When To Seek Urgent Care Or Go To The Hospital
Some symptoms point to a more severe infection that needs prompt medical attention.
Go to an urgent care center or hospital if you have any of the symptoms below, which may or may not occur alongside the other UTI symptoms listed above:
- back or side pain
- nausea or vomiting
Kidney infections can cause potentially serious complications. If you feel like something isnt right, dont hesitate to seek care as soon as possible.
Without treatment, a kidney infection can cause serious complications. These can include:
Can You Overdose On Doxycycline
There are no published reports of toxic effects in humans who overdose with single large doses of doxycycline. There is one case with chronic overdose causing severe, reversible toxicity. It is curious that calves who are accidentally given three to ten times the therapeutic dose often develop a serious or fatal heart condition. To date, this has not been reported in humans.
Is It A Kidney Infection Or Something Else
Your symptoms could also result from another common illness. Some similar conditions you may mistake for a kidney infection include:
- Other UTIs. Other types of UTIs, such as those affecting the urethra and bladder, can also cause symptoms like urgent and painful urination, abdominal pain, and urine thats cloudy, foul-smelling, or bloody.
- Kidney stones.Kidney stones are hard deposits of materials like calcium or uric acid that form in the kidneys. When they become lodged in the kidneys, they can cause pain in the abdomen, side, or back, as well as nausea and vomiting.
- Lower back pain. If low back pain is your primary symptom, you may have a condition thats affecting your lower back. Examples include injuries, degenerative disc disease, and nerve compression.
- Pregnancy. Symptoms like frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal cramping can all be early signs of pregnancy.
Its always a good rule of thumb to seek medical attention if you experience any new or concerning symptoms. A healthcare professional can work with you to determine what may be causing them.
Heres an idea of what you can expect when you seek care for a possible kidney infection.
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Before Taking This Medicine
You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to doxycycline or other tetracycline antibiotics such as demeclocycline, minocycline, tetracycline, or tigecycline.
To make sure doxycycline is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
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increased pressure inside your skull or
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if you also take isotretinoin, seizure medicine, or a blood thinner such as warfarin .
If you are using doxycycline to treat chlamydia, your doctor may test you to make sure you do not also have gonorrhea, another sexually transmitted disease.
Taking this medicine during pregnancy may affect tooth and bone development in the unborn baby. Taking doxycycline during the last half of pregnancy can cause permanent tooth discoloration later in the baby’s life. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or if you become pregnant while using this medicine.
Doxycycline can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormonal birth control to prevent pregnancy.
Doxycycline can pass into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing infant. The extent of absorption is unknown. Do not breastfeed while you are taking this medicine.
Children should not use this medicine. Doxycycline can cause permanent yellowing or graying of the teeth in children younger than 8 years old.
How Can You Improve Your Kidney Health
Lifestyle habits that benefit your overall health, like staying hydrated and exercising regularly, can be vastly beneficial to your kidney health.
Similarly, you shouldnt smoke, and you should go see your doctor for regular checkups to monitor your blood pressure. If youre at risk for kidney infections, you should have your kidneys tested and monitored.
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How To Give Doxycycline To Dogs
Doxycycline has a high bioavailablity, which means it is easily absorbed by the canine body. It can be given with or without food, unlike other types of tetracycline, as long as the dog has access to fresh water. The best way to give doxycycline to your dog is to follow your veterinarians instructions, as your veterinarian has access to detailed scientific literature about doxycycline uses, side effects, dosages, and drug interactions that most owners do not.
Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only. Contact your veterinarian for questions regarding your dogs case or with any concerns about doxycycline for dogs.
AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale.
Can A Urinary Tract Infection Be Prevented
Many methods have been suggested to reduce or prevent UTIs. The single most important prevention measure is increased fluid intake. Many people develop UTIs simply because they do not drink enough fluids.
Incomplete bladder emptying and resisting the normal urge to urinate can allow pathogens to survive and replicate easier in a non-flowing system. Some clinicians recommend washing before and urinating soon after sex to reduce the chance of urethritis and cystitis.
Many clinicians suggest that anything that causes a person irritation in the genital area may encourage UTI development. Wearing underwear that is somewhat adsorptive may help wick away urine drops that otherwise may be areas for pathogen growth.
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Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Doxycycline
Avoid drinking alcohol while on doxycycline in order to ensure maximum antibiotic effectiveness. Chronic alcohol ingestion may decrease the effectiveness of doxycycline. One study showed that the doxycycline blood level needed to treat an infection dropped to an ineffective level in patients who chronically drank alcohol. Occasional ingestion of alcohol does not appear to interfere with doxycycline.
