinus infection, stick with the Amoxicillin clav. This pill IS AWFUL."

• Anonymous
• July 24, 2012

For Bacterial Infection "I took this medication for 4 days and had severe side effects. It started out with a stomach ache, nausea, diarrhea, then I felt like I had the worst case of the flu. Body aches, chills, low-grade fever, dizziness, weakness, sore skin. Plus, the infection I was taking it for only got worse. It's been 4 days since I stopped taking it, and I still feel horrible."

• dee...
• October 1, 2015

For Chlamydia Infection "Have been taking doxycycline for 6 days now, it's giving me terrible nausea, the pus is still coming out of my vag, and I still have slight pain on urinating, doesn't look like it's working for me. Guys, please can anyone help?"

• dba...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2013

Doxycycline for Urinary Tract Infection "Prescribed for both my urinary tract infection and sinus infection at the same time. I am a vegan and am finding it a bit difficult to time my dosage (2 a day) around other medicines and meals. I believe it is causing headaches and nausea. I have not vomited but feel as if I could. In the middle of the cycle of prescription-hope I can tolerate the remainder."

• JJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I wound up in the ER because I was barely conscious and couldn’t move my body. Prior to this, I had been feeling pain in my left arm and in my neck. Felt wired and couldn’t sleep. Nausea, lightheadedness, confusion. Within minutes, I was unable to raise my arms and was losing consciousness. Extreme pain in both arms and the tingling was moving to my legs, feet, and upper body. Felt tingling in my tongue and my lips felt like they were getting big. Felt like I had trouble breathing. Extreme pain in arms. Was hallucinating. Even had trouble speaking for a few seconds. Hospital did all kinds of tests and all were negative. I told them I thought I was having a reaction. My thoughts about this were dismissed and I was released. I was told to keep taking the doxy. I didn’t take it for 26 hours and the arm pain went away. Took another dose and many symptoms returned. It’s a reaction to the med."

• ART...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2017

For Pneumonia "I developed pneumonia after the flu, and my doctor prescribed 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day for 10 days. While the medicine was effective in lessening my pneumonia symptoms, it was very difficult to live and function with the side effects. I learned what worked for me, and that was to eat an hour or two before taking the medicine. I had extreme nausea and diarrhea on days when I didn't eat enough before taking the medicine, but I only had mild nausea when I had eaten enough before. Overall, it worked for me, but if a doctor prescribes this for me again, I will ask for a different medicine. DO NOT TAKE THIS ON AN EMPTY STOMACH."

• Mod...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2015

For Pneumonia "I had been diagnosed at a local walk-in clinic with bronchitis. The next evening, however, I developed a high fever and experienced difficulty breathing. At the emergency department, I was then diagnosed with pneumonia. This is my third day on doxycycline, and I feel so much better! Fever is normal, and my lungs are not so congested and tight-feeling. The only minor side effect I've experienced is slight nausea when taking the pills on an empty stomach. Having a little something to eat first did the trick - though no dairy!"

• Lab...
• December 12, 2013

For Upper Respiratory Tract Infection "The medicine works, but comes with a price of bad side effects. Severe nausea, and my gums ached really bad for some reason. The nausea I only had when I would take it in the morning on an empty stomach and lasted for about an hour or two, after that, I would be fine. At night before bed, no problems. Took about 3 days before I started feeling better."

• sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Was prescribed doxycycline for a bad ear infection (I’m allergic to penicillin). 5 days later, I only felt worse. Experienced terrible nausea and dizziness, ended up in bed for the entire 5 days and saw no improvement. Had to go back for a new prescription."

• Kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2013

For Bacterial Infection "It works, but gave me bad, bad nausea to the point that I threw up afterwards. I had to take it with some food because of how bad it would irritate my stomach. But other than that, it worked fine for my infection."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 22, 2014

For Acne "I have suffered from acne for 10 years (currently 25). I have cystic type acne, lots of blackheads, and oily skin. I have been to multiple dermatologists throughout the years and tried countless products, both OTC and prescription. I have had amazing results with my current regimen, which includes doxycycline, Aczone topical gel applied at night, and Panoxyl face wash (OTC). The doxycycline made a difference right away! I still got maybe 1 cystic type zit a month for the first 3 months and now basically not at all. The Aczone and Panoxyl help combat the blackheads and tiny zits the antibiotics don't. The biggest downfall is the nausea. I highly recommend this for those with cystic acne and be sure to take it after meals. I am happy to finally be acne-free!"

• ver...
• October 12, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "I took two pills. The second pill seemed to have been stuck in my chest about three hours after I took it. I had heartburn like I had never, ever had before. Then started nausea and vomiting for about 24 hours. Went to the ER, they said my esophagus was swollen and inflamed and gave me meds. Two days later, went to a digestive doctor, he said that pill is common for this. It has caused people to go through the same thing. It has been almost a week, with two visits to the ER and now an appointment set up to see an esophagus specialist. I am finally getting better. Hopefully this nightmare will be over soon. Just be cautious, this has been a bad experience for me."

• Boo...
• December 30, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "I have been taking doxycycline for years, it treats a wide variety of infections. However, I was taking it for acne, which works very well for me. I learned over the years of taking this medication to make sure to eat prior to taking it because it will cause nausea and light-headedness. Women need to be especially careful while on doxycycline because it can also cause yeast infections."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Having had a virus for 4 weeks and then secondary bronchitis, I was just recently prescribed this. I am only 3 days in, and already there is a big difference in how I feel. The mucus is lifting, I can breathe, and my chest feels less tight. However, it is not without the slightest of side effects, which include nausea, a feeling that lasts about an hour after taking it, a slight upset stomach, and a headache, but I can live with all that."

• kra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2017

Doxycycline for Bacterial Infection "This is my last day of the 10-day course for a sinus infection, and I am taking it to a lab to get it analyzed. Something must be illegal with this drug that it is prescribed so easily without specific instructions. I have been sick all week. Sinusitis and the effects of this drug have kept me in bed most of the week. I got ill on a weekend and had to go to one of those 'clinics.' Next time, I will go to the E.R. I lost an entire week of my life. i.e., shoulder/neck pain, sore throat, 'something in my eye,' dryness, light-headedness, lethargy, loss of appetite, dry nose, restless sleep, yet sleep all day, nausea, feeling bloated, some diarrhea, and feeling mentally disconnected. I was not a happy camper. And now, on the 10th day, I still have an infection, yellow mucus."

• Abb...
• March 12, 2017

For Lyme Disease "I was prescribed 1-2 months of doxycycline to treat my Lyme disease. The first 2 weeks, I was very nauseous, even when I took it with food. DEFINITELY TAKE DOXYCYCLINE WITH FOOD. After 2 weeks, my body adjusted, and I felt better. The doxycycline made me feel bloated and tired the whole course, but it's totally worth it to be Lyme-free. I have one week left in my course, so I do not know for sure if it worked, but it worked for my brother who took the same med for the same reason a few years ago."