Demeclocycline Milk

The oral dosage for rapidly excreted tetracyclines, equivalent to tetracycline hydrochloride, is 0.25-0.5 g four times daily for adults and 20-40 mg/kg/d for children (8 years of age and older). For severe systemic infections, the higher dosage is indicated, at least for the first few days. The daily dose is 600 mg for demeclocycline or methacycline, 100 mg once or twice daily for doxycycline, and 100 mg twice daily for minocycline. Doxycycline is the oral tetracycline of choice because it can be given as a once-daily dose and its absorption is not significantly affected by food. All tetracyclines chelate with metals, and none should be orally administered with milk, antacids, or ferrous sulfate. To avoid deposition in growing bones or teeth, tetracyclines should be avoided in pregnant women and children less than 8 years of age. 

Ultrafiltration (278, 279) and immunoaffinity chromatography (282) have also been described for removal of matrix components from milk extracts, while online trace enrichment has been reported for isolation/purification of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, demeclocycline, and chlortetracycline residues from animal tissues and egg constituents (305). The latter technique involves trapping of the analytes onto a metal chelate affinity preconcentration column (Anagel-TSK Chelate-5PW), rinsing of coextracted materials to waste, and finally flushing of the concentrated analytes onto the analytical column. 

Demeclocycline lacks the C-6-methyl of tetracycline and is produced by a genetically altered strain of Streptomyces aureofaciens. Because it is a secondary alcohol, it is more chemically stable than tetracycline against dehydration. Food and milk co-consumption decrease absorption by half, although it is 60 to 80% absorbed by fasting adults. It is the tetracycline most highly associated with phototoxicity and has been shown to produce dose-dependent, reversible diabetes insipidus with extended use. 

Because of their chelating action, tetracycline drugs are inactivated in the patient s bowel by any dietary calcium or magnesium ions, whether from milk or from antacid medication. Through such mishaps, many patients have lost the potential benefit of these antibiotics. Tetracyclines are usually given orally. Tetracycline, itself, is still much prescribed, but there are also lower-dose forms available demeclocycline and methacycline, and a sub-class of these which require less frequent dosing doxycycline and minocycline. 

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