Vibramycin-D Dispersible Tablets

Do not take Vibramycin-D:

• if you are allergic to doxycycline or any other tetracycline antibiotic or any of the other
ingredients of this medicine 
• if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• if you are breast feeding

You should not use Vibramycin-D during periods of tooth development (pregnancy, infancy or in children
below 8 years old) as such use may lead to permanent discolouration (yellow-grey-brown).

There may be circumstances (e.g. severe or life-threatening conditions), where your physician may decide
that the benefits outweigh this risk in children below 8 years and Vibramycin-D should be prescribed.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Vibramycin-D if any of the following apply to you:
• you are likely to be exposed to strong sunlight or uv light (e.g. on a sun bed). You should avoid exposure to strong sunlight while taking this medicine as your skin may be more sensitive to sunburn than normal.
• you have kidney or liver problems.
• you have myasthenia gravis (a disease which causes unusual tiredness and weakness of certain muscles, particularly in the eyelid).
• you have an immune system disease that causes joint pain, skin rashes and fever (systemic lupus erythematosus). The condition may be worsened by taking Vibramycin-D.
• you have porphyria (a rare disease of blood pigments).
• you have (or have ever had) systemic lupus erythematosus (an allergic condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes and fever).This condition may be worsened by taking Vibramycin-D.
• you are suspected as having syphilis. Your doctor will continue to monitor you after your treatment has stopped.
• you have diarrhoea or usually get diarrhoea when you take antibiotics or have suffered from problems with your stomach or intestines. If you develop severe or prolonged or bloody diarrhoea during or after using Vibramycin-D tell your doctor immediately since it may be necessary to interrupt the treatment. This may be a sign of bowel inflammation (pseudomembranous colitis) which can occur following treatment with antibiotics.
• you are taking oral retinoids as there is a higher risk of suffering from increased pressure in your skull (severe headache with change in vision) when taken with Vibramycin-D.

When used for a long duration, Vibramycin-D may cause infections that cannot be treated with this
antibiotic. Your doctor can explain the signs and symptoms of such types of infection.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you to. Check with your
doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

• Take Vibramycin-D tablets by letting the tablet break up in a small amount of water. Do not swallow the tablet without letting it break up in water first.
• It is best to take your tablets at the same time(s) each day, when sitting or while standing.
• It is important not to lie down for at least thirty minutes after taking Vibramycin-D tablets, so that the tablet can move as swiftly as possible into the stomach and prevent irritation of the throat or oesophagus (canal taking food from the mouth to the stomach).
• For the treatment of infections, Vibramycin-D can be taken with or without food.
• For the treatment of acne, it is recommended to take Vibramycin D with food or a drink.
• If Vibramycin-D upsets your stomach then taking it with food or milk is recommended.

The active substance is doxycycline as doxycycline monohydrate. Each dispersible tablet contains 100 mg
of doxycycline. The other ingredients are: anhydrous colloidal silica, magnesium stearate and microcrystalline cellulose

Stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following serious side effects after taking this medicine. Although they are very rare, the symptoms can be severe.

• Sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, fever, swelling of eyelids, face or lips, rash or itching (especially affecting the whole body).
• Upset stomach, loss of appetite, severe, persistent or bloody diarrhoea (this may occur up to two or three months after the last dose and may be associated with stomach pain or fever). This may occur after treatment with antibiotics and can be a sign of serious bowel inflammation.
• Fever, swollen lymph nodes or skin rash. These may be symptoms of a condition known as DRESS (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) and can be severe and life-threatening.
• Very severe headache which may be associated with visual disturbances such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of vision. Permanent visual loss has been reported. The possible symptoms in benign intracranial hypertension include headache, vomiting, visual disturbances including blurred vision, a localized defect in the visual field bordered by an area of normal vision (scotoma), double vision (diplopia), and possible vision loss, in some cases, even permanent.
• Serious illness with widespread severe blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals.