Prescription medication · Tetracycline Antibiotic
minocycline
Also sold as Minocin, Solodyn. Minocycline treats infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Q fever, and tick fevers.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 11,257
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 2
- InteractionsFew interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
minocycline (Minocin) is a prescription Tetracycline Antibiotic, reported less often than most tracked drugs (11,257 FDA reports), with 2 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.
minocycline (Minocin) is a prescription Tetracycline Antibiotic. Minocycline treats infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Q fever, and tick fevers.
Minocycline is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body. It is used to treat many different types of infections.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
minocycline 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
$0.32/unit
Generic Available
Yes (15 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Minocycline treats infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Q fever, and tick fevers.
Common side effects
Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea
Key warnings
Minocycline can cause serious side effects.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from minocycline's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Minocycline 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.
How to Take It
Take minocycline capsules with or without food. Swallow the capsules whole with plenty of water to prevent irritation of your esophagus. Follow your doctor's directions about how much to take and how often. Do not take more than 200 mg in 24 hours if you have kidney problems.
This is a plain-language summary of minocycline's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Minocycline can harm an unborn baby. Do not take minocycline if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Minocycline can pass into breast milk and may affect the baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking minocycline.
This is a plain-language summary of minocycline's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of minocycline's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store minocycline at room temperature (68°F to 77°F) away from light, moisture, and heat.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 11,257 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for minocycline, by number of reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,029 reports
- Pain
Pain
987 reports
- Arthralgia
Arthralgia
960 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
913 reports
- Drug Hypersensitivity
Drug Hypersensitivity
867 reports
- Rash
Rash
867 reports
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
834 reports
- Joint Swelling
Joint Swelling
833 reports
- Headache
Headache
767 reports
- Condition Aggravated
Condition Aggravated
719 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 minocycline 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 minocycline sits
minocycline has more FDA adverse-event reports than 42% 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 minocycline; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 11,257 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
11,257
Reports Mentioning Death
1,508
13.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
3,578
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | NAUSEA | 1,029 |
| 4 | PAIN | 987 |
| 5 | ARTHRALGIA | 960 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 913 |
| 8 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 867 |
| 9 | RASH | 867 |
| 10 | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 834 |
| 11 | JOINT SWELLING | 833 |
| 12 | HEADACHE | 767 |
| 13 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 719 |
| 14 | PNEUMONIA | 718 |
| 15 | DIARRHOEA | 702 |
| 16 | GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION | 647 |
| 17 | DIZZINESS | 642 |
| 18 | HYPERTENSION | 632 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Minocycline can cause serious side effects. It can cause increased pressure inside the skull, called pseudotumor cerebri. Stop taking minocycline and tell your doctor right away if you have a headache, vision problems, or dizziness. Minocycline can also damage kidneys. Tell your doctor if you notice decreased urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, or fatigue.
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 tetracycline-class drugs in conjunction with penicillin. Absorption of tetracyclines is impaired by antacids containing aluminum, calcium, or magnesium, and iron-containing preparations.
Mechanism: Both of these medications are in the same antibiotic family and work the same way. Taking them together increases the risk of side effects without helping to fight the infection any better.
What to do: Avoid taking these two antibiotics at the same time. Your doctor should prescribe only one medication from this class.
Administration of isotretinoin should be avoided shortly before, during, and shortly after minocycline therapy.
Mechanism: Using these drugs together can increase the risk of dangerous pressure building up inside the skull.
What to do: Do not take these two medications at the same time or within a short period of each other.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
Can I take minocycline with food?
What should I do if I experience diarrhea while taking minocycline?
Can minocycline affect my birth control?
How long should I take minocycline?
Can I take antacids while taking minocycline?
What happens if I take too much minocycline?
Can minocycline make me more sensitive to the sun?
Is it safe to take minocycline if I have kidney problems?
Can minocycline cause permanent tooth discoloration?
What should I tell my doctor before taking minocycline?
What are the common side effects of minocycline?
Does minocycline interact with other medications?
What drug class is minocycline?
Is minocycline safe during pregnancy?
Has minocycline been recalled?
Is minocycline currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Failed Dissolution Specifications: An out-of-specification (OOS) result was observed during the 9th month of dissolution test analysis
Ascend Laboratories, LLC
Related Medications in Tetracycline Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near minocycline - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine.
Compare with minocycline →
amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
Compare with minocycline →
amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with minocycline →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with minocycline →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with minocycline →
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What the FDA Data Shows for minocycline
The FDA label for minocycline (sold under brand names such as Minocin, Solodyn) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Tetracycline Antibiotic class. Minocycline treats infections like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Q fever, and tick fevers. 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 11,257 voluntary reports. The database also lists 2 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 $0.32.
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 further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
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. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 1, 2026
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 and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
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