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Hello.
I currently have mild acne, specially in the forehead, nose and a few in the chin. I've had mild acne for almost a year. I'm 14, I'll turn 15 in May. A few months ago i went to a derm who said me that I have to use a face soap (its function is to dry my face), Adapalene and Doxycycline for two weeks. I took them for that two weeks. My face really got better, until I stop taking Doxycycline. The Adapalene and the face soap helped me a bit, but the Doxyclyne was amazing. When I told him that the face soap and Adapalene wasn't working good, he said me that I should take Accutane (20mg per day) for at least three months. My parents read some things about Accutane and its side effects, and they wasn't let me to take it. So, I went to another derm. She said me that Accutane is too exaggerated, so gave me Doxycycline for two weeks too ('cause I said her that I taked Doxycycline for two weeks before). She said me that I should to take 100mg per day every two weeks (the first two weeks of every month). Same than before, in two weeks I got better, and after that I have pimples again. Now I'm taking Doxycycline again. My face is getting better, but I don't know why the derms gave me only two weeks. I read about stories where the people take 100mg Doxycycline twice a day for almost ten months. Why I can't do that too?. Also, I'm considering the option of take 20mg of Accutane once a day, but my parents don't let me. So, I said them that 20mg per day is a very low dose. They're considering it, but I'm considering Doxycycline for a long period too.
So, what is better? Take Accutane for more than three months, considering that I'll have pimples again if I stop taking Doxycycline; or take Doxycycline for a long period? With the Doxycycline my face improve in just two weeks, so if I take it for three months, I won't have mild acne when I stop taking it? Here we don't have more derms, so I don't know what I should do.
Can I take them together? I read in some places that I can, and in another places that I cannot. So...
Please help me.
Since your acne is mild and it reacts well to doxycyline I would say to go for the doxycycline unless you really feel bad about your acne. Just take the doxycyline for at least 3 months. If you are still not satisfied about your acne after that, I would say to start looking for other treatments (like accutane). A few days ago I switched from doxycycline to accutane and my derm explicitly said I had to stop using doxycyline because together with accutane it can be dangerous for your health. (high blood pressure)
You absolutely cannot take them together. It is also very risky to take antibiotics for a long time, and chances are good your acne will continue to come back after you go off them - they are good for getting things under control while waiting for other treatments to work, but not great for long term maintenance.
Given the way your post is written, I'm not sure you are really considering the risks of Accutane. Your parents are entirely right that this is a risky drug, and your comments about how they 'won't let you' implies that you are not considering or respecting their opinion very much. Spend a day reading all the anti-Accutane threads here before you decide. Yes, it is a wonder drug for many - but it is also a horror story for many, and do you really want to risk vision loss, hair loss, permanent impotence, etc, etc, etc. Sure these are not that common, but they are common enough that NO ONE should be taking Accutane who is not prepared to accept these risks.
There are a lot of other options with topicals and lifestyle change that you could try before jumping on a medication that can cause serious permanent issues. Mild teenage acne is NOT what Accutane is for, and I find it a bit horrifying (given what you said about your own acne, age, etc) that derms even offered it to you.
Your parents are right.
You absolutely cannot take them together. It is also very risky to take antibiotics for a long time, and chances are good your acne will continue to come back after you go off them - they are good for getting things under control while waiting for other treatments to work, but not great for long term maintenance.
Given the way your post is written, I'm not sure you are really considering the risks of Accutane. Your parents are entirely right that this is a risky drug, and your comments about how they 'won't let you' implies that you are not considering or respecting their opinion very much. Spend a day reading all the anti-Accutane threads here before you decide. Yes, it is a wonder drug for many - but it is also a horror story for many, and do you really want to risk vision loss, hair loss, permanent impotence, etc, etc, etc. Sure these are not that common, but they are common enough that NO ONE should be taking Accutane who is not prepared to accept these risks.
There are a lot of other options with topicals and lifestyle change that you could try before jumping on a medication that can cause serious permanent issues. Mild teenage acne is NOT what Accutane is for, and I find it a bit horrifying (given what you said about your own acne, age, etc) that derms even offered it to you.
Your parents are right.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, perhaps I'm not considering all of the Accutane risks. And with "won't let me", maybe I used the wrong words. I don't speak native English. But considering the dosages that are given to another patients, I'm continue thinking that 20mg per day is a very low dose (low enough to reduce the side effects as I read in this forum). What do you mean with "long period"? I know that antibiotics are risky for liver, I think that is the reason for which the derm gave me Doxycycline for only two weeks, but what's a "long period"? Doxycycline works awesome for me, so I don't know if taking for more than a month will improve my acne when I stop taking it.
Not high blood pressure, high BRAIN pressure. It can cause swelling in your brain and can potentially cause brain damage if taken with doxycycline.
Okay, as I read in another places, is very risky to take them together. I won't do it.
Since your acne is mild and it reacts well to doxycyline I would say to go for the doxycycline unless you really feel bad about your acne. Just take the doxycyline for at least 3 months. If you are still not satisfied about your acne after that, I would say to start looking for other treatments (like accutane). A few days ago I switched from doxycycline to accutane and my derm explicitly said I had to stop using doxycyline because together with accutane it can be dangerous for your health. (high blood pressure)
I'll consider that. Anyway, within a days I'll travel to another city. There's more derms, so I'll ask about take Doxycycline for more time.
You might also try combining doxycycline with a topical, as Kim28 said. For example, benzoyl Peroxide in the morning and a retinoid at night
along with the antibiotic to control inflammation. This way you can ween of the antibiotic without worrying about a bad relapse.
I'm already using a retinoid (Adapelene), but I wasn't try with Benzoyl Peroxide. Thanks!