What's Doxycycline hydrochloride?

Doxycycline hydrochloride, often called simply doxycycline, is an antibiotic used to treat a number of different bacterial infections. It is a type of tetracycline that works by keeping bacteria from reproducing and synthesizing protein. This medication is quite common and is usually well tolerated by patients.

Doxycycline hydrochloride

Antibiotics such as doxycycline hydrochloride stop bacterial infection by preventing bacteria from synthesizing protein. This protein is necessary in the ribonucleic acid (RNA) replication process. When bacteria are unable to reproduce, a bacterial infection cannot continue to spread and the body’s immune system is able to kill off the remaining bacteria.

Doxycycline hydrochloride is considered to be a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which means that it works against many different types of bacteria. Many antibiotics are targeted towards specific types of bacteria, which make them highly effective against these specific bacteria, though they may be ineffective against many other types of bacteria. Doctors may prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic such as doxycycline hydrochloride when they have not identified the offending bacteria or when there is an infection from multiple strains of bacteria. Though effective against many bacteria, this antibiotic does not work well against bacteria that cause urinary tract infections because most of the medication is absorbed in the body and does not pass through the urinary tract.

In addition to treating many common bacterial infections, doxycycline hydrochloride may be used in the treatment or prevention of some strains of malaria. A disease caused by a single-celled parasite, malaria is a common disease in many parts of the world. Doxycycline hydrochloride helps treat and prevent infection by interfering with the reproductive cycle of the organism.