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 27, 2012
Cons:
If taken alone can make you naseaus.
I love this medication. I have light acne and I took it for one whole month and my acne cleared up and I never had to wear makeup. The only issue was after I took it for a whole month I was acne free for 3 months. Then my acne came back. So my dermatologist told me to take it for 2 days twice a day before or when I get a breakout. It works.
September 22, 2012
Pros:
clears skin!
less oily
Cons:
-nausea if you don't take it with food
This antibiotic really does work, you just have to give it time. I started seeing results within one month, and after being on it for five months my skin was crystal clear. The only downside to this drug is that you can't take it forever and your acne can comeback once you stop taking it.
September 22, 2012
Pros:
Cleared all cystic acne
easy to take
cheap
didn't experience any form of sickness
Cons:
does take some time for it to work
3-6 months
i suffered from severe acne for 2 years. i tried every reigime, product, natural remides and diet however nothing worked. i finally got the courage to go to the doctors. i was prescribed 50mg of doxycycline a day along with washing my face with benzol peroxide. i was told it would take 3 months to work, literally by the end of the 3rd month all of my large cystic acne stopped. it did take another 3 months to clear the others and scareing up. however it has now been over a year i have been on doxycycline and my skin is perfect. you need to understand no one product will work you need to attack the bacteria from the inside (doxy) and the outside ( benzol)
please try this, i know how upsetting acne can be and it may take some time but trust me its worth it to have the confidence and your life back
September 15, 2012
Pros:
-cheap
-easy to swallow
Cons:
-makes me feel very very tired
-mood swing (a prominent problem for me)
-a lot of white and black heads
-sun sensitivity
-did not work AT ALL
People on this forum gave me a lot of useful information about the pill before I started taking the pill and so I really would like to share my experiences of taking this pill. Just give it a second thought before you try the pill.
I started taking this pill 6 weeks ago (early August) and just stopped it yesterday. My acne just got worse than ever! I guess I am immune to it. My doctor prescribed 100 mg to me and I took one per day.
1st week: slightly better
2nd week: got worse suddenly
3rd-6th week: better than 2nd week but worse then not taking it
I nearly threw up the first day I took it because I did not have enough food before I took it. Just remember to eat enough before you take it.
One very obvious side effect for me is that I got extremely tired very easily. If you are not a very strong person you might get tired pretty easily after taking this pill. I am not sure if it is just me. I got so tired and I always wanted to sleep. I remember a few reviews mentioning the exhaustion. Unluckily I am one of the users that have this side effect.
Would like to remind you that the pill can cause deformity in babies if you're pregnant while taking this pill.
I became emotional after taking this pill. If the pill can cause deformity in babies than I suspect that it has something to do with hormones. It might be the reason why I became sad so easily. My friends in college noticed that I became tired and sad after taking this pill. I would not even start taking the pill if I know it brings mood swing.
My acne did not get any better (but luckily not worse for too much). However I have become weaker.
I really think that if you don't see any results after 6 weeks just stop taking it. I've tried another prescription 6-7 years ago. I was moderately severe at that time. I took the green little pill for a month and the acne was all gone by the end of the month and only scars left. If a prescription really suits you results should be seen more p
September 15, 2012
Pros:
Clears up your acne
Cons:
Nausea if you don't take with food
I should probably start by saying I never had acne as a teenager and it wasn't until I turned 21 I started to experience moderate, cystic breakouts. It was horrible and I didn't understand why I had to get it now. I Just wanted it gone.I was prescribed doxycycline, 100mg a day. At first I didn't notice a difference, only till about 5 weeks in did my breakouts dramatically decrease. At 8 weeks in my acne is pretty much gone, only a bit of scarring which I'm treating with vitamin e cream. I also made a few lifestyle changes; stopped eating junk food, drank lots of water, increased how much exercise I was doing, switched to oil free makeup and face wash and also started to sanitize all my makeup. If you want a radical change in your skin, you can't solely rely on the medication, I think it's important to asses your daily routine. Doxycycline worked really well for me, it just takes time to work. I hope it works for you, defiantly try it!
September 10, 2012
Pros:
Cheap.
Can be purchased without prescription.
Cons:
Have to strictly monitor administration
Can not exceed 3-6 months
Can cause severe gastric pain (vomitting, nausea)
Can developed resistance over time
I reviewed this over a year ago and at that time, I was on my 3rd antibiotic course. I don't recommend it. It suppresses the immune system and doesn't fight the cause of acne. I'm now acne-free and it wasn't because of doxycycline.
September 10, 2012
Pros:
.cleared up my skin
Cons:
.if you don't take it with food, it gives you cramps
.takes about 2 months
it really works but takes some time
September 9, 2012
Pros:
Suppresses/controls most new acne within the first two weeks of treatment.
Visible control of pustular & papular acne
Cons:
Thrush (serious feminine discomfort)
Dry lips
Skin sensitivity to sun
Prescribed for facial acne, 1 pill 100mg. Full course of treatment for doxy is about 7 months. Twice a day for 5 months, with improvement & acne control, lowered to once a day for 2 months. Repeated this treatment 2 times thus far. First course in 2010, acne came back - second course in 2012. Found that it helped to suppress new acne from forming. But in using to control acne that had already erupted or was slowly surfacing, not effective. In those circumstances, doxycycline alone was not enough, found that treatment of acne had to be complemented with either topical adapalene or tretinoin. Stagger the intake of 1st pill & the next a strict 12 hours apart. Taken too closely and the good bacteria will also be destroyed by medication resulting in thrush. Can be alleviated by Canesten however, thrush returns because of continued doxy intake.
September 4, 2012
Pros:
-Cheap
-Nothing so far yet, I guess I will have to be patient.
Cons:
-Dry Lips
-Bad Breakout at first
-Made me have low self-esteem and lowered my confidence
I am using the oral antibiotic Doxycycline with the topical cream, Adapalene (Differin). I started out with moderate acne, but after about a week and a half, I broke out bad, and can now classify it as moderately severe. Hopefully, it goes away as it has gotten me really down. I am in college right now and its hard for me to want to go to class. From other reviews, it seems it takes time, so I'll be patient. I'll keep updates on here
August 29, 2012
Pros:
- Dramatic reduction in facial & body acne
- Affordable
Cons:
- Full results after ~3 months
- Requies dedicated, consistent use
- Not intended for long-term use
This product was a miracle for my moderate facial and body acne. At 3 months, both the deep large zits & small surface whiteheads were gone with new breakouts nowhere to be found. Lots of patience is needed to take the pill every day & wait months for results, but the payoff in the end was amazing for my wedding day. Unfortunately this treatment cannot be used long-term since it's an anitbiotic & can be harsh on the body.
Pros:
Clears acne and discoloration. Stops cystic acne and major breakouts.