The Long-Term Use of Tetracycline in Acne Vulgaris: Effect on Blood Elements

Effects of long term treatment with tetracycline

“…can cause many complications (10), the most impor-Where blood counts have been performed, little tant of which are rena!, hepatic and metabolic. Our evidence of toxicity has been found (8).…”

Oxytetracycline in the treatment of ocular rosacea: a double-blind trial.

“…(4) No complications or side effects were attributable to oxytetracycline. (5) Nonspecific signs responded well to treatment by oxytetracycline. (6) No permanent change or improvement in conjunctival microaneurysms, corneal vascularisation, or scarring was seen.…”

“…Repeated courses of treatment with the same dose achieved lasting remission 3-6 months after stopping treatment. Three patients required continuous treatment to maintain remission for periods of [5][6][7][8] months.…”

Editorial: What are haemorrhoids?

“…In one series4 68 patients whose skin had cleared with tetracycline stopped treatment after six months: 17 relapsed immediately, and the overall relapse rate was 69% for patients followed up for a maximum of four years. Patients with rosacea tend to be older than those with acne, in whom this type of treatment has seemed to be singularly free from severe systemic side effects,5 6 and it is reassuring that in a recent survey7 of 246 patients, including 38 with rosacea, on low dosage long-term tetracyclines, no clinically significant abnormalities of liver or kidney function were found, though these do occur with higher doses.…”