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
December 30, 2012
Cons:
- Makes skin dry and flaky but moisturizing can fix that.
I'm 22 and I've had acne since the age of 15. In the last three years it has gotten so severe that I decided to see a dermatologist. He put me on 150 mg of this once a day. It's been over two weeks and I am floored by the results so far. I have cystic acne and nothing has ever worked for my face before. I have a couple of bumps on my jawline and everything else is clear. Pimples that would normally take weeks to heal are gone in two days.
December 28, 2012
Pros:
*Helped clear skin for many months
*Easy-just pop a pill twice a day
*Cheap with insurance
Cons:
*Ended up causing my breakouts after about a year
*caused stomach aches if I hadn't eaten enough before taking it
*made me susceptible to sunburns
My dermatologist prescribed me doxy to clear up my moderate to severe acne and it helped stop the breakouts. It took 2 months for it to really start working but then, my skin was great for about 10 months. Then, for some reason, my acne started coming back, looking more and more like it started out. Eventually I stopped taking it and my acne cleared a bit. Not perfectly, but not quite as bad. It's waxed and waned and I still haven't a permanent solution. I'd say if you're desperate, try it.
December 23, 2012
Pros:
reasonably priced, some improvement
Cons:
found minocycline to be more effective than doxy and doxy is stronger and because of that i notice that i feel quite nauseous if I take it without eating a decent sized breakfast (up and go - which is like a flavoured milk with blended cereal in it in case its not called 'up and go' internationally - doesnt cut it neither does a slice of toast)
May help people who have no luck with minocycline. However do be patient with mino - it took 3 months for me to see improvement and 6 months for others to notice improvement on mino. Well worth the wait though. failing mino give doxy a go - they work very similarly though
December 10, 2012
Cons:
Did absolutely NOTHING for me
Nothing positive to say. Did absolutely NOTHING for my acne. Didn't stop it from spreading or make it any better. Minocycline worked WAY better for me overall throughout the years of battling acne...
December 8, 2012
Pros:
It may help open sores heel just a tiny bit faster. The drug is also inexpensive.
Cons:
I had an upset stomach every day even though I took it with food and water, and I was STARVING all the time. I thought I was crazy until I researched online that is a side effect of the drug. I think my teeth might even be a little yellower, but that is hard to tell if that was to do with the drug. (Also that is another side effect.) But mainly the worst part is- it broke me out even worse! I started to break out in places where I never broke out before, like my legs!
I took this product for three weeks and I am giving it up today. This is very disappointing because the doctor said that if it was going to help me I should have seen some improvement by now. Instead it made me much worse, and I can't even go out in public. I am not going to take any more!
November 27, 2012
Pros:
really gets rid of acne
Cons:
takes a long time, has to be taken with food and lots of water, can cause fungal infections
I started taking doxycycline about a year ago and was on it for about 6 months. I want to say my acne finally was gone between the third and fourth month of taking it. I have been off of doxy now for six months and my acne has not come back. However, I have been using clindamycin, 4% benzoyl peroxide wash, and a retinol cream for maintenance. I am so glad that I took doxy. I contribute much off the success of getting rid of my acne to doxy, because i have tried just the retinol creams and Benzyol before and it didn't work. I would highly recommend this to people with severe acne.
November 21, 2012
Pros:
my skin is better
side effects very minimal
Cons:
took 2 1/2 months before acne started clearing up.
Don't like the idea on being on antibiotics
I am 39 and have been dealing with adult acne for 6yrs. now. I have tried so many products and nothing worked, I was starting to get really bummed and finally resorted to meds. The first month on Doxy was tough to get through - acne got worse. 2nd month it would come and go. I'm in my third month and I have a few pimples but it is way better then it ever was and I feel more confident about going out. The derm told me hormones are triggering the outbreaks and I would have to go on hormone meds too if I want to be totally clear. But not willing to do that at this point. I highly recommend taking probiotics when you are on Doxy to minumize side effects of drug and for overall health. Make sure you eat when taking the pill and drink plenty of water too. Gotta be patient with this drug. I just hope when I go off of it the acne doesn't come back, I don't want to be on meds forever! I recommend Doxy because it sure beats being depressed and feeling awful about myself. I'm glad I held out till month 3 to see some results.
November 18, 2012
Pros:
Cheap
Cons:
Didn't work
I've been on doxycycline 100mg 2x per day for 50 days. It has had no effect. I've been consistent, and tried not to take it with dairy, which, for me, is a large inconvenience. This is very disappointing, as I am still breaking out on a daily basis with very severe acne.
November 16, 2012
Pros:
clears acne
Cons:
it takes time to work
I suffered acne since I was about 13. I tried every OTC products but nothing worked, and they just made my acne worse. Now I'm 18, I finally decided to go to the derm. I asked for Accutane, but she said my acne is not that worst. I just have a lot of acne hyperpigmentation. She also said it's frustrating treating acne because nothing works overnight and immediately, so I need to be patient.She prescribed me 100mg doxycycline hyclate 2x a day and epiduo at night. On my first month, I broke really bad. I felt it's not working or it does not suit my body. On my second month, my acne started healing. Now I'm about to start my third month, I only have 3 acne. I'm just hoping after I stop taking it, my acne will not go back.
November 12, 2012
Pros:
Affordable.
Helps with the inflamation.
Got to be patient.
Cons:
takes a while for some people.
dryness on lips.
I'm a 24yo male. I never had ANY acne problem until I got 20. Before that I had a VERY clean face. Then I had a HORRIBLE BREAKOUT I visited the derm 1 year after that (horrible mistake), and she prescribed me Tetracycline(I was asking for accutane but she told me that my acne wasn't that bad) and it helped a lot but not entirely. I took it for 6 months. Now I have 4-6 cystic acne lessions, and some Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation. I had a visit with a different Derm 7 days ago. She prescribed me Doxy for a month taking 100mg a day. The second day I got a cyst near my nose, and one near my lip. I got upset because of that, but this morning i woke up and... I think it's improving. This is my last try before going for Accutane. I'm going to keep you guys updated in a few days. And good luck, this website helps a lot because all the information and reviews but, if you have an acne problem PLEASE go to the Dermatologist. Even if you have to save some dollars, and not going anywhere on the weekend. Your face worth it.
Pros:
- Works fast.
- Inexpensive with my insurance.