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What Other Antibiotics Work For Acne?

 
MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/25/2014 5:40 pm

Antibiotics seem to be the only treatment which actually works effectively for me, I normally have moderately severe acne but when using antibiotics I stay around 90% clear until I inevitably become resistant. So I was wandering what other antibiotics are effective for acne and which of these would you guys recommend for when/if I get resistant to Cephalexin so that I can kind of plan ahead?

I've been on (in order):

Lymecycline (least effective)

Doxycycline (most effective)

Erythromycin

Oxytetracycline

And I'm starting to get resistant to Oxytetracycline so I've decided to give Cephalexin ago asap.

All help is greatly appreciated!! :)

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MemberMember
12
(@harry1993)

Posted : 07/25/2014 6:43 pm

Accutane.

No point just putting loads of crap drugs into your system if they're not working, they seem to only be a temporary fix anyway.

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/25/2014 6:52 pm

Accutane.

No point just putting loads of crap drugs into your system if they're not working, they seem to only be a temporary fix anyway.

I appreciate your advice, really, but I'm just too scared to take accutane at even ultra low doses due to the possible adverse effects.

I'm only 17 so I'm really only looking for a temporary fix until I hopefully grow out of acne like everyone else did in my family around at around 18-19 of age.

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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 07/26/2014 6:14 am

Have you tried topical antibiotics like Isotrexin (retinoid plus erythromycin) or Duac (benozyl peroxide plus clindamycin)? Maybe there's no need to take internally antibiotics?

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/27/2014 8:31 am

Have you tried topical antibiotics like Isotrexin (retinoid plus erythromycin) or Duac (benozyl peroxide plus clindamycin)? Maybe there's no need to take internally antibiotics?

I've tried all sorts of topicals like benzoyl peroxide, zineryt, differin and so on but I just find them really tedious since my acne is not limited to my face- I have acne all over my neck, shoulders, back, upper chest and arms, even some on my legs D: so having to apply twice a day not only takes a while but it also costs quite a bit and it's just not worth it since they also make my skin really red and dry, meanwhile oral antibiotics are so convenient and effective; I have never had even mild side effects from internal antibiotics and they seem to clear the acne all over my body really well.

Thanks for the reply by the way 🙂

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0
(@icuredacne)

Posted : 07/27/2014 10:27 am

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

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26
(@quetzlcoatl)

Posted : 07/27/2014 4:27 pm

Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). High potential for side effects; flu-like symptoms could be signs of a sulfa allergy. Accutane is probably safer and more effective in the long term, although Bactrim will get you results quickly - probably within a week or two.

I would advise against antibiotics in general, though.

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/27/2014 6:17 pm

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). High potential for side effects; flu-like symptoms could be signs of a sulfa allergy. Accutane is probably safer and more effective in the long term, although Bactrim will get you results quickly - probably within a week or two.

I would advise against antibiotics in general, though.

Thanks for the help guys and gals, I'm a really skinny 6ft 3 guy weighing at just 60kg :S Do you peeps think that something like 10mg/day would suffice for moderately severe acne? That works out at a little under 0.17mg/kg/day (I think, I haven't really looked into isotretinoin yet). Obviously I'm going to do a bit more research and talk to my derm before even considering accutane, but I just wanted to generally know how little you guys think I would probably be able to get away with and suggest whether the dosage would be safer than antibiotics or not, so I have a more realistic idea.

And although obviously more than welcome, I'm not really looking for full remission since it's likely that I will just grow out of acne in a couple of years but would it be safe to take this dosage for up to a year for example? I know that the higher the dose, the more likely remission is achieved yet the higher chances of adverse effects which makes me want to go as low as possible.

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(@courts93aus)

Posted : 07/28/2014 2:17 am

Hi!

I absolutely know how you feel!

I tried every antibiotic out there, often being on each course for 4 months without seeing a difference. It was so disheartening and I was so worried about what the effects of all those needless chemicals would be doing in my body.

For the record, I have moderate/severe acne and have for 6 years. Im 21 now and just feel as though Im entitled to lovely, clear skin haha.

I saw a derm three months ago. After the requisite blood tests etc, he put me on 20mg once per day. Its now the end of my second month. Only some very minor side effects; dry lips (easily cured with carmex) and stiff knees.

