Tetracycline Dosage

For treating most types of common bacterial infections, the recommended tetracycline dosage is 250 mg or 500 mg, four times daily for 7 to 14 days. The suggested tetracycline dose for treating moderate to severe acne is 125 mg to 500 mg twice daily. For killing Helicobacter pylori, the recommended tetracycline dosage is 500 mg two to four times daily, depending on the regimen being used. Your age and other medical conditions you may have are among the factors that can affect tetracycline dosing.

 

Tetracycline Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of tetracycline (sold as generic Tetracycline tablets or capsules, or under a variety of brand names, including Sumycin®, Achromycin®, and Wesmycin®) that your healthcare provider prescribes will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Your age
  • Whether you have decreased kidney function
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking.
     
As always, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Tetracycline Dosage for Bacterial Infections

The recommended tetracycline dose for most types of common bacterial infections is tetracycline 250 mg or tetracycline 500 mg, four times daily for 7 to 14 days. For chronic or more serious infections, your healthcare provider may continue treatment for an extended amount of time.
 
In children eight years of age or older, the dosing can range (depending on body weight) from 25 to 50 mg per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day), in divided doses four times daily for 7 to 14 days.
 
(Tetracycline Dosage Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;