I now have comprehensive data from multiple authoritative textbooks. Here is the full doxycycline dosage guide:
Doxycycline - Dosage Guide by Condition
Class: Tetracycline-derivative antibiotic
Available forms: Caps (50, 75, 100, 150 mg), Tabs (20, 50, 75, 100, 150 mg), Delayed-release caps (Oracea 40 mg), Delayed-release tabs (Doryx: 50-200 mg), Oral suspension (25 mg/5 mL), Syrup (50 mg/5 mL), IV injection (100 mg), Brands: Vibramycin, Doryx, Acticlate, Monodox, Oracea
ADULTS
1. General Infections / Skin & Soft Tissue
| Severity | Dose | Frequency | Duration |
|---|
| Mild/Moderate | 100 mg | Every 12 hours (PO or IV) | Per condition |
| Severe | 100 mg | Every 12 hours | Per condition |
2. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
| Condition | Dose | Duration | Notes |
|---|
| Chlamydia (uncomplicated) | 100 mg BID PO | 7 days | First-line |
| Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - Outpatient | 100 mg BID PO | 14 days total | With ceftriaxone IM + metronidazole |
| PID - Inpatient | 100 mg IV Q12h | Until improved, then PO to complete 14 days | With cefotetan or cefoxitin, or ceftriaxone + metronidazole |
| Non-gonococcal urethritis | 100 mg BID PO | 7 days | |
| Lymphogranuloma venereum | 100 mg BID PO | 21 days | |
| Granuloma inguinale | 100 mg BID PO | Min. 3 weeks | Until lesions heal |
| DoxyPEP (STI post-exposure prophylaxis) | 200 mg single dose PO | Within 72 hours of condomless sex | CDC 2024 guideline for MSM/TGW at high risk |
3. Respiratory Tract Infections
| Condition | Dose | Frequency | Duration |
|---|
| Atypical pneumonia (Mycoplasma, Chlamydophila, Legionella) | 100 mg | BID PO | 7-14 days |
| Community-acquired pneumonia (mild-moderate) | 100 mg | BID PO | 5-7 days |
| Acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis | 100 mg | BID PO | 5-7 days |
| Q fever (Coxiella burnetti) | 100 mg | BID PO | 14 days (uncomplicated) |
Note: Ciprofloxacin has borderline pneumococcal activity; doxycycline is preferred for atypical CAP when fluoroquinolones are avoided.
4. Tick-Borne & Rickettsial Diseases
| Condition | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Notes |
|---|
| Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) | 100 mg | BID PO/IV | Until afebrile + clinically improved for ≥3 days (min. 5-7 days) | Drug of choice |
| Ehrlichiosis / Anaplasmosis | 100 mg | BID PO/IV | 10-14 days | Drug of choice |
| Lyme disease (early localized) | 100 mg | BID PO | 10-14 days | |
| Lyme disease (early disseminated) | 100 mg | BID PO | 21 days | |
| Lyme neuroborreliosis (mild) | 100 mg | BID PO | 21-28 days | |
| Scrub typhus / Murine typhus | 100 mg | BID PO | 7-14 days | |
| Q fever (chronic/endocarditis) | 100 mg | BID PO | 18+ months | Combined with hydroxychloroquine |
Doxycycline is lifesaving in rickettsial infections including RMSF, epidemic typhus (Brill disease), murine typhus, scrub typhus, rickettsialpox, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. (Goodman & Gilman's)
5. Malaria
| Indication | Dose | Frequency | Duration |
|---|
| Prophylaxis | 100 mg | Once daily | Start 1-2 days before travel; continue 4 weeks after leaving endemic area (max 4 months) |
| Treatment (adjunct with quinine) | 100 mg | BID PO | 7 days |
6. Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
| Phase | Dose | Route | Duration |
|---|
| Inhalational/systemic/cutaneous - Initial | 100 mg Q12h | IV (then convert to PO) | Combined IV + PO = 60 days total |
| Post-exposure prophylaxis | 100 mg Q12h | PO | 60 days |
Used in combination with one or two other antimicrobials. If meningitis is suspected, use an alternative agent due to poor CNS penetration.
7. Skin / Dermatological Conditions
| Condition | Dose | Frequency | Duration |
|---|
| Moderate-to-severe acne | 100 mg | BID PO | 3-6 months |
| Mild acne (adolescent) | 50 mg | BID PO | 3-6 months |
| Rosacea | 40 mg (Oracea, delayed-release) | Once daily | Ongoing (sub-antimicrobial dose) |
8. Other Indications
| Condition | Dose | Duration | Notes |
|---|
| Periodontitis | 20 mg BID PO | Up to 9 months | Sub-antimicrobial; Periostat formulation |
| Brucellosis | 100 mg BID PO | 6 weeks | Combined with rifampin or streptomycin |
| Tularemia | 100 mg BID PO | 14-21 days | |
| Plague | 100 mg BID PO | 10-14 days | |
| Whipple's disease | 100 mg BID PO | Long-term (1+ year) | |
| MRSA skin/soft tissue infections (CA-MRSA) | 100 mg BID PO | 5-14 days depending on severity | |
| Nocardia / Actinomyces | 100 mg BID PO | Months | Combination therapy |
PEDIATRIC DOSING
Doxycycline is generally avoided in children <8 years due to tooth enamel discoloration. Exception: The AAP Red Book recommends doxycycline as the drug of choice for rickettsial disease (e.g., RMSF) at any age, including short courses (≤21 days) in children <8 years.
| Age / Weight | Dose | Frequency | Notes |
|---|
| ≤45 kg | 2.2 mg/kg/dose BID PO/IV | Every 12 hours | Max 200 mg/24 hr |
| >45 kg | 100 mg/dose BID PO/IV | Every 12 hours | Adult dosing |
| Malaria prophylaxis (≥8 yr) | 2.2 mg/kg/24 hr once daily | Daily | Max 100 mg/day; max 4 months |
| Acne (≥8 yr / adolescent) | 50-100 mg BID or 150 mg once daily | Per schedule | |
Renal & Hepatic Adjustment
- Renal impairment: Unlike other tetracyclines, doxycycline is primarily excreted in the feces (not the kidney), so NO dose adjustment is needed in renal failure - making it the preferred tetracycline in renal disease. (Goodman & Gilman's)
- Hepatic impairment: Use with caution; specific adjustments are not standardized but lower doses may be considered in severe hepatic failure.
- IV infusion: Infuse over 1-4 hours.
Key Safety Points
| Issue | Detail |
|---|
| Photosensitivity | Avoid prolonged sun exposure; use sunscreen |
| GI effects | Take with food or water; sit upright for 30 min after to prevent esophageal ulceration |
| Antacids / dairy | Take at least 2 hours apart from calcium, iron, zinc, antacids, milk |
| Pregnancy | Avoid - causes fetal bone-growth abnormalities |
| Children <8 yr | Avoid unless benefit outweighs risk (teeth/bone effects); exception for rickettsial disease |
| Pseudotumor cerebri | Increased intracranial pressure reported |
| Drug interactions | Rifampin, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine reduce doxycycline levels; doxycycline enhances warfarin effect |
| Periodontitis dosing | Take tablets at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals |
Sources: The Harriet Lane Handbook (23rd ed.); Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 22E (2025); Goodman & Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics; CDC DoxyPEP Guidelines 2024
Clinical note (2024 update): The CDC now recommends DoxyPEP (200 mg single dose within 72 hours) as post-exposure prophylaxis for bacterial STIs (chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea) in MSM and transgender women at high risk - a significant new indication not in older references.