My biggest problem area has always been my chin area. So far, the acne of my forehead and cheeks has basically cleared, but I still have a couple of bumps on my chin that just keep coming back.

My honest opinion for you; if your derm okays it, go on accutane. The antibiotics will NEVER work long term. And, if you are like me, you may be genetically predisposed to suffer both teenage and adult acne - meaning your skin most likely wont clear.

Im only on 20mg per day and will remain on the treatment for 12 months. Ive heard of some people being on 60mg and even 80, so my dose is pretty low and low risk.

My derm did say that there has been a lot of recent research which has found that accutane works better and has better and more sustained long term benefits if a low dose is taken over a longer period time. This is very different to how accutane has been used up until now which was basically go on a high dose for 4 months.

The only other thing i can say is what my derm said to me 'accutane does come with side effects, but antibiotics arent no walk in the park either'. If you take care of yourself and take it easy, chances are that you would be fine :)

Good luck!

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17
(@k3tchup)

Posted : 07/28/2014 3:46 am

I would actually encourage antibiotics for short term, acute usage as a gateway to other treatments. For example taking tapering dosages for 2-4wks will allow for better control initial breakout often seen with topicals like differin and retin a.

Taking a probiotic will help minimize complications and side effects of antibiotic therapy. This is slowly catching on in the hospital setting where patients are on IV antibiotics for weeks.

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/28/2014 8:44 am

I would actually encourage antibiotics for short term, acute usage as a gateway to other treatments. For example taking tapering dosages for 2-4wks will allow for better control initial breakout often seen with topicals like differin and retin a.

Taking a probiotic will help minimize complications and side effects of antibiotic therapy. This is slowly catching on in the hospital setting where patients are on IV antibiotics for weeks.

Yeah I was actually thinking that if I did end up going on isotretinoin for example that maybe antibiotics would help prevent or at least better control the initial breakout. However I understand that Tetracycline antibiotics can interact with normal vitamin A so would I be right in guessing that they would also interact with isotretinoin? And if so, what about alternative antibiotics such as Cephalexin?

And I have been taking probiotic supplements ever since I starting taking all these antibiotics and they seem to be working since as I said, haven't had any noticeable side effects...yet!! Thanks for the help 🙂

Hi!

I absolutely know how you feel!

I tried every antibiotic out there, often being on each course for 4 months without seeing a difference. It was so disheartening and I was so worried about what the effects of all those needless chemicals would be doing in my body.

For the record, I have moderate/severe acne and have for 6 years. Im 21 now and just feel as though Im entitled to lovely, clear skin haha.

I saw a derm three months ago. After the requisite blood tests etc, he put me on 20mg once per day. Its now the end of my second month. Only some very minor side effects; dry lips (easily cured with carmex) and stiff knees.

My biggest problem area has always been my chin area. So far, the acne of my forehead and cheeks has basically cleared, but I still have a couple of bumps on my chin that just keep coming back.

My honest opinion for you; if your derm okays it, go on accutane. The antibiotics will NEVER work long term. And, if you are like me, you may be genetically predisposed to suffer both teenage and adult acne - meaning your skin most likely wont clear.

Im only on 20mg per day and will remain on the treatment for 12 months. Ive heard of some people being on 60mg and even 80, so my dose is pretty low and low risk.

My derm did say that there has been a lot of recent research which has found that accutane works better and has better and more sustained long term benefits if a low dose is taken over a longer period time. This is very different to how accutane has been used up until now which was basically go on a high dose for 4 months.

The only other thing i can say is what my derm said to me 'accutane does come with side effects, but antibiotics arent no walk in the park either'. If you take care of yourself and take it easy, chances are that you would be fine 🙂

Good luck!

