Minocycline hydrochloride
(min-oh-sye-kleen hye-droe-KLOR-ide)
extended-release tablets
What is minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets is a prescription medicine used to treat pimples and red bumps (non-nodular inflammatory lesions) that happen with moderate to severe acne vulgaris in people 12 years of age and older.
Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets is not effective for acne that is not red-looking (non-inflammatory acne).
It is not known if minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets is:
- safe and effective for the treatment of infections.
- safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
Who should not take minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
Do not take minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets if you are allergic to any tetracycline medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.
Before taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have kidney problems
- have liver problems
- have diarrhea or watery stools
- have had increased pressure around your brain that may have caused vision problems
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may harm your unborn baby. Taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets while you are pregnant may cause serious side effects on the growth of bone and teeth of your baby. Stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and call your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Minocycline hydrochloride passes into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Do not breastfeed during treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and for 4 days after your final dose.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the other medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and other medicines may affect each other and can cause serious side effects. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets works.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:
- a blood thinner medicine
- a penicillin antibiotic medicine
- antacids that contain aluminum, calcium, or magnesium or iron-containing medicines
- an acne medicine that contains isotretinoin
Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if your medicine is one that is listed above.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
How should I take minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
- Take minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.
- Take minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets 1 time per day with or without food. Taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets with food may lower your chances of getting irritation or ulcers in your esophagus. Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach.
- Swallow minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets whole. Do not chew, crush, or split the tablets.
If you take too much minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets, stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room, or contact a poison control center right away at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
- You should not drive or operate dangerous machinery until you know how minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets affects you. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause you to feel dizzy or light-headed or have a spinning feeling (vertigo).
- Avoid sunlight or artificial sunlight, such as sunlamps and tanning beds during treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets can make your skin sensitive to the sun and artificial sunlight and you could get severe sunburn during treatment. Use sunscreen and wear a hat and protective clothing that covers your skin while out in the sunlight during treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets.
What are possible side effects of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause serious side effects, including:
- Serious skin and allergic reactions have happened during treatment with minocycline. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause serious skin or allergic reactions that may also affect parts of your body such as your liver, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Sometimes these reactions can lead to death. Stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and call your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest hospital emergency room if you have any of the following signs or symptoms, including:
- skin redness, rash, hives, sores in your mouth, or your skin blisters and peels
- swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat
- trouble swallowing or breathing
- blood in your urine
- fever, yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice), dark colored urine
- pain on the right side of the stomach area (abdominal pain)
- chest pain or abnormal heartbeats
- swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet
- Permanent tooth discoloration and problems with tooth enamel. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may permanently turn a baby or child’s teeth yellow-gray-brown during tooth development. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may also cause tooth enamel to not develop properly. You should not use minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets during tooth development. Tooth development happens in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and in children from birth to 8 years of age. See "What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?"
- Slow bone growth. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause slow bone growth if it is used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and if it is used in infants and children up to 8 years of age. Slow bone growth is reversible after stopping treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets.
- Diarrhea (antibiotic associated colitis). Antibiotic associated colitis can happen with most antibiotics, including minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets. This type of diarrhea may be caused by an infection (Clostridioides difficile) in your intestines and can be severe and can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get watery diarrhea, diarrhea that does not go away, or bloody stools.
- Liver problems. Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause serious liver problems that can lead to death. Stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems:
- loss of appetite
- unexplained bleeding or bleeding more easily than normal
- tiredness
- diarrhea
- confusion
- yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
- sleepiness
- Central nervous system effects. See "What should I avoid while taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?" Central nervous system effects such as light-headedness, dizziness, and a spinning feeling (vertigo) may go away during your treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets or if treatment is stopped.
- Increased pressure around the brain (idiopathic intracranial hypertension). This condition may lead to vision changes and permanent vision loss. You are more likely to get intracranial hypertension if you are a female who can have children, are overweight, and have already had intracranial hypertension. Stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and tell your healthcare provider right away if you have blurred vision, double vision, vision loss, or unusual headaches.
- Immune system reactions including a lupus-like syndrome, hepatitis, and inflammation of blood or lymph vessels (vasculitis). Using minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets for a long time to treat acne may cause immune system reactions. Stop taking minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever, rash, joint pain, or body weakness.
- Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity). See “What should I avoid while taking SOLODYN?”
- Discoloration (tissue hyperpigmentation). Minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets may cause darkening of your nails, skin, eyes, teeth, gums, scars, and internal organs.
The most common side effects of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets include:
- headache
- dizziness or spinning feeling
- tiredness
- itching
Your healthcare provider may do blood tests and check you for side effects during treatment with minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and may lower your dose or stop treatment if you develop certain side effects.
These are not all of the possible side effects of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
You may also report side effects to Bausch Health US, LLC at 1-800-321-4576.
How should I store minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
- Store minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
- Keep the minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets container tightly closed.
- Keep minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets away from light, moisture, and excessive heat.
Keep minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and all medicines out of the reach of children.
General information about the safe and effective use of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets.
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in the Patient Information leaflet. Do not use minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets that is written for health professionals.
What are the ingredients in minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets?
Active ingredient: minocycline hydrochloride
Inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, hypromellose type 2910, hypromellose type 2208, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide and triacetin.
The 45 mg tablets also contain iron oxide black.
The 65 mg tablets also contain FD&C blue #1/brilliant blue FCF aluminium lake, polyethylene glycol 3350, FD&C blue #2/indigo carmine aluminum lake and D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake.
The 55 mg tablets also contain macrogol, FD&C RED #40.
The 80 mg tablets also contain macrogol, FD&C blue #2, FD&C red #40, FD&C yellow #6.
The 90 mg tablets also contain iron oxide yellow and polyethylene glycol 3350.
The 105 mg tablets also D&C red #27, macrogol, FD&C blue #1.
The 115 mg tablets also contain D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, FD&C blue #1/brilliant blue FCF aluminium lake and FD&C blue #2/indigo carmine aluminum lake.
The 135 mg tablets also contain polyethylene glycol 3350 and iron oxide red.
Manufactured by:
Alkem Laboratories Ltd.,
Mumbai - 400 013, INDIA.
Distributed by:
Ascend Laboratories, LLC
Bedminster, NJ 07921
For more information, call 1-877-272-7901.
This Patient Information has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Revised: October 2025
PT 3278-04