70 replies to this topic

[summerfalls]

I've just started taking doxycycline. It's been two weeks already. Well, let me give you a brief history of my acne.

I've had mild acne ever since i was 12. It was still within control, maybe one or two small pimples around my nose and chin area every week. It was quite frustrating already. All my friends had perfectly flawless skin and some of them even labelled me "pimple face", which is quite devastating...

When i hit 14 (around august period), my acne became pretty bad. It was like an outbreak. I started having cystic acne. Usually my affected areas are my forehead, nose, chin. It seemed like my acne had spread to my cheek area. I started taking herbal pills.. it did help and my acne condition improved but only after taking for two months. The effect lasted for only one month or so.. after that my acne started resurfacing.

Now i'm 15. In the beginning of the year, my acne was the worse. (around march period) There were many red bumps around my cheek area and many small (not red) lumps on my forehead. I started going for facials in june. The facials did help to clear the cystic acne... but there were still many small pimples/lumps all clustered together at the side of my cheek and a lot of them at my jaw area. (both sides of face sadly )

The facials helped to clear acne on my forehead and nose area. Now it's pretty much cleared just that there are a few blackheads and whiteheads. However, there are still many small lumps so i went to see a doctor two weeks back.

He prescribed me doxycycline and differin to apply on my face every night. He said that i had moderately severe acne. (grade 4-5)

So i'm on my second week of doxycycline ( I take 100mg, twice daily) and differin but not much improvement yet.

The first week of doxycycline- my acne remained pretty much the same.. The number of outbreaks and everything..

At around day five, i noticed that at my jaw area had many new pimples and most of them had pus.. I did not dare to press them as it would be really painful...

At around day seven, i realised that my skin is flaking (around jaw area) and it the flaking condition has continued to persist even until now..

My skin is also very raw around my jaw area (most affected area now) and there is a huge red patch there.

Some people said it takes about two to three weeks to see minimal effects of doxycycline.. but i'm really scared because i'm into my third week of doxycycline and my condition has not improved. Still very lumpy and i think it has become a lot more redish around my jaw area.

Skin feels very dry too after applying make up ( I use clinque) and it is very flakey around my jaw area and around my nose area.

Just hoping that next week, i would be able to see slight improvement so that i'll be assured that the doxycycline is working.

Christmas is coming and i don't want acne! >:[ I wonder why all my friends don't have acne and even if they do.. they only have one small pimple in like a few months?

Will update about my third week into doxycycline soon. As for now, just a brief description on the condition of my face...

Forehead and nose is completely cleared from facials. Cheek area is starting to clear up ( i noticed) but only a little bit... Jawline is very bad.. very red and lots of pus. many small pimples all clustered together. from far it looks like a huge birthmark (both sides of face) Chin area is starting to clear up too. Before that, lots of cystic acne.. not only one left.. which is a good thing.. hope none will resurface.

Very troubled about cheek are+ jawline though. Complexion there is super uneven. Oh well.

Need some encouragement/ success stories anyone? Advise?

[rfeolino]

Yep. Those things you stated are side effects. I'm currently on differin and doxy. I started to see improvements from week 10-12. Unfortunately, I still have to use it for 3 more months to fade my scars and stop my face from breaking out. Stay faithful to your regimen. Don't stop. I wanted to stop cause my breakout was bad but I kept with it and now my face is clearing up. All there really is are scars and PIH. But, Differin will fade them over time. But yeah, stick with the system!

[summerfalls]

my condition has improved! i think the differin really helped quite a bit. i realised that the bumps are getting smaller and some has completely cleared! Also, all the cystic acne seemed to have cleared! My chin is almost cleared now. Whiteheads and blackheads around jaw area are slowly being removed too.

My third week into doxycycline+ differin now.

[adorsey27]

I was on doxycycline for a long time and it helped but takes a while. I stopped using it when I spent all day out in the sun and got sun poisoning and my doctor said that the doxycycline caused it. I am currently on Ampicillin and it helps to a point but not great.

[Johhny.R]

i'm on the same regimen, month now and its gotten a little bit clearer and the differin is helpoing a bit. i'm a really impatient person but im gonna stick with it.

[adorsey27]

I am on Ampicillin now and if its your first time ever taking oral medicine for acne you will experience a breakout after you start. Ampicillin helps with the oil control and makes the pimples considerable smaller and not as sensitive. Doxy seemed to make my skin a lot more oily.

[summerfalls]

Hmm my condition has improved a lot now! It's about my sixth week into this regimen already.

My right side of the cheek is completely free from acne, with the exception of three or four black heads. Jaw area is completely cleared! No red bumps anymore!

As for my left side, it has improved a little. The improvement is not as significant as my right side though but it is slowly improving. There is still acne there and quite a bit of it...

