Minocycline

Minocycline

A tetracycline-like antibiotic often used for acne.

Information about Minocycline

Minocycline is a tetracycline antibiotic with excellent absorption and tissue penetration that is used for several bacterial infections as well as treatment of acne.

Liver safety of Minocycline

Minocycline can cause both an acute hepatitis-like syndrome occurring within 1 to 3 months of starting therapy or a more insidious chronic hepatitis with autoimmune features typically after long term treatment.

Mechanism of action of Minocycline

Minocycline (min" oh sye' kleen) is a semisynthetic derivative of tetracycline that has excellent oral absorption and wide tissue penetration. Like other tetracyclines, minocycline is believed to act by binding to bacterial ribosomes and inhibiting protein synthesis.

Minocycline has a broad spectrum of activity against both gram positive and gram negative organisms.

FDA approval information for Minocycline

Minocycline was approved for use in the United States in 1971 and it continues in wide use with several million prescriptions being filled yearly. Current indications are for therapy of susceptible infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis, non-gonococcal urethritis, Chlamydial infections, cholera, leprosy, and the meningococcal carrier state. Perhaps the major use of minocycline is chronic use for treatment of acne and suppression of staphylococcal bacterial flora that contribute to it.

Dosage and administration for Minocycline

Minocycline is available in multiple generic forms as capsules or tablets of 50, 75 or 100 mg. For acute infections, minocycline is recommended in doses of 100 mg every 12 hours for 5 to 15 days, often after an initial loading dose of 200 mg. For therapy of acne, doses of 50 mg once to three times daily are recommended. Minocycline is also available in extended release formulations for daily dosing and as a solution or powder for intravenous use.

Brand name for Minocycline

Commercial names of minocycline include Minocin, Dynacin, Myrac, and Apo-, Novo- and PMS-Minocycline.

Side effects of Minocycline

Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, headache, dizziness, visual blurring, skin rash and hypersensitivity reactions. List of tetracyclines

• Demeclocycline
• Doxycycline
• Minocycline
• Tetracycline
• Tigecycline

• Dailymed label info on Minocycline
• FDA Minocycline