Doxycycline May Interact With Other Medications
Doxycycline oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else youre taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with doxycycline are listed below.
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Where Can People Get Doxycycline
A doctor must prescribe doxycycline. However, patients can pick it up at nearly any pharmacy. It is a very popular antibiotic, and doctors all over the United States prescribe it for infections.
Once a doctor prescribes the antibiotic, they will give the patient the prescription to take to a pharmacy, or the office will call a pharmacy where the patient can pick it up.
There are no stores that sell doxycycline over-the-counter.
How Do You Know When A Uti Becomes A Kidney Infection
The symptoms of a UTI include pain when urinating, abdominal pain above the pubic area, frequent need to urinate, and bad-smelling, cloudy, or bloody urine. If the infecting bacteria migrates up to the kidney, additional symptoms may include flank pain, lower back pain, fever, and maybe chills and nausea. If you have a lower urinary system infection and begin to notice pain on your sides or you have a fever over 100 degrees, itâs time to see a doctor.
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Can I Go To Work With A Kidney Infection
Most kidney infections are treated on an outpatient basis with oral antibiotics. Symptom relief typically occurs after a few days of treatment, so it may be possible to go to work at that point. Many patients, however, require a week or two before they feel well enough to work. As always, never go to work with a fever.
Can Kidney Infection Be Prevented
Most kidney infections are caused by germs travelling up from a bladder infection. So the same things that can help to reduce your chances of bladder infection should reduce your chances of kidney infection. Traditionally, people who got recurring urine infections were advised about measures such as drinking plenty of fluid and taking cranberry juice, and on the way that they wiped themselves after going to the toilet. However, there is little evidence for any of these measures and they are now not usually advised. Anything which increases your risk of urine infections which can be treated, should be treated. For example, any constipation should be treated promptly, as constipation can increase your chances of a bladder or kidney infection. See the separate leaflet called Constipation for more details. Doctors will try to treat anything else which might be contributing, such as kidney stones or an abnormality in the structure of the urinary system.
Pregnant women are regularly tested for urine infections and for germs in their urine. Even if they don’t have symptoms, if urine tests positive for germs, pregnant women are usually treated with antibiotics to prevent any complications.
In some cases people who have recurring urine infections are treated with a low dose of antibiotic continually. This may help to prevent recurrences and to prevent spread to the kidney.
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Do I Really Need To Take Antibiotics For A Uti
In most cases, it makes sense to start antibiotics if you know you have a bacterial UTI since this is the only way to treat it.
While it is possible for a UTI to go away on its own, this doesnt always happen. Plus, youll still have to deal with uncomfortable UTI symptoms like pain during urination while waiting to see if the UTI will go away. And if it doesnt, the infection can travel up your urinary tract and cause a more serious infection in your kidneys called pyelonephritis. If youre pregnant, have underlying health conditions, or are older than 65 years old, you should not try to treat a UTI without antibiotics.
What Drugs And Food Should I Avoid While Taking Doxycycline
Do not take iron supplements, multivitamins, calcium supplements, antacids, or laxatives within 2 hours before or after taking doxycycline.
Avoid taking any other antibiotics with doxycycline unless your doctor has told you to.
Doxycycline could make you sunburn more easily. Avoid sunlight or tanning beds. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen when you are outdoors.
Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
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How Much Will It Cost To Treat A Uti With Doxycycline
Determining the cost of antibiotics is affected by several factors, including brand name and insurance coverage.
The administration will also play a role in cost. If the antibiotic was administered in an emergency room or received as an injection, the price will likely go up. This is another good reason to get UTIs treated right away.
Just like other medications, this antibiotic comes in both brand-name and generic versions. Most of the time, generic versions of medicines contain the same dosage of active ingredients and will treat the infection just as well as a brand name.
Insurance coverage plays the most essential role in the cost of this medication. Some providers and plans will cover this antibiotic entirely, but the patient will likely pay a portion of the bill. Fortunately, doxycycline taken orally in tablet form isnât usually expensive. Patients with insurance can expect to pay less than $30 for a standard prescription.
Treatment Of Uti In Children
Your childs UTI will require prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent kidney damage. The type of bacteria causing your childs UTI and the severity of your childs infection will determine the type of antibiotic used and the length of treatment.
