What was your experience on doxycycline (or other antibiotic for Lyme?)

July 31, 2023 7:55 AM

I may have to take doxycycline for Lyme disease, and I'm extremely apprehensive after what I've read about people’s experiences. I'm hoping there are people who have taken it and had no unpleasant side effects, but I would like to know if you did have unpleasant side effects as well! Any other information about antibiotics, their side effects, and how to manage on them would be helpful.
posted by wheatlets to Health & Fitness (38 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh - it would be helpful if you could also share whether you're a person who typically gets odd effects from medications. I tend to get side effects that doctors refuse to even believe, and I have a brand new family doctor, which is why I'm so apprehensive about this.
posted by wheatlets at 7:56 AM on July 31, 2023

I've been on doxycycline several times with no ill effects except for a little bit of gut disturbance (nothing extreme). During and after the doxycycline, I typically take probiotics to help my gut reset (studies on this indicate mild benefits, with some benefiting more than others). I do not typically get odd effects from medications.
posted by ourobouros at 8:02 AM on July 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

Doxy is the only antibiotic I've ever taken that gave me a yeast infection. Not fun. If I had to take it again I'd talk to my doctor about whether there's anything I could have done to ward that possibility off at the pass.

No other side effects that I can recall, and I'm not typically someone who has much trouble with side effects.
posted by Stacey at 8:05 AM on July 31, 2023

Not to be a fear monger, but I got C Diff from Doxy and it sucked a lot. But! Lyme disease is awful and needs to be treated thoroughly so it's still worth it. If you think you may be a risk for C Diff your doctor might co-prescribe vancomycin. otherwise, if you have a vagina, perhaps have yeast cream on hand just in case. Good luck and feel better soon! (Also, I am very prone to side effects. So my experience is likely atypical.)
posted by jeszac at 8:08 AM on July 31, 2023

I had Lymes so back I had to take a stronger antibiotic, and let me tell you -- whatever side effect you might get from Doxi (which for me was minimal), Lymes is WAY WAY worse. I'm talking -- laying on the couch wondering why my joints hurt, full body skin rash, extreme fatigue. The stronger antibiotic (I forget what it was) I had to take for a month, twice a day, made me so nauseous I almost vomited a couple times, BUT. All the side effects were minimal compared to an actual Lymes infection.
posted by DoubleLune at 8:10 AM on July 31, 2023 [11 favorites]

I had a precautionary course of Doxycycline after a tick bite and having flu-like symptoms. I don't remember any side effects at all.
posted by Klipspringer at 8:15 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've taken doxy as an antimalarial and don't recall any symptoms at all. I think I'd remember if there had been any.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:18 AM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I also had a precautionary, 1 week course of doxy after the discovery of a tickbite though in my case I didn't have any lyme symptoms when I started it.

I didn't have any side effects.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 8:23 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

No side effects for me.
posted by wyzewoman at 8:26 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I had some stomach pain/nausea and I did get the sun sensitivity thing they warn you about—I am already pretty sun-sensitive so I always put on sunscreen but I missed or under-applied to a spot on my face and got a noticeable sunburn/sun allergy reaction in I would say under half an hour. So be very cautious about that! For me the side effects were worse than the symptoms but that was only because I caught it early enough to have no noticeable Lyme symptoms except the rash; they were not unusually unpleasant side effects.
posted by babelfish at 8:31 AM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

Lyme fucked me up real good for a couple of days - fortunately I got diagnosed and put on doxy very early. Just make sure you take it with food and plan to have some probiotics both during and after the course.

(And you definitely want doxy side effects, not Lyme - I still have some light sensitivity from it, and that was in 2020. For a month after I couldn't use my computer at all except wearing sunglasses. And that's one of the milder/funnier possible side effects.)
posted by restless_nomad at 8:56 AM on July 31, 2023 [4 favorites]

I took doxycycline for lyme twice, and each time it was the same. Stomach upset, but pretty much very tired and achy. (Basically the same as lyme! It makes you feel like you aren't actually getting better! But you are!)

No idea the scientific accuracy of this, but I remember hearing something about how killing off the lyme bacteria makes the symptoms worse before they get better.

