Oxytetracycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic. It belongs to the group of tetracyclines. Oxytetracycline is found as an active ingredient in various drugs that are used both internally and externally. It is used in both human and veterinary medicine.
What is Oxytetracycline?
The active ingredient oxytetracycline is a metabolic product excreted by bacterial strains of Streptomyces rimosus. They belong to the gram-positive bacterial strains that produce antibiotics and are therefore of great use in human and veterinary medicine.
Oxytetracycline was discovered as an effective antibiotic as early as 1949. It soon came onto the market under the trade name Terramycin® and was approved for both humans and livestock. Glomycin, Riomitsin or OTC are other synonymous names for ocytetracycline.
Pharmacological effect
Oxytetracycline has a growth-inhibiting effect on all pathogens that are sensitive to penicillin. These include various gram-negative pathogens such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter species. Oxytetracycline also has a growth-inhibiting effect on many gram-positive pathogens. These include, for example, rickettsiae, chlamydia, mycoplasma, leptospira or staphylococcus.
The protein production of these bacteria is so strongly inhibited by oxytetracycline that they can no longer multiply. The reason is that by inhibiting protein production, these organisms are prevented from growing. In this way, they can no longer cause much damage in the body and in the organs of humans and animals, which helps the immune system to better defend itself against the pathogens.
Medical application & use
In humans, oxytetracycline, to name a few examples, is used to effectively treat pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media and various urinary tract infections such as cystitis or pelvic inflammation. It is also effective for diseases that are transmitted through sexual activity. These include, for example, gonorrhea or chlamydia. In this case, drugs with the active ingredient oxytetracycline are used, which are used internally.
In diseases of the skin, drugs with the active ingredient oxytetracycline are used, which are applied externally. Such skin diseases are, for example, acne, in which oxytetracycline is very effective. Rosacea, a skin disease that can cause red spots, papules and pustules on the face and other parts of the body with clearly visible blood vessels, also responds well to treatment with oxytetracycline in the form of ointments and creams.
As with all antibiotics, the broad spectrum antibiotic oxytetracycline should not be used as a preventive measure, otherwise resistance to the active ingredient may arise and it will no longer be effective in an emergency. It is just as important to follow the instructions for use exactly and neither to change the prescribed dosage nor to stop treatment prematurely without consulting the attending physician in detail.
Risks & side effects
When it comes to antibiotics, people can often be overly sensitive to them or have dangerous interactions with other drugs. This is also the case with the broad spectrum antibiotic oxytetracycline. Possible side effects are therefore skin rash when exposed to the sun, diarrhea, vomiting or stomach ache, headache or fungal infections of the mucous membranes.
Oxytetracycline is not at all suitable for people who suffer from functional disorders of the liver and kidneys, have lupus (SLE) or who have previously been hypersensitive to other drugs containing oxytetracycline or who have reacted to the group of tetracyclines with side effects.
Oxytetracycline also interacts with other drugs, which are listed on each package insert. These include some diabetes medications and also some drugs that bind stomach acid. Anyone who has to take other medication during treatment with oxytetracycline should therefore consult their doctor beforehand about the possibility of such interactions.
