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I have adult hormonal acne and have been on and off Monodox for four or five months, with interludes to take Bactrim (ugh) and now Doryx but Monodox eventually lost its efficacy.
When it worked, I immediately noticed a decrease in inflammation/hypigmentation, the suppression of my usual cheek papules/cysts, but lots of little whiteheads on my chin. Then, after a month or so, for the first time in years, I had 80% clear, even-toned skin.
It stopped working two weeks later (that is, maybe six to ten weeks after I started it) and the discoloration/cheek cysts re-emerged. I tried Bactrim and it did nothing, so I went back on Monodox for a month. Same thing--clear skin for a while then seeming loss of efficacy. Now I'm on Doryx and what I'm seeing is even worse than what I did when I tried Bactrim--I feel like I'm purging. Also, my hair is disgustingly greasy/limp all the time, which definitely doesn't help. I don't understand, considering Monodox and Doryx have the same drug.
I realize I've probably built up resistance to antibiotics...?
Can you purge on an antibiotic? Why was the Monodox so effective while the other antibiotics seem to do nothing, and what can I do?
(Regarding what else I've tried--Ive tried aldactone and it was horrible for me; Solodyn had horrible side effects; I'm terrified of going on birth control; and I'm probably going to go back on Accutane, but while I wait for that, I need to figure out if I should just use up my Monodox prescription.)
Acne has controlled my life for the past ten years and I'm sick and tired of it.
There are two general types of antibiotics, bacteriostatic and bactericidal. Doxycycline (monodox) is bacteriostatic, which means it only stops the growth of the bacteria, it won't kill it. The purpose of this is so that then your own good bacteria can kill off the bad bacteria (acne). Bactericidal antibiotics (like the bactrim) kill the bacteria itself and is generally more effective against acne. It is possible that you have built up a resistance to these antibiotics though, which can be why they are seeming less effective. I'm confused though, you're terrified of birth control but going on accutane (especially a 2nd time) is less terrifying? Birth control helps control my acne a lot and personally the thought of taking accutane frightens me way more. Also, if your acne is hormonal it will still probably come back not too long after the accutane.
There are two general types of antibiotics, bacteriostatic and bactericidal. Doxycycline (monodox) is bacteriostatic, which means it only stops the growth of the bacteria, it won't kill it. The purpose of this is so that then your own good bacteria can kill off the bad bacteria (acne). Bactericidal antibiotics (like the bactrim) kill the bacteria itself and is generally more effective against acne. It is possible that you have built up a resistance to these antibiotics though, which can be why they are seeming less effective. I'm confused though, you're terrified of birth control but going on accutane (especially a 2nd time) is less terrifying? Birth control helps control my acne a lot and personally the thought of taking accutane frightens me way more. Also, if your acne is hormonal it will still probably come back not too long after the accutane.
Thank you for the advice.
I tried earlier in my 20s--before the second cycle of Accutane--and for the month or so I waited it out, it did nothing at all/seemed to make me purge in painful enormous cysts. I know purging is part of the process, but on a comparative level, the Accutane purging stage lasted a week and then provided big relief, but I had to go on a high dosage. Better a devil you know than a devil you don't--there's my thinking. I'm thinking of trying birth control, too, but the hair loss, mood swings, and purging I read about Yaz is frightening.
I'm also worried about birth control because my skin looked horrible on aldactone and wondering if anything that alters hormones is the way to go. What birth control are you on?