Seysara

Seysara is a prescription medication used to treat moderate to severe acne in people 9 years and older.

Seysara belongs to a group of drugs called tetracycline antibiotics. The exact way Seysara works in treating acne vulgaris is not known.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken by mouth, once daily, with or without food. Take Seysara with enough fluid to completely swallow the tablet and to lower your risk of getting irritation or ulcers in your esophagus.

The most common side effect of Seysara is nausea. Seysara can also cause light-headedness, dizziness or vertigo. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Seysara affects you.

Seysara is a prescription medicine used to treat moderate to severe acne vulgaris in people 9 years and older.

Seysara should not be used for the treatment or prevention of infections.

• It is not known if Seysara is safe and effective for use for longer than 12 weeks. 
• It is not known if Seysara is safe and effective in children under 9 years of age.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Seysara. See the “Seysara Precautions” section.

The most common side effect of Seyesara is nausea. 

Seysara may cause fertility problems in males. This may affect your ability to father a child. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about fertility.

This is not a complete list of Seysara side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Oral Retinoids like Accutane and Soriatane
• Antacids like Tums, Pepto-Bismol,  Milk of Magnesia, and Alka-Seltzer
• Iron containing preparations
• Penicillin antibiotics like penicillin,  amoxicillin, and ampicillin
• Anticoagulants like warfarin
• P-glycoprotein substrates like digoxin

This is not a complete list of Seysara drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Seysara including the following:

• Harm to an unborn baby. Taking Seysara during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may cause serious side effects on the growth of bone and teeth of your baby. Stop taking Seysara and call your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during your treatment with Seysara.
• Permanent teeth discoloration. Seysara may permanently turn a baby or child's teeth yellow-gray-brown during tooth development. You should not use Seysara during tooth development. Tooth development happens in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and from birth to 8 years of age. 
• Slow bone growth. Seysara may slow bone growth in infants and children. Slow bone growth is reversible after stopping treatment with Seysara. 
• Diarrhea. Diarrhea can happen with most antibiotics, including Seysara. This diarrhea may be caused by an infection (Clostridium difficile) in your intestines. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get watery or bloody stools.
• Central nervous system effects. Central nervous system effects such as light headedness, dizziness, and a spinning feeling (vertigo) may go away during your treatment with Seysara or if treatment is stopped. Call your healthcare provider if these symptoms do not go away. You should not drive or operate dangerous machinery until you know how Seysara affects you. Tetracyclines may cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded, or have a spinning feeling (vertigo).
• Increased pressure around the brain (intracranial hypertension). This condition may lead to vision changes and permanent vision loss. You may be more likely to get intracranial hypertension if you are a female of childbearing potential and are overweight or have a history of intracranial hypertension. Stop taking Seysara and tell your healthcare provider right away if you have blurred vision, vision loss, or headaches.

• Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity). Avoid sunlight or artificial sunlight, such as a tanning booth or sunlamp. You could get severe sunburn. Use sunscreen and wear loose-fitting clothes that cover your skin while out in sunlight. Stop taking Seysara if you get sunburn.

Do not take Seysara:

• if you are allergic to medicines in the tetracycline-class. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Seysara, food and salt substitutes containing iron may interact with the medication. Ask your doctor or pharmacist on how the medication should be separated from iron containing products.

Before taking Seysara, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• have diarrhea or watery stools
• have vision problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Seysara may harm your unborn baby. Taking Seysara during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may cause serious side effects on the growth of bone and teeth of your baby. Stop taking Seysara and call your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during your treatment with Seysara.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Seysara can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take Seysara. You should not breastfeed during treatment with Seysara.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Seysara and other medicines can affect each other causing serious side effects. 

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take: 

• a blood thinner
• a penicillin antibiotic medicine
• antacids that contain aluminum, calcium or magnesium or iron-containing products
• an acne medication taken by mouth that contains isotretinoin or acitretin

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Seysara may harm your unborn baby. Taking Seysara during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may cause serious side effects on the growth of bone and teeth of your baby. Stop taking Seysara and call your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during your treatment with Seysara.

The use of Seysara, like other tetracycline antibiotics, in pregnant women may caused some babies to be born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should not be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

• Seysara can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take Seysara. You should not breastfeed during treatment with Seysara.

• Take Seysara exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. 
• Skipping doses or not taking all doses of Seysara may: 
  • make the treatment not work as well.
  • increase the chance that the bacteria will become resistant to Seysara.
• Take Seysara 1 time a day with or without food. 
• Take Seysara with enough fluid to completely swallow the tablet and to lower your risk of getting irritation or ulcers in your esophagus. Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach.
• If you take too much Seysara, stop taking Seysara and call your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• your weight

The recommended dose range of Seysara (Sarecycline) for the treatment of non-nodular lesions in moderate to severe common acne is between 60 mg to 150 mg depending on your body weight.

If you take too much Seysara call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store Seysara at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Keep Seysara away from moisture and excessive heat.

Keep Seysara and all medicines out of the reach of children.

This page was written by Arshed Al Saady, PharmD Candidate 2020 | UT Austin College of Pharmacy