Can tetracycline cure syphilis?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are serious business. But if you've been told you have syphilis, there's both good and bad news. First, the bad news: If you allow the disease to go untreated for several years, it can damage your heart, blood vessels, brain, and nervous system. read more

First, the bad news: If you allow the disease to go untreated for several years, it can damage your heart, blood vessels, brain, and nervous system. Syphilis can cause blindness or paralysis. It increases your chances of getting and spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Over time, it can damage your organs and even lead to death. read more

Tetracycline group of drugs like doxycycline also can be prescribed for the the treatment of acquired syphilis. The choice of drug for the treatment of either acquired or congenital syphilis is penicillin. It is an ideal drug for the treatment but some of the patients may be allergic to penicillin. read more

Selection of the appropriate penicillin preparation is important to properly treat and cure syphilis. Combinations of some penicillin preparations (e.g., Bicillin C-R, a combination of benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin) are not appropriate treatments for syphilis, as these combinations provide inadequate doses of penicillin. read more

The only acceptable alternatives for the treatment of latent syphilis are doxycycline (100 mg orally twice daily) or tetracycline (500 mg orally four times daily), each for 28 days. The efficacy of these alternative regimens in persons with HIV infection has not been well studied. read more