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Hi, my 14 1/2 year old son has just been prescribed a 3 month course of Lymecycline for his acne. The doctors havent prescribed him any topical creams as hes suffered from eczema his entire life (we stupidly thought hed never get acne as an eczema sufferer but nope he has both) and the concern is that the creams will make his face too dry.
My son has only started puberty in the last year and hes still only 5 foot 4/162 cms. Im hoping he has a lot more growing to do.
The info on Lymecycline suggests its not suitable for age 12 or under due to its interference with bone & tooth development. But what about teenagers? Surely most kids havent finished growing by 12?
Ive tried to find more info but its all conflicting. Im wondering if anyone here has any more knowledge, or has taken this antibiotic and then grown afterwards!
My son is now too worried to start the antibiotics. While hes desperate for his skin to clear up, hes also desperate to grow taller.
I'm not a doc and no one on here is so we can't give you advice. However, I can relay my own experience.
When I started getting acne pretty bad at about your son's age, my docs gave me oral antibiotics as well. They never did anything for my acne. They were like a bad joke.
Also, even when antibiotics do work, it's not safe to be on them long term, so it's a short term help if any. And as you're seeing, they come with concerning side effects.
It's awesome that you are so involved and you are making sure you guys are making wise decisions.
Here's my whole story if you want to read what I went through and what ended up working for me.
Do research of side effects. It's in the same family as tetracycline, one of the side effects is permanently greying teeth. I do suggest your son take probiotics at bedtime, 2 hours after antibiotics. It will help protect his gut health. I suggest a multistrain...Jamieson has good one 10 billion (costco always has them at a good price).
My daughter also struggled with eczema, so I understand how much it can impact a childs self-confidence. Thankfully, shes about 80% better now, but shes very diligent about taking care of her skin. As far your concern is valid but the the question is Lymecycline Effective? The answer is yes but it is not a permanent cure often prescribed together with topical creams as long as theyre tolerated, or succeeded by maintenance treatment. One important precaution with eczema is to use natural creams rather than steroid-based ones. Steroid creams may provide temporary relief, but theyre not suitable for long-term use.
Is your son's skin more oily or dry?
What type of acne does he have? (Red pimples, whiteheads, blackheads?)
Is he already using any moisturizer?