It was not a great experience, but I didn't feel like I had any other choice. Much better than the alternative.
posted by kpmcguire at 9:04 AM on July 31, 2023

I took doxycycline prophylactically last summer (based on a week-long swollen lymph node after camping, no rash and no attached tick found, but I was in an area with a lot of ticks and tick-borne diseases). I felt basically no effects except very, very minor GI upset.

For what it's worth, I'm a serious antibiotic decliner, and this was the first time I'd taken them since 2014, when I had dysentery, probably from E. coli (!), but this seemed to have a good risk/benefit ratio.

I did take some probiotics, and I eat a diet with A LOT of fiber and varied plant material. Not sure if that helped but it probably didn't hurt.
posted by pullayup at 9:07 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

Take the doxy, stay out of the sun, eat yogurt at a different time of day than the antibiotic and stay off the internet regarding both doxy and Lyme.
posted by cobaltnine at 9:09 AM on July 31, 2023 [16 favorites]

I take it regularly, almost daily. No major issues.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:10 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I had a 2 week course of doxycycline for Lyme (symptomatic with flu-like systems, no rash, later confirmed by blood test) a few years ago, and had no side effects whatsoever.
posted by mollweide at 9:10 AM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I, someone who normally gets side effects from everything, had no side effects from a precautionary run of this. That said I proactively take probiotics whenever I’m on antibiotics. If you are concerned you could always do that.
posted by lepus at 9:15 AM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I regretted being lackadaisical about sun screen and staying out of the sun. It was an ouch sunburn.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:40 AM on July 31, 2023

Doxy is a fairly mild antibiotic. I have taken it prophylactically for tick bites two times with no side effects and mr. Bluesky was on doxy for a month for lyme disease treatment with no side effects. Follow the directions or ask your doctor but from what I remember, taking it with food is recommended to decrease intestinal upset possibilties. And as others have said, any side effects are waaaaay better than getting Lyme.

Also a cautionary about tick bites - if you have lingering or start to have symptoms after your doxy course, ask your doctor to get tested for coinfections. Things like babeosis are on the rise as a coinfection with Lyme and that is no walk in the park either.
posted by bluesky43 at 9:43 AM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I took a mild dose for several months for a skin inflammation, and developed Thrush, which is gross ( a yeast infection of the mouth) and I stopped taking it. I don't usually get side effects, I have a strong immune system. Could've just happened, but I do feel the doxy was responsible as I haven't had it since or before.
posted by j810c at 9:52 AM on July 31, 2023

My stomach was all out of sorts on Doxy. I would have waves of nausea that were not predictable. I was on vacation. We would sit down at a restaurant and I was very hungry and then by the time the food arrived I was nauseated again. I had to carry around granola bars for two weeks because the second I felt hungry I knew I had to eat because the nausea was soon to follow. I lost weight because 80% of the day I was nauseated in unpredictabel waves. It sucked for a few weeks but my gut went back to my normal once I stopped the Doxy.

I don't typically have side effects from meds.
posted by archimago at 10:55 AM on July 31, 2023

It messes with my microbiome pretty badly, which in my case not only leads to GI issues, but makes me super depressed (because I'm apparently entirely reliant on other organisms to maintain my mental health). Recognizing that what I'm feeling has a specific temporary cause, and eating a wide variety of foods to support my microbiome, help a lot.
posted by metasarah at 11:21 AM on July 31, 2023

I was on it for some months, and am a person who has often has side effects from medication. I took a probiotic and also ate yogurt with active cultures while I was on it and I did fine. (I already need to slather on the sunscreen being prone to sunburn naturally, and also wore a hat and a long sleeved sunshirt, as is my regular habit, so took care of the sun sensitivity issue that way.)
posted by gudrun at 11:40 AM on July 31, 2023

My friend has Lyme disease and it's been a ten year ordeal, absolutely trashed her life and basically disabled her. I can't imagine an antibiotic causing as much trouble as Lyme did for her. Hope your treatment works for you!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:54 AM on July 31, 2023

I don't tend to get side effects from medication - I've taken doxycycline pre-emptively for malaria and had no issue -but I was careful about sun exposure (although I burn easily in any case). I hope you can take it safely!
posted by sedimentary_deer at 12:38 PM on July 31, 2023

I had to take doxy for malaria prevention and for UTIs- I had no side effects.
posted by coffeecat at 1:08 PM on July 31, 2023

