minocin side effects

[Nico]

John & Maz,

     So both of you only take Minocin MWF, 100mg@2x daily ? Everyone else with SD say they take it daily. I think to get the full benefit for SD, it would need to be on a daily basis, I want to get this under control real soon if possible. I was diagnosed with Systemic Scleroderma 2 years ago, and I am not really considered very bad except for the Raynauds and skin tightening on my stomach, but I want to prevent from getting worse.

     Also how long after Minocin can you eat?  I wait 2 hours on an empty stomach to take , then how long afterwards before I should eat ? Hey this might be one way to lose a little of my winter overhangs :roll-laugh: But I thought I had to wait 2 hour after? and thats why I was getting a little dizzy!

Thanks, Nico

[kittrasis]

I felt like you, that I wanted to jump start the program.  I started out on April 25 at 50 mgs MWF with no problems.  Then I went to 100 MWF still no problems.  So I decided that I was resistant and started to take 50 mgs twice a day for a week.  That gave me what I believe to have been a bad Herx reaction (extreme fatigue, etc).  I'm now using 100 MWF but believe I will try again with 100 twice a day on MWF.  Since I was only taking Minocin once a day I took it at bedtime.  I guess we just have to test our limits.  Good luck with your treatment!

[Maz]

[user=268]Nico[/user] wrote:

John & Maz,

     So both of you only take Minocin MWF, 100mg@2x daily ? Everyone else with SD say they take it daily. 

     Also how long after Minocin can you eat?  I wait 2 hours on an empty stomach to take , then how long afterwards before I should eat ? Hey this might be one way to lose a little of my winter overhangs :roll-laugh: But I thought I had to wait 2 hour after? and thats why I was getting a little dizzy!

Hi Nico,

I actually have RA and found pulsed dosing to be more tolerable with herxing. Scleroderma is a different kettle of fish and most sclero patients here seem to be on the Harvard Protocol of daily dosing at 100mg (bid), although one or two with sclero have mentioned here that they weren't able to tolerate daily dosing and reverted to the pulsed method.

I'm just a patient, myself, and wouldn't want to suggest that anyone change their daily dosing with scleroderma. I just don't know enough about it, mostly because I'm not experiencing it. If you're on daily dosing, as prescribed by your doc, then it's best you stick with that. 😉

If you're getting dizzy from waiting too long to eat after your mino dose in the morning, you could always try and eat a little something (although best to avoid dairy or anything with calcium in it) with your dose to keep you going…crackers, apple sauce, veg juice…something like that. John mentioned higher up on the thread that he eats a meal with his mino, as it's a third generation tetracycline, designed for kids with acne who couldn't wait for their food. I gather from sclero patients, however, that reflux can be a real problem, so if the stomach is full, you probably don't want to risk any regurgitation of mino into the esophagus either from a heavy meal or lying down for a couple hours. Esophageal burning from the tetracyclines is a real concern and can be bad enough to warrant emergency care.

All the best as you begin your road back, Nico! What a blessing you found AP so early on…you're well on your way!!!  😀

Peace, Maz

[John McDonald]

The deal with eating and Minocycline is that some fraction of the Minocycline combines with and is lost to the food molecules. Most estimates give this at about 12% depending on what you eat. So if you take Minocin with food you lose about 12% of the Minocin. The first question to ask is whether you think this is a problem. I mean, exactly how many Minocin molecules do you need in a day?  Some AP protocols call for no more than 100mg every other day. Some people have been pleased with quite a lot less.  The right amount is probably the smallest amount that will make you well, but most likely you will have to consult with God (or is it Dog?) to find out in advance just what that number of daily Minocin molecules might be. 

But just for fun, let's say you can't afford to lose 12% of the Minocin molecules.  Dr. T's solution is for his patients to avoid food for 2 hours on either side of taking the Minocycline dose. Personally I have never worried about it but if I did, if I just had to have that extra 12%, well I wouldn't skip or postpone breakfast. I would just  take 12% more Minocin. But I can't be bothered to either fast or to count out pellets, especially given that Dog hasn't told me the exact required amount that I need.

Why on earth do we think medicine should come in even multiples of hundreds of milligrams? It is as if we patients arrive in even multiples of 50-pound increments, and we have microbial colonies than come in quantized multiples.  I have never been good at coloring within the lines so I have learned to rationalize these things.

