Tetracycline Hydrochloride is a prescription for the treatment of a wide variety of infections including acne. Acne happens when your hair follicles become plugged with dead skin cells and oil. It frequently reasons to blackheads, whiteheads, or pimple and is usually appears on the shoulders, upper back, chest, forehead, or face. Acne is most common among teenagers though it affects people of all ages. It can also cause emotional distress and scar in the skin. The signs and symptoms vary depending on the severity of your condition:
- Open and closed plugged pores (whiteheads and blackheads)
- Pimples which are papules with pus at their tips
- Small red and tender bumps
- Solid, large, and painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin
- Pus-filled lumps under the surface of the skin
4 main factors cause acne:
- Excess activity of a type of hormone
- Bacteria
- Hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells
- Excess oil production
Acne typically appears on your shoulders, upper back, chest, forehead, or face because these areas have the most oil glands. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands. Pimples are red spots with a white center that progresses when blocked hair follicles become infected with bacteria. Inflammation and blockages that progresses deep inside hair follicles that creates a cyst-like lump below the surface of your skin. Other pores in your skin that are the openings of the sweat glands aren’t usually involved in acne.
Tetracycline Hydrochloride is an antibiotic that stops the growth and development of the bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved his prescription. This comes as a tablet for oral use. Each tablet is available in the dosage strengths of 250 mg and 500 mg.
How does Tetracycline Hydrochloride work?
Tetracycline Hydrochloride works by interfering with the ability of bacteria to make proteins that are essential to them. Without these proteins, the bacteria cannot develop and increase in numbers. This medication stops the spread of the infection and the remaining bacteria are killed by the immune system or eventually die.
This is mainly used to treat acne because it’s active against the bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes. This is a common type of bacteria that feeds sebum created by the sebaceous glands in the skin. It makes waste products and fatty acids that irritate the sebaceous glands which makes them inflamed and causing spots. By controlling bacterial numbers, Tetracycline Hydrochloride brings the inflammation of the sebaceous glands under control and lets the skin heal. To make sure that the bacteria that causes an infection are susceptible to Tetracycline Hydrochloride, your doctor may take a tissue sample. It can be a swab from the infected area or a blood sample.
How to use Tetracycline Hydrochloride?
This medication works best on an empty stomach. Take a dose an hour before or 2 hours after a meal. If stomach upset happens, ask your doctor if you can take this with food. Take this medication with a full glass of water. Do not lie down for at least 10 minutes after taking a dose. For this reason, do not take it right before bedtime. If you are taking any product that contains aluminum, magnesium, or calcium, take this medication 2 to 3 hours before.
The dosage for Tetracycline Hydrochloride is based on your medical condition and response to the treatment. For use in children older than 8 years of age, the dosage is also based on weight. For the best effect, take this antibiotic at evenly spaced times. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time and in the same way every day. Continue to take Tetracycline Hydrochloride even if symptoms disappear after a few days until the full prescription is finished. Discontinuing taking the medication ahead of time may permit the bacteria to continue to grow. It may result in a relapse of the infection. Inform your doctor if your condition persists or gets worse.
If you missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and follow your regular schedule. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed dose.
What are the side effects of Tetracycline Hydrochloride?
Common side effects:
- Vaginal itching or discharge
- Sores or swelling in your rectal or genital area
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Trouble swallowing
- Sore throat
- Black hairy tongue
- Swollen tongue
- White patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach upset
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Call your doctor right away and stop taking this medication if these occur:
- Dark urine
- Yellowing eyes or skin
- Severe stomach or abdominal pain
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Hearing changes (ringing in the ears or decreased hearing)
- New signs of infection (chills, fever, or persistent sore throat)
- Unusual fatigue
- Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet
- Brown or gray tooth discoloration
- Changes in the amount of urine
- Muscle pain
- Nail discoloration
- Sunburn or sun sensitivity
Warnings and Precautions
- Tetracycline Hydrochloride is not recommended for use in pregnant women, breastfeeding women or in people with decreased kidney or liver function.
- This should not be used in people who had an allergic reaction to it. Let your doctor know if you have any allergies. This drug may have inactive ingredients that cause an allergic reaction
- Some people might need a Tetracycline Hydrochloride lower dose or extra monitoring in people with liver problems, a condition called myasthenia gravis, or an inflammatory condition called systematic lupus erythematosus.
- Consult your doctor first if you have any questions about your intake of alcoholic beverages. Nevertheless, just be alert that if you are not feeling well with an infection or find that this drug gives you a headache then this might be made worse by drinking alcohol. It’s also possible that drinking too many amounts of alcohol with Tetracycline Hydrochloride could increase the risk of getting side effects on your liver.
- This drug may make you dizzy. Caution is advised when operating machinery or driving.
