The patient was prescribed an antibiotic, and she got a hairy tongue

An unusual case occurred with a 60-year-old resident of Japan, who became a victim of a side effect of medications taken. According to the medical journal BMJ Case Reports, after a course of chemotherapy, doctors prescribed minocycline to the woman — an antibiotic that helped her body fight the harmful effects of chemotherapy. However, after taking this medicine, the patient's tongue began to turn black and become covered with hair.

The woman went to the hospital, where doctors revealed she had chronic hypertrophy of the filamentous papillae of the tongue, also known as "black hairy tongue". This condition is characterized by the proliferation of hardened filamentous papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue. The disease turned out to be a side effect of taking minocycline.

Doctors prescribed another medicine to the woman, and after six weeks her condition improved significantly. Despite the fact that the "black hairy tongue" is a benign condition, its appearance can cause confusion and anxiety in patients.

This case highlights the importance of carefully monitoring the side effects of medications and prescribing medications according to the individual needs of the patient.