Tetracycline Side Effects

Tetracycline belongs to the broad spectrum group of antibiotics. As it is a broad spectrum antibiotic, it is used to treat a variety of infections, ranging from upper respiratory tract infections to UTI's to sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. Sometimes, it is also used on a long term prophylactic basis, like for people that are traveling to countries where malaria is rampant. However, these are the treatment of choice for conditions like chlamydia, urethritis, rickettsia, tularemia, etc. They are also often prescribed for patients that have severe acne that does not get any better with topical treatment with benzyl peroxide and retinol. However, despite its so many uses, including the use of tetracycline for acne treatment, people have become wary of using this drug due to the many tetracycline side effects that are seen. Given below is a list of possible side effects that could occur due to this drug.

Teeth Disorders
Tetracyclines gained notoriety in the 60s and 70s, when it was seen that women that were pregnant and took this drug tended to have babies that grew up to have yellow and stained teeth. These stains on teeth emerged when the children would grow up. It soon became obvious that one of the tetracycline side effects in children was that it led to yellow stains on teeth. This was indeed one of the leading cause of yellow teeth in children. It was later known that when a woman takes tetracycline during her pregnancy, the drug ends up calcifying in the baby's teeth and leads to stains on the milk teeth and in the permanent teeth. In fact, this drug is contraindicated even in children below the age of eight years as it severely affects the dental health of the individual, and leads to permanent staining of teeth. Thus, this is one of the major side effects. Pregnancy is a time when women should be extra careful about what drugs they take and tetracycline is one drug that is contraindicated not just in pregnant women but also in lactating mothers.

Photosensitivity
One of the other major side effect of tetracycline is that it leads to an increase in photosensitivity. People that use tetracycline have in the past complained of increased photosensitivity and an increased risk of suffering from sunburns when exposed to UV light. Thus, one needs to take extra precaution when using this drug, like wearing extra sunscreen and avoiding going out in the sun for long.

Superinfection
One other serious potential side effect of tetracycline is that it may lead to an overall decrease in the immunity of a person. This is one of the main reasons why it is contraindicated in children, as their immune system is not developed enough. However, as this drug alters the functioning of the immune system, it may lead to an opportunistic infection in the bowel. Thus, people that are on long term therapy with tetracycline should be aware of this potential side effect.

Others
There are quite a few more side effects of tetracycline. This drug may lead to a stomach problem and bowel upsets. Sometimes, some people may even have an allergic reaction to it. People that suffer from kidney and liver diseases must not take this drug, because it may lead to hepatotoxicity and steatosis. Long term therapy may make a person susceptible to oral thrush and other opportunistic infections.

All of these side effects may not be seen in everyone, however, they are serious enough to warrant attention. If you happen to be on long-term therapy with this drug, be sure to check for any signs of these side effects and if you do spot them, ask your healthcare practitioner for alternative treatment options.