15 replies to this topic

[maddy001]

This may or may not be related to acne, just want to hear your thoughts. I did take doxy for acne to control it for a couple of years and my skin was great during those times. I know that people are creep out by the word " antibiotics" and seem to be refusing treatment. I'm not only meaning for acne but for some other infections as well such as staph, strep, pneumonia and psuedomonas. I'm not a medical student but I am training to be a medical technologist so am around the hospital quite often. What really perplexes me was that some just refuse to take their medication. Just the other day, a pregnant lady was diagnosed with Strep B infection and she refuses her antibiotics by the doctor because she was afraid of getting yeast?

I know there are many people are afraid of it because of the risk of getting yeast infection and that of killing common bacteria in the body and the resisitance stuff. But I took it for 5 years with no problem or anything. I mean yeah there is the risk there but anything taken into our body does poses a risk.

One other thing that really confuses me is that some would rather take accutane to antibiotics. I mean the side effects of accutane is worse seeing that you definitely will get the side effects like dry skin and you do need monthly blood tests to see whether your levels are stable as it can toxify the liver. Well something(accutane) that needs monthly blood tests versus one(antibiotics) that doesn't need. Which one seems to be worse?

Just want to know why? No offence to anyone

[Lainey321]

I think there has been so much fear put into everyone about infections building a resistance to antibiotics because of overuse.

I am no M.D. either but I have always thought being non-compliant (not finishing your Rx or not taking them as prescribed) with your meds is the best way for infections to mutate It seems now there are "super" antibiotics prescribed as a first course which I think is silly. If a low dose of Amoxicillin will cure you then why take a "super" antibiotic???

My youngest dd is allergic to penicillin so it makes the number of antibiotics much more limited so I worry when she has to be on them alot that she will get a resistant infection.

My older dd's dr is ANTI-antibiotic unless the kid has a high fever and/or pus running out of their orifices But at the change of seasons my daughter gets a cough that won't go away. She has been tested for allergies and is only allergic to dust mites (which we address) after weeks of not sleeping and being miserable I will ask the dr for antibiotics and she insists she doesn't need any and I insist she does. After my dd takes them for a few days the cough is gone. Some dr's say it is coincidence and others say there is an underlying mild sinus infection. Whatever??? She is 9 yrs old and we have gone through this every year of her life. I hate that the dr treats my like some nut who brings her kid in every time she has the sniffles

My derm put me on Keflex for my acne for 3 mos. I really didn't want to do a long course of antibiotics but I am so desperate I will do anything. I do agree with you that the side effects

[Cyph31]

address the symptom, do not prevent the problem

this is the issue with all of modern professional medicine (not holistic/naturopathic)

and why? $$$

[maddy001]

address the symptom, do not prevent the problem

this is the issue with all of modern professional medicine (not holistic/naturopathic)

and why? $$$

This is not true but in the case of acne yes. Antibiotics do not only address the symptom but it can cure you of the infection. Infections like tuberculosis, STDs like syphillis, cholera could be cured by the use of antibiotics. Just like strep B, the lady could have taken her antibiotics and get it cured or risk getting her child to be stillborn.

Prevention is a very difficult thing to handle. They always say prevention is better then cure but its difficult but if you really do catch the disease, you have to cure it, there's no other way. In the case of acne, also yes. Everyone is trying to prevent the problem from happening, and even if you cannot prevent it, nothing can cure it anyway. Those acne stuff are also addressing the problem and severe cases of acne cannot be prevented and do need to address the sympotms.

[Volvo850]

I started an antibiotic last week after the horrible nose zit I keep ranting about came open. I figured this way I could prevent an infection and scarring plus it would help the remaining spots on me and prevent future breakouts.

So far it has prevented all but a few minor zits, some of which were probably under the skin before I started on the medicine. The ones that are left seem to be running their course as usual yet the overall puffiness of them seems to have gone down. (The exception has been the nose zit which has lasted for too long)

Cost isn't really a concern, it's the same as all the other antibiotics (including Duac and Brevoxyl) for me. The only real problem I have is that I have to go to an independent drug store to get it. I am unable to take pills due to my gag reflex being what it is so I have to travel about seven miles for a month's worth supply of a liquid.

While my face may actually be clear again in a few weeks, I will continue taking the medicine until arms and back have cleared. I may keep with it for a little while longer and then try without it again to see if I've solved the problem.

