Hey everyone… I’m sorry for my inexcusable 2-3 month hiatus. I know there are a lot of unanswered questions, so I’m going to respond to each one individually. Hopefully the people who wrote these questions or just anyone reading for educational purposes can still benefit from whatever help I may have to offer. I’ll also put some of these questions in the main faq:
QUOTE(lifetap @ Aug 7 2005, 04:59 PM)
Could you please tell me how long before you should see any results. When is it time to say the mino is not working, should I continue??
It really depends on a few factors: (1) the severity of your acne; (2) the antibiotic dosage; and (3) what other medications you were or are currently taking, skin related or otherwise. This is why it’s important to discuss with your doctor your medical history before going on antibiotics. For example, if you take more than one antibiotic (for an unrelated problem), or if you have been on different ones for a while, you may develop antibiotic resistance, which limits their future potential effectiveness. Otherwise, it could just be a case of having acne untreatable by mino or doxy or tetra (due to level of severity or otherwise), or not being on enough of the drug in the first place. In either case, talk to your doctor.
QUOTE(FunkyMoe @ Oct 19 2005, 01:37 PM)
If you become immune to one of the tetracyclines, say minocycline, will doxycycline or tetracycline still be effective?
Also, are tetracyclines safer than a sulphur type antibiotic such as Bactrim?
To answer your first question: I’d say it depends on how long you took any of the drugs, and how much of them you took. If for example you took mino three or four years ago, then doxy/tetra may or may not work for you. But if you’re switching from one to the other with no time in between, then good ol’ antibiotic resistance might be a factor. So it really depends on the case.
In terms of sulfur versus tetracyclines, they each have their own risks. For example, tetracyclines weaken your immune system and can actually make your acne worse, while seriously loading your body up with sulfur-based medication can affect your lungs or eyes. In my personal opinion, tetracyclines, in the long run, are more dangerous... but I think they get the job done faster, and the sooner you’re cleared the sooner you can get off them.
QUOTE(hensiku @ Oct 26 2005, 02:59 PM)
how much does it cost?
It depends on your medical insurance, if any. I looked around online and some sites are selling them from nine cents to one dollar per pill. If you’ve got some kind of insurance, and your pharmacy is sensible and gives you generic forms of the drugs, then cost really shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most people.
By the way… don’t circumvent your doctors and buy such serious like antibiotics drugs online if you can help it.
QUOTE(The_X @ Nov 12 2005, 10:11 AM)
My skin is pretty good, but I'm already seeing the acne returning a bit. Would you guys recommend using tetracycline more? Or should I move on? And what are some possibilities for more permanent results?
BTW, my dermatologist-prescribed regimen also includes Brevoxyl-4 in the morning and Duac gel, plus tetracycline, at night.
I hate Brevoxyl-4. It’s a 3% or 4% benzoyl peroxide wash right? That garbage made my skin so red and inflamed and flaky, even months after I stopped using it. However this is good news for you – your skin is already predisposed to benzoyl peroxide, so I would recommend doing what I did, because I was in your exact same situation. Drop everything, screw the doctors, and follow Dan’s Clear Skin Regimen at acne.org. I’m not telling you to disobey your doctors, but if you want results, move on and take matters into your own hands. Antibiotics work for some people, but for people like you and I, applying bp gel and moisturizer twice daily is better than pumping grams of antibiotics into your system. And remember, there’s no such thing as an acne cure.
QUOTE(byn @ Dec 1 2005, 12:09 AM)
prescribed 500mg of Tetracyline x 7 days, 2 times a day to be consumed a week before my monthly period. Well, that was years since she gave me that and I didnt notice anything significant during that time. Several years after, now that I am 27, I'm back with large acnes and post-acne dark spots. This made me go back to Tetracycline and I am now relogious with 5% BP soap and gel which I use at night.
I want to ask if I will still continue my tetracycline intake for 30days with the same dosage. After reading the posts here, seems like I started with the strongest dose. Good thing I dont have the side effects (yet?). Hope to hear from you.