Wow haha such a massive reply, thank you, really appreciate it!! 🙂

All you people are definitely making me less hesitant to consider accutane, it also would be a plus since I have EXTREMELY oily skin so it would potentially kill two birds with one stone. I did noticed that you and also nearly everyone else said that they got dry lips from taking accutane, but did it also make your skin overly dry? Funnily enough I had extremely dry skin before quitting the regimen last year and my skin was actually flaking which was nearly as bad as the acne itself, so do you think it would normalize my sebum production or overdry it? It wouldnt be that much of a problem but I had to use moisturiser with jojoba oil all over my face to remedy it which looked really odd in the sun since it made my entire face- even my jaw look really oily and shiny haha

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0
(@courts93aus)

Posted : 07/28/2014 8:16 pm

Haha sorry :)

My skin has gone a little dry, but a light, oil free moisturizer turns it around. I tried using heavier creams and oils such as rosehip and jojoba but my skin reacted badly. Skin definitely becomes more tempestuous on accutane.

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MemberMember
26
(@quetzlcoatl)

Posted : 07/30/2014 6:31 pm

Oily skin is a nutrition problem. Accutane will reduce the oil while you are on the drug, but it will be back at most a month after your last pill.

10mg/day is a fine starting dose. You'll probably want to increase it over time. If you're going to take accutane, I would skip antibiotics and their harmful side effects altogether, especially since antibiotics are certainly only temporary.

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3
(@squirrelmonkey)

Posted : 07/31/2014 12:25 am

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

My experience exactly...I hate what antibiotics have done to my skin. I was on trimethoprim only.

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17
(@k3tchup)

Posted : 07/31/2014 1:45 am

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

My experience exactly...I hate what antibiotics have done to my skin. I was on trimethoprim only.

Take a probiotic and a prebiotic. Drink lots of water throughout the day. True for any A/B.

I wouldn't say oily skin is a nutrition problem, more like a hormonal problem that is indirectly effected by nutritional and dietary choices.

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 07/31/2014 10:36 am

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

My experience exactly...I hate what antibiotics have done to my skin. I was on trimethoprim only.

Take a probiotic and a prebiotic. Drink lots of water throughout the day. True for any A/B.

I wouldn't say oily skin is a nutrition problem, more like a hormonal problem that is indirectly effected by nutritional and dietary choices.

Yeah unfortunately my oily skin is hereditary- cleaning up my diet and taking different supplements has maybe made a very slight difference but my face is still sleek with oil not 2 hours after showering :S

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MemberMember
17
(@k3tchup)

Posted : 07/31/2014 2:34 pm

I strongly advice you to stay away from antibiotics. They can make your acne even worse than before taking it. It kills the whole gut flora, acne may disappear for a few weeks but it is short term solution.

My experience exactly...I hate what antibiotics have done to my skin. I was on trimethoprim only.

Take a probiotic and a prebiotic. Drink lots of water throughout the day. True for any A/B.

I wouldn't say oily skin is a nutrition problem, more like a hormonal problem that is indirectly effected by nutritional and dietary choices.

Yeah unfortunately my oily skin is hereditary- cleaning up my diet and taking different supplements has maybe made a very slight difference but my face is still sleek with oil not 2 hours after showering :S

Dude i get it after i shave the next day it is super annoying as it makes ya look like an oil well. I hear its pretty common problem to which i have recently been reading on. Some are suggesting an astringent or a soap that acts the same way, but it all sounds counter intuitive to splash alcohol on my face from what i have learned. But i will probably try something as its quite annoying. Not much a guy can do besides overdose on vitamin b5 or vitamin A which i'd rather not.

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MemberMember
144
(@tracy521)

Posted : 08/01/2014 9:25 am

you can try minocycline or keflex but you need some sort of skincare regimen to keep those pores clear. have you ever used AHA? if not i would try that once you get on a good antibiotic and then once you are clear for a few months then you can slowly wean off.

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24
(@silverlight22)

Posted : 08/02/2014 11:31 pm

Antibiotics seem to be the only treatment which actually works effectively for me, I normally have moderately severe acne but when using antibiotics I stay around 90% clear until I inevitably become resistant. So I was wandering what other antibiotics are effective for acne and which of these would you guys recommend for when/if I get resistant to Cephalexin so that I can kind of plan ahead?

I've been on (in order):

Lymecycline (least effective)

Doxycycline (most effective)

Erythromycin

Oxytetracycline

And I'm starting to get resistant to Oxytetracycline so I've decided to give Cephalexin ago asap.

All help is greatly appreciated!!

