I'm posting this in case it helps anyone else out there in a similar situation...
My facial rosacea was acting up, so I made an appt. with my GP yesterday. I was hoping she would put me on doxycycline, as it not only would help my skin, but also potentially benefit my eyes...
Anyhow, she put me on tetracycline 250mg twice daily(I presume because it is less expensive than doxy, and should do the same thing)... I was so glad to get the darned prescription that I took my first dose as soon as I got in the car after leaving the pharmacy lol
So far, so good... I'm tolerating the tetracycline well, and my face is not longer burning as much... and my eyes, well... they are feeling quite good today... not sure if it's the tetracycline or coincidence though... I kind of thought the tetracycline should take longer to kick in, no? (not that I'm complaining if it IS kicking in already heehee!)
Comparison of tetracycline vs. doxycycline:
1) Cost (this is only for where I live, but may also be similar differences in your locale):
doxycycline: $0.58 per 100mg capsule
Based on usual dosages here of 100-200mg per day, it would cost $0.58-1.16 per day
tetracycline: $0.07 per 250mg capsule
Based on usual dosages here of 500-1000mg per day, it would cost only $0.12 - $0.24 per day.
2) Convenience of typical dosing schedule:
Doxycline can be given only once per day.
Tetracycline doesn't last as long in the body, therefore must be given multiple times per day (for rosacea, typically is given 2-4 times per day).
3) Effectiveness:
Both of these drugs are in the same antibiotic family, and both have anti-inflammatory effect.
I found some abstracts suggesting that tetracycline's effects kick in sooner than doxy.... BUT in the end (3 or 6 months later... can't remember exactly), the results were the same. ie. doxy works too, but just takes a bit longer.
4) Other
There are a few other differences, but so as not to go on and on, I'll quit here
I'll keep you all posted on my progress as time goes on!
Sheralyn
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