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
May 13, 2017
Been working well
I started on this pill 2 months ago, and I've seen positive results. When I started on it, my acne was horrible - especially around the jaw, chin, and forehead. I'd get new pimples every day and they were always very red, swollen and painful (and would keep coming in the some spots). Within 3 weeks, I started seeing my face clearing up. Of course now and then, I still get a small pimple, but it does not get as swollen and disappears much faster. I have not suffered from any of the negative side effects associated with this antibiotic, so it's definitely been a positive experience so far! For topical treatment, I've also been using a vitamin A cream (Differin) at night, and I think the combination of these two have really been helping, especially with fading my old acne marks. I know your body tends to build up resistance to antibiotics eventually - so far it hasn't happened, but we will have to wait and see.
ashleybauchert
December 19, 2017
Did you always just have minimal whiteheads before doxy? Or like a mix of different types? Mine affects my chin and forehead as well, with a mix of white heads and some comodones that turn into bigger red pimples.
January 16, 2017
Worked for my hormonal acne
When I turned 21 I started getting severe cystic acne around my jaw and on my cheeks. I tried creams, gels, herbal stuff and 'acne' products that aren't actually for people with acne. I eventually got so sick of feeling bad about my skin, I went to see a doctor and was prescribed doxycycline for 3 months. I was so skeptical because I read a few bad reviews and I just gave up all hope of anything working but 5 months later I have much better skin. I read that apparently it makes your skin worse before it gets better but that never happened for me and they started working noticably after about 2 weeks. I still get one cystic acne lump every so often but it's nothing compared to how bad my skin used to be, my scars are fading and my skin looks less red, I'm so pleased with the results. However towards the end of the 3 month period I started to get quite bad nausea to the point where I was throwing up every other day so I started taking them on a full stomach with water and that stopped the nausea completely. Do NOT lye down after taking!!!
March 31, 2017
Are you still using doxy?
July 12, 2017
Hi - please could you let me know how your skin is now you've stopped - so glad to hear a positive review for once on this drug!! xx
January 7, 2017
Another dead end...no help
I'm 19 year old and been struggling with mild persistent acne and very oily skin since I was 13. I was on Limecycline for over a year and that helped a couple of years ago however it didnt last. Recently with going to University my skin has become the worst it has ever been and I am sick to death of feeling so insecure about my face, I hate having to constantly cover my skin with makeup to be able to go outside the house. My dermatologist has given me this before making the decision to go on accutane (which I am waiting to go on now FINALLY) - it has been a little over three months and it has barely helped at all, infact my skin just continues to get worse :( it honestly is so depressing. The first month on this made my skin terrible, it has slightly improved since then but I cant see this as a long term fix at all. It's time to get this acne and confidence battle over with and i pray accutane will be my cure :). Perhaps if your acne is very moderate and tolerable this may help, however not for more severe cases.
December 19, 2017
you said mild acne? Like cheeks and jaw with like 4 zits on each side or something? Did doxy makie it more moderate or was it just your skin continuing to break out how it normally would.
January 1, 2017
be patient and it will work
Hello everyone, I'm 13 yrs old so if you are not a teenager then you probably have a different skin type to me but i'm also middle eastern ( Kurdish to be precise.) I was previously on a acne drug called tetralysal and it didn't really do the magic on my skin, so I went back to my local doctor and she prescribed me tetracycline/doxycycline 1 tablet a day, at the start,the drug didn't really kick it and i had a few yellow breakout that left a scar but as i reached the end of the month my skin hadn't had a major breakout for about 2 weeks and with daily washing my face is much more clearer and my mum has noticed a difference in my skin but unfortunately i have acne scars,there not major but there is some red scars which really does bother me. I would recommend this if your acne isn't as severe but if you have really bad acne then go on accutane. Lot of people say do not drink or eat dairy products as they do your skin hell, but i've been enjoying full fat milk and lots of chocolate and it has not made a difference to my skin at all so is probably all a myth. please do not use heavy facial scrubs on your face EVERYDAY as it will leave your skin feeling rough and not smooth, it will also scrub off a layer of skin which is vital to preventing acne , so make sure you gently scrub your face and only scrub once a month in the t-zone,chin and nose.DO NOT SCRUB EVERYDAY. also does anyone know what to do about my scarring? will it go because im 13 and im still growing? Many thanks
naz
btw doxy will not work in a month it will take time
December 8, 2016
1.5 months in...no real improvement
I have been on doxy for 46 days. I have a mixture of inflammatory and non inflammatory acne and face has not improved at all. If anything I seem to be getting a lot more pustules on my face than I did before taking it. Regarding back and chest, every other day I wake up and it looks the smallest bit better and then the next day it looks a lot worse (red bumps) and this continues. It could be the creams and washes I am using clears up the redness and makes it look a bit better on the 'little bit better days'. So far I will give it 2 stars just because my chest looks the best it has in a year on the 'little bit better days' (although it is still pretty severe on these days, but better). But overall my skin hasn't improved yet and is in someways getting worse. I am hoping that at 3 months this will have changed and I will keep at it and update either way. If not the only pill I haven't tried is accutane!
May 30, 2017
....update.... it didn't work at all 7 months down the line :(:)
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.
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.
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 25, 2015
The worst decision of my life
My doctor gave me this without giving me any warnings of any consequences, even though I asked.
First few months it was great, my skin was perfectly clear. I thought it was great. Then I started becoming severely depressed. I started having suicidal thoughts and couldn't concentrate on anything. Acne appeared all over my back and a bit on my chest too, which I had never had before. It had only been on my face. As soon as I stopped taking them I felt complete mental relief and after a few weeks I felt normal and happy but I was extremely unhappy because of the acne on my back and chest. It has been around six months since I stopped the antibiotics and I am still getting some acne on my back and I get it on my face to. It's going to take a long time for the acne to stop and for my skin to fix the scarring :(
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.
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
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
September 2, 2014
No change for me
I am a 35 year old male and have suffered with acne since I was 15 years old. I have been taking 100mg of Doxycycline a day for 11 months and can say for me it has not worked, I have noticed little to no reduction in my acne. I still get big spots/zits on my chin. It's a shame there isn't one thing that works for everyone, very happy for those it has worked for though.