PLEASE NOTE: We do not offer online consultations for this medication. However, we will dispense your NHS or Private Prescription should you wish us to do so.
What is it?
Minocin MR / Minocycline capsules contain the active ingredient minocycline hydrochloride, which is a type of antibiotic called a tetracycline. Minocycline is used to treat infections caused by bacteria. The Minocin MR is a brand name of minocycline which is used to treat acne.
Minocycline works by interfering with the ability of bacteria to produce proteins that are essential to them. Without these proteins the bacteria cannot grow. Minocycline therefore stops the spread of the infection and the remaining bacteria are killed by the immune system or eventually die.
How to use?
- Minocycline capsules are modified-release capsules that are taken once a day.
- The capsules should be swallowed whole and not opened, crushed or chewed, as this would damage the modified release action.
- They should be taken at the same time each day.
- The capsules should be swallowed whole with plenty of water while you are sitting or standing.
- Avoid taking a dose just before going to bed.
- Minocycline can be taken either with or without food.
- Do not take indigestion remedies or medicines containing aluminium, calcium, iron, magnesium or zinc at the same time of day as this medicine.
- It is important that you finish the prescribed course of this antibiotic medicine, even if you feel better or it seems the infection has cleared up. Stopping the course early increases the chance that the infection will come back and that the bacteria will grow resistant to the antibiotic.
Use with caution:
- Children under 12 years of age.
- Pregnancy.
- Breastfeeding.
- Complete kidney failure.
- Hereditary blood disorders called porphyrias.
Not to be used in:
- Decreased kidney function.
- Decreased liver function.
- People taking medicines that may have side effects on the liver.
- Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis).
- A condition called systemic lupus erythematosus, in which there is long-term inflammation of skin and some internal organs.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Where can I buy online?
PLEASE NOTE: We do not offer online consultations for this medication to treat a Dental Infection. However, we will dispense your NHS or Private Prescription should you wish us to do so.
Ask Our Prescriber / Pharmacist
Medical Specialists® are proud of our in-house team of Prescribers, Pharmacists and Experts who carry out the online consultations, dispense medication or help our patients in other ways.
If you would like to ask one of our experts any questions regarding your medication or any other matter, then please feel free to submit your query to us and will get back to you.
For full patient information, please read or print out the leaflet provided at the bottom of this page about Minocin / Minocycline capsules.
This patient information leaflet is provided for information purposes only. This leaflet information should not be used in contradiction with your Doctor or Pharmacist's advice. Medical Specialists recommend that you carefully read the information leaflet provided with your medication. Medical Specialists will not accept liability for information displayed. Please refer to the leaflet provided with your medication for the latest manufacturer's information.
Other Acne Related Products
Medical Specialists offer a range of products for the treatment of acne. Below are six of the most popular choices of treatment recently purchased from our website.
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Duac |
Treclin |
Epiduo Gel |
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Prices from £13.25 a tube |
Prices from £14.35 a tube |
Prices from £16.95 a tube |
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Differin Gel |
Aknemycin Plus
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Doxycycline
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Prices from £17.95 a tube |
Prices from £9.15 a bottle |
Prices from £0.07 a tablet |
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How We Package Your Order
Your medication is sealed in a plain shipping box for protection then placed inside a tamper-proof Royal Mail special delivery envelope before being dispatched from our in-house NHS pharmacy.
- Discreet Plain Packaging
- Royal Mail Special Delivery
- No Mention of Medication
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Dizziness.
- Spinning sensation (vertigo).
- Headache.
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhoea.
- Pins and needles or numb sensations.
- Sensation of ringing, or other noise in the ears (tinnitus).
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing (dysphagia).
- Inflammation or ulceration of the foodpipe (tablets or capsules should be swallowed whole with plenty of fluid while sitting or standing to avoid this).
- Skin reactions such as rash and itch.
- Hair loss.
- Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity).
- Staining of skin, nails, teeth, sweat, tears, eyes, breast milk (see warning section above).
- Discolouration of teeth.
- Overgrowth of the yeast Candida, which may cause infection such as thrush (see warning section above).
- Inflammation of the bowel (colitis) - see warning section above.
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
- Raised pressure within the skull (consult your doctor if you get a severe persistant headache, or double or blurred vision while taking this medicine).
- Liver disorders (consult your doctor if you experience yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice) while taking this medicine).
- Blood disorders (consult your doctor if you experience bruising, sore throat, fever or infections while taking this medicine).
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Warnings
- This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
- In some people this medicine can cause the skin to become more sensitive to sunlight and UV light. For this reason you should avoid excessive exposure to strong sunlight, and avoid using sunbeds and sunlamps while you are taking this medicine.
- Slight blue/black/grey staining of the skin, teeth, nails, inside of mouth, eyes, tears, breast milk or sweat has sometimes been reported with this medicine. This can occur at any time but is more common during long-term treatment. Any skin or mouth staining usually disappears a few months after stopping treatment, but staining in other parts of the body, although less common, may persist. A persistent muddy-brown skin stain has also been reported, particularly in sun-exposed areas of skin. Consult your doctor without delay if you notice any staining so your treatment can be reviewed.
- Prolonged treatment with antibiotics can sometimes cause overgrowth of other organisms that are not susceptible to the antibiotic, for example fungi or yeasts such as Candida. This may sometimes cause infections such as thrush. Tell your doctor if you think you have developed a new infection during or after taking this antibiotic.
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics can sometimes cause inflammation of the bowel (colitis). For this reason, if you get diarrhoea that becomes severe or persistent or contains blood or mucus, either during or after taking this medicine, you should consult your doctor immediately.
- If treatment with this medicine is continued for longer than six months, then your doctor should ask to see you regularly, usually every three months, to monitor for any possible side effects of the medicine.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- This medicine should not be used during pregnancy as it may be harmful to the unborn baby. (It can be deposited in growing bone, affecting the development of the skeleton, and in teeth, causing discolouration.) If you think you could be pregnant you should stop taking this medicine and consult your doctor. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
- Significant amounts of this medicine may pass into breast milk, which may cause discolouration of a nursing infant's teeth (even if they have not yet erupted). It should not be used by breastfeeding mothers. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
