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doxycycline hyclate Side Effects

Also known as: Doryx MPC

Analysis of 63,762 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2003 to 2025.

Total Reports

63,762

Death-Related

6,312

9.9% of reports

Hospitalizations

20,575

32.3% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DRUG INEFFECTIVE
4,954
NAUSEA
4,733
OFF LABEL USE
4,410
FATIGUE
4,376
RASH
3,919
DIARRHOEA
3,813
PAIN
3,796
DYSPNOEA
3,786
HEADACHE
3,723
VOMITING
3,658
DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY
3,630
MALAISE
2,812
CONDITION AGGRAVATED
2,770
DIZZINESS
2,755
PRURITUS
2,729
ARTHRALGIA
2,650
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
2,618
PNEUMONIA
2,577
PYREXIA
2,570
ANXIETY
2,478

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 36,519 (63%)
Male 21,321 (37%)
Unknown 133

Age Distribution

0-17 1,693 (4%)
18-44 13,107 (30%)
45-64 14,257 (32%)
65-74 8,419 (19%)
75+ 6,843 (15%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2003 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 6,312 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 1,422
FATIGUE 1,050
OFF LABEL USE 980
HYPERTENSION 961
HYPOAESTHESIA 956
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 946
VOMITING 941
HYPERSENSITIVITY 921
RASH 921
GLOSSODYNIA 916
PYREXIA 915
IMPAIRED HEALING 911
TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS 906
HELICOBACTER INFECTION 905
INJURY 905
HAND DEFORMITY 901
INFECTION 899
FIBROMYALGIA 879
HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED 874
JOINT SWELLING 871

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 20,575 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DYSPNOEA 2,216
FATIGUE 2,066
OFF LABEL USE 1,933
NAUSEA 1,901
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 1,878
VOMITING 1,864
PAIN 1,842
PNEUMONIA 1,829
DIARRHOEA 1,826
PYREXIA 1,740
RASH 1,687
HEADACHE 1,557
MALAISE 1,467
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 1,417
HYPERTENSION 1,370
ARTHRALGIA 1,366
INFECTION 1,331
ASTHENIA 1,303
ANXIETY 1,274
DIZZINESS 1,256

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About doxycycline hyclate Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 63,762 voluntary reports linked to doxycycline hyclate and its brand equivalents (Doryx MPC), spanning 2003 through 2025. Of those, 6,312 (9.9%) listed death as an outcome and 20,575 (32.3%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 63% were female and 37% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 14,257 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 4,954 submissions, followed by nausea and off label use.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.