Medical Questions » Antibiotics Questions » Question No. 61
| Question: | Can you please tell me about the antibiotics called tetracyclines? I have often had these for my bronchitis, but my GP said they were too dangerous to use on my six year old son when he got bronchitis. |
| Answer: | Tetracyclines are a group of antibiotics that act by preventing the multiplication of bacteria. Other antibiotics act by directly killing the bacteria. As a result, tetracyclines are sometimes slower to act than penicillins or sulphas.
Your GP was wise not to prescribe a tetracycline for your son. Although they are not actually dangerous for children, prolonged use can cause yellow discolouration of teeth and nails, but this effect occurs only under 12 years of age. They can also retard the development of the skeleton in a foetus if taken during pregnancy.
When used correctly they are very effective in the treatment of many infections, particularly in the chest and sinuses. They are frequently used long term for the treatment of pimples in teenagers, and interestingly they also inhibit the development of the malaria parasite so can be used as a form of protection against this tropical disease.
The tetracycline group include drugs such as doxycycline (Doryx, Vibra-mycin), minocycline (Minomycin), and tetracycline (Mysteclin).
Side effects are uncommon, but may include poor appetite, nausea, sore mouth, diarrhoea, and sun sensitivity. |
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