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
June 29, 2011
Cons:
Only works for so long, can get a really bad sunburn.
It works.
May 12, 2011
Pros:
Less Acne
Cons:
Bloating / Frequent peeing,
Slight stomach ace,
Tired
I'm on day 6 and I definitely see a good change in my acne but I'm bloated and always have to go to pee! This may be why some people say they gain weight on it. It slightly suppresses the appetite too though.
April 18, 2011
Pros:
I have better things to say about Satan than this antibiotic.
Cons:
- Broke out in places I didn't even know acne could exist.
- Lots of itchiness in the scalp
- Experienced itchiness in the rectum area as well as discharge
- Stomach constantly growled.
- Extreme nausea when I didn't take it with lots of water and food.
- Had break outs of lots of whiteheads while on it.
- Made me lose hope in ever clearing up acne
After a month and half of being on this pill, I decided the side effects were not worth the small chance that the acne would clear up. "It gets worse before it gets better." The "getting better" part never happened. I also noticed that ever since I took this pill, the skin in the middle of my forehead has an indent in it. Not attractive. When I began this treatment, my acne was already on the path of worsening. I hesitate to say this antibiotic caused my acne to get worse, but at that VERY least, it did nothing to stop it. I never had so many whiteheads until I started taking it. I suffer from acne on my back, upper arms, forearms, face, thighs, legs, and feet. It couldn't do anything to stop any of it. The itchiness was completely unbearable and the rectum itches was embarrassing. This pill ruined my confidence. This antibiotic has the most positive reviews out of any of the others, and still couldn't do anything for me. Shame.
January 27, 2011
Pros:
Clears up acne EXTREMELy well first time you use it, can mash it up if it is too big of a pill for you to swallow, good for body acne, gets rid of cysts on your face relatively quickly
Cons:
Stopped working for me after two months (all my sore zits came back like wildfire around my neckline), seems to make teeth look more yellow (I just whiten them), tastes disgusting, pill is HUGE
I used this a few years ago and it worked wonderfully! I got so many compliments on my skin! However, I then went off of it because I had been on it for a few months. While at first my skin still looked good, then I broke out so badly for the next couple of months. I went back on it again 3 months ago, thinking it would have the same effect as it did the first time and get rid of my acne again. However, although it did work for the first two months, it seemed to lose its effectiveness or I simply became immune to it. Either way, it stopped working and now I am on a different medication which seems to be working for now.
January 18, 2011
Pros:
-prevents new acne
-skin is not as red and inflamed
-small pill
Cons:
none.
i've been taking this for almost a month and it has improved my skin a lot. i don't get as much acne anymore, i just get a couple pimples every once in a while. probably in a couple months, my skin will be clear. i've been using it with tretinoin cream, which makes an even bigger difference. people say that doxycycline makes them sick, but my dermatologist told me to take it with food, so i haven't had any side effects at all.
i recommend it to anyone that suffers from moderate to severe acne.
the only problem is that after a while your body becomes used to it so it won't work anymore so you have to get something stronger.
December 15, 2010
Pros:
None for me.
Cons:
-Didn't fix acne
-Thrush
This didn't work for me at all. It seems to work for some people, but I guess it depends on your body. I've tried it a few times with no success, and each time I started it again I would get an attack of thrush within 48 hours.
April 30, 2010
Pros:
Cleared up some of my severe acne
Cons:
I still kept breaking out, and had to use AcneFree while on it, but broke out still.
Doxycycline was alright for me for a few months, but stopped working after a period of time- I have severe acne so I still kept breaking out even though I used it.
It made me so naseaus even if I had a small meal-
If you have light acne I guess it would work better, but not for severe conditions,sadly.
April 2, 2010
Pros:
Read Bottom Line
Cons:
Nothing really
Just a short sum up, I have being on this medication about 5/6 months and it works wonders 90% of the time and keeps my skin pretty much clear besides the odd spot however I am sick of its occasional ability to loose control for a week or so... I have decided to go onto Roaccutane and hopefully get rid of the left over acne once and for all But seriously, doxy is a GREAT product it has been a life saver the last 6 months of my life definately recommend it! Easy to take, no side affects experienced!! DO IT! haha
January 3, 2010
Pros:
None, I did not react to this antibiotic well. See "Bottom Line" for details.
Cons:
Within the 3rd day my skin was so dry it felt like sandpaper and was so damn itchy it seemed like no amount of lotion (Neutrogena oil free moisturizer) helped. My skin was peeling like crazy, my stomach hurt and made such loud noises at night I couldn’t sleep. Made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach the 1st day, don’t do this or else you’ll be severely nauseous, eat a couple of crackers, pop the pill and then eat a few more crackers and make sure to wash it down with plenty of wa
Not everyone reacts the same to doxy, mino or tetracycline. I was put on doxy for moderate acne that was caused after I stopped taking an antidepressant called effexor that I had been on for 10 years. I had taken tetracycline before and my body reacted well to it however my primary doctor felt I should give doxycycline a try. Since it's part of the tetra family I thought I would react fine to it. . .boy was I wrong. I finally realized my symptoms were an allergic reaction and the drug was not responding well with me. I think it's a bunch of bulls*** when people say, stick it through when you're having bad symptoms from an antibiotic. Stop taking it if you react badly, its common sense but some people are so desperate when it comes to acne that they feel like it's their last resort. Bottom line, was on it for 5 days stopped b/c I was obviously allergic to it and I was put on Tetracycline instead.
December 8, 2009
Pros:
its been a 5 dayz since i am on this pill.
and the results are amazing. i had severe acne vulgaris.However after 5 dayz 85% of it has gone.
I hv been prescribed this for 1 month along with some homeopathic medicine.
Cons:
all is well as of now.
actually i feel that it has increased my appetite.
give it a try atleast once.Hope it works for u as well.
Pros:
I was on it for about 3 months and it cleared up my acne fully.
It prevents new acne from forming because it kills bacteria.