Tetracycline belongs to a family of drugs called antibiotics. Tetracycline topical ointment is used to treat various bacterial infections. Meclocycline cream and tetracycline topical liquid are also used to control boils. This drug can be used alone or together with one or more other medicines that are prescribed in the form of skin ointment or oral acne treatment. If you want to know what tetracycline ointment is, how to use it, and its side effects, stay with us until the end of the article.
Use of tetracycline
Tetracycline is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections of the skin, intestines, respiratory tract, urinary tract, genital area, lymph nodes, and infections caused by cuts, animal bites, and severe burns or contact with animals or contaminated food. But it is mainly prescribed to treat severe acne or sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. However, this medicine is unsuitable for viral infections such as flu or cold. Tetracycline is available as an ointment, cream, topical liquid, tablet, and tetracycline syrup. Although you can get tetracycline ointment without a prescription from a pharmacy, meclocycline cream, and your doctor must prescribe tetracycline topical liquid.
In some cases, when penicillin or other antibiotics are not effective for treating severe diseases such as anthrax, listeria, clostridium, and actinomycetes, tetracycline is used.
How to take tetracycline
Tetracycline topical cream, ointment, or liquid will not treat the rash. But if you are taking it to control acne, even if the symptoms disappear within a few days, complete the course of treatment. The drug should be used every day for several months. If you stop taking the medication too soon, the symptoms will return. Therefore, you should not forget to take medicine.
- Be careful not to get the cream or liquid on your clothes, as it may stain.
- Before using the cream, wash the desired area with warm water and soap and dry it.
- Apply a thin layer of medicine slowly on the desired area and around it.
- Avoid applying the medicine to the eyes, nose, mouth, and other mucous membranes; in case of accidental treatment contact with these areas, wash them quickly with plenty of water.
- Tetracycline liquid contains alcohol and is flammable. Do not place the medicine near heat, flame, or smoking.
- Do not use medicine that has passed its expiration date, as it may not work as well.
- The presence of floating objects in the liquid means that it is adequately mixed.
- Taking too much medicine can cause dryness or irritation of the skin. Take medication as prescribed by the doctor.
- If you have corrected the desired area, wait about 30 minutes to take medicine. The alcohol in the liquid can dry and irritate the skin.
- Avoid washing the affected area too much.
- Do not take oral tetracycline with milk or dairy products. Dairy products make it difficult for the body to absorb the medicine.
- If you have been using tetracycline tablets or syrup for a long time, be sure to do medical tests.
Dosage of tetracycline
The amount of tetracycline ointment or tablets used varies according to the strength of the medicine, the amount of drug taken daily, the interval between doses, and the duration of treatment for each patient, so follow the doctor’s instructions.
- Chlortetracycline ointment is used for skin infection 1 or 2 times a day;
- Meclocycline cream is used for boils twice a day in the morning and the evening;
- Tetracycline ointment is used for skin infection 1 or 2 times a day, and its solution is used for pimples two times a day in the morning and the evening;
- The use of tetracycline ointment and solution for children under 11 years of age should be done with the doctor’s opinion;
- Take tetracycline tablets on an empty stomach 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals;
- Shake tetracycline syrup before use and measure its amount with a particular measure.
Forgetting the dosage
If you forget to take medicine, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. But if it is close to the following amount, skip the missed dose.
Side effects of tetracycline
Any drug may have unwanted side effects.
Less common side effects of tetracycline
- the pain;
- Red;
- edema;
- Inflammation that did not exist before taking the drug.
Common side effects of tetracycline
- Dry skin or peeling.
- Stinging or burning sensation after taking tetracycline liquid.
- Yellowing of the skin, especially around the hair roots.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite.
- Spots or sores around the mouth or lips.
- Itching or vaginal discharge.
See a doctor in these cases:
- Blisters or severe redness of the skin.
- Fever, chills, itching, or flushing.
- Yellow skin that bruises or bleeds easily.
- Symptoms of a new infection.
Use of tetracycline in certain conditions
1. Allergy to a tetracycline
Talk to your doctor about any allergies, including drug allergies, food coloring allergies, preservatives, or animal allergies.
2. Tetracycline for children
Tetracycline topical solution was investigated on a limited number of 11-year-old and slightly older children, and side effects different from adults were not observed. Although there is no specific information on topical chlortetracycline or topical meclocycline for children, it does not appear to cause other side effects than adults. However, children under eight years old should not use this medicine.
3. the elderly
Many medications have not been tested on the elderly. For this reason, it is unknown whether the drugs will have the same effect on young people or have different side effects. Also, there is no specific information about the use of topical tetracycline for the elderly.
4. pregnancy period
Tests of topical tetracycline in rats and rabbits did not show congenital disabilities or other problems. But the use of meclocycline partially delayed the bone formation of mice. Therefore, it seems that using tetracycline during pregnancy can harm the fetus and cause permanent discoloration of the baby’s teeth.
5. breastfeeding period
Although most drugs pass into breast milk in small amounts, many are safe to use during breastfeeding. But there is no information about tetracycline entering breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor.
Drug interaction of tetracycline
Certain medicines should not be taken together, but if necessary, this can be done with the doctor’s opinion and by changing the amount or type of treatment. Talk to your doctor about your medications.
important points
- Some people may see improvement within 4 to 6 weeks. If there is no improvement during this time or if the symptoms worsen, see a doctor. Acne treatment may take 8 to 12 weeks.
- If your doctor prescribes another topical medicine, it is better to wait at least 1 hour before taking the second medicine. This will prevent skin irritation. On the other hand, if used at the same time, the drugs may not work well.
- The liquid form of the drug may cause unusual dryness of the skin. In this case, consult a doctor.
- The drug may cause yellowing of the skin, especially around the hair roots, which usually disappears with washing. If this bothers you, you can take medicine after work or school.
- Expired oral tetracycline can cause kidney damage.
- Oral use of tetracycline can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.
- Avoid taking iron supplements, multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking tetracycline syrup or tablets.
- Antibiotics can cause diarrhea, which is a sign of a new infection. In this case, consult a doctor.
- The treated areas may glow under UV light. To prevent this, you can use the medicine in the evening or remove the mixture before going under ultraviolet light.
- You can use cosmetics after taking medicine, but avoid using cosmetics too much or too often. This can make your acne worse.
you say
How familiar are you with tetracycline? What complications have you used this medicine to treat? If you wish, you can write us your experience and opinion in the comments section and share this article with your friends through social networks.
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
