Had a follow up with my dermatologist this morning. She looked at my face and didn't seem pleased with the results of me using Doryx the last month and a half. I still have acne (granted, the cysts that used to be there deflated but I still have the spots there and some scarring), still get cysts occasionally, and still have breakouts. She wants me to switch to Minocycline, which she said is stronger. Does anyone know how effective this stuff is? I'm to take it once a day. She said side effects are similar to Doryx (which I didn't really experience any side effects w/ that) but may include dizziness.
Are there rules to Minocycline just like Doryx: like, take it without dairy, take it w/ food, don't lay down after taking, etc.
I'm also getting some kind of topical cream to use at night. Hoping this helps.
Dairy doesn't hinder minocycline as much as it does doxycycline (generic Doryx), but it's still better to take it without Dairy. Also, for most acne prone people, it's better to avoid dairy anyway.
For me, minocycline was slightly more effective than doxycycline (I think), though it will vary from person to person. I did experience side effects (mainly nausea) on doxy, while I did not experience any on minocycline. You said you are taking 1 tablet a day. I imagine they are 100 mg tablets? I needed 2 100mg tablets a day to get satisfying results. (Again, this will vary from person to person. Try the lower dosage first)
Finally, I was able to lessen any blows to my digestive health by taking a probiotic while taking both of these drugs. I recommend taking one if you aren't already. It will replenish the good bacteria in your gut that the antibiotics destroy. Take at least 2 hours after your antibiotic.