Oxytetracycline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Oxytetracycline is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Available as
- Injectable · Capsule
- Sold as
- 2 products — Terramycin and Oxy-Kesso-Tetra
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
Every oxytetracycline product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Capsule | No data | — | View → |
Combination products containing oxytetracycline
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Oxytetracycline and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for oxytetracycline: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadA number of reviews have stated that tetracyclines are contraindicated during breastfeeding because of possible staining of infants’ dental enamel or bone deposition of tetracyclines. However, available literature indicates that there is not likely to be harm in short-term use of oxytetracycline during lactation because milk levels are low and absorption by the infant is inhibited by the calcium in breastmilk. Although the manufacturer recommends avoiding breastfeeding during administration of oxytetracycline, short-term use of oxytetracycline is probably acceptable in nursing mothers. As a theoretical precaution, avoid prolonged or repeat courses during nursing. Monitor the infant for rash and for possible effects on the gastrointestinal flora, such as diarrhea or candidiasis (thrush, diaper rash).
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised June 15, 2025. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about oxytetracycline
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 55 reports naming oxytetracycline, and the FDA flagged 95% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- tinnitus5 reports
- deafness4 reports
- hypoacusis3 reports
- pneumonia3 reports
- angioedema2 reports
- appendicitis2 reports
- decreased appetite2 reports
- depression2 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean oxytetracycline caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
Can you take oxytetracycline with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run oxytetracycline against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is oxytetracycline sold under?
We track 2 oxytetracycline-containing products in the U.S.: Terramycin and Oxy-Kesso-Tetra. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does oxytetracycline come in?
Across the brands we track, oxytetracycline is currently marketed as injectable and capsule, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic oxytetracycline?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic oxytetracycline product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Oxytetracycline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/oxytetracycline
- MLA
- “Oxytetracycline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/oxytetracycline.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for oxytetracycline on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.