Hmm… this is a tough one, but classic example of why antibiotics are not a permanent solution. I don’t like how you’re on Tetracycline and 5% bp soap and gel. Tetracycline makes your skin extremely sensitive (slap yourself on the arm and see how long the red mark lasts), and benzoyl peroxide is a drying agent that’s infamous for reddening and irritating skin. Your skin is being taxed. I wish I could tell you to scrap one for the other, but that’d be irresponsible of me – I’m no doctor. Talk to your derm, ask him if he’s sure that the reason your acne isn’t improving is because you’re doing so much stuff to it. Irritation = breakouts. If you’re looking to get rid of marks left by acne, check this post
http://www.acne.org/...showtopic=14887 (Retin-A is good for red marks). I’m not too good with answering severe acne questions, as you’ve probably postulated from my response thus far, because tetracycline just isn’t meant for acne of that magnitude. So like I said, check with your derm as noted above. Best of luck to you.
QUOTE(ssips720 @ Dec 2 2005, 01:26 AM)
So i have been on dynacin (the form of minocycline) for over a month now, and seem to be experiencing some side effects. … I get these really bad headaches and I sometimes I get this feeling the kind you have when you've swam for over 2 hours and your eyes begin to get red, and your head feels like it will explode. Also I have some mysterious bruising and I'm worried if this medication is causing my depression to wrosen. I definately feel more depressed since beginning the antibiotics. Also I am having minor chest pains . It could be from smoking, though I only do this occasionally.
None of those are uncommon side effects for mino, but I’ve never heard of that kind of headache associated with its use. I can tell you that the bruising is a result of the Minocycline making your skin more sensitive. Like I said above, if you slap your arm, you’ll notice the red mark lasts for an unusually long time when compared to other people. The bruises are probably from accidental bumps that you didn’t think much of. Just be aware that your skin is 10x more sensitive now that you’re on an antibiotic. And the reason for the chest pain is two fold, in my opinion – (1) smoking, obviously not the best thing for you to do if you want to get rid of chest pain; and (2) antibiotics weaken your immune system. So I would not be surprised if you’re sick with something else. See what your doctor says… go in for a checkup and tell him about your chest pains.
QUOTE(Ris @ Dec 22 2005, 12:14 AM)
Does anyone know how long antibiotics(Doxy) should be taken? Ive been on them for a month...im clear now, but I have no clue when I should stop. I have refills for a total of 9 months and I dont have a dermatologist so I cant ask them...
You’re clear now? Good. Stop taking them immediately. You should now focus your attention to topical prevention. I’d recommend 2.5% benzoyl peroxide with Dan’s regimen at acne.org. BP, as you’ve probably read on the site, kills the bacteria that causes acne and is an anti-inflammatory, so it’ll prevent and treat at the same time. Stop taking doxy and order a few tubes of BP Gel now, so by the time the gel gets to you, you can start the regimen with relatively clear, healthy, and desensitized skin (remember, antibiotics make your skin sensitive, so putting bp on at the same time can do more harm than good). That’s the best advice I can offer you – don’t stay on skin antibiotics longer than you absolutely have to.
QUOTE(://ixean @ Dec 22 2005, 12:55 PM)
i was prescribed tetracyclin just yesterday, but the doctor didn't tell me anything about taking the drug with an empty stomach, etc. (some things I found on the internet) soo... I don't know what to do. do you all take Tetracycline without eating first? how do you guys take it?
I remember taking tetracycline on an empty stomach one hour before or two hours after a large meal. But I only did this because my doctor specifically told me to. If your derm or the pharmacy literature that (should have) accompanied your prescription, or even the prescription bottle, didn’t explicitly tell you when to take it in relation to food, then I don’t see the harm in taking it with food. Although personally I think it makes more sense to take it on an empty stomach (if you can tolerate it) because it won’t bond with food and thus potentially prevent proper absorption.
QUOTE(Derek7.2 @ Dec 30 2005, 06:18 PM)
I read in the NY Times, ~2mos ago, where this woman took MINO & had her body F'upped with PARASITES.
Yup, antibiotic resistance again. Bacteria mutates to survive constant antibiotic bombardment and the body can’t fight off future infections. This is why antibiotics shouldn’t be taken on the long term.
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