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 7, 2016
calmed my skin but didn't cure it.
I have taken doxy for a year now, it did improve the first couple of months, settled my skin but never completely cleared it and i got bad hormonal break outs on my cheeks, jaw line and chin. I combined it with the Epiduo cream which was ok but i feel the retinA cream from iherb tropical cream worked far better along with a fragrance free sensitive skin facial wash the cetaphil is a good brand. I tried dermal rolling and that was ok also but only helped temporarily same with laser treatment. I'm currently on the pill and I'm having good results so far as it is stabling my hormones i feel... but i think in the end I'm going to have to try accutane unfortunately and i wish i had gone on it sooner because everything else seems to be failing and not permanent results like what i hear about accutane. Hope this helps. so in my opinion doxy didn't make it worse, it just settles it and makes it not as bad as what it would have been. I'm 21 years old and had acne since i was 18 it also runs in my family. big cystic acne :(
May 12, 2016
cautiously optimistic
I have acne-prone, extremely oily skin, with scarring / hyperpigmentation (I'm Asian, and I've read that we're more prone to hyperpigmentation, so yay for that?). I've suffered from moderate but near-constant acne in the form of cysts and whiteheads on my forehead for over 6 years (I'm 17, by the way). My doctor prescribed to me 100mg doxycycline (to be used with 5% benzoyl peroxide) and before I started taking it I researched it, of course, and psyched myself out from all the reviews on here about all the negative side effects like even more breakouts, stomachaches, etc. However, I've been taking it for a little while now and experienced none of these things, and my skin has slowly started to clear up, although I would say I'm only about 75-80% sure (so pretty sure, but not completely certain) that it's due to the medication. If you're also starting doxycycline and worried about side effects, consider the following: - Doxycycline, like any other antibiotic prescribed to fight acne, is NOT a permanent solution. My doctor's current plan is to keep me on it for 3 months and check up on the progress of my skin.
- Antibiotics will kill all bacteria, so make sure to take probiotics or eat yogurt with probiotics in conjunction. I take 1-2 probiotics a day and have had no negative side effects.
- Also, remember basic biology: bacteria can and will develop resistance to antibiotics gradually, so make sure you're not skipping doses or taking them irregularly.
- Doxycycline can cause severe stomach pains if you take it on an empty stomach. Instead, take it after a meal (I take mine after lunch) and with a big glass of water.
April 2, 2016
better oil control
My derm prescribed this for me and it did help a lot to control my oily skin. However, I still got cystic acne bumps with this product, and that was a bummer. I then tried minocycline, but discontinued its use after four weeks. I started getting some side effects that I knew had to be from it, so I switched back. It wasn't worth it to me.
November 26, 2015
Dry skin?
Ive previously been on this medication a year or two ago but I then stopped because I wasn't getting any results. Recently I have started talking this with an epiduo cream. This time I got results the next day, not sure if it has anything to do with that or that I changed my cleanser from cetaphil to neutrogena. Although on the first day I did have very red skin that subsided during the day, despite this I chose to put it on again the next night because I've used both medications before with no side effects I assumed they were one offs. Now my skin is dry and peeling in weird places like under my eyebrow, I'm not sure if this has to do with my medication because I didnt put any cream under my eyes brows. Wondering if anyone else is on the same regime as me and if they are experiencing any of this. I suppose the dry skin is not that bad but as being oily skinned I don't usually get dry and it's quite bothering to suddenly start.
Owais
January 22, 2016
I have been suggested recently the same cream and Doxycycline and the same cleanser. I have the same symptoms of dryness like you.
hw224211
February 2, 2016
Hi, I just started the doxy & epiduo today as well. How have things cleared up since this post? & what did you use to moisturize?
November 26, 2015
It gets worse but then it gets better!