The most common antibiotics used for treatment of UTIs in children are:
- sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
If your child has a UTI thats diagnosed as a simple bladder infection, its likely that treatment will consist of oral antibiotics at home. However, more severe infections may require hospitalization and IV fluids or antibiotics.
Hospitalization may be necessary in cases where your child:
- is younger than 6 months old
- has a high fever that isnt improving
- likely has a kidney infection, especially if the child is very ill or young
- has a blood infection from the bacteria, as in sepsis
- is dehydrated, vomiting, or unable to take oral medications for any other reason
Pain medication to alleviate severe discomfort during urination also may be prescribed.
If your child is receiving antibiotic treatment at home, you can help ensure a positive outcome by taking certain steps.
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More Common Side Effects
The more common side effects of doxycycline can include:
- loss of appetite
- temporary discoloring of adult teeth
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If theyre more severe or dont go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
This drug does not cause drowsiness.
How To Take It
Always swallow your doxycycline capsule whole and have it with a full glass of water .
You can take this medicine with or without food. However youâre less likely to feel sick if you have it with food.
Itâs important to take doxycycline while youâre in an upright position. You can be sitting, standing or walking. This will stop the medicine irritating your food pipe or stomach.
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Does Doxycycline Treat A Uti
UTIs are unpleasant infections of the urinary tract that can result from a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. When bacteria are the cause, which is most often the case, the UTI can be treated with antibiotics.
Many different types of antibiotics are effective at treating UTIs, with a second-line treatment option being doxycycline. When other antibiotics are not working, or when multiple pathogens are causing the infection, doxycycline is a promising treatment to finally clear the infection.
What Is A Kidney Infection
Kidney infection, or pyelonephritis, is a bacterial infection of the kidneys that constitutes a medically urgent condition requiring immediate antibiotic treatment. Untreated kidney infection runs the risk of an abscess, kidney damage, loss of kidney function, blood poisoning , and, in a worst-case scenario, kidney failure.
Kidney infections are a commonly experienced type of kidney disease, accounting for over 250,000 cases per year. They are typically caused by an active urinary tract infection that begins in the bladder, called cystitis. Because women are at a higher risk for cystitis, they are also at a higher risk for kidney infection. Approximately 15-17 out of every 10,000 women are diagnosed with kidney infection annually compared to 3-4 out of every 10,000 men. Other risk factors include urinary system blockage, a compromised immune system, urinary catheters, or vesicoureteral reflux, a condition in which urine flows up from the bladder back into the kidneys.
Most kidney infections are the result of urinary tract infections caused by a bacteria called Escherichia coli, or E. coli, which normally lives in the colon. Bacteria that finds its way into the bladder and goes untreated can travel up the ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder, and spread to the kidneys and their collecting systems.
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Dosage Of Doxycycline For Sinus Infection
The medicine of Doxycycline is available in the following forms-
- Intravenous solution
Doctors prescribe to take this medicine in the form of pills for people suffering from sinusitis. There are various strengths of Doxycycline for sinus infection- 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg. In order to take the medicine, theres no need to crush or break it. Take one tablet whole while drinking one full glass of water with each dose.
For adults-
Unless prescribed otherwise by doctors, usually the normal dose of oral form of doxycycline is 200 mg on the first day of the course. Followed by, changing the dosage to two 100 mg doses 12 hours apart. After this, maintaining a dose of 100 mg regularly for 7-10 days.
Although in rare cases, when the infection is severe, doctors can recommend higher doses such as 300 mg daily for 10 days.
For children-
Children over 8 years of age can take doxycycline for sinus infection. The dosage of the medicine depends on the childs weight.
Make sure that the course of the medicine is completed. Also, dont stop the medicine abruptly without proper consultation with the doctor.
How Long Doxycycline Stays In Your System
Doxycycline has a half-life of 14-24 hours, depending on factors such as age, weight, and dosage.
A half-life is the time it takes for the substance in your body to be reduced to half of the strength of the original dosage.
If your dose of doxycycline is 150 mg, for example, then it will take approximately 18-19 hours before it is reduced in the body by half and about 28-42 hours for the medication to be completely out of your system.
The half-life of your medication matters when it comes to other drugs or supplements you take that may interact with it, or when you want to consume substances that may alter how your body responds.
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Are There Natural Treatments For Uti
Very mild infections might clear up on their own with remedies such as increased water intake, but more often than not, they will need to be treated with antibiotics. In any case, a UTI is very uncomfortable, and most people will not want to wait to have it treated. Patients should seek medical advice as soon as they notice the symptoms of a urinary tract infection.