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
March 7, 2013
Cons:
Headaches
Remembering to take at certain times of day - no interaction with calcium
Month 1 my skin got really bad - I nearly quit but don't, keep going. Month 2 my skin started to slowly improve. Month 3 was up and down but an overall improvement. Month 4 my skin was clear, no new spots and was just left with acne scarring. Month 5 my skin looks better than it ever has. Yes, there are some side effects and downsides but honestly keep perservering with this and you will ultimately get the results you want. I can't recommend it enough!
February 24, 2013
Pros:
NONE
Cons:
caused more breaks outs for 3 weeks untill i got a panick attack and anxiety/depression from this drug!
I was a healthy guy now i have to take antidepressants! it totally messed me up in 16 days of using 100mg a night.
February 22, 2013
Pros:
Did help some
Cons:
Made me so nauseous that I could not take it
I took it for a couple of days, and it seemed to help my skin. But when I took it in the morning, I felt so awful that I would have to go attempt to vomit with nothing coming up. It may have been because I couldn't eat when I took it though. If you can tolerate it, give it a go.
February 18, 2013
Pros:
none.
Cons:
Hard to swallow pill.
I went to the derm and they prescribed 150 mg tab everyday. Its been over a month and i see no results. my skin isnt that bad, but it could be clearer. i read reviews expecting this to work but, it didnt.
February 13, 2013
Pros:
- Cleared up most of my acne!
- The few pimples that I do still get heal very quickly
Cons:
- Seems to give me big pimples on my jawline
I wish I'd gotten onto this sooner! I have suffered through moderately severe acne for about 7 years and although it wasn't as bad as it used to be, it was still definitely there and not going away. My doctor put me onto this and within the first few days I was noticing a difference (he also diagnosed me with rosacea and gave me hydrocortisone acetate cream which has completely cleared up the vivid redness all over my face!).
The only bad point about this in my opinion is that it is giving me big pimples under my jaw. Sure, I'd rather they weren't there, but I'd rather have them than pimples all over my face, so it seems like a small price to pay.
I am still getting the occasional pimple around my period (nothing will COMPLETELY clear up your acne, especially if it's hormonal), but overall my face has never been this clear since before I got acne when I was about 12!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone - it has really helped a lot.
February 10, 2013
Pros:
Cleared up my acne
I actually felt confident about my skin for the first time ever
Breakouts were easily controlled
Cons:
Cant stay on it forever, health risks
Takes about a month to start actually working
Doctor put me on this last year, did nothing much for a month... then bam! My skin just got better and better, it would heal from pimples super fast and my skin had never been as good. Had no probs with nausea as I took with food and sat upright after taking the pills. I'm trying the pill now instead as a more long term solution, hopefully it works as well!
February 9, 2013
Pros:
Skin is a little less oily during midday peaks of the day.
Bumps and roughness of the scars become less prominent after a couple of weeks of use.
Cons:
Moderate spots still remain (personally for me along my T-zone) .
This IS NOT a miracle drug and in most cases probably won't give you clear skin after a couple of months of usage.
Very oily skin still remains during warm and humid days.
I was prescribed this encapsulated oral drug a couple of months ago and I have seen minor/moderate improvements. If you have very oily skin like myself then you will be quite satisfied with the results. As I've said this is not a miracle worker like everything you'll have to patient and wait out until you start to see its effects and even after taking the drug for as long as I have unless you're very lucky your skin probably won't fully be rid of acne, spots or blemishes.
February 7, 2013
Pros:
*Acne cleared in two weeks
*Face smoother
*Smaller pores
Cons:
*Skin is dryer sometimes-easily fixed with moisturizer
*Acne gets worse during first week... But be patient it gets better
I was prescribed doxy about two months before my wedding because I had a couple of breakouts on my forehead and around my hairline. Once on doxy and an acne cream I began to see immediate improvement. The doxy is supposed to flush out all of your pores so that is why it will seem worse at first. To speed this process up I just dabbed some benzoyl peroxide-based acne cream on the breakout area and it cleared in about a day or two! I recommend you start the treatment on a Wednesday or Thursday so you have the weekend to allow your skin to improve...also if you're a woman you can take the whole weekend to go makeup free and allow your skin to breath :)
January 27, 2013
Cons:
Nausea
Vomiting
I flowed everything my doctor said eat a big meal wait 3 hours afertward to take it! I even did the opposite neither work still nausea and vomiting! I can't say if it was effected because I had only taken it for a week.
January 21, 2013
Pros:
Less oily skin.
Controls (MY) breakouts.
Cons:
nothing so far
Been on it for about 5 days. My face is less oily. And my face isnt breaking out as bad.
Pros:
Clears skin