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
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.
April 22, 2011
Cons:
Made me throw up in the morning
Makes privates itchy
Skin didn't improve and get worse
I thought throwing up in the morning wouldn't be that awful if my skin got better, well my skin didn't change at all. After a month of throwing up sometimes or just being nauseous I decided I couldn't handle it. To top it off I made me so uncomfortable down under. Didn't work, period.
September 22, 2010
Pros:
- Stopped my acne in the areas where i most sweat (Nose area)
- Stopped sweating as much in my Tzone areas (which was the main cause of my acne)
- Redness went down alot
Cons:
- Face felt very dry
- Once finished course acne and sweat came back in same areas (but whiteheads alot smaller and alot less noticable)
- I suggest an exercise regime while on it because it can make you feel very weak, you can feel it having a negative effect on your body as a whole
I guess it worked well. Better than anything topical. Was on 100mg a day for 2 months. It stopped everything for this period. When i went off then i started sweating in acne prone areas again n i started getting that tingly feeling where acne is going to come again. The number of whiteheads that come up is the same but the size is alot smaller, bout 50% smaller. So i guess it does kill the bacteria.
September 13, 2010
Pros:
Clears Acne fast.
Smooth skin
doesn't dry skin out
easy to take
no serious side effects
Cons:
Will cause bad stomach aches if not taken with food, particularly in the morning for some reason.
Acne comes back after you stop taking it.
This is a great pill i took it for 6 months but then i had to come off it for 2 months. My acne did come back HOWEVER it was nowhere near as bad as it was before taking the pill. Now i'm back on it and my skin is clearing up nicely, i reckon after my second round of doxycycline my spots will be gone. I'm in the UK so it cost me £7.20, i'm not sure what that is in dollars but it's pretty cheap for 2 boxes with 28 capsules.
August 29, 2010
Pros:
-Cleared up half my acne.
-Got rid of 90% of my cystic acne.
-Small Pills.
Cons:
-HAS TO be taken everyday to see the effects.
-Once you stop, acne returns.
-If you dont take with food and enough water you will be sick for at least 30 minutes.
This product worked great for me for about the first 6 months. My doctor told me I should be able to take it for 6 months then be off of it for 6 months and switch back and forth like that for about 2 years and my acne should be cured.
Well when i hit my 6 month mark, i tried to wing my self off of this and my acne IMMEDIATELY returned. So i started taking it again and it started working again. But after a year of the still off again, on again cystic acne i decided to just stop taking it and try and find another route (preferably all natural) I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE A HARSH ANTIBIOTIC FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. For the past month, i have been using Lush's Fresh Farmacy and has been working OKAY but after about two months i will be writing a review for that too.
-But overall, i would recommend a friend TRY this product but no guarantee on how it will work.
April 2, 2010
Pros:
-Not costly
- Clears most deep acne
- Cleared about 1/2 of my blackheads & whiteheads
- My face is a lot smoother after 3 months
- Works well with Differin
- I have only been having few acne break outs, they usually go away after a day
- Does not dry out your skin (just saying this because I know Accutane does)
Cons:
- Had stomach aches for first week of using this product
- Acne does not clear over night, I saw little results after a month 1/2. Patience is key
- You need to take this medicine on a schedule
- I still have some acne coming up, it hasn't stopped breakout yet, but it is so much better than it was 3 months ago
- Does not clear up scars
*Keep in mind that I have been using this for only 3 1/2 months, and you are supposed to use this for 6 months or more* I started using this around January, I had low hopes for it but I didn't want to start using Accutane just yet. After a month my acne got a little worse, but two weeks after that most of my breakouts were gone. My problem areas were around my cheek which consisted of mainly deep acne, and around my chin which was mostly whiteheads and blackheads. It took about two months for this medicine to clear around 50% of my white&blackheads but the results are good so far. My dermatologist told me to take this twice a day at separate times, but I took both pills at night right before I went to bed with a glass of water. Don't take it right before or right after eating because you will get really bad stomach pains. I went to my dermatologist not to long ago and I'm going to stop this medicine and go on Accutane. For me this isn't working fast enough and there is no guarantee that it will keep my acne away forever, but with Accutane I can be more confident that my acne will go away forever. If your acne isn't that bad, and you're willing to wait about 6 weeks to start to see results then by all means get this! It's a lot easier and hassle free than trying to get Accutane (believe me!) If it's your first time going to the dermatologist ask him/her if you could try some antibiotics. I got put on tropical creams for about 6 weeks before going on this and let me just tell you that the creams don't work! Save your money and just ask them about antibiotics. I wish I just skipped that step and tried antibiotics because they really do work, you just need a little patience.
December 19, 2009
Pros:
Great stuff, and I've tried just about everything short of Accutane, which I just can't bring myself to try. So far it has significantly cleared my skin, and it's only been a week. My skin looks to be more even as well, which is very nice.
Cons:
Don't drink alcohol when you take Doxy. I took a sip of wine and it made me vomit.
After having moderate acne for 10 years, Doxy is a godsend. I don't have medical insurance, so paying $10 for a month's worth of pills made me VERY happy.
October 7, 2010
Pros:
+Cleared my acne in about a month
Cons:
+Stops working after a while
+If you take it 30minutes or so before you go too bed, it causes bad indigestion
+ Embarrassing as it is, it gave me bad gas :(
This is a nice quick fix but I want something more effective.
April 23, 2010
Pros:
Easy to take, not costly, works well
Cons:
none really
I've had problems with acne since I was 6 and my mother finally had me speak with someone about recommendations for my skin. After we filled my prescription and I started taking it, I experienced no side-effects and waited patiently for it to work. Within a month I noticed that my skin was clearing up and that I was no longer receiving painful cystic zits I'd gotten before. It works exceptionally well. I've never had any problems except I threw up once but that was because I didn't take it with any food. It made me feel so much better about myself. Now here's something VERY interesting; I've had to discontinue use of it for the past year for a few various reasons (no issues caused by the pill, I assure you) and I've found that though stopping it has meant that I break out, I still don't break out anywhere near the way that I did before taking it. I think it really helps regulate some hormones and keeps things somewhat on track even after you stop. I can't wait to start using it again! I recommend it so mucH!
July 25, 2015
Works but not a long-term solution...
Doxy does work, however being that it is an antibiotic it is not a viable solution for long-term management of acne. It will likely cause nausea, and it makes you very sensitive to sunlight, so it's important to cover up and wear sunscreen when using this product. Make sure you take probiotics or consume some form of yogurt-type product while on any antibiotic because it will deplete the beneficial flora in your gut, making you more susceptible to malabsorption and fungal infections. I only recommend using as a stepping stone to get to Accutane, as insurance companies like to see you've exhausted all other options first. It is important to realize that no antibiotic will cure you of your acne. The effects only last while using the product, and occasionally, the effects may wear off over time as the acne-causing bacteria in your skin becomes resistant to the drug.
Pros:
None