Tetracycline can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Make sure you apply plenty of sunscreen with SPF of minimum 15 and avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Also try to wear protective clothes to protect your skin against sun rays. The best thing to do is actually stay indoors and try to avoid sun exposure. Never take tetracycline after it has expired, as this can lead to serious kidney problems. Damage to the kidneys has been reported in people who took tetracycline past its expiration date. If you develop diarrhea, the most import thing is not to start treating it immediately. This may be the sign of a new infection, and you will need to inform you health care provider about it as soon as possible. Do not attempt to treat that infection yourself, as this is not likely to help the situation and can actually make things worse. Tetracycline usually displays only a few mild side effects, although they can be very individual.
However, there are some common side effects that many people get at the beginning of their treatment while their body needs time to adjust to the dose prescribed. The following mild side effects are possible: white patches on the lips, swelling in your rectal or genital area, stomach upset, diarrhea, trouble swallowing, mild nausea, swollen tongue, vomiting, and vaginal itching or discharge. Mild side effects tend to go away on their own – so there is no need for you to report them to your health care provider. However, make sure you call your doctor if the mild side effects you originally had change in intensity and get bothersome. In that case you may require a dose adjustment or some other changes may need to be done to your treatment schedule. Serious side effects of tetracycline are possible and your doctor will need to be notified of them as soon as you notice any.
The following serious side effects are sometimes reported by people taking tetracycline: unusual weakness, chills, loss of appetite, body aches, fast heart rate, severe blistering, yellowed skin, easy bruising, red skin rash, dark colored urine, blurred vision, severe headache, severe pain in your upper stomach, fever, confusion or weakness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Taking too much of tetracycline can be dangerous and is likely to produce such symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. If you have taken too much of this medicine and experience the symptoms mentioned above, make sure to seek emergency medical help. You will need to tell your doctor that you overdosed tetracycline to get more efficient help. Any other side effects you develop should be reported to your doctor as soon as possible, especially if they aren’t listed anywhere else.