Ok so.. I know you don't want to hear this and trust me I hate hearing this too but antibiotics will eventually make your situation worse. And I say this because I was on Doxycycline for 8 months before it lost it's effectiveness and then Minocycline for 7 months before I became immune to it.

Now I am very very close to going on Keflex/Cephalexin but I know it is a temporary fix. Here is what you need to know - antibiotics will destroy your good bacteria in your gut. They will promote a type of yeast infection known as Candida which will cause leaky gut syndrome. As a result you will become allergic to a lot of food (rice, bread and anything with sugar especially chocolates and any type of junk food). It will also make sure you do not grow out of acne.

Now here is the thing. You have been on probiotics ever since you started antibiotics. In my case, I did not do that. I started with probiotics after using doxy. So my gut flora and good bacteria got pretty much wiped out. But I don't know if that is your case or not. Try stopping antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and I have a strong feeling you might break out pretty bad. Antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne..trust me.

But you know what, I am as addicted to them as you are and that is why I am considering Keflex now. Or even Bactrim. Even though I do know the side effects and know that I am making my condition worse in the long run. But I have reached a point where I do not care. I am 22 and my siblings grew out of acne when they were 18. I didn't because I used antibiotics. And if you think I am a rare case, trust me, 9/10 people have their acne return worse than it was after antibiotics.

So now you have a choice. To go for them and be happy temporarily (6-7 months) or to stop taking them and look for an alternative cure. Till this day I think my biggest mistake was going on antibiotics. It made my acne worse when I went off it and I wish I had the knowledge I did back then to cure myself without ingesting meds.

I know you dont wanna hear this and i mentioned i hated hearing this too but this is the sad reality.

But to answer your question - Minocycline, Keflex, Bactrim should be your next abx.

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 08/03/2014 8:27 am

Antibiotics seem to be the only treatment which actually works effectively for me, I normally have moderately severe acne but when using antibiotics I stay around 90% clear until I inevitably become resistant. So I was wandering what other antibiotics are effective for acne and which of these would you guys recommend for when/if I get resistant to Cephalexin so that I can kind of plan ahead?

I've been on (in order):

Lymecycline (least effective)

Doxycycline (most effective)

Erythromycin

Oxytetracycline

And I'm starting to get resistant to Oxytetracycline so I've decided to give Cephalexin ago asap.

All help is greatly appreciated!! 🙂

Ok so.. I know you don't want to hear this and trust me I hate hearing this too but antibiotics will eventually make your situation worse. And I say this because I was on Doxycycline for 8 months before it lost it's effectiveness and then Minocycline for 7 months before I became immune to it.

Now I am very very close to going on Keflex/Cephalexin but I know it is a temporary fix. Here is what you need to know - antibiotics will destroy your good bacteria in your gut. They will promote a type of yeast infection known as Candida which will cause leaky gut syndrome. As a result you will become allergic to a lot of food (rice, bread and anything with sugar especially chocolates and any type of junk food). It will also make sure you do not grow out of acne.

Now here is the thing. You have been on probiotics ever since you started antibiotics. In my case, I did not do that. I started with probiotics after using doxy. So my gut flora and good bacteria got pretty much wiped out. But I don't know if that is your case or not. Try stopping antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and I have a strong feeling you might break out pretty bad. Antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne..trust me.

But you know what, I am as addicted to them as you are and that is why I am considering Keflex now. Or even Bactrim. Even though I do know the side effects and know that I am making my condition worse in the long run. But I have reached a point where I do not care. I am 22 and my siblings grew out of acne when they were 18. I didn't because I used antibiotics. And if you think I am a rare case, trust me, 9/10 people have their acne return worse than it was after antibiotics.

So now you have a choice. To go for them and be happy temporarily (6-7 months) or to stop taking them and look for an alternative cure. Till this day I think my biggest mistake was going on antibiotics. It made my acne worse when I went off it and I wish I had the knowledge I did back then to cure myself without ingesting meds.

I know you dont wanna hear this and i mentioned i hated hearing this too but this is the sad reality.

But to answer your question - Minocycline, Keflex, Bactrim should be your next abx.

Yeah I know what you mean, I came off Lymecycline for about a week since I was pretty much clear and thought that I could simply continue to maintain the clear skin with The Regimen, but sure enough my acne came back full force- worse than before I started taking antibiotics. I know it is only a short term solution but like you, I've got to a point where I just really don't care anymore.

