Hello everyone. I am new to this forum, and have a few questions in regards to Lymecycline (an antibiotic used to treat acne). I just wanted to share my story and find some answers to my questions. I am a 25 year old male btw.

after years of eating a very poor processed diet and drinking excessively, I developed a lot of acne on my back which used to hurt/itch, so I went to my doctor and he told me to try putting Nizoral on my back in the shower, and also to purchase Lymecycline antibiotics (enough for a 3 month course) - I had to take 2 pills a day. I was so clueless as to what antibiotics were, I just ended up buying them and taking the doses the doctor recommended me. He assured me that there were no side effects etc so I trusted him and proceeded with the the medication for 3 months.

After 3 months, I noticed the medication did not effect my acne at all, in fact it actually got worse over time since I was on it. I decided to go back to the doctor, and again he prescribed me another 3 month course of Lymecycline and sent me on my way. I then picked up the next 3 months worth of pills and proceeded for another 3 months on it.

I didn't see any significant changes however I kept taking it as advised by the doctor. Everything was fine until the 6th month of taking Lymecycline. I had just started a new job and began to have these terrible sharp cramps in my stomach. I was in and out of A&E for a few weeks as this abdominal pain would come and go. I had severe diarreah accompanying this pain in my stomach. Anyway after a few weeks the pain subsided.

Then all of a sudden my hair starting shedding like crazy. It has always been thick, I never had a problem with it - started also shedding hair on legs too. What was also strange was I started developing this really sharp pain in my toes as this began to happen to me. I booked an appointment with the dermatologist and he assured me that it wasn't the medication I had taken, he said it was due to gastroenteritis and as I was hospitalised for a few weeks, my body was under stress and thats why my hair was shedding, he said it should grow back in 6 months or so.

Things started getting worse. I then developed this huge dandruff problem in my eyebrows, and hair would come out everytime. I was also extremely tired all of the time, and started to develop this really bad smelling body odour - i have never had this problem in my life. Also I had terrible blood clotting issues anytime i got cut. Again I went back to the doctor and he prescribed me a steroid cream, I walked out of his office knowing I had to figure this out on my own.

I started to do my own research about all of these symptoms as I thought to myself, there is no way I could just get this array of issues out of no where.
I was so naive as I believed for months that the medication was not the cause of these problems - i was also working night shifts too so I thought this may have been the cause.

Anyway after searching for answers online, I realised that antibiotics were extremely dangerous to the gut flora. I have now narrowed down that I may have a Biotin deficiency. I have all of the classic symptoms - seb derm, hair loss, brittle nails, tingling pains etc

I was wondering if anyone had any success with supplementing with probiotics and biotin after antibiotics.

I have started to make my own fermented foods and clearing up my diet.

If anyone has any more advice for me I would appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.