Hi,
Never posted before, so please excuse me if this the wrong place and move to/suggest the right place as necessary.
Firstly, I want to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and feelngs on something that seems trivial to others, but isn't to us (acne, of course!).
I'm 28 male with South East Asian skin. I have used clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide topical and tretinoin 0.1 for probably a decade or more now with some downs, but mostly ups. I took a round of doxycycline a few years ago for something not acne related and it happened to clear my skin dramatically....
Fast forward to August 2014. Skin is very good, so I decide to stop the clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide because I wanted to know if my pretty good skin was for real or if I would have to keep using the medication. I hadn't seen the dermatologist in a couple years and didn't have anymore medication refills, so that was another factor.
August 2014 - February 2015 everything was overall good. A few comedomes, white heads and/or hyperigmentation spots on my forehead, but I was happy with it because the rest of my face was generally clear. I wanted to get more tretinoin for those spots and clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide for just in case and decided to go to a new dermatologist.
The dermatologist saw me and said, "Wow, you have great skin! A comedone here and there, but still great," which I definitely appreciated. He obliged to my request for a refill and all was good until the resident who was with him made the snarkish sounding comment of, "I don't need to check it out, doctor. I can see the comedones all the way from here." She was sitting in a chair about 5 feet away...
I let it get to me. I'm really disappointed in myself for that. I had an incredible amount of confidence up to that point and many people telling me that I looked great. But, I let that get to me.
So, I went home and decided to use the clindamycin/bezoyl peroxide again on my forehead and nose (Since March 2015). Well, I don't know if it's my skin trying to get used to that again or stress or weather or what.... But, I've been breaking out and I feel like my forehead is a hyperpigmented canvas and this red bump on the side of my nose is just the cherry on top.
On a recent follow-up, the dermatologist gave me some cephalexin. Although I've had success in the past with antibiotics, I'm apprehensive to take them because I was having a terrible winter sick season earlier this year and had to take 3 antibiotics...
Well, other than getting all that off my chest, anyone think I should follow the doctor's order? Anyone think I should stop using the clindamycin/bp?
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I hope that I have given you something to relate to as much as all of your posts have given me.
Trying to stay positive and confident. C'est la vie, I guess. 
What a terrible thing for someone who works with people with skin issues to say! Not to mention very unprofessional. That resident needs some lessons in sensitivity and tact!!
Question: Why did you switch derms? Just curious.
I've never taken antibiotics for acne but I do know that using them too frequently can render them ineffective when you need them to work. So yeah, if it was me I probably would not use the antibiotic, especially if had already taken 3 over the winter.
I do know it's good to ease your skin into BP even if you've used before, as using too much too soon can lead to irritation breakouts, which could be what happened and it just escalated from there, not sure.
I do admire your positive attitude though. So don't lose hope!
Thanks for sharing your story!
Hi DeLovely,
I switched dermatologists because my original one retired in 2012/2013. This new one is willing to see patients without a long lead time (called and was able to go in within a week), which is nice, and seems like he is open to trying different things to help. However, I do get the vibe that he is trying to get patients in and out as quickly as possible. I suppose that contributes to being able to see him without a long wait and is kind of the norm with most doctors.
As for the resident doctor, I agree with you. I should have been a bigger a person and just dismissed it (I will definitely remember it, and try my hardest to use it constructively), but it did get me thinking about other patients that may have worse afflictions or are more sensitive. But hey, I not a doctor, so what do I know? 
Ah, maybe that's where I went wrong with the clindamycin/BP. I just started using it every morning like before. D'oh! Well, I've been back on it for a few months now, so if my skin isn't adjusted by now...I do feel some smooth spots, so that's a good sign.
DeLovely, thanks for responding so positively. My family and friends say I'm obsessing (I admit, maybe a little), but having someone reciprocate rather than tell me I'm crazy or to get over it is.... well, it makes me feel better.
Thanks!