[menace]

Yes, I To am one of those people who tried to banish my bottle of minocycline (50MG) but after a while i relized that not takin it wasnt benefitting me as much as i felt i were while i taking them. So now i take a pill every other day or when iremember, along with my usual regime. I find that it keeps inflamation at bay along with my fish oil!

[LabGirl81]

I have refused to take antibiotics on occasion.....and not just for acne.

When I was three I was given a sulfa drug to treat an ear infection. I developed a rash all ofer my body. My eyes, mouth and nose began to bleed and my skin started peeling off.........

I also had Lyme's as a kid for like 8 years....and when I was finally diagnosed it was assumed by then the infection would have been resistant to penicillin and it's deravitives.....I was given doxycycline. The next day my nose started bleeding and my oral mucosa literally just fell out.....I noticed blisters on my chest that were itchy....I scratched one and a huge piece of skin fell off....

I think they gave me Cipro to treat it.....then I ended up with a six month long yeast infection (I was only 11 years old).

So when my derm thought it would have been a good idea to put me on minocycline.....at first I refused because I had a reaction to another tetracycline.....he said minocycline isn't the same as doxycycline.....He said I could always stop taking it if I thought I was having a reaction......I didn't fill the prescription.

I am prone to Steven's Johnson's Syndrome when I take certain antibiotics........this can be a deadly reaction.

I get yeast infections when I take others, I can have macrolides but they really mess up my digestive system.

I thought Cipro was safe, but the last time I took it I got hives all over my body......

I have yet to find one that agrees with me.

I have been known to drink cranberry juice for a bladder infection and I never take antiboitics for somethimg like a cold or flu (why are they even prescribed??).

Yes I know my situation is rare. One day I will need to take antiboitics, and I'll deal with the side effects if I have to....

I had no problem taking Accutane for my acne....I never took antiboitcs for it though......I knew it wasn't going to trigger a Steven's Johnson's reaction, or give me a yeast infection........I didn't mind having my blood drawn every month, and I didn't get dry skin at all.....

It seems silly to treat acne with antiboitics. Eventually the bacteria becomes resistant, so you have to switch them around....and do they do anything to address what causes acne in the first place? Nope.....all they do is kill bacteria and some can reduce inflammation.......

Some people can take a short couse of antibiotics to contol the initial breakout caused by a retinoid....but anything longer than two or three months doesn't make sense...once the retinoid kicks in, why take an antiboitics.....

There are better ways to treat acne than long term oral antiboitics.......

[Wynne]

...I am prone to Steven's Johnson's Syndrome when I take certain antibiotics........this can be a deadly reaction....

Damn! Sorry, that's a hideously scary reaction.

...I have been known to drink cranberry juice for a bladder infection and I never take antiboitics for somethimg like a cold or flu (why are they even prescribed??).

Antibiotics should never be prescribed for a virus, yet silly people try to insist on getting one sometimes when all they have to do is treat the symptoms. For some, all they need to clear the urinary tract infection is to flush it out.

...It seems silly to treat acne with antiboitics. Eventually the bacteria becomes resistant, so you have to switch them around....and do they do anything to address what causes acne in the first place? Nope.....all they do is kill bacteria and some can reduce inflammation.......

Some people can take a short couse of antibiotics to contol the initial breakout caused by a retinoid....but anything longer than two or three months doesn't make sense...

There are better ways to treat acne than long term oral antiboitics.......

I completely agree! Antibiotic resistance would not be happening so much if people had not misused antibiotics for so long already. Our food should not be treated with antibiotics unless there is an active infection in the food source. (I mean cows, chickens, etc.) Feeding them hormones and antibiotics is most likely leading to so many of the allergies AND acne we see more of nowadays. [/rant]

[JR86]

address the symptom, do not prevent the problem

this is the issue with all of modern professional medicine (not holistic/naturopathic)

and why? $$$

that's not really the case with antibiotics (not for acne.) if you have a bacterial infection you should be on antibiotics so it doesn't spread and kill you. they can be mirical drugs for certain diseases that would be deadly without antibiotics. they are ok for acne, but not the greatest.

[tdot]

This may or may not be related to acne, just want to hear your thoughts. I did take doxy for acne to control it for a couple of years and my skin was great during those times. I know that people are creep out by the word " antibiotics" and seem to be refusing treatment. I'm not only meaning for acne but for some other infections as well such as staph, strep, pneumonia and psuedomonas. I'm not a medical student but I am training to be a medical technologist so am around the hospital quite often. What really perplexes me was that some just refuse to take their medication. Just the other day, a pregnant lady was diagnosed with Strep B infection and she refuses her antibiotics by the doctor because she was afraid of getting yeast?

