It is approximately 5,000 times more soluble than tetracycline base and is unique amongst tetracyclines in that it is absorbed by an active transport process across the intestinal wall, making use of the same fast and efficient mechanism by which carbohydrates are absorbed.

Lymecycline, unlike tetracycline hydrochloride, is soluble at all physiological pH values.

[citation needed] Its better absorption profile makes it preferable to tetracycline for moderately severe acne and typically prescribed for 8 weeks at a time, but alternatives should be sought if no improvement occurs by 3 months.

[2] Lymecycline's side effects can include rash, headache, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, dermatitis, inflammation of the liver, hypersensitive reactions, and visual disturbances.

[3] Recently, the family of tetracycline antibiotics has been associated with thyroid dysfunction in youth.