Doxycycline
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Doxycycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should...

Doxycycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should be used only short term (max. 3 months).

It is usually prescribed at a dose of 50 to 100 mg once or twice per day.

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July 23, 2016
Worked for a while but then skin got worse than before!
I took Doxycycline for about 13 month and though the progress was slow, my skin began to make some improvement after i'd been taking it for around 3 months. My skin wasn't perfect, I still got spots and it wasn't good enough that i would feel confident leaving the house without wearing makeup, but i figured it would get better. however after about 8 months my skin started slowly getting worse again, and by 11/12 months i was in tears on a daily basis about how bad my skin was (HUGE eruptions of cystic acne all over my face and back) and how much it hurt to touch. This leads me to think that perhaps a lot of the antibiotics encouraging effects may have been in fact down to the weather (my skin starting getting worse as the seasons changed and it got colder.) It may help some people but since coming off these and switching my birth control methods to co-cyprindiol (dinette) pill from the implant my skin is looking better than ever.
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alyleiii
September 26, 2016
Sounds like you developed resistance to the antibiotic. It happens to almost everyone at some point. Glad to hear your skin is better now.
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April 4, 2016
Jaundice and hypoglycemia
I wouldn't believe this could happen but it did! My fifteen year old son has been under the care of a very conservative dermatologist for six months. We started with Epiduo which was completely ineffective. We then moved on to two topicals and doxycycline. The topicals didn't seem to be doing much after three weeks so I filled the doxy prescription. Within a few days my sons complexion looked 50% better, and after a month his face was nearly completely clear. Yes, initially he had some stomach upset, but took it the morning with scrambled eggs and a large glass of juice and had no trouble. Leap forward three months: he's yellow tinged and sleeping all the time and his grades have dropped. Not suspecting the antibiotic, I took him to the pediatrician who ordered lab work. His glucose ( after lunch, no less) was 54 and his bilirubin count was high, explaining his sallow coloring. Common illnesses were ruled out, such as mono, thyroid,etc. After reading exhaustively about doxy, his only medication, I discovered that it is likely the cause of his symptoms. We stopped the medication and go for repeat blood work later this week. Fingers crossed that the liver problems are reversible. As with any medication be vigilant when something seems "off".
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alyleiii
September 26, 2016
Wow. This is so awful, I am so sorry this happened to him. Is he okay now?
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May 25, 2015
not worth it
i started out with bumpy, red acne on my forehead and on both of my cheeks. my forehead is clear, but both of my cheeks have no improvement. as well as I have a burning chest, throat + back pains which caused me to go to the er and miss a whole week of school. the clean forehead was definitely not worth the pain in my chest.
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SensuousEpoch
September 25, 2015
Weird question? Do you ever take this than lay down? The antibiotic gettin stuck in your throat if not fully invested can cause things like esophagitis- or inflammation of the esophagus because of how strong the medication is. I make sure to take it with lots of water to make sure I get it down
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March 3, 2015
struggling
I have been on several topical creams and this is the first tablet i could finally get my fricken doctor to give me. I'm 15 and i have constant pimples for about 3 years now. It is so exhausting, they are not as bad as some people's I know but for me they make me so upset i try to avoid mirrors all together to be honest, because when I see it it puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Anyway so i started doxycycline 2 weeks ago, my doctor gave me 100mg tablets for 7 days and then 50g for the rest. She said i would notice an improvement in 10 days... well thats not right at all because my pimples are worse 2 weeks later. Not sure if its because i am taking such a small dosage, the tablet is about 1/5 size of a 10 cent coin, how can that do anything? Most frustrating thing. Anyway she also gave me epiduo (another cream... what a joy) and i seriously cannot say that either of them are doing a thing. Getting soo exhausted seeing my friends with such clear faces, one of them went of roaccutane and her full face of acne was cleared in a month, I really want to go on it but my mum doesn't want me to.. part of my frustration. Wasting my time with tiny tablets and sh*t creams. Ugh. Please let me know if this is your situation and if this stuff is the classic: "you have to have patience" because i had patience for 8 months on differin so please dont tell me that.
