Side Effects of Minomycin

Also called minocin or minocycline, minomycin is a type of antibiotic medication used to treat a number of serious infections caused by bacteria, such as anthrax, dysentery, gonorrhea, cholera, pneumonia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Doctors also prescribe minomycin for other conditions, such as severe acne or infections of the rectum, urinary tract or cervix. Despite its effectiveness, minomycin is not for everyone as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

Common Side Effects

• The most common side effects of minomycin are not normally serious in nature. Many patients experience gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach upset. It is also common to develop white spots or sores in the inside of your mouth or to notice swelling of your tongue while taking minomycin. Many patients using the drug report the appearance of sores or swelling around their rectum or genitals. For women, an increase in vaginal discharge is also common.

Other Side Effects

• Minomycin also has the potential to cause a number of other troublesome or annoying, but not dangerous, side effects. Some patients experience respiratory side effects, such as coughing or shortness of breath, while others notice dermatological effects like itching, increased sensitivity to the sun or temporary hair loss. Minomycin sometimes causes effects to your joints, including pain, stiffness and swelling. Neurological side effects of the drug include dizziness, headaches, tingling in your extremities and drowsiness.

Drug Interactions

• There are some medications which produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with minomycin. For instance, the combination of minomycin and the anesthetic methoxyflurane causes sudden kidney failure or decreased kidney functioning in some patients. Additionally, using minomycin with the acne medication isotretinoin has the potential to increase the pressure within your skull to a dangerous level, leading to headaches, double vision and even permanent blindness. When combined with blood thinners like warfarin, minomycin increases your risk of experiencing uncontrollable bleeding during surgery or following an injury. Minomycin also reduces the effectiveness of oral contraceptive medications.

Risks

• In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, minomycin has the potential to cause serious medical complications. For example, some patients experience severe vertigo or convulsions while taking the drug. With some patients, gastrointestinal side effects become severe, resulting in bloody diarrhea, esophageal ulcers, colitis and inflammation of the pancreas. Infrequently, use of minomycin results in potentially life-threatening infections of the skin, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis. Inflammation or damage to the liver is also possible while taking minomycin.

Considerations

• Because minomycin is known to cause deformities and fetal death in some instances, doctors restrict usage of the drug in pregnant women whenever possible. If you have a history of kidney or liver disease, your doctor will most likely not prescribe minomycin for you due to its potential side effects. Since it has the potential to cause dizziness and drowsiness, you should not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery until you know how minomycin will affect you. Since it increases sensitivity to the sun in many patients, avoid tanning beds and use adequate sunscreen while taking minomycin.