Drug side-effects

[chrestomancy]

I've been on Doxycycline intermittently since entering Thailand. It's an anti-malerial that is basically a kick-ass antibiotic

Comments

[_alanna]

Useful article (although quite a large PDF). There are few known side-effect of Doxy - the sunburn (approx 3% of people), possible diarrhoea (but can also protect against some bacterial diarrhoeas), and rarely intracranial hypertension. Given the number of people who take it, I'd be very surprised if you'd stumbled across a previously unknown side-effect.

But if you're having problems with it, can you get an alternative anti-malarial? I used Malarone and had no problems with it at all, but it was expensive.

I wouldn't advise going without an anti-malarial. You may think that you'd prefer to risk malaria, but I can guarentee you'd regret it if you did fall ill with it... The most serious complication of falciparum malaria is cerebral malaria which can lead to coma. Other potential complications include renal failure, anaemia, hypoglycaemia, metabolic acidosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, shock and pulmonary oedema.

[bibliogirl]

And not to mention the recurrent nature of malaria; once you've got it, it tends to come back (my late uncle caught it back in the 1950s sometime and had recurrences of it every few years ever after)

[leathellin]

Depending on which variant it is, but i'd rather not risk recurrent malaria personally

[bibliogirl]

I have a friend whose mother took Larium and had pretty much every dodgy side-effect known to (wo)man. It took her years to get back to normal.

[undyingking]

I know several people who've had bad times on mefloquine (Larium), but not heard it of doxycycline... I myself am a proguanil person, and I think outside Africa that is still a pretty effective drug, especially in combination with chloroquine (which I can't take) -- and AFAIK has no neuro effects.

Am I right in thinking that F's sister picked up malaria in Malagasy? -- or am I mixing her up with someone else?

[chrestomancy]

Am I right in thinking that F's sister picked up malaria in Malagasy?

Yup. More than once.

[cuthbertcross]

What dose of doxycycline have you been taking, Gibbon? I'll look it up in the BNF for you, it lists every side effect known to primate that has ever been reported by anyone taking the drug. It is also used for Acne, and people who use it for that usually take it for 3-6 months in a row, so I'd be surprised if the side effect is purely the doxycycline if it's not in the BNF as recorded. Back in a mo...

[cuthbertcross]

The British National Formulary Online he say;

"Side-effects of the tetracyclines include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (antibiotic-associated colitis reported occasionally), dysphagia, and oesophageal irritation. Other rare side-effects include hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, blood disorders, photosensitivity (particularly with demeclocycline), and hypersensitivity reactions (including rash, exfoliative dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, pericarditis). Headache and visual disturbances may indicate benign intracranial hypertension (discontinue treatment); bulging fontanelles have been reported in infants. Doxyxycline specifically can also cause anorexia, tinnitus and flushing"

So congratulations, dude you've discovered a new side effect (or it's coincidence).
Seriously though, hope you're feeling better soon, and if you do stop taking it make sure you get some local advice and alternative cover cos you *really* don't want to bring back malaria as a souvenir of your travels!!

[metame]

Rotten Luck