A large study from the United Kingdom shows an association with tetracycline antibiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. Over 94,000 patient records were reviewed. Patients with acne who were treated with doxycycline, minocycline or tetracycline were more likely to have a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. The association was strongest with doxycycline with inflammatory bowel disease. These patients were found to be 1.6 times more likely to have previously used doxycycline than patients who didn't. The overall incidence of bowel disease was rare, but still showed some correlation with the use of the antibiotics.
Patients with Crohn's disease showed a stronger association. Those patients treated with doxycycline for acne were approximately two times more likely to have a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Previous studies have also linked the use of isotretinoin (Accutane) with bowel disease. Many patients taking isotretinoin likely used tetracycline antibiotics for acne. This may contribute to the association found in those studies.
Comments
interesting study.. thanks
i was prescribed doxycycline,6 months prior to being diagnosed with chrones disease,could doxycycline be the cause of my chrones?
maybe its more likely that people with crohn's usually have acne...maybe its not accutane or these antibiotics.
i also took doxycycline and now have chrones and just had my colon removed..
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