Doxycycline

Doxycycline is an antibiotic drug that is used in the treatment of different clinical infections. Over the years, doxycycline has become popular in both its oral and intravenous form. Doxycycline is available as two compounds – doxycycline hyclate and doxycycline monohydrate. Here we take a look at doxycycline in a little more detail and explore the differences if any between these two compounds.

What is Doxycycline?

Doxycycline is a powerful antibiotic that belongs to the tetracycline group of drugs. The most common form of doxycycline that is used is doxycycline hyclate that is derived from oxytetracycline in a synthetic fashion. This derivative works as a delayed release formula when taken orally meaning it is released slowly into the bloodstream and can act for a prolonged period of time. Doxycycline monohydrate is also another form of doxycycline that also has similar effects to doxycycline hyclate.

Doxycycline has certain side-effects that can be of concern to the patients. Patients who take the drug can complain of abdominal bloating, decreased appetite, nausea, dizziness, diarrhoea, headache and a skin rash. These side-effects are not very common but must be made a note of as they occur as alterations may need to be made in the patient’s treatment.

Doxycycline hyclate vs. monohydrate

When a prescription for doxycycline is written, it is rarely specified as to which compound is to be administered to the patient. As such, the pharmacist can hand out either doxycycline hyclate or doxycycline monohydrate to the patient.

The clinical use of both these forms of doxycycline is very similar. However, the side-effect profile is always a concern and it appears that patients do not really bother much with what type of doxycycline is being prescribed as they seem to be tolerated the same. The clinical effects of taking doxycycline hyclate and doxycycline monohydrate appear to be the same.

In a review of different side-effects of doxycycline hyclate and monohydrate, it appears that doxycycline hyclate tends to cause nausea, depression and burning sensation in the abdomen while doxycycline monohydrate causes joint pains, nausea and migraines as the most commonly encountered side-effects. The clinical indications for both of these drugs are very similar.

From the available data with respect of different clinical conditions that are treated with doxycycline, it does not appear that doxycycline hyclate or doxycycline monohydrate have an additional advantage.

Doxycycline is a powerful tetracycline antibiotic that is used for managing clinical conditions such as respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and other infections within the body. It is available in two different forms - doxycycline hyclate and doxycycline monohydrate and there does not appear to be any significant difference between the two.