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
July 30, 2011
Cons:
-Gas
-Fatigue
I surmise that it caused
-worsened ADD
-frequent peeing at night
BLOOD WORK!
Before going to the dermo, I would give my acne severity a 8/10 (10 being extremely severe.) I started the pill in April 2009(age 13), it is now (almost) August 2011(age 16). April 2009- October 2009: I took this pill EVERYDAY with the combination of epiduo nightly. Seemed to improve acne slightly.
Acne severity: 6.5/10 October 2009- March 2010: I took pill EVERYDAY with a combo of differin nightly. Acne severity 4.5/10. March 2010- December 2010: I took pill EVERYDAY with combo of Benzaclin day and night. Acne severity: 1.5/10 December 2010- May 2011: I took pill EVERY OTHER day with combo of benzaclin day and night. Acne severity: 1.5/10 May 2011- present day:
I take pill EVERY THIRD DAY with combo of benzaclin. Acne severity: 1.7/10. Actually, I'm not sure if it got worse. I believe its gotten worse on my chest, but it's summer so idk if it's weather related. I think i'm going to try going completely off of the pill because I think the cons out-weigh the pros and I have to get another blood test in order to get another prescription. I will edit the review once its out of my system. As you can see, it is debatable whether the pill did anything at all to clear up my acne. Presumably, it was the topicals that lessened the acne. I wouldn't take Doxycycline simply because its a short-term fix and its not safe to take this pill for a long time. It's hard to know whether it does anything and whether its cause side-effects. In retrospect, I wish I never started taking the pill. Contact me if you have any questions or any experiences going off this pill. I know how annoying acne is and I want to help.
June 3, 2011
Pros:
Clears Moderate achne
Cons:
I've been throwing up or the past 3 hours.
Nausea
I i knew this was going to happen i would have not taken it
April 25, 2011
Pros:
-Clears acne on body as well as face.
-Fewer breakouts, and large pimples go away slightly faster.
-Fewer whiteheads.
-Few side effects for me.
Cons:
-I have to regulate when I take this since it won't work as well if you eat calcium, magnesium, etc.
-I still broke out around my time-of-month, so this doesn't control hormones.
-My skin is still oily.
-I still use topical treatments.
-It takes a couple months to see results.
-Stops working if you stop taking it.
-Possibility of developing resistant bacteria.
With this product, my skin stopped breaking out for the most part. Now I only seem to get acne around my time of month (a few bumps on each cheek) and with maybe one bump each week in between. I still have acne, but my skin used to get a few new bumps each week, and doxy has really helped. My skin is finally starting to look smooth. I take the pill 2x daily, and a 2 month supply costs me $20 with insurance.
...
As an antibiotic, doxy kills the bacteria in your body, including those on your skin. But it also kills the "good" bacteria that help regulate your digestive system. Eating yogurt can help replenish the "good" bacteria. Doxy hasn't really caused negative side effects (knock on wood!) but for those with sensitive stomachs, this product may be too harsh. However, I'm afraid long-term use will lead to the development of doxy-resistant bacteria. I also do not know what the long-term side effects are.
...
I still use topical treatments with this, and have been using Retin-A to help fade scarring. Before, Retin-A didn't do much because it didn't control bacteria, but now that I'm on an antibiotic, the Retin-A is working to help fade scars.
...
Doxy works best if taken 2-3 hours before or after consuming calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron or zinc. So basically, take this between meals or it won't work as well since it bonds to those elements. This takes a while to get used to.
...
Bottom line, I still have acne which occurs around my time-of-month, and my skin is still very oily. I am still an acne sufferer, but doxy has reduced the magnitude and frequency of my breakouts not only on my face, but the rest of my body. I would recommend this for those who can handle taking an antibiotic and are willing to change their schedules and/or eating habits to accommodate this medication.
November 15, 2010
Pros:
If taken consistently, it WILL fight off bacteria that are not tetracycline resistant, thus clearing acne.
Cons:
You won't know if it will work until you try it for a period of time. It might work completely, it might work a little, and it might not work at all.
