Hello acne.org!
Let me tell you my story.. I've tried different topicals, over the counters, and all different kinds of things.. Even accurate, TWICE! I quit it the first time because side effects were too horrible to deal with. Second time I quit it because I started to get depersonalization and derealization, something I still struggle with today.
So three weeks ago I got bad poison ivy, so I went To the doctor and prescribed me prednisone, a steroid. My acne was never BAD but it was moderate enough for me to be self conscious about it, people can easily see and tell I have it a little worse than others. After taking this prednisone my face cleared up so well, wow I never felt so good. I was confident and I actually felt like me for once. Then when I started to get off of it.. I broke out more than I ever have. I currently have tons of spots on my forehead and neck (didn't have these before) and deep ones on my cheeks (haven't had deep ones since I was 15) I'm now 18. This is all happening while I just started talking to this girl and well.. I feel like I'm not worthy because of how horrid my face looks right now. My self esteem is at an all time low and in feeling depressed.
So I'm thinking about going to the derm and getting an antibiotic, like tetracycline, minocycline, or erythromycin. I don't want to take these antibiotics because of their side effects on the immune system, digestive track and metabolism.. But I have no choice, I need to have clear skin to be happy living. Even if it's just temporary for around a year, I can start accutane after that's over and stick with it to be done with acne once and for all.
I've heard with these antibiotics stomach pain is a side effect, will I have to live with stomach pains the entire time?? Which one would you reccomend?
Thanks so much for reading, I hope this hell will end soon.
I finished accutane around October. But anyways before that i was on minocycline on and off Personally it was okay (This is just my opinion!) Others i know have good success with it. The meds i had trouble with was Doxycycline- ive never felt more weird in my life for a month and a half i was on too high a dose (thats the one they put me on) and i felt like so out of it for that whole period. I would stare into the mirror and be like "wah dah fuq is wrong with me" And i felt all shaky, and also would have pins and needles feeling in my hands. And also i got Sun poisoning on it which sucked.
Anyways after all the meds and creams i went on accutane - now im happy
Everyone reacts differently to different antibiotics. You wont know until you try em out. You will likely be put on mono/tetracycline first. Bactrim is always an option as well, but that is not a first line antibiotic. You will likely have to run thru the smaller ones first.
Good luck
resistance is definitely a problem, as the above poster said. One way to reduce the rate of resistance (and the only way that has scientific backing) is to combing topical BP with the use of antibiotics. Bacteria are incapable of becoming resistant to BP because of the way it works (nothing can resist oxidation), so it helps the antibiotic by preventing bacteria that do become resistant from proliferating.
In terms of what antibiotic to use, I would recommend minocyclin first (it has the lowest rate of bacterial resistance in the population). If that doesn't work, sulfa drugs are very effective (i.e Bactrim), as long as you are not allergic to them.
I'm on cephalexin (keflex) right now, it took awhile to kick in but it is keeping my acne at bay. I am going to take it for as long as my derm allows it. I'm hoping that my acne problems will resolve with age and I can just manage what there is right now with this medication. Besides, you will not be picking the antibiotic, that is the job of the person prescribing it to you.