Product description
Tetracycline belongs to the broad-spectrum antibiotics. Due to its ability to destroy many different types of bacteria, Tetracycline is actively used in the treatment of purulent and inflammatory diseases of the skin, respiratory, and genitourinary system. Thanks to Tetracycline low cost, availability, and variety of release forms, the drug is in great demand in the pharmaceutical market.
During the treatment with Tetracycline, it is important to strictly follow the instructions for its use. An increase in the dose or duration of treatment leads to negative consequences in the form of liver damage, as this gland participates in the drug excretion from the body. In case of a decrease in the dose and duration of treatment, the drug loses its effectiveness, while bacteria keep replicating in tissues and organs.
Tetracycline belongs to the broad-spectrum antibiotics. It is efficient against different microorganisms, which include:
- streptococci;
- clostridia;
- staphylococci;
- salmonella;
- enterobacteria;
- E. coli.
The drug inhibits the formation of new colonies of bacteria by blocking protein synthesis in their cells.
The pill quickly dissolves in the stomach, and, entering the small intestine, it is absorbed into the blood. The distribution of the active substance throughout the body is uneven; most of it accumulates in the lungs, lymph nodes, and spleen. The breakdown of tetracycline hydrochloride occurs in liver cells, while metabolic products don’t harm the body and are excreted via urine. Part of the unchanged Tetracycline enters the stomach with bile and re-enters the bloodstream, which allows the active substance to stay in the body longer.
Indications for use Tetracycline
Doctors prescribe this Tetracycline drug for the treatment of infectious inflammatory diseases taking into account the fact that the pathogen is susceptible to the effects of this medication. The pills of Tetracycline are effective against the following diseases:
- infectious inflammation of the lungs and bronchi — pneumonia and bronchitis.
- Cholecystitis - inflammation of the gallbladder.
- Accumulation of pus in the pleura of the lungs - empyema.
- Gonorrhea and syphilis.
- Brucellosis and intestinal infections.
- Conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
- Osteomyelitis - a specific infection of the bones associated with the accumulation of pus.
- Prostatitis.
- Acne on the face and back, accompanied by an infectious lesion of the skin.
- Infectious lesion of the mucous membranes - stomatitis, gingivitis, etc.
- Intestinal infections.
Preventive use represents the prevention of infection of postoperative sutures. If there is a risk of blood poisoning during the treatment of the disease, Tetracycline should be used in complex therapy together with other bactericidal drugs. Patients with strep throat must not take the drugs of the tetracycline group because of the immunity of beta-hemolytic streptococci to them.
Dosage and rules of administration
The antibiotic in the form of pills should be taken orally. The drug must be swallowed without chewing and washed down with a small amount of water. It is not recommended to replace the liquid with other drinks – tea, juice, or milk, as it will affect the drug absorption rate.
To maintain an optimal concentration of the medicine, it is necessary to observe the interval between the drug intakes. Thus, for adult patients, it is 6-8 hours.
The general regimen for adults involves the intake of 0.25-0.5 g of Tetracycline 4 times a day or a double dose twice a day. The main thing is that the total amount of the drug taken doesn’t exceed 4 g a day.
In the case of pustules on the skin and concomitant infection, patients should take 0.5−2 g a day, dividing the dose into several intakes at regular intervals. Thus, the treatment should last for three weeks, after which the dose can be halved.
Some sexually transmitted diseases are also successfully treated with Tetracycline.
The dosage for children over the age of 12 also varies between 6.25 and 12.5 mg per 1 kg of the body weight. Tetracycline in pills must be taken in the dosage of 100 mg every 6 hours (or you can take a double dose every 12 hours).
Contraindications
Despite the relative versatility of antibiotics of the tetracycline group, they still have some contraindications. First of all, these drugs can be taken by patients over the age of 12. It is forbidden to use Tetracycline during pregnancy, as it actively crosses the placental barrier and negatively affects the fetus (up to the development of congenital musculoskeletal defects). For the same reasons, it can’t be taken by lactating women. Antibiotic is excreted in breast milk. If there is an urgent need for using this drug, the child must be transferred to artificial feeding mixtures.
Before the beginning of treatment, the patient must be tested for individual intolerance to Tetracycline or the drug's auxiliary components.
Special indications
Tetracycline in pills is dispensed on prescription. Self-treatment is fraught with unpleasant consequences, so it is always necessary to consult a specialist. Apart from adverse effects, you also need to know about some of the features of the drug. For example, it is necessary to refuse from dairy products for the whole treatment course: they impede the drug absorption from the intestines. And on the contrary, vitamins of groups K and B should be taken additionally, as their absorption decreases during the treatment with antibiotics. As for the treatment of children, it should be taken into account that Tetracycline can change the color of the tooth enamel during the period of losing baby teeth.