I started Doxycycline when my acne came up out of no where. My GP prescribed me 50ml a day, as well as the pill (Diane). A week into taking Doxy, my skin got ALOT worse. I read that this would happen but I was not prepared for how bad it would get. My acne was now mostly cystic and I was waking up with 5 new pimples every morning. I went back to my GP and he put me on 100ml once daily to fasten the process. I stuck with the Doxy even though my skin was horrible. I am now 6 weeks in and my skin has improved dramatically. I am now 95% acne free, only left with a few small pimples around my jawline. My advice would be to stick with Doxycycline even if you feel that it's not working. I promise this antibiotic does work, it just takes time and patience. I also changed my makeup to mineral powder instead of liquid foundation and I also found that helped a lot. I also stopped using expensive face washes and bought cetaphil which helped as well. Stick with Doxy, make a few simple changes, and I promise you will see results!!
April 26, 2016
Would that also apply for folliculitis? I was prescribed doxy for that. It has made it a lot worse 3 weeks into taking it.
August 8, 2015
Works better than other antibiotics
I am taking 50 mg a day for more than three weeks now and what I noticed is it reduced the frequency of having breakouts.In these 3 weeks I only had three pustules whereas I used to get atleast two every week.Dunno if it's gonna clear me,but still hoping for the best.
P.S-Never go for azithromycin.It may do more harm than good.
September 18, 2015
it's a 10 week update and my acne seemed to have reach a plateau.When I started it I didn't breakout for three weeks together.But from the 7th week, I started to get at least 3 pimples every week.
My doctor still kept me on it(another 2 months maybe) and asked me to have belief and hope.
February 22, 2016
Hi
It's been 7 months since I started doxycycline and have recently stopped it and got prescribed for accutane since acne came back.Got accutane because i'm really scar prone.
My final conclusion is antibiotics are a short term solution and can buy you time to outgrow acne.Some works better than the others.But they are never meant to cure acne.
July 17, 2015
Great! but not a longterm solution...
In grade 12 I started to get acne all along my jawline and chin. I went on Clinique's acne solution, and my skin became 10x worse from all the harsh chemicals. A year after trying different products, my doctor prescribed me doxycycline. After one month i noticed a difference, and was put on it it for another 3 months. My acne totally cleared up! however, a year after being acne free, my acne has come back and i've been put on doxycycline again. While i love what this is doing for my skin, I don't think its a long term solution. Being an antibiotic, it clears out ALL bacteria in your body making an individual much more susceptible for other infections (especially vag). It has been clinically recommended that a person should not be on and member of the 'cycline' family for more than 3 months. So while it can work wonders- its not a longterm solution unfortunately.
July 16, 2015
Great product overall
I have had acne my whole life but it didn't get that bad until last summer when I broke out horribly along my cheeks and my forehead. It was so embarrassing that I didn't want to leave my house. I went to my dermatologist and she prescribed to me doxycycline. I was on it the whole summer and it worked wonders on my skin. It helped reduce the size of my pimples and cleared up the ones I had. Apart from that I still have scaring but my dermatologist took me off of it a couple months ago because she told me that this form of treatment is not recommend to take over a long period of time because your kidneys suffer.
I am back on it again and what usually happens is that I'm on it for a month or two and then I stop for a month and return back to it
The month that I take a break from the medication I have occasional breakouts but not as bad as before
May 23, 2015
Works, with side effects
I had a horrible break out. It lasted 3 months. Just when things were looking up I had an allergic reaction and had to take prednisone. 2 weeks later I was living in hell, twice as bad. The doxy cleared me up in 2 months. Problem is, I lost 25 lbs while I was on it. Couldn't eat dairy products. And your body will get used to it after awhile. It works great but with a price.
October 3, 2014
Review for Doxy
Doxycyline like most antibiotics gets rid of the bacteria associated with acne, so you definitely see some sort of improvement in your acne with Doxy. For me I definitely saw an improvement in my skin, and it seemed to stop any new blemishes from forming as well it dried any spots that were currently hanging out on my face. I still would get a few spots here and there but not deep painful ones. Out of all antibiotics I prefer Bactrim, it works best for me in total clearing of my skin. You most likely will see some improvement in your skin with Doxy though! Be sure to use sun screen though with any antibiotic... you don't want to have to deal with brown spots too. I would give Doxy a 3.5/4 stars.