I know there are many people are afraid of it because of the risk of getting yeast infection and that of killing common bacteria in the body and the resisitance stuff. But I took it for 5 years with no problem or anything. I mean yeah there is the risk there but anything taken into our body does poses a risk.

One other thing that really confuses me is that some would rather take accutane to antibiotics. I mean the side effects of accutane is worse seeing that you definitely will get the side effects like dry skin and you do need monthly blood tests to see whether your levels are stable as it can toxify the liver. Well something(accutane) that needs monthly blood tests versus one(antibiotics) that doesn't need. Which one seems to be worse?

Just want to know why? No offence to anyone

Ani-biotics contributed to my acne ( I took the twice a year for 5 years)... it gave me candida... Candida+changing hormones+bad diet= BAD SKIN.... OILY CRAPPY ACNE PRONE PEICE OF SH#T SKIN... and this is why I hate anti-biotics.... unless I'm like dying I DONT FRIGGEN NEED EM!

[cassiopeia]

This may or may not be related to acne, just want to hear your thoughts. I did take doxy for acne to control it for a couple of years and my skin was great during those times. I know that people are creep out by the word " antibiotics" and seem to be refusing treatment. I'm not only meaning for acne but for some other infections as well such as staph, strep, pneumonia and psuedomonas. I'm not a medical student but I am training to be a medical technologist so am around the hospital quite often. What really perplexes me was that some just refuse to take their medication. Just the other day, a pregnant lady was diagnosed with Strep B infection and she refuses her antibiotics by the doctor because she was afraid of getting yeast?

I know there are many people are afraid of it because of the risk of getting yeast infection and that of killing common bacteria in the body and the resisitance stuff. But I took it for 5 years with no problem or anything. I mean yeah there is the risk there but anything taken into our body does poses a risk.

One other thing that really confuses me is that some would rather take accutane to antibiotics. I mean the side effects of accutane is worse seeing that you definitely will get the side effects like dry skin and you do need monthly blood tests to see whether your levels are stable as it can toxify the liver. Well something(accutane) that needs monthly blood tests versus one(antibiotics) that doesn't need. Which one seems to be worse?

Just want to know why? No offence to anyone

I will take antibiotics if and only if I have been 100% confirmed a diagnosis of strep, staph, or a UTI (which I am super-prone to). If they advise me to "start now and i'll call you with the results" i start only once the results have been confirmed (Unless it's a UTI, because I know when I have one before it even shows up in urine samples). I do this bcause I don't need to contribute to super-germs out there and I HATE HAVING F-ING YEAST INFECTIONS!!!

Plus, they did precisely NOTHING for my acne. Zero, zilch, nada, nothing. Therefore I see them as useless. lol, just kidding ... only a little bit useless.

[GetClearorDieTryin]

Simply they suck.They helped very little for me and I couldn't go in the sun.

I have recently gotten off antibiotics though.I feel pure.You know?

[acne_battle]

I dont like antibiotics, such as minocycline because they give me stomach aches and because they dont work. I also forgot to take it half the time. Lots of people dont like taking medicine because they simply dont remember and because they want to be able to function on their own without taking medicine

[incubus4284]

i hate it cause it makes me dizzy and really dont work for my kind of acne!!!

[ScoobyDoo]

I took antibiotics for acne for years. They gave me chronic yeast infections until I discovered probiotics. The use of antibiotics also coincided with my chronic stomach problems. I have IBS and certain ones made it worse.

I took antibiotics AND used 3 different topicals and I still broke out.

I went on accutane, did a 6 month course, and have been off of it for 4 months.

I'm completely clear (for the past 7 months), dont use any pills and the only topical I am using is to help fade marks from sun damage and acne scars (non pitted).

[cool as kim deal]

I'm very prone to yeast infections, I cannot think of a single time that I have taken antibiotics (typically for strep throat, which I had nearly every month in elementary school) and NOT gotten a yeast infection, even when I was little. Maybe probiotics would help with this problem, but honestly, most of the time I'd rather just let my immune system tough it out and avoid antibiotics altogether, yeast infections are just as annoying to treat as the original illness for me. For acne, antibiotic resistance is definitely an issue, too, so while they certainly can help, antibiotics are not going to be a viable long-term solution for adult acne.