Regardless of whether you have taken antibiotics before, know that a good percentage of the bacteria that cause acne are already resistant to antibiotics in the tetracycline family, which includes Doxycycline. You just don't know. This accounts for the mixed reviews you see here. If it does work, there is no reason why your acne would not come back after you stopped taking it. If that happens, it's because your body has changed over the course of time in which you took the Doxycycline (in other words, it's not the Doxycycline, it's you). I'd recommend it as a possible quick fix while your looking for another option to treat your acne. It makes sense to use benzoyl peroxide at the same time, thus fighting the bacteria from both ends. It also makes sense to take supplements that are known for calming down acne, such as zinc and omega 3 DHA. It's far from a miracle drug, and chances are it will not clear your acne, but it may reduce it. For many, this is a good enough reason to try it out. If it's not working at all after about six weeks, it's probably time to move on.
August 28, 2010
Pros:
get's rid of acne, doesn't dry out skin, you can still apply stuff externally.
Cons:
I need to take it 2x a day, :( & you need to wait 1 hour to take it if you've eaten. & you also need to stand upright for like 10 min after taking it.
Hello :)
well i REALLY recommend this!
I was really really sad this summer because my light acne turned into almost severe(i have chin/forehead acne) :( i tried a bunch of stuff but i had a purging effect every single morning, where my face would be FULL of PUStules, the huge ones!! :(( & school was about to start in likeee 8 days. I was panicking. our pastor at church recommended I try an antibiotic. so I needed to go to my doc anyways and I asked him to recommend one, he gave me this. every 12 hours. My skin at the moment was inflamed, red, tons of cysts pustules, and everything in between. I was going NUTS. but I tried this anyways while using epiduo gel at night(no big diff) and the day before school the inflamation and everything had gone down by like... 50%!! I could finally use make up again ! haha, b4 i couldn't use anything on my face , i could bearly touch it !! (i also used a ton of masks while on this antibiotic) so now at day 11 i'm great :))
imy doc gave it for 14 days, but i think he's gonna have to prescribe more because there is still work to do here (:
anyways, if you're panicking right now and think you look horrible, just try this!! it saved my life :)
(oh and the cysts have gone down by like half the size, it's amazing !)
this antibiotic was free at publixxxxxx :D
good luck <3
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.
May 2, 2010
Pros:
- Clears EVERYTHING
- No side effects (for me)
- Easy to take
Cons:
- Effect wears off :(
- Acne bacteria resistance...
I've always been battling acne on and off (sometimes benzoyl peroxide fixed everything up), but last summer my skin was at its worst... So I went to dermatologist and started taking doxycycline, as well as applying Epiduo. By the next week, there was already improvement! At the end of the break, my skin was a freaking miracle to me - smooth, not ONE single pimple. But I stopped taking it after my prescription (6 months) since my skin had no problems. Of course, it came back, and now I have acne again....but it's less severe than it was last year, so I'm wondering if I should deal with antibiotics, since I don't like what it does to my body internally (though I had no side effects from doxycycline.)
October 29, 2009
Pros:
i've seen a great significant difference in size and redness of my acne while using doxy, differen, and duac together. its been almost a month and i'm loving the results. i had moderate to severe acne but it is working VERY EFFECTIVELY!
Cons:
i tend to get a little nauseated a little after taking the pill prior to eating 2 hours before hand.
since i was a teenager i was struggling with moderate to severe acne on my face chest back and even buttox. i used Accutane which cleared me up for a few years but suddenly they all came back again. i tried different topical ointments and antibiotics which did not work for me until my derm. prescribed me Doryx, Differin, and Duac. let me tell you.. its almost been 1 month and my face has significantly changed for the better! no more bad break outs, the cysts are no longer there, and my face does not appear swollen anymore from the huge pimples that i had. i love it and i would recommend it to anybody that is in dire need for a solution to their acne problems. very cheap too!
September 16, 2009
Pros:
it does helps
Cons:
not very effective. still experience breakouts. but minor ones.
clears the skin!
April 16, 2009
Pros:
It works great! I was taking it with my daily regimen and I think it really helped!!
Cons:
It made me sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen.
Works great! I was using Differin at night,Benzaclin in the morning & taking Doxycyclyne once daily. I had great results right away & my face cleared up in 1-2 months. I took the antibiotics for bout 2 months. I am not taking them anymore but I am still using Benzaclin & Differin.
Pros:
-I think it improved my acne??
-insurance covered the $