Demeclocycline is used to treat bacterial diseases such as pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections, as well as some illnesses of the skin, eyes, lymphatic, genital, and urinary systems and other infections transferred by ticks, lice, mites, and infected animals. Moreover, it is used to treat acne in combination with other drugs. Moreover, tularemia and the plague are both treated with demeclocycline (serious infections that may be spread on purpose as part of a bioterror attack). Demeclocycline belongs to a group of drugs known as tetracycline antibiotics and is used to treat anthrax, a highly deadly infection that may be intentionally spread as part of a bioterror strike, as well as certain types of food poisoning in people who cannot be treated with penicillin. It functions by limiting the development and spread of germs.

Colds, the flu, or other viral diseases cannot be treated with antibiotics like demeclocycline. Antibiotic overuse raises the likelihood that you’ll get an infection later on that is resistant to antibiotic therapy.

Demeclocycline is available as an oral tablet. It is typically taken twice or four times daily. Each dose should be followed by a full glass of water. Demeclocycline should be taken on an empty stomach at least one hour before or two hours after eating. Demeclocycline should not be taken with meals, particularly dairy items including milk, yoghurt, cheese, and ice cream. Ask your doctor or chemist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Use demeclocycline as prescribed by your doctor. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone syndrome is another ailment that demeclocycline is occasionally used to treat (SIADH; condition in which the body produces too much of a certain natural substance that causes the body to retain water). The dangers of using this drug for your illness should be discussed with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or chemist for more details if you’re interested in using this medication for any other conditions.

Before taking demeclocycline,

• If you have an allergy to any of the substances in demeclocycline tablets, tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline, other drugs, or food, notify your doctor right away. Get an ingredient list from your chemist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as vitamins, herbal remedies, and nutritional supplements you are currently taking or plan to take, especially anticoagulants (‘blood thinners’) like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), and antibiotics like penicillin. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Be advised that demeclocycline interacts with and is less effective when used with antacids that contain magnesium, aluminium, or calcium, calcium supplements, iron products, and laxatives that contain magnesium. Antacids, calcium supplements, and magnesium-containing laxatives should be taken 2 hours before or 6 hours after demeclocycline. Demeclocycline should be taken 2 hours prior to or 4 hours following the consumption of iron-containing preparations and vitamins.
• Inform your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems as well as lupus, a condition in which the immune system assaults several tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.
• You should be aware that demeclocycline may lessen how well hormonal contraceptives work (birth control pills, patches, rings, or injections). Discuss utilising a different method of birth control with your doctor.
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor right away if you get pregnant while taking demeclocycline. The foetus could be harmed by demeclocycline.
• Plan to use protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen as well as to minimise excessive or prolonged sun exposure. Your skin may become more sensitive to sunlight if you take demeclocycline. If you get a sunburn, notify your doctor right away.
• You should be aware that demeclocycline use during pregnancy, in newborns, or in kids up to age 8 can result in teeth that are permanently discoloured. Children under the age of 8 should not be given demeclocycline unless specifically prescribed by a doctor.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

There may be negative effects from demeclocycline. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Colour changes in the mouth or skin
• Throat discomfort
• Extreme thirst
• Excessive urination
• Weakness
• Swelling near the penis’s base

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency care:

• Headache
• Seeing double, having trouble seeing, or losing vision
• Dizziness
• Hearing ringing
• Rash
• Hives
• Blistered or flaking skin
• Face, throat, tongue, lips, and eye swelling
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Uncommon bruising or bleeding
• Confusion
• Your feet, ankles, or legs swelling
• Less urinations
• Joints hurt
• Chest ache
• During treatment or for up to two or more months after stopping treatment, you may experience fever, stomach pain, or bloody or watery stools
• Recurrence of fever, sore throat, chills, or any other infection-related symptoms

Further negative effects of demeclocycline are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your chemist or the garbage/recycling agency in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how you are responding to demeclocycline, your doctor will request a few lab tests.

Inform the lab staff and your doctor that you are taking demeclocycline prior to any laboratory test.

No one else should take your medication. It’s likely that your prescription cannot be renewed. Call your doctor if you continue to experience infection symptoms after finishing the demeclocycline.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.