Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
56%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Should never be used on its own and for a maximum of 3 months.
Oral Antibiotic
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Antibiotics should be used for a maximum of 3 months, provide only moderate benefit and only to some people, and may lead to side effects and strains of resistant bacteria. Studies do show doxycycline can reduce severe acne in the short term, and as far as oral antibiotics are concerned, it’s usually the go-to, but approach with caution and stay your own advocate.
Oral Antibiotic
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Doxycycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
September 13, 2010
Cons:
Will cause bad stomach aches if not taken with food, particularly in the morning for some reason.
Acne comes back after you stop taking it.
This is a great pill i took it for 6 months but then i had to come off it for 2 months. My acne did come back HOWEVER it was nowhere near as bad as it was before taking the pill. Now i'm back on it and my skin is clearing up nicely, i reckon after my second round of doxycycline my spots will be gone. I'm in the UK so it cost me £7.20, i'm not sure what that is in dollars but it's pretty cheap for 2 boxes with 28 capsules.
September 11, 2010
Pros:
- Cheap (around $5 for 25 pills if you have a Concession Card)
- Small, easy to take if you're not used to swallowing medication
- No side effects that I have noticed
Cons:
- Helps with light to moderate acne, not effective for severe or cystic acne
- Loses its effectiveness after some time, as with all antibiotics. You will have to take a break from it after a few months of treatment.
I have been prescribed on many cycles of Doxycycline since I was 15 years old. It has been very effective with clearing up mild to moderate type blemishes.
(If you have cysts, I recommend antibiotic Bactrim as it will stop the bacterial infection dead in its tracks. Then after the severity has subsided, you can then change to Doxy to keep the bacteria levels down if your Derm recommends it.)
As with all antibiotics, it may be a while before it takes effect and after a while you may notice it stop working. Nothing can be done about this resistance apart from waiting a while in between cycles, hence I am giving this medication a 4 for its great acne-clearing properties before this resistance takes place.
August 29, 2010
Pros:
-Cleared up half my acne.
-Got rid of 90% of my cystic acne.
-Small Pills.
Cons:
-HAS TO be taken everyday to see the effects.
-Once you stop, acne returns.
-If you dont take with food and enough water you will be sick for at least 30 minutes.
This product worked great for me for about the first 6 months. My doctor told me I should be able to take it for 6 months then be off of it for 6 months and switch back and forth like that for about 2 years and my acne should be cured.
Well when i hit my 6 month mark, i tried to wing my self off of this and my acne IMMEDIATELY returned. So i started taking it again and it started working again. But after a year of the still off again, on again cystic acne i decided to just stop taking it and try and find another route (preferably all natural) I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE A HARSH ANTIBIOTIC FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. For the past month, i have been using Lush's Fresh Farmacy and has been working OKAY but after about two months i will be writing a review for that too.
-But overall, i would recommend a friend TRY this product but no guarantee on how it will work.
August 29, 2010
Pros:
Clears up acne
reduces redness and inflamation
kills bad bacteria
Cons:
kills good bacteria too
causes yeast infection
makes stomach feel quezzy
It's not worth getting it if your a women because it can cause yeast infections and there are better pills out there!
August 21, 2010
Pros:
Stops new acne from forming
Stops these red painful bumps forming underneath the skin
Cons:
A little redness on the face
Take with after eating
I Love this pill, it helped clear my acne alot
before when i used to go to school, i used to embaressed from my face, but now when i started this antibiotic in the summer holiday, i feel great nearly ALL my acne has gone away
and i feel very confident :D
August 19, 2010
Pros:
-Clears acne
-Small, easy to swallow
Cons:
-Must take after meal
-Stomach ache in beginning
-Hard to remember
-Possible effects on good bacteria in body
I didn't notice much of a change in my face till I looked at pictures from a few months ago. Wow, what a difference! I actually look in the mirror and see a nearly clear complexion. I take it once a day (100mg) in the morning after breakfast. I also put on sulfacetamide sodium (a topical cream) twice a day. I had started on two, but I felt uncomfortable with taking antibotics so my derm said I could decrease it to only one. I still get breakouts but my skin is better than before. Also, I do not get stomach aches any more (they stopped about a few days after I began).
