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20 years old, male, been on Minocycline 3 months. My doctor prescribed me Accutane but I never filled the prescription, because I was afraid of the sexual side effects you hear about. I have always had moderate acne. It was bad on my face for my middle school and high school years. Now my face is fine and recently my back and arms have gotten terrible. I think I may know why (I was on a steroid cycle for 3 months Testosterone 500-750mg a week and Trenbolone 350-600mg for 4 weeks). It is months after I have stopped the cycle and am done with Post Cycle Therapy about 2 months now. My skin is still bad, but it's mainly red spots and few pimples that pop up every couple of days.
I decided to start the Regimen and try a few other things if that doesn't work, and hopefully time and some tanning will help when the weather gets nicer.
Currently I shower twice a day, use 2% Salicylic Acid each time, and 10% Benzoyl Peroxide whenever I don't have to wear nice clothes for a few hours and can shower before needing to wear nice clothes. Since the acne is on my arms back and back of neck, I do not want to risk bleaching my nice clothes even with an undershirt, so I get to use it about 1-2 times a day every couple of days.
I am also still taking 100mg Minocycline twice a day.
When starting the regimen I will try and use the BP atleast every night and shower every morning. My days are hectic with college and work so I can't get on an exact schedule.
When starting my plan is
Cleanser-twice a day in shower
BP-whenever I can after cleanser(or can I use it even if I haven't showered right before, to avoid multiple showers a day and reduce irritation?)
AHA+ - twice a day after shower.
Should I continue using SA since I know my skin has handled it with 10% BP just fine? I have also used Glycolic Acid peels(up to 60%) before on my face and stretch marks with no terrible reactions.
Should I continue the Minocycline and for how much longer? I have refills for another 9 months.. I probably won't be seeing this same doctor again as he is not on my insurance anymore, so this will all be without a doctors assistance, unless I can get another primary physician to work with me on it. My insurance doesn't have any dermatologists.
Antibiotics can be effective for some people but are typically prescribed 3 months at a time to allow your body time to regroup. Beyond that the user is at risk for developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which means antibiotics may not work in the future when you need then to. But going on an antibiotic is usually quite safe for 3-month stretches, even multiple courses. If your back is still broke out and not responding to antibiotics at 3 months, then I'd stop for awhile and let your body regroup.
I don't blame you regarding potential sexual side effects, but Accutane may be your best bet. Body acne can be hard to contain (but not impossible) with topicals alone.
But if Accutane isn't for you, then you could create a body regimen with a combo of BP, AHA+, and clindamycin antibiotic ointment, which you can get via prescription from your derm. Clindamycin isn't as effective as BP at killing acne bacteria, but at least clindamycin won't bleach your clothes, so you could treat your back in the morning as well, and use the BP and AHA+ at night. At night after you shower and skin is dry, apply BP liberally to all affected areas and let dry completely. Then apply a generous layer of AHA+ over this.
If SA isn't overly irritating with other treatments, then should be fine to keep using, if it helps.
Hope this is helpful! 
7 minutes ago, DeLovely said:Antibiotics can be effective for some people but are typically prescribed 3 months at a time to allow your body time to regroup. Beyond that the user is at risk for developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which means antibiotics may not work in the future when you need then to. But going on an antibiotic is usually quite safe for 3-month stretches, even multiple courses. If your back is still broke out and not responding to antibiotics at 3 months, then I'd stop for awhile and let your body regroup.
I don't blame you regarding potential sexual side effects, but Accutane may be your best bet. Body acne can be hard to contain (but not impossible) with topicals alone.
But if Accutane isn't for you, then you could create a body regimen with a combo of BP, AHA+, and clindamycin antibiotic ointment, which you can get via prescription from your derm. Clindamycin isn't as effective as BP at killing acne bacteria, but at least clindamycin won't bleach your clothes, so you could treat your back in the morning as well, and use the BP and AHA+ at night. At night after you shower and skin is dry, apply BP liberally to all affected areas and let dry completely. Then apply a generous layer of AHA+ over this.
