Acne.org Products
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
January 6, 2011
Cons:
-Makes skin very dry.
I've been on Doxycycline for a few months now I used to have a small pimples on my cheeks and huge zits on my chin. I've been using Doxycycline for the oral and Differin for topical use, Doxycycline has a lot of complaints for making your stomach hurt, but it didn't with me unless I took with with milk or water. At first It sorta broke me out, but now in my third month it's cleared up my skin almost all I only have one zit on my chin and no pimples on my cheeks.
November 20, 2010
Pros:
Works very well after about 1 month
Cons:
Stops working after 1 year.
I've been on Doryx for 1 year now. It has kept me 90%-99% clear. Now its starting to wear off, just as my derm said it would. I'm starting to break out again.
June 30, 2010
Pros:
cleared acne only after after a few weeks, no breakouts from starting prescription.
Cons:
pill is hard to swallow but thats no biiig deal(:
helps inflammation from cystic acne and any other type of acne. the only thing ive noticed is my pores are a little more clogged than normal but im not sure if its the prescription or other products my dermatalogist has given me but other than that only good things have come out of it!
May 28, 2010
Pros:
-Clears acne
-Quick fix
Cons:
-My side-effects: fatigue, gas , stomach aches
-if you skip a pill your acne gradually comes back
I'm kind of unsure about this pill...when paired with benzaclin it cleared up my face 99% yet when I look at my back and chest(that I don't use benzaclin on) it has moderate acne. Who knows which ones really clearing up my skin. To be fair, I was on proactiv since the begginning of puberty so I have no idea what my acne's badness potential is.
The gas was really bad for me in the beginning. Like REALLY BAD. And yet I take the timed-realese version and I always take it with food. And I think my extreme tiredness maybe due to doxy. My advice: try some harsh precription topicals like benzaclin BEFORE you try this pill. Especially if ur acne is just moderate. Because once you start this pill, you're afraid to stop. And please, research the side-effects.
March 9, 2010
Pros:
good skin, acne seemed to heal overnight,
Cons:
nausea, stomach cramps, slight oral thrush infection, occasionally had heartburn, slight dryness.
I really enjoyed using Doxy, it seemed to work immediately with only just one pill every morning but im now afraid that because ive just come to the end of my 3 month course, that it will become worse once again. i do not know whether it will permanently help my acne, my gut feeling is that it was a short term option as i think my body was beginning to build a resistance to the antibiotic, in effect the drug had become less effective. I'm hoping the contraceptive pill i am on will help :) wish me luck eek.
February 15, 2010
Pros:
None
Cons:
Yeast infections, acne-like rash on my chest that does not respond to ANY acne treatment!
I have a long history with acne since age 12, and I've tried just about everything, including 2 rounds of Accutane. Accutane helped tremendously, but only lasted about 1 year. Now I'm 23 and I've had moderate acne since age 17 when I stopped the Accutane. I've been treating with over the counter benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid cleansers with some control. I recently went to a new dermatologist to see what new advances there may have been since I stopped going 6 years ago. He put me on Doryx (doxycycline that supposedly doesn't cause stomach irritation) and Epiduo (differin + 2.5% benzoyl peroxide). The Epiduo is working great, but after 2 weeks of doxy, I got a yeast infection (which was one of my fears with long-term antibiotics) and this bumpy rash appeared on my chest - almost looks like tiny red pimples, but looks nothing like any type of acne I've had before, and I don't have body acne. So I went back to the derm with my yeast infection and mysterious rash, and he said it was only chest acne and that he would switch me to bactrim (which I'm not excited about given my propensity to yeast inf). I had lots of questions about why my chest broke out, but my barely-english-speaking doctor just couldn't answer them. I'm sticking with the Epiduo for now, and nixing any long-term antibiotics that will continue to wreak havoc on my immune system!
December 22, 2009
Pros:
i guess it kind of works...
Cons:
it doesnt work that well and everytime one spot goes another comes up.
nah, dont use it unless you have light acne
December 14, 2009
Pros:
No side effects, worked in about 3 days, with resolution of nodular acne that I've had for the last 15 years! One 50mg capsule a day, $4 generic at the local pharmacy, and my face is CLEAR!!!
Cons:
None!
Highly recommended fix for nodular acne. After years (since I was 13) of suffering from acne, which changed into nodular acne in my 30's, I am now blemish-free! Wow.
October 2, 2009
Pros:
Personally, I got no stomach aches. It is easy to take.
Cons:
It did not clear me up at all!
I took this for about almost 4 months and nothing has happened at all. I do not recommend
June 24, 2008
Pros:
Slowly seemed to make a difference in my skin after 3-4 weeks. No more huge pimples but the scarring stayed.
Cons:
I got esophagitis after taking a pill with not enough water. It's incredibly painful to eat and drink. It is my fault for not taking it with enough water. I now have to go off the pill for 7 to 10 days and I'm nervous as to how my skin will react.
Antibiotics in general are so bad for you. I figure that if this works, I would have to stay on it forever. I figure that sadly, I might as well go off it for good and keep my body healthy and just suffer through the bad skin. Staying on pills like this are seriously bad for your immune system.
Pros:
-Cleared up most of my acne
-Gave me a nice glow