August 14, 2010
Pros:
+ gets rid of those red, swollen, painful pimples
+ clears zits and little spots
+ 1 pill a day so its easy to keep track
Cons:
- skin is dry
- redness is a little more noticeable
- must plan a time to take pill
- stomach ache and slight dizziness
- takes awhile to work
- there may be a slight purge in the beginning which is the initial breakout but its moderate
Drink plenty of water. Its recommended to have a somewhat empty stomach before taking it but to avoid a stomach ache you should eat a little snack before or after. I'm 19, female and have tried all the antibiotics throughout highschool. I've been on doxy before with benzaclin and differin 0.1% as my topicals and it was pretty decent. Now i'm on again but with benzyol peroxide and differin 0.3% instead. I was about to go on accutane but I couldn't take the risks and chickened out. I'm hoping this gets rid of the zits and painful pimples like it did before. I took tetracycline and that worked pretty well for like 8 months so I decided to stop. Well, acne came back, not too bad, but still it sucks. Tetra is more likely to cause yeast infection so i'm on doxy. Take tetra first if you are still unsure about doxy. Minocycline?...SUCKS.
August 13, 2010
Pros:
-Worked very quickly
-Cheap
Cons:
-Hard to take as directed (timed proper and no vitamins timed proper)
-It's a drug so you have to keep taking it : ( I want to go all natural)
I have been taking this for about a week and have seen a HUGE improvement in my skin!! I was soooo broken out when I started this pill... It was to the point that I wouldn't even leave my house, I'm a picker which of course made it look 1000x worse than if I would have just left it alone... ANYWAYS so I'm a 25 and have completely clear skin. Yay!!!!! OOOOH make sure to take PRObiotic sometime in the middle of the two doses or 3 hours before or after your pill so you stay healthy. Antibiotics kill all the bad and GOOD bacteria in your body. <3 Good luck! P.S. I haven't taken it with food as the directions state to "Take medication on an empty stomach 1 hr before or 2-3 hours after a meal." My docotr told me that the effectiveness drastically decreases if you take food with it.
August 8, 2010
Pros:
-started working in a week
-cleared up most of my acne after a month
-cheap
-easy to swallow
Cons:
-dried me out pretty bad
-couldn't take supplaments 2 hours before or after the medication
-left behind nasty red marks (post infmalatory hyperpigmentation)
Well, I gotta say it DID help get rid of my acne but my face isn't clear. Where every cystic pimple was, it left a red mark, more red/brown than the pimples I left alone before. My face was also left pinkish but it became white again after some anti-inflammatory foods. It was pretty fast working, and I didnt really hit a peak where it got worse before getting better. Just improvements, getting better and better. (recommend using doxy with epiduo)
July 27, 2010
Pros:
-Simple, effective acne treatment.
-Cheap. 10 dollars with no insurance.
-Does not effect Birth Control pills. (My dermatologist said this was not proven.)
Cons:
-Must be taken with food, no dairy!
-Women are prone to yeast infections.(eating yogurt daily should help minimize this.)
-Do not take and then lie down. Stay upright for at least half an hour. Medicine could travel up your throat and burn. Feels a bit like acid reflux.
-Chance of slight nausea.
I was told I have hormonal/pre-menstrual Acne. I am 26/f and decided to seek professional help after my Acne turned Nodular/Pustuler. Currently, I was prescribed 100mg of Doxycycline twice daily, along with a 5% Benzoyl Peroxide topical waterbased gel the dermatologist gave me. I haven't had any problems, though it is slightly frustrating that you must take with appropriate foods and be extremely consistant with the antibiotic. The goal is to treat the bacteria from the inside by constantly having the antibiotic in your system, and treating it on the outside w/a topical. I have had slight nausea, but nothing too bad. TAKE WITH FOOD, and do not lie down after you take it. Wait half and hour. I have been on this for a few weeks and already see a difference. Though I am still getting a few breakouts, they are not as big, and go away quickly. Be patient with this. Results will show early on, or definitly by 2 months. I reccommend giving it a try.
Pros:
Clears Acne fast.
Smooth skin
doesn't dry skin out
easy to take
no serious side effects