If SA isn't overly irritating with other treatments, then should be fine to keep using, if it helps.
Hope this is helpful!
Yeah I'm hoping with time and some other options I can mostly get rid of it and avoid accutane at all costs.
I will will have to look into clindamycin, I've never heard of it before!
So I should stop the antibiotic? How long typically should breaks be between cycles of antibiotics?
Also, I tried Pantothenic Acid for a while when my acne was less severe, so I'm not sure if it helped much or not, I can't really remember. Would this be worth trying while I stop the antibiotic?
Thank you!
I don't blame you at all! Accutane should always be a last resort and never entered into lightly.
Ask your derm about clindamycin, I'm sure they could prescribe it for you, it's a pretty common treatment.
I'd talk to your derm before stopping minocycline, hear what they have to say first and see when you could begin again in the future. My son is also taking minocycline (100 mgs) and we were told no more than a 3-month course. Not sure of the recovery time before you could take it again. I can ask our derm if you like, before you speak to your own derm. In the meantime, I'd just continue as directed.
I'd recommend zinc gluconate, 30 mgs per day. Anti-inflammatory and a good alternative to an antibiotic. Pantothenic acid is also good, but you'd have to research the dosage.
Yeah, summer sun and all that good vitamin D3 have amazing healing properties and are good for acne!
It will be sometime before I am able to see a dermatologist again, as the one I was seeing just left my insurance coverage and there are no others right now, Which means it would cost quite a bit.
I can get the clindamycin from an online pharmacy for a couple dollars per 30g tube. Shipping is expensive, so how many tubes would be necessary? Does it need to be applied all over liberally like the BP?
On 2/4/2016 at 6:14 PM, rascal14 said:It will be sometime before I am able to see a dermatologist again, as the one I was seeing just left my insurance coverage and there are no others right now, Which means it would cost quite a bit.
I can get the clindamycin from an online pharmacy for a couple dollars per 30g tube. Shipping is expensive, so how many tubes would be necessary? Does it need to be applied all over liberally like the BP?
I'd say get about 9 tubes and plan on using 3 per month. It won't work as well as BP twice a day but at least it won't bleach your clothes and better than only treating your back once a day. Give it a try!
On 2/3/2016 at 3:26 PM, DeLovely said:Antibiotics can be effective for some people but are typically prescribed 3 months at a time to allow your body time to regroup. Beyond that the user is at risk for developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which means antibiotics may not work in the future when you need then to. But going on an antibiotic is usually quite safe for 3-month stretches, even multiple courses. If your back is still broke out and not responding to antibiotics at 3 months, then I'd stop for awhile and let your body regroup.
I don't blame you regarding potential sexual side effects, but Accutane may be your best bet. Body acne can be hard to contain (but not impossible) with topicals alone.
But if Accutane isn't for you, then you could create a body regimen with a combo of BP, AHA+, and clindamycin antibiotic ointment, which you can get via prescription from your derm. Clindamycin isn't as effective as BP at killing acne bacteria, but at least clindamycin won't bleach your clothes, so you could treat your back in the morning as well, and use the BP and AHA+ at night. At night after you shower and skin is dry, apply BP liberally to all affected areas and let dry completely. Then apply a generous layer of AHA+ over this.
If SA isn't overly irritating with other treatments, then should be fine to keep using, if it helps.
Hope this is helpful!
It took 2-3 weeks to get rid of my facial acne 100%. With my upper/lower back also having moderate acne i thought i should try it because if it worked on my face, might as well for my back right? Well it took a straight 6 weeks to even start seeing any type of improvement. About 2 and a half months to get rid of it or at least slow it down to almost nothing. I was losing hope with my back, but i stuck to it religiously. Im guessing my skin was so thick i had to purge out all the acne underneath in the starting weeks. Im now acne free for about a year now!
My regimen:
Shower twice daily with dans cleanser.
Get out of shower and apply Dans BP.
After it drys, i apply Dans Moisterizer. Sometimes adding Jaba oil if extra dry. Done.