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Dianne12345
June 8, 2015
My daughter went on Roaccutane at age 12, it honestly is a miracle cure, I see lots of teens with acne, and I wish their parents would put them on roaccutane, it does also take a while however, around 3-4 months from memory to have clear skin, it also heals up any existing scarring
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AlainaAtk66
July 21, 2015
My dermatologist prescribed me this antibiotic a few days ago, so I can't say anything about my personal results. However, he did tell me the acne will usually get worse before it gets better, because the bacteria is being drawn out of your skin and onto the surface. Most people who have been on this drug say the acne is at its worst during the treatment at about 4 weeks, and then it starts to improve from their.
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February 9, 2015
CLEARED up my face BUT BROKE OUT MONTHS LATER!
Okay, so I never write reviews but this prescription really cleared my face! My break outs got so bad by December of last year that it started affected my life In a negative way. I decided I've had enough so I decided to go to my school doctor and she prescribed me this. I took 100 mg twice daily for two months. The first month I didn't notice much improvement in fact I broke out a bit more ! However, I just finished my second month and I literally only have four pimples left! Of course, I do have some scarring but they are very faint. I would post pictures here but I don't think I can? Anyways I would recommend ! The only side effect I had was that if I took it without food I would get very nauseous, so I had to take it with food. She recently changed me to minocycline for my 3rd month, so I will keep this updated! UPDATE: My face had cleared up and I was elated! So I gradually started to decrease my doses (per my doctor) and everything went smoothly for about three months. However, on the third month after stopping the medication, I started to break out mildly. At first it was a pimple or two there, then about a week later my face started to break out BAD! I broke out on my forehead, cheeks, and chin! I couldn't believe it was happening again. I was horrified! At this point, I started to see at non-prescription treatments and decided to give the acne.org products a try (I will write my review shortly on those products as well). In the end, I am sad to say that it was only a temporary fix. I stopped the products all together (after decreasing the amount of course) but it all came back. Maybe you're supposed to stay on these pills for a longer period of time? I am not too sure. I hope you guys' experience is better than mine.
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December 31, 2014
Meh
Took it for six months. Cleared comes ones on forehead. Did nothing for black heads. Helped my back and chest acne but my cheeks stayed the same, probably 5+ pimples all the time. I have ibs and it screwed with my gut. I had a raging yeast infection for like 3 weeks. Overall not worth it
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September 22, 2014
Very agressive
I started using it a week ago , but was very aggressive with my stomach ... so I decided to stop treatment .. does not work for me, my skin is as always, a bit dry and moderate acne . I am aware that I have not used it for the recommended time , but nothing changed , exept that I now have acne and stomach pain .
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June 14, 2014
Seemed to be working but made me puke like crazy
I developed a skin infection after getting a sunburn from using a terrible moisturizing lotion. I already had some acne, I scratched too much at the sunburn, and wham. I got a huge line of gross pustules running up the left side of my face. I was supposed to take Doxycycline for 10 days until it cleared, but I could only take it for seven due to the extreme nausea it gave me. The first night, I spent about eight hours puking over the toilet. The rest of the week, I didn't puke but my stomach still felt awful. I tried to stick with it because it was really clearing the infection and some of my acne. Too bad I couldn't finish it and the infection came back. If this doesn't make you sick, I think it'll work for you since it's pretty strong.
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December 16, 2013
Barely works

Cons:

not effective
kills good bacteria in stomach and digestive system
NOT a long term option

Doxycycline did not do much for my acne at all. I noticed no increase in the severity of my acne after coming off this antibiotic. Also, antibiotics wreak havoc on your digestive system causing a whole range of other problems.
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June 14, 2013
Worth the Side Effects?

Cons:

Side Effects

My Dr. gave me a few weeks script of Doxy to jump start my acne clear up regimen. It helped to slow down the acne flair ups. However, it gave me a horrible side effect of a yeast infection. I stopped using it and of course my acne came back full force. So I began using the Doxy again, and 2 weeks in I got another yeast infection. My Dr. switched me to a topical clindamycin, which I've been using for almost a year. HELPS! The Doxy, not so much.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website