However I have to disagree with you when you say that 'antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne' because that is definitely not the case- it must be an unfortunate coincidence that you haven't grown out of acne yet but your siblings have. I'm really sorry to hear that, but just because you have the same parents doesn't mean that you will be exactly like them; no person is the same. My older brother took antibiotics for his acne for nearly a year and he has had clear skin ever since he stopped (his was worse than mine).

And thanks for the suggestions by the way, still unsure whether or not to go on low dose accutane or different antibiotics :/

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MemberMember
24
(@silverlight22)

Posted : 08/03/2014 4:52 pm

Antibiotics seem to be the only treatment which actually works effectively for me, I normally have moderately severe acne but when using antibiotics I stay around 90% clear until I inevitably become resistant. So I was wandering what other antibiotics are effective for acne and which of these would you guys recommend for when/if I get resistant to Cephalexin so that I can kind of plan ahead?

I've been on (in order):

Lymecycline (least effective)

Doxycycline (most effective)

Erythromycin

Oxytetracycline

And I'm starting to get resistant to Oxytetracycline so I've decided to give Cephalexin ago asap.

All help is greatly appreciated!!

Ok so.. I know you don't want to hear this and trust me I hate hearing this too but antibiotics will eventually make your situation worse. And I say this because I was on Doxycycline for 8 months before it lost it's effectiveness and then Minocycline for 7 months before I became immune to it.

Now I am very very close to going on Keflex/Cephalexin but I know it is a temporary fix. Here is what you need to know - antibiotics will destroy your good bacteria in your gut. They will promote a type of yeast infection known as Candida which will cause leaky gut syndrome. As a result you will become allergic to a lot of food (rice, bread and anything with sugar especially chocolates and any type of junk food). It will also make sure you do not grow out of acne.

Now here is the thing. You have been on probiotics ever since you started antibiotics. In my case, I did not do that. I started with probiotics after using doxy. So my gut flora and good bacteria got pretty much wiped out. But I don't know if that is your case or not. Try stopping antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and I have a strong feeling you might break out pretty bad. Antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne..trust me.

But you know what, I am as addicted to them as you are and that is why I am considering Keflex now. Or even Bactrim. Even though I do know the side effects and know that I am making my condition worse in the long run. But I have reached a point where I do not care. I am 22 and my siblings grew out of acne when they were 18. I didn't because I used antibiotics. And if you think I am a rare case, trust me, 9/10 people have their acne return worse than it was after antibiotics.

So now you have a choice. To go for them and be happy temporarily (6-7 months) or to stop taking them and look for an alternative cure. Till this day I think my biggest mistake was going on antibiotics. It made my acne worse when I went off it and I wish I had the knowledge I did back then to cure myself without ingesting meds.

I know you dont wanna hear this and i mentioned i hated hearing this too but this is the sad reality.

But to answer your question - Minocycline, Keflex, Bactrim should be your next abx.

Yeah I know what you mean, I came off Lymecycline for about a week since I was pretty much clear and thought that I could simply continue to maintain the clear skin with The Regimen, but sure enough my acne came back full force- worse than before I started taking antibiotics. I know it is only a short term solution but like you, I've got to a point where I just really don't care anymore.

However I have to disagree with you when you say that 'antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne' because that is definitely not the case- it must be an unfortunate coincidence that you haven't grown out of acne yet but your siblings have. I'm really sorry to hear that, but just because you have the same parents doesn't mean that you will be exactly like them; no person is the same. My older brother took antibiotics for his acne for nearly a year and he has had clear skin ever since he stopped (his was worse than mine).

And thanks for the suggestions by the way, still unsure whether or not to go on low dose accutane or different antibiotics :/

I dont know man, like you said, just because you have the same parents doesnt mean you will be like your siblings. I have been on this website for the past 1 year and usually people have gotten their acne back worse. It could be that your brother got lucky with his acne. I am in no way trying to depress you but it is always better to prepare for the worse. And if you are getting pustules around your chin and mouth area then trust me, its because of the damage antibiotics have done to your gut.

