Oral Antibiotic - Bactrim, Septra (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole)


Overall rating: 3.91 / 5
(based on 401 votes)

Recommended by 77% of visitors

Average price: $11.92



Most helpful review

By Anonymous, USA on 05/14/2010

This antibiotic cleared cystic acne that Solodyn could not. Began working after the first week; cleared all zits by the end of week two. Unfortunately, this drug is not ideal for long-term use and I do not plan on taking it more than one or two months. If necessary, I will get on spironolactone after discontinuing this product since it is probably safer for long-term use and will address what I suspect is the underlying issue for my acne--excess androgens. Additionally, I have had a small, localized rash on my stomach for the past week. At the same time that this occurred, I began getting a sore throat, headache and low fever. The doctor said I did not have strep throat, so I am wondering if I had an allergic reaction to the Bactrim. Fortunately, my sore throat went away, but the rash remains...I may not know what is causing it until I stop using Bactrim in a few days..

Pros:
  • Completely cleared mild-to-moderate cystic acne around my jawline
Cons:
  • I may be allergic to it, may not be a long-term solution

225 out of 384 people found this review helpful

Ingredients



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Member reviews

         
By on

I have had acne to varying degrees since I was about 13. I have tried everything, including accutane (which, for the record, did not really clear my skin, but the doc said it would sort of "re-sensitize it" so that things that previously didn't work may work after taking it). Once I finished the accutane, my doc put me back on low dose Bactrim. I told her we were wasting time because we tried it when I was younger and it didn't work. I was wrong. My skin was perfect in a week, and I was able to keep it that way by taking the Bactrim just once every other day!

Pros

  • This stuff worked great for me...it kept my skin clear for about 2 years on a low maintenance dose. Very easy to take, no dry skin, and no side effects that I noticed.

Cons

  • I had to give it up when I got pregnant, and cannot go back on it while I am nursing my baby. So, I had terrible skin while pregnant, and it's terrible now. Absolutely worth it for a healthy baby, but it's not much fun to look in the mirror.
  • moderate
  • for more than a year
  • $ 9





By on

I have had acne since I was about 13. I had a normal amount of confidence in myself until I got acne and no one else did. I dealt with my acne for years using different antibiotics, ranging from tetracycline, minocycline, and most recently solodyn. Also i have been on plenty of topical like benzyl peroxide and others. I really let my acne take control of me by not wanting to go hang out with friends or do certain things because i hated when people would look at my acne and not at me! Now im 18 and im on this sulfamethoxazole, i am more confident than ever before and my acne is no longer an issue. Its a great product for those who dont have extremely bad acne, but yet still have noticeable bumps or pimples on their face. It helped me greatly!!!!

Pros

  • DEFINITIVELY WORKS. I have been on it for a couple of weeks and within a week i could see noticeable differences. I have had maybe 4 to 6 new bumps on my face and within a day or two its almost like they are gone!!

Cons

  • I have to take it twice a day and i forget to take it in the morning sometimes... haha. Haven't had a problem yet.
  • moderately severe
  • for a few weeks
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

This is a very effective product it kills the bacteria in your system which causes severe pimples. I occasionally get one or two but those are now cleared up as well :)

Pros

  • HELPS!! A great medication tht ACTUALLY works. 2-3 days of using this medicine I see results my acne has dried up and my skin is cleared. highly recommend you use this!

Cons

  • So far NONE.
  • moderate
  • for a day or two
  • $ 20
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

For a year I was absolutely miserable with my cystic acne; it was painful and unsightly, as I'm sure many of you know already. I went to my

dermatologist and he said Bactrim was the last thing we would try before I would need to start Accutane. Hearing him say that was devastating, so I hoped Bactrim would work. I started in May of 2010. Summer was a little tough for me, the acne got worse at first and I was so unhappy. However, by the end of July and beginning of August, my skin was beginning to clear. I no longer had cysts, I had baby whiteheads if anything. By the beginning of school, my skin was clear and I have had clear skin ever since. I receive tons of compliments on my skin and the other day when I wasnt wearing makeup, my friend asked me if I was wearing foundation because my skin looked so good. Listen to me, I've tried everything. Bactrim was the best decision of my life.

Pros

  • cleared my cystic acne
  • best decision of my life

Cons

  • doesnt work right away.. took about two months for me to start seeing results
  • moderately severe
  • for more than a year
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

I still get a pimple or two but not as frequently and this stuff has really made my skin softer. It took about a month to really kick in though, so stay patient.

Pros

  • Skin was less oily, now has a glow about it!
  • Under the skin pimples are gone and my cystic acne

Cons

  • I did not see instant results like other people have had
  • moderate
  • for about a month
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

i had cystic acne for almost a year and it was very bad so i went to the derm and he gave me this and it started working the first day i took it and about in a month it was all gone but after awhille it will kinda came back here and there so i also take zinc vitamin witch works very well for acne! so over all this is perfect for severe cystic acne suffers works fast and very cheap

Pros

  • works fast clears cystic acne up well

Cons

  • it sorta stops working
  • severe
  • for a few months
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

If you are not allergic to Sulfa drugs and do not develop SJS, then it might work well for your acne. I personally do not think it's worth the risk. I wish I had researched SJS before taking this. The pictures were too disturbing to even look at. This is a very serious and potentially deadly condition and you need to be hospitalized in most situations.

Pros

  • My skin started clearing within the 11 days I took it, and my skin was less oily.

Cons

  • I developed an allergic reaction on the 11th day and got hives on my upper arms and foot and had a rash covering most of my body. Thank God I did not have Steven-Johnson Syndrome.
  • moderate
  • I do not recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

Bactrim worked great for me the first couple of times I took it for acne. It cleared my skin relatively quickly during the first two courses (about 10-14 days), but the third course was a complete failure and may have actually exacerbated my acne.

Prior to the third course of Bactrim, I had never experienced any known allergic reactions to the drug. However, the third time I took it, about three weeks in, I developed a rash on my chest and behind my ears. I stopped it that day and never went back on the drug. The rash lingered for a couple of days, disappeared and then reappeared for a few days a couple of weeks later (likely because the Bactrim was still in my system). Meanwhile, my acne began noticeably improving (it seemed to only be getting worse while I was taking the Bactrim) and is nearly erradicated as I write this. (No, I do not believe Bactrim was the cause of my acne, but I do think it may have made it worse due to my apparent allergy to the drug). I attribute these signs of allergy to Bactrim because there was no other change in my lifestyle at the time and, indeed, the rash appeared right after I took the Bactrim and long before I had anything to eat that day. There really is no other explanation and rashes are apparently a common side effect of Bactrim (presumably b/c a lot of people are allergic to it).

Overall, I think Bactrim is a great drug to take for a short term solution to your acne woes, but I would not say it is a permanent fix given its potential to lose its efficacy and the chance that you may develop an allergy to it over time. Also, long-term use of antibiotics appears to be damaging to the liver and may affect your ability to fight off future infections. I have been told by multiple pharmacists and doctors that Bactrim is one of the antibiotics you particularly do not want to become immune to given that is is used to treat so many different infections (all of which likely pose a greater risk to your health than acne).

Pros

  • works well to clear acne in short period of time; though tablet form is large, it dissolves rather easily in your mouth when divided into sections and taken with water (it seems flavorless, as well), i.e., if you have trouble swallowing pills, you can still take this drug rather easily : )

Cons

  • possible development of allergy to drug; possible development of resistance to drug; adverse health effects resulting from long term use (esp. related to immune system, liver); big pill (but see "pros")
  • moderate
  • for more than a year
  • $ 12
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

My acne is average and its dun nothing maybe worst tbh

Pros

  • Nothing

Cons

  • Horrible tablets to take
  • Dont work
  • moderate
  • for a few months
  • $ 7.2
  • I do not recommend using this product/treatment.





By on

it was amazing at first but if you try it make sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor if it stops working soyou can quikily get on another medication to keep away your acne :)

Pros

  • I used this for about about 2 MonTHS And OMFG IT got rid of my acne within a week and everything was fine for a while.

Cons

  • However after the second month my skin built and immunity to it and it stopped working ://///
  • moderately severe
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this product/treatment.






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