Doxycycline = Hair loss?

[charliefarlie]

Hello all!

Yesterday I was prescribed Doxycycline (100mg) for an eye infection. As I do with all things, I searched online to see if there were any side effects other than those stated in the information leaflet, and was terrified to read that hundreds of people have experienced severe and rapid hair loss linked to this antibiotic.

Has anybody on here had any experience taking Doxycycline and if so did it have any adverse side effects on your hair?

Many thanks in advance!

[DreamSheep]

Not everyone experiences all side effects of medication. I also suspect it is a short course if it is to treat an infection ?

I had to take it for 10 weeks in order to travel to a tropical country where there was a risk of malaria.
I wasn't tracking for hairloss, but I don't think I did lose any more than usual.
However, curing the infection is the more important thing, as it is your health. :) Hair will always grow back.

[CurlyZ]

I've never experienced hair loss with it, but it was pretty rough on my stomach.

[charliefarlie]

Not everyone experiences all side effects of medication. I also suspect it is a short course if it is to treat an infection ?

I had to take it for 10 weeks in order to travel to a tropical country where there was a risk of malaria.
I wasn't tracking for hairloss, but I don't think I did lose any more than usual.
However, curing the infection is the more important thing, as it is your health. :) Hair will always grow back.

Many thanks for your reply!
I will have to take these tablets for two months.

I completely agree and know that my eye health is extremely important! :) I love my current hair condition and growth rate, but would never jeopardise my health to maintain that. Promise. :o

[DreamSheep]

Many thanks for your reply!
I will have to take these tablets for two months.

I completely agree and know that my eye health is extremely important! :) I love my current hair condition and growth rate, but would never jeopardise my health to maintain that. Promise. :o

Ok, that's good to know! :)
Don't take it right before lying down as you could get heartburn.

[Anje]

I was on it a few years back when I had a bizarre and severe acne outbreak all over my body. (That was the pits!) Didn't notice any change in hairloss that was notable enough to remember.

I do believe you want to avoid dairy and antacids within a few hours of taking it, so they're not in your stomach at the same time. Calcium and magnesium reduce its effectiveness, IIRC.

[lapushka]

On a fair number of (pretty heavy) meds I take "hairloss" is a possible side-effect. I can't say I notice any. They have to list all possible reported side-effects. That doesn't mean everyone gets them.

[Valkyriejae]

I took it for 3 months as treatment for cystic acne. I do not recall any hair-related side effects, however I had to stop taking it because it was causing my body to not produce enough blood platelets. I hope you are scheduled for regular blood tests while you are on it?

[Kherome]

I took it, no problems except gastric issues as reported above.

ETA: Hubby took it too. We have a trouble with deer ticks/lymes up here and this is usually what is given to treat lymes.

[charliefarlie]

I took it for 3 months as treatment for cystic acne. I do not recall any hair-related side effects, however I had to stop taking it because it was causing my body to not produce enough blood platelets. I hope you are scheduled for regular blood tests while you are on it?

Nope, no blood tests at all but I will definitely demand some now! Thank you for replying.

Thanks everybody!

[Stray_mind]

i took doxicycline for tooth infection. Didn't notice any excessive hairloss..

[Rowdy]

I took it for a year and a half to clear up the hormonal acne I developed when I stopped taking the BC pill. I didn't notice any hair loss at all.


I took it for 3 months as treatment for cystic acne. I do not recall any hair-related side effects, however I had to stop taking it because it was causing my body to not produce enough blood platelets. I hope you are scheduled for regular blood tests while you are on it?

I had no idea this could be a side effect!! My platelets also pretty much disappeared while I was on it.

[sarahthegemini]

No hair loss for me when I've taken it.

[jacqueline101]

I'm on it currently for my lymph nodes, sinus, and ear infection. I have three more days. I'm so far not noticing any hair loss. As others have said not everyone will notice these issues.

[SThr]

I took it for 3 months for acne and lost a TON of hair. I'm not sure if this was related to losing too much weight (which caused my skin to stop healing, hence I needed doxycycline to help) and being all around messed up, or related to the doxycycline.

[lapushka]

I took it for 3 months for acne and lost a TON of hair. I'm not sure if this was related to losing too much weight (which caused my skin to stop healing, hence I needed doxycycline to help) and being all around messed up, or related to the doxycycline.

You seem to have had the hairloss already before taking the medicine?

[SThr]

You seem to have had the hairloss already before taking the medicine?

No, not until I started taking it, or at least I hadn't noticed it.