Bactrim/Septra : (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) Oral Antibiotic

Worth it - hopefully will not become immune to it for awhile.

Stopped using minocycline, because my teeth were starting to turn blue, and found Bactrim. Bactrim is better than minocycline and there is not as strict an eating schedule of when to take it. My severe acne was destroyed and now have minimal/if any acne.

Cleared moderate acne almost instantly, was clear for 2 years then I became immune to the antibiotic and it came back twice as bad.. had to resort to accutane which is probably a better decision anyway around $10.00 a month for this, but it was a short time miracle for me-just screwed me in the end.

I am a 22-year-old female and my moderate cystic acne cleared completely within a month of taking this drug. I have been on Bactrim for several months now and have not had a single pimple since I first cleared up. My skin looks beautiful (this is likely also due to the vitamin C,E and zinc I take, daily) and I have even received a few compliments on it from complete strangers. As wonderfully as this drug has worked for my acne, I am discontinuing it due to the damaging effect it can have on one's liver and kidneys over time. I started spironolactone (a hormonal treatment) about a month into Bactrim and plan to continue it with the hope that it will suffice to ward off future breakouts. It is my understanding that spironolactone is much safer for long-term use than oral antibiotics and can be very effective for women whose acne is due to an excess of androgens (male hormones) in the body.

I love it. I've been using it for 4-5 years now (when I stop for a few weeks I get horrible, painful cystic acne), and I haven't had any long term effects from it. Its not very expensive considering how well it works, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who has been having trouble with cystic acne. I suppose a con could be that I have had to use it for a long time, but since the alternative was roaccutane, I'm not too upset about this outcome. Taking it twice a day isn't too hard once you get used to it. Anyway, I'd recommend it.

I was sad to get off this medication because it cleared up my skin so well. However, no acne med is worth losing quality of life over. If you don't have a reaction to this, then by all means take it, because it really clears up skin. However, for me, I lost out on a lot by not recognizing the symptoms quicker. I would not recommend due to the severe (possible) side effects.

it was amazing at first but if you try it make sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor if it stops working soyou can quikily get on another medication to keep away your acne :)

You start out with two everyday for 2 months, you are clear after 2 weeks of everything beneath skin, and after the two months you take one everyday. Pair with a good non comedeogenic moisturizer and a benzoyle peroxide cleanser, you should be acne free in 2-3 weeks. No cystic acne at all ever. Skin isn't red. It does become more sensitive though, especially for shaving. Take a Zinc pill in the morning, and Bactrim at night. The zinc will really help, most people don't believe it, but it is proven in many clinical, government, and university studies that zinc is the best thing for skin(both topical and pill). My family has insurance, but these pills were the same price with insurance and off insurance. My energy has increased a little, I can tell if I forgot to take the pill.

I was amazed at how quickly it worked when I initially started taking it in September 2010. I noticed the difference immediately, and within only 3 days most of my acne was going down. Within 2-3 weeks; however, i developed an allergic reaction to it. It started with headaches and fever, muscle pain. Then I developed a rash that started on my back and spread onto my arms and abdomen. It also became itchy. I discontinued taking it. The improved skin cindition continued for some months, I noticed I would only mildly break out just before my period. This is still the case. Most of the time now, my skin is clear. As the acne scars are fading, I find I don't need to wear make-up daily to cover up anymore. Although GP's tell you to take it until finished, I have now been taking it only for "spot treatments". Although it doesn't work as effectively as the initial impressive result, it does work for me (I take it for 3-4 days only) and I have not experienced any side effects. PS I have been battling adult acne for many years and it was usually moderately severe.

I began getting acne in high school and saw my dr. who prescribed me an oral medicine (can't remember what it was- minocycline maybe?) which only worked for a short time before the acne returned. Eventually he prescribed me Bactrim, which completely cleared all of my acne. I took it for 3-4 years with absolutely no side effects and seriously never got pimples, not even before my period. I started with 2 pills a day & then 1 a day with same results. I forgot I even had an acne problem. At the age of 21 my prescription ran out & I never got it refilled thinking that since I was no longer a teenager & hadn't gotten a pimple in so long that I had probably outgrown my acne. WRONG! About a month after stopping Bactrim my acne came back worse than ever. I visited a derm. and asked to be put back on Bactrim. I must have built up a tolerance to it because it took a few months to start working & even then it didn't work nearly as well as it had before. I would be clear for a week or two, then break out again. My derm then switched me to doxycycline which did not work very well & gave me horrible side effects including extreme sensitivity to sun (bright red hands & nose after being in sun for only a short time even with sunscreen!), yeast infections & nausea (It was guaranteed I would throw up if I didn't take the pill with food). Since I was only clear on the doxy for about two weeks total then continued to break out she switched me to the brand name Solodyn. This worked a little better but also gave me the yeast infections & never gave me complete clearing. Because my skin would be clear for a week or two then break out again my derm thinks my acne might be hormonal, & has prescribed me Spironolactone for hormonal acne. I am really hoping it works as it is my last option before Accutane... The only reason I am rating this medicine as a 4 and not a 5 is because it's not a long term solution, & your acne comes back just as bad if not worse once you stop t