Martidox M

Description

Martidox M Tablet: Uses, Dosing, and Important Information

Martidox M Tablet contains doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections.

What Is Martidox M Used For?

Martidox M Tablet treats a broad spectrum of conditions, including:

• Bacterial Infections: Susceptible infections, including certain respiratory tract and rickettsial infections (such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus fever, Q fever, and tick fevers).
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): Syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhea, chlamydia (uncomplicated urethral, endocervical, or rectal infections), and acute epididymo-orchitis.
• Skin Conditions: Acne and rosacea.
• Malaria Prevention: For short-term travel (less than 4 months) to areas where Plasmodium falciparum malaria is resistant to other common drugs.
• Other Conditions: As an add-on therapy for acute intestinal amebiasis, brucellosis, cholera, acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, anthrax (post-exposure prevention), and infective endocarditis caused by Bartonella.

Dosing Information

Always take Martidox M exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Adult Dosing

• Most Susceptible Infections:
  • Day 1: 200 mg (taken as a single dose or divided into two doses).
  • Following Days: 100 mg once daily.
  • Severe Infections: Your doctor may have you continue the initial 200 mg dose throughout your treatment.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs):
  • Uncomplicated Gonorrhea or Chlamydia: 100 mg by mouth (PO) every 12 hours for 7 days.
  • Syphilis (Early, for penicillin-allergic patients): 100 mg PO twice daily (BID) for 2 weeks.
  • Syphilis (Over 1 year duration, for penicillin-allergic patients): 100 mg PO BID for 4 weeks.
  • Acute Epididymo-orchitis (caused by N. gonorrhoeae or C. trachomatis): 100 mg PO BID for at least 10 days.
• Acne, Rosacea: 50 mg once daily for 6-12 weeks.
• Malaria Prophylaxis: 100 mg PO once daily. Begin taking 1-2 days before travel, continue daily while in the area, and for 4 weeks after you return.
• Intestinal Amebiasis (Adjunctive Therapy): 100 mg PO every 12 hours on Day 1, then 100 mg PO once daily.
• Rickettsial Infections: 100 mg PO every 12 hours on Day 1, then 100 mg PO once daily.
• Brucellosis: 100 mg PO twice daily for 6 weeks, taken with rifampin or streptomycin.
• Cholera: 300 mg PO once (as an addition to fluid and electrolyte replacement).
• Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis: 200 mg/day PO (once daily or divided BID) for 5-7 days.
• Anthrax (Post-Exposure Prevention): 100 mg PO BID for 60 days.
• Infective Endocarditis (Suspected/Confirmed Bartonella Infection): 100 mg PO BID for 6 weeks. This will be combined with other antibiotics like gentamicin and ceftriaxone (for negative cultures) or gentamicin or rifampin (for positive cultures).

Child Dosing

• Children over 8 years old and under 45 kg: 2–4 mg/kg/day, divided into doses every 12 hours.

Renal Dosing

• Specific adjustments for kidney problems are not detailed here; consult your doctor.

How to Take Martidox M

• You can take Martidox M with or without food.
• Always take it with a full glass of water and remain upright for at least 30 minutes afterward. This helps prevent irritation to your esophagus.
• If Martidox M upsets your stomach, you can try taking it with food or milk.

Important Warnings and Precautions

Do Not Take Martidox M If:

• You have a known allergy to doxycycline or any other tetracycline antibiotic.
• You have a severe liver disorder.
• You have systemic lupus erythematosus.
• You are taking alkalis, antacids, or iron, as these can reduce how much Martidox M your body absorbs.
• You are also taking penicillin, as Martidox M may interfere with its effectiveness.

Special Considerations:

• Pregnancy: Martidox M is generally not recommended during pregnancy unless your doctor believes it’s absolutely necessary, due to potential risks to the baby.
• Children and Tooth Development: Using tetracycline drugs like Martidox M during tooth development (the last half of pregnancy, infancy, and childhood up to 12 years of age) can cause permanent discoloration of teeth. It should only be used in this age group if other effective and safe alternatives are not available.
• Breastfeeding: Doxycycline passes into breast milk and is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.

Possible Drug Interactions

Tell your doctor about all medications, supplements, and herbal products you are taking, as Martidox M can interact with them.

Significant Interactions:

• Isotretinoin: Taking this alongside Martidox M can cause a condition called pseudotumor cerebri, which mimics symptoms of a brain tumor.
• Anticoagulants (like warfarin): Martidox M can increase the effect of these blood thinners, raising the risk of bleeding.
• Penicillin: Martidox M may reduce how well penicillin works.
• Antacids (containing aluminum, calcium, or magnesium), Oral Zinc, Iron Salts, and Bismuth Preparations: These can prevent Martidox M from being properly absorbed into your body.
• Phenobarbital, Carbamazepine, Primidone, and Phenytoin: These medications can speed up how your body processes Martidox M, potentially making it less effective.
• Oral Contraceptives: There’s a risk of breakthrough bleeding.
• Ciclosporin: Martidox M can increase the amount of ciclosporin in your blood.
• Rifampicin: This medication can reduce the time Martidox M stays in your body.

Potentially Fatal Interaction:

• Methoxyflurane: Taking Martidox M with methoxyflurane (an anesthetic) can lead to fatal kidney damage.

Possible Side Effects

Like all medicines, Martidox M can cause side effects. Some are common and mild, while others can be serious. If you experience any severe or concerning side effects, contact your doctor immediately.

Common Side Effects:

• Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion.
• Esophageal irritation or ulceration.
• Tooth discoloration (especially in developing teeth).
• Rashes.
• Photosensitivity: Increased sensitivity to sunlight, leading to easy sunburn.

Less Common or Serious Side Effects (Seek immediate medical attention for these):

• Severe Allergic Reactions: Low blood pressure, inflammation around the heart (pericarditis), severe swelling (angioedema), difficulty breathing, hives, severe allergic reactions (anaphylactoid reactions), severe skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
• Blood Disorders: Anemia, low platelet count, low white blood cell count, porphyria, increased eosinophils (a type of white blood cell).
• Neurological: Headache, bulging soft spots (fontanelles) in infants, increased pressure in the skull (benign intracranial hypertension) in adults (causing headaches and vision changes), blurred vision, blind spots (scotomata), double vision, ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
• Liver/Pancreas: Temporary increases in liver or kidney test results, jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), liver damage (hepatotoxicity).
• Other: Brown-black microscopic discoloration of thyroid tissue, nail separation from the nail bed due to light (photo-onycholysis), joint pain (arthralgia), muscle pain (myalgia), vaginal inflammation (vaginitis), severe diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria (CDAD).

How Martidox M Works

Doxycycline works by stopping bacteria from making the proteins they need to grow and multiply. It binds to a specific part of the bacteria’s machinery (the 30S ribosomal subunit), effectively putting a halt to their protein production. This action is bacteriostatic, meaning it inhibits bacterial growth, allowing your body’s immune system to clear the infection. It is effective against a broad range of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Note: This information about Martidox M 100mg Tablet, manufactured by Walter Bushnell (generic name: Doxycycline), is available in Nepal. This drug index information is for general knowledge only and is not intended for diagnosis, medical advice, or treatment. It should never replace the professional judgment of a healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for medical advice specific to your condition.