dicloxacillin vs tetracycline
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Side-by-side comparison of dicloxacillin and tetracycline. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Drug Interactions Tetracycline, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, may antagonize the bactericidal effect of penicillin and concurrent use of these drugs should be avoided.
Dynapen
Sumycin
Dicloxacillin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body. It belongs to a class of drugs called penicillinase-resistant penicillins.
Tetracycline is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat different types of infections.
Dicloxacillin treats infections caused by certain staph bacteria that are resistant to penicillin. Your doctor may order lab tests to identify the bacteria causing your infection. This medicine may be used to start treatment while waiting for lab results.
Tetracycline treats many kinds of infections caused by bacteria. This includes infections of the lungs, skin, urinary tract, and some sexually transmitted infections. It can also treat acne and other less common infections like brucellosis, tularemia, or cholera. Your doctor will decide if tetracycline is right for your infection.
Dicloxacillin works by stopping the growth of bacteria. It does this by interfering with the bacteria's ability to form cell walls. This weakens the bacteria and eventually kills them.
Tetracycline works by stopping bacteria from growing and multiplying. It prevents the bacteria from making proteins they need to survive. This helps your body's immune system fight off the infection.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Mouth sores
- • Black or hairy tongue
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Loss of appetite
- • Stomach upset
- Suspected Transmission Of An Infectious Agent Via Product 13
- Rash 12
- Fatigue 11
- Pruritus 11
- Abdominal Discomfort 9
- Drug Hypersensitivity 151
- Hypersensitivity 123
- Pneumonia 103
- Pain In Extremity 93
- Arthralgia 90
Taking dicloxacillin with too little water or right before bed can cause burning, inflammation, or ulcers in your esophagus.
Tetracycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration if used during tooth development. This means it should not be used in pregnant women or children under 8 years old. Tetracycline can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so avoid prolonged sun exposure.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if dicloxacillin will harm an unborn baby. Small amounts of dicloxacillin may pass into breast milk.
Tetracycline can harm an unborn baby. You should not take tetracycline if you are pregnant. Tetracycline can also pass into breast milk and may affect the baby. Talk to your doctor about safe alternatives if you are breastfeeding.
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How to Read This dicloxacillin vs tetracycline Comparison
dicloxacillin is classified in the Penicillinase-Resistant Penicillin drug class, while tetracycline sits within the Tetracycline Antibiotic class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, dicloxacillin has 56 submissions while tetracycline has 560. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to tetracycline stops bacteria from growing, which can prevent dicloxacillin from killing the bacteria effectively.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for dicloxacillin or tetracycline.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.