I would say go for a different antibiotic. Because if you switch from an antibiotics to accutane, youll get a pretty bad break out and acne takes around a month to respond to accutane.. so just go for another antibiotic for 3-4 months, find a regimen that keeps your acne under control without antibiotics and when you do come off the antibiotics, switch to accutane while your new regimen keeps your acne under your control. Go for minocycline I'd say.

I had a question for you, how long did it take you to get rsistant to each antibiotic. Can you please list down the number of months for each drug? THanks!

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MemberMember
1
(@mattthomas)

Posted : 08/03/2014 8:23 pm

Antibiotics seem to be the only treatment which actually works effectively for me, I normally have moderately severe acne but when using antibiotics I stay around 90% clear until I inevitably become resistant. So I was wandering what other antibiotics are effective for acne and which of these would you guys recommend for when/if I get resistant to Cephalexin so that I can kind of plan ahead?

I've been on (in order):

Lymecycline (least effective)

Doxycycline (most effective)

Erythromycin

Oxytetracycline

And I'm starting to get resistant to Oxytetracycline so I've decided to give Cephalexin ago asap.

All help is greatly appreciated!! 🙂

Ok so.. I know you don't want to hear this and trust me I hate hearing this too but antibiotics will eventually make your situation worse. And I say this because I was on Doxycycline for 8 months before it lost it's effectiveness and then Minocycline for 7 months before I became immune to it.

Now I am very very close to going on Keflex/Cephalexin but I know it is a temporary fix. Here is what you need to know - antibiotics will destroy your good bacteria in your gut. They will promote a type of yeast infection known as Candida which will cause leaky gut syndrome. As a result you will become allergic to a lot of food (rice, bread and anything with sugar especially chocolates and any type of junk food). It will also make sure you do not grow out of acne.

Now here is the thing. You have been on probiotics ever since you started antibiotics. In my case, I did not do that. I started with probiotics after using doxy. So my gut flora and good bacteria got pretty much wiped out. But I don't know if that is your case or not. Try stopping antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and I have a strong feeling you might break out pretty bad. Antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne..trust me.

But you know what, I am as addicted to them as you are and that is why I am considering Keflex now. Or even Bactrim. Even though I do know the side effects and know that I am making my condition worse in the long run. But I have reached a point where I do not care. I am 22 and my siblings grew out of acne when they were 18. I didn't because I used antibiotics. And if you think I am a rare case, trust me, 9/10 people have their acne return worse than it was after antibiotics.

So now you have a choice. To go for them and be happy temporarily (6-7 months) or to stop taking them and look for an alternative cure. Till this day I think my biggest mistake was going on antibiotics. It made my acne worse when I went off it and I wish I had the knowledge I did back then to cure myself without ingesting meds.

I know you dont wanna hear this and i mentioned i hated hearing this too but this is the sad reality.

But to answer your question - Minocycline, Keflex, Bactrim should be your next abx.

Yeah I know what you mean, I came off Lymecycline for about a week since I was pretty much clear and thought that I could simply continue to maintain the clear skin with The Regimen, but sure enough my acne came back full force- worse than before I started taking antibiotics. I know it is only a short term solution but like you, I've got to a point where I just really don't care anymore.

However I have to disagree with you when you say that 'antibiotics stop you from growing out of acne' because that is definitely not the case- it must be an unfortunate coincidence that you haven't grown out of acne yet but your siblings have. I'm really sorry to hear that, but just because you have the same parents doesn't mean that you will be exactly like them; no person is the same. My older brother took antibiotics for his acne for nearly a year and he has had clear skin ever since he stopped (his was worse than mine).

And thanks for the suggestions by the way, still unsure whether or not to go on low dose accutane or different antibiotics :/

I dont know man, like you said, just because you have the same parents doesnt mean you will be like your siblings. I have been on this website for the past 1 year and usually people have gotten their acne back worse. It could be that your brother got lucky with his acne. I am in no way trying to depress you but it is always better to prepare for the worse. And if you are getting pustules around your chin and mouth area then trust me, its because of the damage antibiotics have done to your gut.

