Irritation Irritation of gastric mucosa leading to cramps or burning of the stomach can be of such severity as to cause poor patient compliance. This often results in nausea and vomiting . Note that minocycline and doxycycline may be taken with food to reduce the impact of this irritation. The same irritant properties also limit the use of these drugs for IM or SC injections where all cause pain and most cause sterile abscesses. Deposition in calcified tissues Deposition in calcified tissues, e.g., teeth can result in discoloration, especially when given during developmental stages.
Higher doses given at inopportune stages of growth can result in bone deformation.
Nearly everyone who received tetracyclines as a child will have teeth that fluoresce under a UV light source whether their teeth are stained brown or not. This is caused by vestibular or CNS toxicity and is of such severity and frequency that CDC has changed recommendations on its non-essential use. Antianabolic effect Antianabolic effect resulting from decreased protein synthesis. Photosensitivity photosensitivity may be associated with the use of all tetracyclines, but is especially a problem with demeclocycline. Patients should be kept out of heavy sunlight when receiving tetracyclines.