Hi and thank you so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about this allergy you developed to doxycycline and all the inconveniences you have experienced. I hope you get to find solutions and feel better soon.

Doxycycline is noted to cause photosensitivity and phototoxicity leading to skin reactions. I think this is what you have been experiencing from the above information. The only thing I don't seem to understand is why this is taking longer than usual to get resolved. Though it is taking longer, I feel some what comfortable because you have reported a gradual decrease in the intensity of symptoms. At times, all doesn't turn out as expected and we need to be more patient lest we shall pursue aggressive and costly measures that will not prove beneficial at the end. I am afraid you have gone down this route!

For now, if I were your treating doctor, I will not want to investigate any further possible cause(s) of these symptoms besides doxycycline toxicity. I will provide adequate measures to relieve you of most of these symptoms while gaining some time and hoping things return to normal which is very likely. They include the following:
1. Drink abundant fluids. This helps to reduce toxicity especially in the sun.
2. Use sunshades(glasses) to prevent the eyes from exposure and symptoms.
3. Use sunburn lotions to avoid absorbing so much sunrays and sustaining symptoms.
4. Avoid spending much time under the sun unless very very necessary.

So long as the symptoms gradually regress, stop all aggressive measures and seeing multiple physicians anymore. It will get over though taking longer than it is typically the case.

I hope you find this helpful and informative and provide guidance on how to proceed. If you have more related queries, please feel free to ask me and i will address them. I wish you well.
Dr. Ditah, MD

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Hi and thanks for this follow up exchange.

I am so sorry about this happening in summer for someone like you who truly enjoys the hot XXXXXXX weather. Let's hope that it gets resolved fully so that you can enjoy subsequent summers fully.

Sebum is an oil secretion from sebaceous glands. It is secreted to lubricate and soothe the skin especially when irritated. Because you have constant irritation on the face, there shall be constant and increased secretion of this oily substance and this will account for this always oily sensation on parts of the body with the greatest concentration of sebaceous glands, the face++++.

I am pretty confident it will go away. If it should not, then some other symptoms will come in to make us suspect something else. However, it is going to be highly unlikely that the disease waited for doxycycline consumption to start manifesting. Must be a very very rare coincidence in this case!

Hope this helps and answers your questions. Stay relaxed and for sure you shall notice a gradual improvement in symptoms unless otherwise. It is an atypical trend of events in a well known and documented drug side effect.
I wish you a speedy recovery. Please, feel free to carry on with the exchange if need be.
Dr, Ditah, MD

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I am sorry there is no drug to decrease the oily secretion so long as the irritation stays in place. The best thing to do at this time is to try and cleanse the face multiple times in a day. Sorry for the annoying discomfort caused by all this.

Dr. Ditah

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