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
March 27, 2012
Cons:
Made me VERY sensitive to sunlight
Occasional vomiting after taking it
I started doxycycline because of my acne on my chest and back and it worked really well - cleared my skin up. I was on it for about a year but finally decided to come off it because it made me so sun sensitive. This is a fairly common side effect and as I'm so pale anyway it was not very nice. I made me throw up only twice and only because i hadn't eaten. I would recommend it though as it did work :)
December 5, 2011
Pros:
Stops new cysts from developing, even after 2 years of taking this.
Cons:
WILL cause nausea unless taken with food. I know it says don't take with food, but believe me, it still works and you won't feel nauseous.
Will cause breakouts if you stop using it. I did for a while. Worst decision of my life.
Use it. Nothing is worse than a giant cyst that doesnt go away for a month. YOU MUST TAKE IT EXACTLY AS DIRECTED for it to work. My dosage was 100mg twice a day, but I lazed off and usually only took it once before bed for about 6 months. Didn't do anything. Prom came up in a few weeks and I took the correct dosage. After 2 weeks...what a difference.
October 13, 2011
Pros:
clears acne
Cons:
can make you nauseous
takes a few weeks to see results
acne might come back once you stop taking it
i took 100 mg twice a day, and although i kept breaking out the first few weeks and thought it wasn't working, six weeks later there was definite improvement. now 3 months later my dermatologist, family, and friends have all commented on the improvement in my skin. i am very pale but still tanned outside and did not experience and allergic reaction or extreme sensitivity as my doctor said i would. i did throw up once when i decided to experiment and take it first thing in the morning without eating. but most of the time i would take it in the middle of the day, a few hours after eating, and i experienced no nausea doing that. i have heard it is more effective to not take it with food so that is what i did. i was also very careful about not eating dairy two hours before or after i took doxycycline. i think what you eat definitely makes a difference in the effectiveness in the medication. it worked great, and now i am supposed to go down to once a day and hopefully my acne will not come back.
August 25, 2011
Pros:
Cleared up Acne 100%
No new breakouts ever while taking this drug
Acne scars diminished
Worked relatively fast for me, about 1 month or so
Cons:
Makes you throw up if taken on an empty stomach
Loses effectiveness soon
I absolutely loved Doxycycline. My doctor prescribed me this drug after I suggested I wanted to go onto Accutane. He wanted me to try other alternatives before Accutane. I took Doxycycline for about 6-7 months before slowly experiencing a few pimples and then a massive breakout, realizing it lost its effectiveness. I had no idea antibiotics lose effectiveness since this was my first time taking medication for my acne. I was extremely disappointed, devastated actually. However, overall I would recommend this drug because it gave me almost a years relief and made me 100% clear for my high school graduation. I am currently on Bactrim/Septra & Diane35, hoping to get my skin back to normal.
June 26, 2011
Pros:
-Cleared up acne
-Used for staph infection on left cheek
Cons:
-The worst cysts you will have for the rest of your life
-Cysts = scarring
-puss filled pimples
I was actually acne free for the past two years consistently. Suddenly though I ended up getting a staph infection on my left cheek. It looked like a nickle-sized hickey, but infected and gross looking. I am a 23/m, so not sure if my hormones level started to taper off causing me to be acne free; which is a lot of times the reason for acne. The doctor prescribed me Doxy-100mg for 10 days, 2 times a day, for the staph infection. This all happened about, mid-May-2011. 2 months later... Major cysts. Before I had maybe 1 or 2 small cysts every other month or so.... but now... cysts are like the new breakout pimple. Never had puss filled pimples in a long time, probably back in highschool when I was 17...18.. now though, it's back. Really bad puss filled pimples then turns into cysts. sucks. Not sure what to do. I have a pretty clean diet, drinks a lot of water for hydration and normal detox. so... not sure, don't take doxy. Yeah you get the results WHILE you're taking it... but After?! You'll hate your face. Not joking.
September 3, 2010
Pros:
None
Cons:
Did nothing for me
I used this for two months, and this product did absolutely nothing for me. My dermatologist at the time told me that I should continue using this for a few months so that it can take effect, but I did not follow that "advice", which turned out to be for my benefit. I then went to Minocin, which worked wonders! I'm sure however, that this product works well for others.
July 10, 2010
Pros:
Cleared My acne up really well. Not fast but still good.
Cons:
If you stop Using it acne come back, Took a couple months to clear. Sometimes gives light belly ache
I have been using it for a while and I do reccomend it to people. It will take a bit but just have pathence
July 2, 2010
Pros:
works well & fast
Cons:
may not be right for everyone!
very strong drug
Doxycycline may work wonders for some users. However, I am a 22 year old girl and started developing serious acne for the first time a couple of months ago. I have been taking doxycycline for two months, and have seen great results. However, I discovered after my skin cleared that my acne is hormonal. I am only getting breakouts before my period. I am asking my doctor to switch to Aldactone!
P.S. DO NOT take this on an empty stomach! Eat a piece of bread etc. before taking
December 4, 2009
Pros:
It cleared up all of the fine bumps I had on my face and even gave me a glow after about 5 days. It works fairly quickly. Probably the best treatment I have recieved thus far.
Cons:
As with everyone else it does make you nausea and/or vomit if you take on a empty stomach. No dairy 1hr. before or 2 hrs. after taking. Lastly, gave me reoccurring yeast infections.
I love the difference the medicine made but it was not worth my health. My primary doctor said that reoccurring yeast infections in women are common with this antibiotic. So for the women that have not been taking Doxy for long BE WARE! It took me two months before I realized that Doxy was causing my yeast infections. I sadly thought that the Doxy would help clear it up, considering, before I finally got frustrated and consulted with my physician. However, they were very mild infections. The only way I knew that I had one was because sexual intercourse was a little uncomfortable, otherwise, I had no symptoms. I'm sure it works like a charm for men but I just wanted to give women a heads up since I noticed that most people women that have posted on this website have not been taking it for long and maybe may not even realize that they have a infection and if so, that Doxy is the cause.
November 21, 2009
Pros:
Reduced new acne from forming in combination with Clean & Clear Persa Gel (10% benzoyl peroxide) and Clindamycin solution.
Cons:
Did not get rid of red marks. Peeling, sun sensitivity, have to plan meals carefully-no dairy within 2-3 hours of taking it, must sit up for 30 minutes.
After 4.5 weeks, hardly any new pimples have formed, but the red marks remain. I went back to my doctor yesterday and she said either to wait out the red marks or to consider doing lasers.
Pros:
- It cleared up my bacne
- It stopped spots on my face as well
- Free on NHS