My jaw area is no longer flakey either, just that my cheek areas tend to peel quite a bit still.

The only area that has not improved is my temples (both sides). In fact is has gotten slightly worse!

I guess patience is everything. My second appointment with my doctor will be in a week's time, we'll see what he says...

[Kaley]

I've been on doxycycline for probably close to 2 months now. It took me a while to see the results. My face isn't 100% clear now, but it is definitely stopping break outs which makes me happy

[summerfalls]

My condition has improved tremendously.

My skin is so smooth now (all parts of the face including jaw area)! And it's only close to three months! D

Currently, i only have two small pimples compared to previously, where i had countless of them. They're not very obvious.

I am quite happy with the results, just that there are many red/brown marks on my face. The aftermath, i would like to call it.

I wonder if there is any relatively safe process for removing scars. Topical treatments in particular.

[lollipops]

Hey summerfalls.
I am also on the same regimen as you, however I have been on it since august. My skin is getting worse especially on the jawline. I am going through the same side effects as you. could you please go through the process of application for differin that you go through?

Cheers

[summerfalls]

Hi all,

Just a quick update on the condition of my skin.

I've past my second month on the differin+doxy regimen.

So far i only have two pimples and some white heads here and there.

I realised my forehead is not as smooth and i wonder why. However, my forehead is no major worry yet.

The scars are fading. I've seen some improvement in the red scars, however not quite much improvement in the brown ones.

I am quite pleased with the results. I just hope the scars would fade soon. Changing my foundation soon. I hope it does not give me a breakout.

[The Effendi]

Oh man, early this summer I had the worst breakout I've ever had:
COVERING the sides of my face and my hairline, bumpy, super red,
painful, huge zits, it was discusting. Then I got prescribed Doxy and
Retin-A, and wham, three weeks later, it looked like the breakout had
hardly even been there!
Now I just keep up with the Doxy, 'cause the Retin-A was a little much,
but my skin looks great. Good Luck!

[Tyga]

I used Doxycyline for a month and it cleared my acne within three weeks. Hopefully, my acne will never return. I'm happy to read about your success, summerfalls.

[LegalBeagle]

I had (and am continuing to have) simply amazing success with Doxy--I had moderately severe acne (pervasive white heads with a new cyst or two every week), and taking 200mg of doxy has eliminated 98% of all new acne formation for me. After over a decade struggling with acne, I couldn't be happier with the results... hope it lasts

[summerfalls]

The scars are fading, but at a very slow rate. I realised that the new pimples do not burst like the normally do. The just become smaller and fade away. Right now, i have only one pimple! No more blackheads and whiteheads!

Yes, the results are simply amazing and i hope it'll be like this.

Right now, my skin is so smooth however it's a little uneven due to my condition in the past. My derm told me that differin will help to even my skin out.

I hope the scars fade soon so that i wouldn't have to wear foundation!

Meeting my derm in about 2 to 3 weeks time.

I have changed my regimen a little. Right now, besides using cetaphil's oily skin cleanser, i use body shop's seaweed pore cleansing facial exfoliator. It's really good and it really cleanses my pores.

Oh, just to add on. At first i thought that i needed accutane but looks like doxy does a great job as well!

[RyanBushh]

hope it works the same for me, I have been on it since the 13th of jan, so only 9 days. hoping to start seeing better results around 14 - 21 day mark. woke up and i can feel a blind pimple coming up, its feeling pritty big hopeuly it will go down, its starting to get red atm .

hope this works for me to.. my acne is mild im taking 100mg a day

[summerfalls]

3rd month already and i'm completely freed from acne skin!

Hmm, i don't have any pimples now.

Recently, for the past two weeks i've only been taking 100mg doxycycline at night daily instead of my usual 200mg..

So far, there hasn't been a difference but lately i've noticed an increase in blackheads in my chin area..

maybe i should take 200 mg...

any advice anyone??

When did you guys cut down on doxycycline?? Will there be any side effects??

[RyanBushh]

so i have only been on it for 3 weeks? how long should it take to start stopping the break outs?

I reckon you should keep taking 200mg unless u where getting side affects with that amount. I started taking 100mg a day now instead of 50mg.

[summerfalls]

Went to see my derm and he told me to cut down on my doxycycline.. so now i'm only taking 100mg a day. He told me that he will most probably be stopping my dosage of doxycycline in my 6th month.

I've been taking 100mg a day for three weeks and there hasn't been any side effects, which is a great thing!

I'm free of the red scars, now i need to wait for the brown scars to go away.

By June, i hope to be acne and blemish free!

The results have been great so far, much better than i've expected.

It's been so long since i had smooth skin.

[Tyga]

That is the weaning process. I stopped taking doxy after a month, and I was pretty nervous about a breakout. Thankfully, it hasn't happened (yet). The red marks went away? Great! Really thrilled to read about your success.