Have fun.:dude:

john

[Dena]

I'm with you on all of this.  I have to keep reminding doctors that I don't weigh what an average adult weighs.  I am between 100 and 110 and have a sensitivty to strong drugs, which probably just means the drugs are too much for my weight.  This one-size-fits-all world doesn't work with drugs any more than it works with anything else.

[Devie]

I have been on minocin, not minocycline M, W & F 100mg.day for a month now and have zero side effects.  I also do not know if I have had any herxing or any changes in symptoms so I am just plugging along.

I take it 2 hours after vitamins and food and 2 hours before more food.  There are some vitamins such as calcium and Vit D that I take on the alternate days.  I do take my probiotic on mino days but again, 2 hours before.  I have given up iron and multi vits altogther. 

Only thing I have noticed is major carb cravings which I did not have prior to starting.

So far, so nothing…so good!  I think…

[Dena]

Devie, I have strange carb cravings.  My weight gets down to an acceptable 107, then the carb craving sets in big time.  Now I'm up to 114 and the carb craving is settling down.  Don't understand this.

Thanks to all for advice on minocycline on an empty stomach.  I have been doing just the opposite.  Will try that.

[lynnie_sydney]

Devie – Minocin IS minocycline. It is the brand name. Minocycline is the name of the drug itself. (Alot of the discussion on the Board is whether Minocin the brand works better than other – mostly generic – versions of minocycline. Lynnie

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Devie]

I always like taking brand name pharmaceuticals…I dont know…I am really sensitive and can tell the diference (maybe its all in my head).

I just wish I knew somehow if it was working…if I needed to add more or what?  That is the only drawback of not working with a doctor.

Happy Moms Day!

[Nico]

Well its been almost a week now on Minocin 2x@ day, and my dizziness is going away, also drinking alot of water as suggested and its working, hopefully I'm on my way to kickin some butt on this thing!!!!LOL Everyone out there have a good MOTHERS DAY !:D  Nico

[Nico]

Thank goodness the dizzy do go away, after 1 week, also drinking the added water has helped, no herxing not even going think that, cause I was on Levaqinn 700 mg. for 10 days for an infection on my hand just before I started this Minocin, and I know what herxing is now, cause at the time I thought it was the flu, real bad aches all over! had enough of that it lasted about a week! Anyway good thought and positive attitude, and a smile on my face is all I want to happen this week!  Oh and finally the sun is out here in Utah, I think summers on its way !

Nico:D

[richie]

Hi Kittrasis

You didnt take any blood tests for scleroderma !!!!!!– Heres what your doctor should test for

---

ANA –Scl 70 and anti- centromere —it should be mentioned that I never tested positive for scleroderma specific blood tests and had a beaut of a case of diffuse –As to the 3–4000 dollar doctor –there are many other doctors who use AP without fees anywhere near that   –and also accept medical insurance –maybe the doctor thought you wanted to buy his practice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Richie

[richie]

Hi

The probiotic should be daily even though you are taking mino 3x week

Richie

[kittrasis]

Good one!  You gave me a good laugh this morning.  Thanks.  My problem is that I'm a member of Kaiser Permanente.  My Rheumy flatly refused to become involved in Minocin therapy.  Fortunately, my personal physician at Kaiser had heard about the therapy and was willing to prescribe Minocin.  What a pleasant surprise.  Anyway, he's not an expert on this therapy and probably wouldn't know how to assess the tests.  I don't even know whether Kaiser would authorize the blood tests so I'm kind of on my own here.  An earlier rheumy with Kaiser diagnosed me with one look so I'm pretty sure that I have localized scleroderma of long-standing.  Thanks for the info and the laugh.  I'll see what can be done.

 

Katy

[richie]

Hi Nico

To somewhat clarify –many folks with scleroderma take 100 mg –twice daily this is referred to as the so-called Harvard Protocol as it was originally tried by DR T up at Harvard as mentioned in the scleroderma book –the primary ,purpose of using 200 mg daily for scleroderma is to avoid IVS –results at this dose proved to be excellent —Many other folks with scleroderma take 200 mg MWF –however this dose is usually sarted by IVS of clindymycin for about one week –and perhaps repeated at some point down the road —this is why I am such a devout splitter –the doseage question is far different for scloeroderma than RA –it seems many RA folks do very well at the MWF dose without ivs —IN my 9 years of being involved with this –I dont think results are as good for SD folks ONLY using MWF dosing without ivs

richie

Richie…feels incredibly impertinent to edit your post :blush:, but had to take out Dr T's name, as per BB policy not to use AP doc names in this open forum. Sorry, but know you'll understand. Thanks.

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