Effect of long-term alcohol consumption on the half-life of tetracycline and doxycycline in man.

Abstract

Elimination of the bacteriostatics tetracycline and doxycycline was compared in patients on long-term alcohol consumption to that in healthy controls. The half-life of doxycycline but not that of tetracycline was significantly shorter in alcoholics than in controls and in some patients the serum concentration of doxycycline decreased below the generally accepted minimum therapeutic concentration when dosed once daily. So, the dosing twice daily might be indicated especially if additional inducing drugs are used.