Prescription medication · Tetracycline Antibiotic
doxycycline
Also sold as Vibramycin, Doryx. Doxycycline treats many types of infections caused by bacteria.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 64,488
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 9
- InteractionsFew interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
doxycycline (Vibramycin) is a prescription Tetracycline Antibiotic, more reported than most tracked drugs (64,488 FDA reports), with 9 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
doxycycline (Vibramycin) is a prescription Tetracycline Antibiotic. Doxycycline treats many types of infections caused by bacteria.
Doxycycline is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat different kinds of infections.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
doxycycline is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc..
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.20/unit
Generic Available
Yes (34 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Doxycycline treats many types of infections caused by bacteria.
Common side effects
Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea
Key warnings
Doxycycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration if used during tooth development (pregnancy, infancy, childhood up to 8 years old).
The sections below are summarized in plain English from doxycycline's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Doxycycline belongs to a class of drugs called tetracycline antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 64,488 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for doxycycline, by number of reports
- Nausea
Nausea
4,769 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
4,419 reports
- Rash
Rash
3,945 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
3,843 reports
- Pain
Pain
3,835 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
3,798 reports
- Headache
Headache
3,771 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
3,669 reports
- Drug Hypersensitivity
Drug Hypersensitivity
3,635 reports
- Malaise
Malaise
2,832 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for doxycycline each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where doxycycline sits
doxycycline has more FDA adverse-event reports than 79% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is doxycycline; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 64,488 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2003–2025.
Total Reports
64,488
Reports Mentioning Death
6,297
9.8% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
20,682
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | NAUSEA | 4,769 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 4,419 |
| 5 | RASH | 3,945 |
| 6 | DIARRHOEA | 3,843 |
| 7 | PAIN | 3,835 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 3,798 |
| 9 | HEADACHE | 3,771 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 3,669 |
| 11 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 3,635 |
| 12 | MALAISE | 2,832 |
| 13 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 2,797 |
| 14 | DIZZINESS | 2,784 |
| 15 | PRURITUS | 2,761 |
| 16 | ARTHRALGIA | 2,670 |
| 17 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 2,623 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Doxycycline can cause permanent tooth discoloration if used during tooth development (pregnancy, infancy, childhood up to 8 years old). It can also cause increased pressure inside the skull. Tell your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, double vision, or a severe headache.
Known Drug Interactions
Drug Interactions Because tetracyclines have been shown to depress plasma prothrombin activity, patients who are on anticoagulant therapy may require downward adjustment of their anticoagulant dosage. Since bacteriostatic drugs may interfere with the bactericidal action of penicillin, it is advisable to avoid giving tetracyclines in conjunction with penicillin. Absorption of tetracyclines is impaired by antacids containing aluminum, calcium, or magnesium, and iron-containing preparations.
Mechanism: Both of these medicines belong to the same family of antibiotics, which can increase the risk of side effects without helping you get better faster.
Doxycycline Administered with rifampin (10 mg/kg daily) Decrease exposure Irinotecan Administered with an antibiotic regimen including rifampin (450 mg/day), isoniazid (300 mg/day), and streptomycin (0.5 g/day) IM Prevention or Management: Avoid the use of rifampin, a strong CYP3A4 inducer, if possible.
Mechanism: Rifampin speeds up how quickly your body breaks down doxycycline, which makes the antibiotic less effective at fighting infections.
Barbiturates, carbamazepine, and phenytoin decrease the half-life of doxycycline.
Mechanism: Carbamazepine causes your body to process and get rid of doxycycline faster than it should.
Absorption of tetracyclines is impaired by bismuth subsalicylate.
Mechanism: Bismuth subsalicylate prevents your body from properly absorbing the antibiotic into your bloodstream.
Barbiturates, carbamazepine, and phenytoin decrease the half-life of doxycycline.
Mechanism: Phenytoin speeds up how quickly your body breaks down and removes doxycycline from your system.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take doxycycline with food?
What should I do if I experience severe diarrhea while taking doxycycline?
Can doxycycline make birth control pills less effective?
How long should I take doxycycline?
Can I drink alcohol while taking doxycycline?
What should I do if I get a rash while taking doxycycline?
Can doxycycline cause sun sensitivity?
Is it safe to take doxycycline if I have kidney problems?
Can doxycycline be used to treat a cold or the flu?
What does it mean if I am allergic to tetracyclines?
What are the common side effects of doxycycline?
Does doxycycline interact with other medications?
What drug class is doxycycline?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for doxycycline?
Has doxycycline been recalled?
Is doxycycline currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Failed dissolution specifications: Stability testing found that the lot did not meet dissolution specifications.
Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Related Medications in Tetracycline Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near doxycycline - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine.
Compare with doxycycline →
amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
Compare with doxycycline →
amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with doxycycline →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with doxycycline →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with doxycycline →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for doxycycline: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 64,488.
- calcium carbonate Δ 84 reports · Calcium Supplement / Antacid 64,404reports
- fluoxetine Δ 369 reports · Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) 64,119reports
- duloxetine Δ 579 reports · Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) 65,067reports
- doxycycline hyclate Δ 726 reports · Tetracycline Antibiotic (Antimalarial) 63,762reports
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 9.76%.
- sarilumab Δ 0.00 pts · 23,683 reports · IL-6 Receptor Antagonist 9.77%death share
- nebivolol Δ 0.00 pts · 14,997 reports · Beta-1 Selective Blocker 9.76%death share
- promethazine Δ 0.00 pts · 17,969 reports · Phenothiazine Antiemetic / Antihistamine 9.76%death share
- cyanocobalamin Δ 0.02 pts · 31,083 reports · Vitamin B12 Supplement 9.78%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for doxycycline
The FDA label for doxycycline (sold under brand names such as Vibramycin, Doryx) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Tetracycline Antibiotic class. Doxycycline treats many types of infections caused by bacteria. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 64,488 voluntary reports. The database also lists 9 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.20.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: January 14, 2026
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages