202 replies to this topic

[PrettyBlondeVegasGirl]

I am a mother of a 14 year old girl who suffers from moderate acne. She has been on everything possible without any results. She is now on Solodyn, Benzaclin in the morning and at night Yaz birth control and Retin A. It has only been 5 days and her acne is spreading. It's the worse it's ever been. I know you need to give it time to work but she has never been off any medication. Why is it every time you start something new its like starting all over again. How long should we continue this routine. My next move is Accutane. Any suggestions?

I had acne all through middle school and highschool. I was put on various regimens with antibiotics, topical creams, retinoids, etc., but my skin was horrible and nothing seemed to work.
EVERY LITTLE GIRL DESERVES TO FEEL PRETTY.
After my graduation I started accutane and within a month my skin was flawless. I didn't suffer any side affects what so ever. It only costed me $35/month with my insurance plan. I would do it over again in a a heartbeat, I wish I would've taken it earlier! I definitely reccamend asking your daughter's doctor about Accutane if the Solodyn doesn't work for her! Best of Luck!

[jewel88]

I've been off solodyn for 2 weeks now (i stopped cold turkey after 2 yrs... i didn't read the comments warning against that). I'm breaking out, not horribly, but more than on solodyn and more than I'd like. Should I take a solodyn now and now try to wean off? I'm trying to see my dermatologist soon but these new breakouts are bumming me out!

[AcneIsDepression]

Hi, I used Solodyn for over a month and it did NOTHING for me except make me EXTREMELY tired. My face broke out even WORSE on this medication. I had to discontinue using it due to the fatigue and ZERO results. I am so aggravated because I've been on so many different antibiotics and nothing seems to work for me. I hope you have better luck with it than I did.

[myranda.e]

I just got back from the dermatologist. He prescribed me with solodyn. Supposedly it's the first antiboitic to be approved by the FDA specifically for ance treatment. I dont' get excited about antibiotics but at least it's better than minocycline( which I've used ). Has anyone in here had any experience with it?

it IS minocycline - isn't it?

[dhocta]

I just got solodyn today... 25 bucks

[laurae]

OK so i've been taking solodyn for a few months & i don't see any improvement. I also didn't know it was so expensive..so I think I should just stop refilling my prescription...

BTW I am 17 & I use Cetaphil, Mosom, Yasmin, Clindamycin, & Inova pads.

[skinlifedestroyer]

Ive been on this for a month, 90mg/day.
It's another name for Minocyclene, apparently.

Without insurance, my doctor gave me a card so I can get it for $25/month for 3 months. Original price: $631 for 30 pills! They must give people who pay $25 placebo pills.

The first week I saw some clearing up and got excited. Since, it is back to the same. No change.

I wonder if it takes another month to work?
I wonder what happens when the 3 month period is up and I can't take it.
I wonder if it will work at all.
You would think for the price, it would be a magic bullet.

Only thing that ever worked for me was doxycyclene when I was younger.
Best of luck to all!

[JLP]

I just started taking Solodyn about a week ago and didn't think too much about it - besides that I typically do not like to take any prescription drugs so I was a little hestitant when my dermatologiust prescribed this. Something obviously prompted me to do some research about it's reviews. I started to feel really irritable and a little dizzy and Solodyn is the only thing I changed in my daily routine. After reading the reviews, I'm wondering if I should continue to take this? I think it's too soon to see any results - although I haven't had any new breakouts since I started. I can recommend some procedures that do not require taking a pill which have been effective for me. I have been getting chemical peels every two weeks for a total of six treatments. I am on my fourth and have seen a great improvement. You just need to go about every two weeks because if you do not, it's not as effective. It's been a great help with scarring and prevention. It's expensive, but my dermatologist bills half the price through as an office visit and the other half I can run through my flexible spending account. In the end I pay about $75 for each peel.

Another successful treatment I have found is ThermaClear - This is a new device similar to Zeno, but with newer technology (and you don't have to buy new tips each month, just once a year). I purchased mine at Sephora for $145. If you catch the breakouts before they actually pop, they clear up in two days. Only drawback is that this does not work on blackheads and hurts a bit (feels like a pin prick).

I have been using a topical lotion as well - tazorac (the gold one). I have mixed feeling about this. I think when I first started using it caused me to break out even worse, but after a couple weeks, I've seen some improvements. I will most likely continue with this, the chemical peels and thermal clear for spot treatments and probably will stop the solodyn.

[latinpixie]

Hi guys

I only have acne on my forehead (moderate-severe)

I've been using Solodyn (90mg) For about a month now, along with the Tazorac.
And no results. I now have been upgraded with 135 mg and I'm sticking with the Tazorac.
I'm hoping that the new dose aliviates my acne. I will give this treatment a month
If I don't see any results the Accutane it is.
However- I read the side effects of the drugs and that's some scary stuff
So I'm really hoping that this new treatment works.

Has anyone noticed any results with Solodyn 135?

[BC II]

Hi guys

I only have acne on my forehead (moderate-severe)

I've been using Solodyn (90mg) For about a month now, along with the Tazorac.
And no results. I now have been upgraded with 135 mg and I'm sticking with the Tazorac.
I'm hoping that the new dose aliviates my acne. I will give this treatment a month
If I don't see any results the Accutane it is.
However- I read the side effects of the drugs and that's some scary stuff
So I'm really hoping that this new treatment works.

Has anyone noticed any results with Solodyn 135?

Solodyn 90 didn't work well for me, so my dermatologist increased the dosage to 135 and it has worked very well, and I could see the effects rather early on. I have been on it for about 4 months now. I still get about 1 or 2 very small pimples every now and then and some days none, which is a huge improvement from when I had so many pimples (actives and not) that I couldn't even count them all. It has also completely removed all the acne from my back, which I didn't expect at all. My back used to be very rough and it hurt to touch it, but now it is smooth and flat and feels normal. I just hope I can stay on it for longer... I don't want my skin to lose all the improvement it has made so far.

I should note, my acne was on my cheeks, jaws, and chin. Sometimes on my temples. I didn't really have too much on my forehead.

But try to stick with it for at least 2 months before thinking about accutane. I was on accutane for 2 months before switching to solodyn (And I thought solodyn wouldn't work back then, but to my great surprise it has) and my experience when I was on accutane was very bad. What happened then still has an impact on my social life 4 or 5 months later.

[arsonide]

Hi guys

I only have acne on my forehead (moderate-severe)

I've been using Solodyn (90mg) For about a month now, along with the Tazorac.
And no results. I now have been upgraded with 135 mg and I'm sticking with the Tazorac.
I'm hoping that the new dose aliviates my acne. I will give this treatment a month
If I don't see any results the Accutane it is.
However- I read the side effects of the drugs and that's some scary stuff
So I'm really hoping that this new treatment works.

Has anyone noticed any results with Solodyn 135?

yeah dude... i had the worst of the worst kind of acne.. the big hard cysts.. and all of that... my face got pretty banged up... i took solodyn and it worked pretty damn well... it takes awhile but when you get there you know its working...

(my insurance got shut off for a couple months and now im back on) i came back to get some more solodyn.. (because beingwithout my usual daily regimen really made my face go back wards and break out..) and for some reason my insurance inst excepting solodyn anymore??? some like " they changed their ingredients" and "insurance doesnt cover minocycline".... soooooo i have to wait till monday where i yell and scream at my insurance company and/or pharmacy so i can get my damn solodyn fixxxxxx....

[latinpixie]

BC II, Arsonide- Thank you for the feedback.
I'm glad to say that since I've started taking the new dose of solodyn 135 (1week, now)
I haven't had any new flare-up. I have no active acne.
I'm really hoping that it stays that way.
My Acne is hormonal
So let's see how my skin will react in the next coming weeks
When that time of the month start approaching.

Good luck guys
and keep me posted on your regimen

[NewMoon]

Have any of you had any side effects from this?

[Hose3cu]

How long did you take the Solodyn for? I only took Solodyn for 3 weeks, I stopped about 2.5 weeks ago, and I still feel different. On the medication, I was breathing hard and my heart was beating intensily. After the medication, I suffered from panic attacks. My breathing is OK (I catch myself thinking about my breathing), but I'm always tired. Maybe I don't get enough sleep. But I was definintely running on less sleep when I wasn't on the medication and still doing a million things.

I read a few posts up that a woman's daughter was diagnosed with drug induced autoimmune hepatitis from Solodyn.
I went to see a liver specialist and was diagnosed with the same.
I had applied for some additional life insurance and received a rejection letter in the mail because my liver enzymes were 3x what the norm is. That was the only reason I found out about this. I'm glad my husband and I decided to apply for some additional life insurance. I never would've known until it was too late.
Anyway, I went to see a liver specialist, who ran a series of tests. My enzyme count had gone up to 5x over the normal range.
Before seeing the specialist, I researched what could possibly cause an elevation of liver enzymes and found that minocycline drugs are known to do that (Solodyn). I immediately stopped the medication. We don't have any history of liver problems in my family.
Well, I was very lucky. We caught this early enough that it did not cause any further damage to my liver, and the condition reversed itself. Drug induced hepatitis can eventually lead to liver failure and possibly the need for a liver transplant. The only sign I had was that I was really tired all the time. That can happen from almost anything. But, once I found out what was going on, my doctor said that because my liver toxicity level was so high, my liver was working so hard to try and function normally and filter out all of that medication, thus, causing the fatigue.
Solodyn worked great for me while I was on it. However, it was not worth what I have gone through over the last few months. I am just so thankful that I found this out before any serious permanent damage was done to my liver. I also suffered from intracranial pressure headaches from Solodyn.

If you are taking Solodyn, ask your doctor to run a simple, routine blood test to check your liver enzyme levels. I had asked my dermatologist several times if this medicine was relatively safe. I know that all medications have their side effects, but he never once mentioned anything about this.

[Hose3cu]

I had a terrible time with Solodyn. I took 90 MG for 2.5 weeks - I noticed my breathing increased and terrible rashes appeared on my face almost immediately. My derm told me that these symptoms were not caused by the solodyn because an allergic reaction wouldn't cause localized rashed - an allergic reaction would be all over the body. He said that my rashes were caused by the cold weather, but I've lived in NYC all my life and I never got dry skin/rashes on my face EVER. I didn't mention my slight breathing issues because I thought it was just anxiety and stress (everyone knows how pimples can cause that! )Since my face wasn't clearing up, the doctor increased my dosage to 135mG. With the increased dosage and fish oil pills, my breathing got significantly worse - it felt like someone was stepping on my chest...i had to make myself breath...I stopped the medication after 2 days on the 135 mg. the terrible breathing issues lasted for 2 days. Laying down on my back was difficult as it seemed to restrain my breathing - the next few days, my heart raced intensily. I would lie down and all i would feel is my body shake from my heart - and i felt anxious the whole time...almost depressed. Perhaps, i was suffering from anxiety, but it was no doubt because I was worrying about my health ( i didn't care about my pimples at this point!) For the next 2 weeks, i've had panic attacks and I was having 'out-of-it' experiences. but now I'm just tired. Hopefully, I'll return to normal soon. I only took the medication for 3 weeks, so hopefully that wasn't enough time to induce any kind of significant long-term reaction. It seems that people have been on for MONTHs and the side effects wear off. The thing that angers me the most is how my dermatologist INSISTS that my health issues aren't from the medication!! I never had issues with breathing, anxiety or my heart!

Now I'm on Doryx with benyzl and differen creams. If I start having issues with that (OF ANY SORT), I'm off it immediately. Pimples are terrible, but in the end, your other body parts are way more important.

Have any of you had any side effects from this?

[NewMoon]

hmm.. Thank for letting me know. I have only been taking it for 5 days now. I'm on this, Ziana gel, and prescription strength fish oil. On the first day that I used all three I got really, really sick. I have been fine since then, so I don't think thats what it was. I am also on 90mg.

[Hose3cu]

Yah, it took a while for the side effects to kick in. and i didn't really think it was an issue until i went up to 135 mg. but hopefully, you won't have any issues and you can reap the benefits of solodyn!

hmm.. Thank for letting me know. I have only been taking it for 5 days now. I'm on this, Ziana gel, and prescription strength fish oil. On the first day that I used all three I got really, really sick. I have been fine since then, so I don't think thats what it was. I am also on 90mg.

[JLP]

I stopped taking Solodyn (90mg) after 2 weeks because of the side effects. I have never reacted to antibiotics before, but after discussing the symptoms with my dermatologist - she said it most likely could have been from Solodyn and that I was her second patient that specifically noticed irritability as a result. I was not just a little irritable either - it was affecting my personal and professional life. My dermatologist suggested that I stop taking Solodyn immediately and try a different antibiotic. She gave me a two week supply of Doryx and this has been great! No side effects, I'm back to my normal self and my breakouts have completely cleared up after one week of use.

I would suggest to all of you, if you are experiencing bad side effects from Solodyn, try something new until you find the right antibiotic that works the best since everyone reacts differently to each treatment (ask for a two week trial from your dermatologist so you do not have to pay for a new prescription unless it really works and you feel good about it)!

[Cassi]

I began solodyn at 90 mg 2.5 weeks ago. I also began to apply BenzaClin once a day. the only side effect I noticed was an increased need to urinate. If I drank the water that is required while taking this I'd wake up at least 5 times a night to go to the bathroom, which was beyond annoying. I figured it was worth it to get rid of the acne though. Now according to my dr, that wasn't something that is very common, and I should have informed them. Anyway, I haven't noticed any change in my face at all. I have a moderate amount of acne and quite a bit of cystic acne as well. I have not had any more new breakouts though. No clue if solodyn or benzaclin helped with that. Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough that one day I started to itch like mad. Low and behold, a rash of hives began along my backside. Then it moved to my groin area. Then legs, chest, arms, scalp, neck...you get the picture. (on the plus side, it's barely touched my facial area. )And it itchness like nothing I've had before. That's scary, b/c I once had an allergic reation to codine and it was NOTHING compared to this. Then the swelling began. Random parts of my body are swelling, but the worst has been my feet, hands, ears, and neck/face. The swelling causes EXTREME joint pain. So bad in fact I'm hardly able to walk. I just gained enough comfort to type today(with some help of Darvocet), although the pain and swelling still exist. (You can picture a woman shuffling down the hall of her home covered in red blotches and giggle if you like ) Blinding headaches are also part of the drill. I stopped taking the pills after the rash began 3 days ago, and I continue to get worse as time passes. The doctor told me I will get worse for 4-5 days, and then probably begin to get better which may take 2 weeks. (I believe this is due to the "extended release" in the medication) Because I'm not having trouble breathing (which apparently is my stroke of good luck as I noticed it early enough to discontinue) the Doctor did NOTHING for me. I'd like to warn people to watch CAREFULLY for the begining symptoms like this. Best case scenerio is you WILL be miserable for at least 4-5 days. Worst case is that if you continue to take it and ignore the signs, you will be unable to breathe. This isn't a common thing I've been told, but I wasn't really watching for this after 2.5 weeks on the medicine. I just figured if I would have an allergic reaction to a pill, it would start when I started to take it. Hopefully this advice can help someone else as well. And if this starts for you, I would suggest you DEMAND some sort of medication to lessen the symptoms. I haven't been able to function at all in 3 days, and that is not something you want to do. I am taking antihistamine, but it does NOTHING for this. Well, maybe it has stopped worse symptoms that I may have had coming, but it's done nothing to lessen what did show up. Hope everyone else has better luck than I did!

[shanshan333333]

Okay so I've been on Solodyn for a little over six months and it has been the ONLY thing that has worked for my acne. I would get a cyst or two every month. It took three months and after everything I tried, this proved to be the only miracle cure. No more worrying about acne. Made me completely clear and I couldnt be more happy with it. However, now my dermatologist wants to take me off of it because it is not safe to be on for long term. I am afraid I will start breaking out all over again and return to the awfulness that I just got over. Does anyone know if it is meant to cure you and if youre suppose to be better even when you go off it? Is six months even a long time to be on this stuff. I've read of people that are on it for years. Will my skin return to the way it was?