What is Doxycycline? What are its uses?
Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic used to treat many bacterial infections. It works by
inhibiting bacterial growth and has anti-inflammatory effects [1, 2].
Doxycycline is commonly used to treat acne, urinary and respiratory tract infections, eye infections, gum disease, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis [1]. It is also used to treat pimples and abscesses, usually on the face, that are caused by rosacea, also known as acne rosacea or adult acne [2, 3].
In addition to treating infections, doxycycline is used to prevent malaria and treat anthrax infection after possible exposure [2, 3]. It is also used to treat periodontal disease, a disease of the gums, by reducing the number of bacteria, which helps to reduce inflammation and swelling in the mouth [4].
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Doxycycline has also been found to be helpful in the management of certain noninfectious conditions. It can treat hair follicle diseases, granulomatous diseases, and vascular proliferation, among other conditions [5].
What is Cephalexin? What are its uses?
Cephalexin is a type of antibiotic known as a cephalosporin. It works by fighting bacteria in your body, making it an effective tool in treating various bacterial infections [6, 7, 8].
Cephalexin is used to treat infections in adults and children at least one-year-old. It is particularly effective against infections caused by bacteria, including upper respiratory infections, ear infections, skin infections, urinary tract infections, and bone infections.
In addition to these uses, Cephalexin is also sometimes prescribed for certain penicillin-allergic patients with a heart condition and undergoing a dental or upper respiratory tract procedure to prevent them from developing a heart valve infection [7].
It's important to note that Cephalexin is ineffective against viral infections such as colds or the flu. Using antibiotics when they are not needed can increase your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment [7, 8].
Is Doxycycline stronger than Cephalexin on boils?
When treating boils, both doxycycline and Cephalexin are commonly prescribed antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus typically causes boils, and both antibiotics are effective against this type of bacteria [9].
A study comparing the effectiveness of doxycycline and Cephalexin in treating skin and soft tissue infections found that both antibiotics had a similar rate of clinical failure, defined by metrics such as hospital admission, intravenous antibiotic therapy, or changes in oral antibiotics. This suggests that neither antibiotic is significantly more potent than the other in treating these types of infections.
However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of an antibiotic can depend on various factors, including the specific strain of bacteria causing the infection, the patient's overall health, and the presence of any antibiotic resistance. Therefore, a healthcare provider should choose between doxycycline and Cephalexin based on the patient's circumstances.
Side effects
Doxycycline and Cephalexin are both antibiotics used to treat various bacterial infections. However, like all medications, they can cause side effects.
Side effects of Doxycycline
Doxycycline may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, itching of the rectum, swelling, redness, burning, itching, or irritation of the vagina.
More severe side effects include headache, blurred vision, rash, difficulty breathing or swallowing, unusual bleeding or bruising, and joint pain.
In rare cases, it can cause adverse effects such as bloody diarrhoea, migraines, throat irritation, chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular or fast heart rate, and dysuria. Severe pneumonitis with respiratory failure, fever, lymphadenopathy, nephritis, and hepatitis have also been reported in rare cases [10, 11].
Side effects of Cephalexin
Cephalexin, on the other hand, can cause side effects such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, gastritis, nausea, vomiting, erythema multiforme, genital pruritus, vaginitis, vaginal discharge, and candidiasis.
It can also cause thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, eosinophilia, arthralgia, arthropathy, and arthritis. More severe side effects include increased serum alanine aminotransferase, increased serum aspartate aminotransferase, cholestatic jaundice, and interstitial nephritis.
Allergic reactions, including skin rash, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms have also been reported [12, 6, 7].
It's important to note that while these side effects are possible, they may not occur in all individuals. If you experience any of these symptoms while taking either of these medications, it's essential to seek medical attention immediately.