I've been on month-long courses of doxy a couple of times for perioral dermatitis. I'm very prone to GI issues generally and with antibiotics. I had some mild GI issues while on doxycycline that were pretty much eliminated by eating some crackers before taking it. I did end up with a yeast infection on both courses, so I echo everyone's comments about eating yogurt and taking probiotics. I also ended up with the photosensitivity rash once, so be careful in the sun! Honestly, of all the antibiotics I've taken, doxycycline's given me the least amount of trouble.
posted by Babytown Frolics at 1:14 PM on July 31, 2023

I've taken it twice, once by itself and once last year with probiotics before, during and after. Highly recommend the probiotics, it makes a world of difference. I'm prone to side effects too and instead of horrible brain fog, anxiety, nausea, joint pain and a raging yeast infection I had only a little stomach discomfort and a mild yeast infection.

My doc recommended HMF Intensive by Genestra Brands, it ships refrigerated. I also made this green smoothie every day, it's loaded with helpful prebiotics.

Be careful with your diet in the months to follow– I was doing well for the first two months, and then I had too much caffeine and sugar over a holiday weekend and it's been an uphill battle since to repair my cultures. Your new gut flora balance will be delicate!
posted by lloquat at 2:56 PM on July 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I had a month long course of doxy for Lyme and had no issues, though I'll note that I tolerate antibiotics well. I even went to the Caribbean for a week and had no issues with sun sensitivity while wearing the same sunscreen I would have otherwise. Similarly, a friend went to Burning Man while on it and other than using sunscreen and a parasol was fine.
posted by Candleman at 3:57 PM on July 31, 2023

I was on it for months for acne and had no side effects except the sun sensitivity, but I'm super sun sensitive to begin with.
posted by sepviva at 5:13 PM on July 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I had a months long course for lyme (had the rash but no other symptoms, caught early). I thought it was going to be a deal and it really wasn't. I remember my dr saying that in theory you are suppose to take it on an empty stomach but that leads to utter sadness and its fine to take it with food. Took it after dinner and really was fine. Stayed out of the sun. So worth it not to have the lyme.
posted by zara at 5:26 PM on July 31, 2023

I've taken month-long courses of doxycycline before for a skin condition, and it really wasn't a big deal. It made my skin much better overall, not just for the thing that was being treated, and I just ate yogurt every day (not at the same time as I took it) and stayed out of the sun. I'm allergic to multiple antibiotics and antibacterial compounds, but doxy was fine.
posted by limeonaire at 5:41 PM on July 31, 2023

I got sun sensitivity and needed to be careful with timing my meals, but nothing weird.

My mother on the other hand is a vivid dreamer and her dreams turn to nightmares when she's on doxy.
posted by matrixclown at 11:32 PM on July 31, 2023

Speaking as somebody who has been on doxy more times than they would like to think about and doesn't usually have major problems with side effects, the only important advice I can give is, unless a doctor tells you otherwise, do not take it on an empty stomach. Find some small snack that works for you (my go-to is a few peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets) and eat that before you take the pill, follow with plenty of water, and don't lie down for at least 15 minutes or so. The alternative is heartburn-like stomach upset—not great.
posted by fifthrider at 8:05 AM on August 1, 2023

I am sensitized/ allergic to 3 classes of antibiotics, including *-cycline. There are alternatives, but if you have Lyme, and no specific allergy to doxycycline, it's likely the best/ lowest side effects option. Talk to a pharmacist, this is what they do.
posted by theora55 at 6:50 PM on August 1, 2023

I took it for two years as an anti-malarial when I lived in West Africa and don't remember having any issues.
posted by knownfossils at 8:40 PM on August 1, 2023

My daughter took it for Lyme with barely any effects. I took it for suspected Lyme that was actually cellulitis of the knee. I also had no major issues.

We were really conscientious about eating so-called probiotic foods and some supplements my physician recommended to prevent the GI issues.
posted by KevCed at 4:22 AM on August 5, 2023

I had a precautionary RX for it and avoided sun, and had a ton of kombucha (daily! really stocked up) and yoghurt while I was taking it. I didn't have a terrible time but had some slightly different vaginal discharge consistency while taking it and developed some very mild hyperpigmentation on my face afterward that I still have a year and a half later, but it isn't really noticeable.
posted by mapletree at 2:15 PM on August 20, 2023