Tetracycline antibiotic
Tetracycline
Adult dose
Dose: 250–500mg PO QDS on empty stomach
Route: PO
Frequency: QDS
Dose adjustments
Renal
Avoid in renal impairment
Clinical pearls
- Largely superseded by doxycycline; acne, rosacea, atypical pneumonia
- Take on empty stomach with water
Contraindications
- Pregnancy/breastfeeding
- Children <12
- Severe renal impairment
- SLE (caution)
Side effects
- GI upset
- Photosensitivity
- Tooth discolouration in children
- Hepatotoxicity
- BIH
- Oesophagitis
Interactions
- Antacids/iron/calcium/dairy (chelation; separate by 2h)
- Warfarin
- Methotrexate
Monitoring
- LFTs in prolonged use
Reference: BNF; NICE; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/tetracycline/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- Centor / McIsaac Score for Strep Pharyngitis · Throat
- FeverPAIN Score for Strep Throat · Throat
- Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction Severity Assessment · Treatment Reactions
- PID Severity (CDC Diagnostic Criteria) · Gynaecological Infections
- Gustilo-Anderson Classification (Open Fractures) · Fracture Classification
- DRIP Score for Drug-Resistant Pneumonia · Pneumonia
Drugs
Pathways
- Infective Endocarditis · ESC 2023 Infective Endocarditis Guidelines; NICE NG41
- Eczema Herpeticum · BAD; NICE CKS
- Suspected Bacterial Meningitis (Adult) · NICE NG240 (2024); NICE NG143 (paeds)
- Clostridioides difficile Colitis · NICE NG199 (2021); IDSA/SHEA 2021
- Returning Traveller — Fever · NaTHNaC; PHE; ESCMID 2018
- Malaria — Diagnosis & Management · PHE 2016; WHO 2023