I would say go for a different antibiotic. Because if you switch from an antibiotics to accutane, youll get a pretty bad break out and acne takes around a month to respond to accutane.. so just go for another antibiotic for 3-4 months, find a regimen that keeps your acne under control without antibiotics and when you do come off the antibiotics, switch to accutane while your new regimen keeps your acne under your control. Go for minocycline I'd say.

I had a question for you, how long did it take you to get rsistant to each antibiotic. Can you please list down the number of months for each drug? THanks!

Yeah I've also noticed that the majority of people on here usually get their acne back worse after quitting, but my doctor didn't tell me that when he prescribed my first course!! But please don't feel regretful for starting the antibiotics, they wouldn't have prevented you from growing out of acne I can tell you that much so I guess you just got the unlucky genes man :/ Just please don't feel like it is your fault because it really isn't!!

And yeah that's probably what I will do since antibiotics work so well for me, I will definitely check out minocycline, thanks for the advice 🙂

List:

-Lymecycline I actually didn't get resistant to even after 8 months of use, the only reason I stopped is because, as I said, I was pretty much clear so I thought that I could just come off them but nope! 🙁 So no resistance after 8 months but you have to remember that was my first long term antibiotic so it probably takes longer to get resistant since they were completely new to my system maybe? Only reason why I'm not going back on them is because they weren't as good as the others and I've probably built some kind of resistance to them whilst I've been off them.

-So I took Doxycycline which lasted about 4-4.5 months

-Then Erythromycin which lasted about 1.5 months -_- (I used topical Zineryt in the past so my doctor said that this is probably why I became resistant so quick) I would recommend this antibiotic before Keflex I reckon as it one of the safer antibiotics and it worked really well for me- 2nd most effective after doxy

-And Oxytetracycline lasted about 3 months

So they really don't last long for me haha, but they do the job and that's all I can ask for at the moment 😛

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(@squirrelmonkey)

Posted : 08/04/2014 5:50 pm

And if you are getting pustules around your chin and mouth area then trust me, its because of the damage antibiotics have done to your gut.

Oh my gosh, that is exactly what I got (and still have) after I stopped the antibiotics. And it's true about the food sensitivities! I used to eat whatever I wanted without it affecting my skin. Life was good back then. !@#$%

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(@silverlight22)

Posted : 08/04/2014 9:22 pm

And if you are getting pustules around your chin and mouth area then trust me, its because of the damage antibiotics have done to your gut.

Oh my gosh, that is exactly what I got (and still have) after I stopped the antibiotics. And it's true about the food sensitivities! I used to eat whatever I wanted without it affecting my skin. Life was good back then. !@#$%

I'm telling you man..this stuff is bad, but it gives you temporary happiness. I read you other post too so here is what I would suggest for you from my very limited knowledge. Before you take a good antibiotic, look for a topical that might help you. I have heard about Differin helping with pustules. But it could be one of things causing your eye infection too since it is present in Epiduo. But yeah, look for a good a topical and use it simultaneously with a good antibiotic so that by the time you come off antibiotics in a few months, you will have a topical regime which keeps you clear.

If you can't find a good topical and can wait to get the next round of antibiotics(abx), then get a really strong probiotic, cut off all sugar for 3 months(you will notice a HUGE improvement in your pustules once you cut off sugar) and cut off all carbs. ONLY for 3 months and take strong probiotics! This will help repair your gut hopefully (which is what I am doing right now)!

And you are lucky that you have only been on erythomycin so the damage can be controlled.

But if you cant stand these pustules for 3 months, then go on an abx and at the same time have stong probiotics with it every day, to make sure it abx does not damage your gut.

Do you know anything about candida? Google candida, antibiotics, leaky gut syndrome and probiotics and you will learn a lot. message me if you have any questions.

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(@onyxbeauty1988)

Posted : 08/05/2014 5:52 am

Have you tried topical antibiotics like Isotrexin (retinoid plus erythromycin) or Duac (benozyl peroxide plus clindamycin)? Maybe there's no need to take internally antibiotics?

I was on Clindamycin right before I went on Accutane and it worked great! If I missed a day or two the acne would reappear so I don't know that it is a long term fix. As far as antibiotics i've tried Minocycline. It didn't seem to work as well as the doxy which also only helped while I was taking it. The acne would return after I stopped taking it.

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