What is Doxycycline used to treat?
As with any antibiotic, Doxycycline is only effective in the treatment of sickness caused by vulnerable bacteria. Although it is classified as a broad-spectrum antibiotic, i.e. it is effective against several different types of bacteria, its effect is limited to those bacteria. If you take this drug and laboratory testing later shows your infection is caused by a different bacterium, this drug will be completely ineffective. You will have to switch to the correct antibiotic or antiviral drug, i.e. your original antibiotic will have absolutely no effect if you have fallen prey to a virus. That means it is very important to get a proper diagnosis from your doctor before you take any antibiotic. Doctors have local knowledge and know whether there are local trends suggesting a common cause (the epidemiology and susceptibility patterns). Trusting the name and taking Doxycycline without a doctor’s approval may make the drug less effective for you in later use, i.e. all the bacteria that survive your first self-administered treatment, will be more resistant the second time when you actually need it to work.
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