Bactrim/Septra : (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) Oral Antibiotic

Yes, Bactrim worked, very well. However, when choosing to take this antibiotic, realize: 1. You can't be on it forever, it can take a toll on your liver. 2. You CAN build a resistance to it. 3. There is a lot of stress involved with taking this pill for fear of the dreaded allergic reaction. I spent the first 2 weeks on this medicine thinking that every little itch, every cough, every sign of anything meant that I was having an allergic reaction. I was dreadfully nervous that I was going to break out in a horrible rash with flu symptoms, and quite possibly end up with "Steven Johnsons Syndrome." This worsened when I got the stomach flu on my 12th day in, and had all the symptoms associated with an allergic reaction. I was terrified, but in the end, it had nothing to do with the pill. Coincidence is a damn thing. All I'm saying is, be smart. If you do choose to take this, monitor yourself. If you really start seeing tell tale signs of the allergic reaction, don't just up and quit right away. First call your dermatologist, see what he/she says, THEN decide whether or not to get off of it. You can self diagnose. Use the internet. Bottom line, if you stick with it and after 2 weeks, don't have any signs of reaction, you're going to have great skin. This worked better than anything has in the past for me, and it made me look great for prom! Good Luck! Hope it works for you readers like it worked for me.

See if benzol peroxide works for you better trying anti-biotics, because anti-biotics can effect your overall health in ways other than getting rid of acne. I would only try anti-biotics if you have persistent acne which you cannot control. An anti-biotic can clear you up, but you must maintain your skin with other methods after you cycle off the drug, or you'll just break out all over again.

It's a really good drug and a last resort before Acutane. Works great for me.

I have been on Bactrim for about 5 years now. I am male, healthy, and 23 years old now. I've been struggling with nodular cystic acne since I was a young teen (12-13 years old), I had it all over my chest, shoulders, face, and neck. Currently I am a graduate student, so that will speak to my intelligence. Here is my take- everyone is different. Personally I tried every single antibiotic and topical out there to tame my acne. Nothing worked including acutane. Ever since I've been on Bactrim my acne has been mitigated. Bactrim never 'cured' my acne, but I do strongly believe it drastically mitigates cystic acne. I still have acne, but am concerned about the health effects of staying on it for more years. Now since my acne is minimal I think I will start weaning myself off before I develop some type of allergy. I have tried every topical, Zianna, Epiduo, Benzo-creams. The best thing that works for me is Clindomyicin phospate gel. My skin always looks clearer in the morning after applying before bed. Recently I switched to a top dermatologist in Philly, he used to teach dermatology at the University of Penn. He recommended I start washing my face with HIBICLENSE. This can be bought at a CVS or grocery store over the counter (it is a red liquid). Surgeons use it to wash their hands before operating to kill the bacteria. Now I apply it on my face twice a day while in the shower. I let it sit on my skin for about 30 seconds and then rinse it off. Then I use a neutrogena benzo face wash (no exfoliator beads) after (also good for killing bacteria). I let that sit for about a minute and wash that off. This is the best regimen I came up with after 10 years of combating acne. Meanwhile I still take Bactrim DS twice daily. I also spot treat with a pink sulfur medicine i buy online (nothing works better). Since my skin is looking a lot better now, I will try to wean off the pills, and keep doing my shower regimine, and use clyndomyicin gel at night. Nothing is worth the risk of developing an allergy to this Bactrim I've come to realize from reading so many reviews. Use with caution.

In late 2011 (at 28 years of age), I started getting terrible Acne on my face. I tried every herbal remedy, herbs and vitamins that supposedly help Acne, topical creams and everything over the counter one could dream of. Nothing worked and my face was becoming worse by the day. In April 2012, I saw my dermatologist who said my acne was cystic and severe - he prescribed Bactrim DS on the spot. He told me results vary - some people get lucky and find it clears their skin in only a few short weeks, however some people need to wait much longer than that...I was the latter. My face and acne stayed in the same horrific state for quite some time - it was only in July 2012 that I started noticing a real difference. I was still getting acne, but it wasn't as inflamed (no pus or yellow heads) and it would go away much faster than usual. My skin continued to slowly improve and by Christmas 2012, my face was clear and it's remained that way :) - apart from the odd spot around 'that time of the month' - which I dare note complain about is it's NOTHING compared to a face full of swollen, painful, embarrassing Acne. In conjunction with the Bactrim DS, I used Benzac face wash and only moisturised every now and then. These days I'm still taking Bactrim DS and using Neutrogena's Power Clean Face wash - which is amazing as it's faded my Acne scars by about 70% over the last 7 months or so. I can't recommend Bactrim DS highly enough - however you MUST be willing to be patient. Don't just stop taking it after a few months if you find your skin isn't improving. I'd say give it a good 4 months and if you notice absolutely no improvement, then go and see your derm and discuss other options. Also, keep in mind that some people are VERY allergic to this medication so make sure you know the risks and what to expect just in case you react to it. I was pretty nervous the first time I took this as I had read about so many peoples scary reactions...but I took a leap of faith and I've never looked back :)

I still get a pimple or two but not as frequently and this stuff has really made my skin softer. It took about a month to really kick in though, so stay patient.

I took this pill 2x a day for 1 month. It did absolutely nothing for my acne. I still had just as many acne breakouts while taking the drug. The only good thing is I didn't have an allergic reaction to the sulfur in the drug. I guess I am one of those people who it just doesn't work for, which sucks because I was really hoping it would have worked. I wanted the same results as so many people on this site had. If it works for you, great! If it doesn't it's a waste of time. Luckily I have insurance so it was free to take for me.

read my blog i had the worst experience with this drug and it all started with flu-like symptoms! one of the scariest experiences in my life i was hospitalized for 3 days and in intensive care i just got out 2 days ago i would love to help you or anyone else that could be at risk of this horrible syndrome!!

If you are willing to get a dermatologist's prescription and are not allergic, Septra works AMAZINGLY well. My only disappointment with it is that, like other oral antibiotics, it eventually became ineffective. Septra offered 1 great year of relief from whiteheads, blackheads, and mild cystic acne. A pharmacy at a local grocery store chain (Schnucks) also offers FREE oral antibiotics, so I never paid a dime for my Septra. Extra bonus! There may be similar offers at other pharmacies... shop around before you drop off your script!

Still sick from the side effects. Quit taking medicine 3 weeks ago.