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
October 17, 2012
Cons:
-nausea
-rashes
-headache
-makes you very sleepy
First thing to check - if you are allergic to any Tetracyline, DON'T TAKE IT! This medication only works for people who are NOT allergic to any kind of Tetracyline. I did not know this until I took it, I started having headaches, got horrible rashes all over my body. I am on Septra which is the other type of antibiotic which I'm not allergic to and it works perfect for me! (No side effects at all)
August 22, 2012
Pros:
- Clears up acne within a month
- Makes Your Skin Less Oily
- Removes acne everywhere
Cons:
- Can give you nausea if tooken on an empty stomach
- Does Dry Skin Out
- Acne comes back if you skip doses
I went to a dermatologist for the first time in my life about 2 1/2 months ago, I was 13 at the time, and 14 now. Ever since I was about 12 and entered the 6th grade, i started getting horrible, horrible skin. It used to be flawless, but then I (admittedly, but I ended those horrible habits) would not shower very often and let my hair grow in long, and all of this resulted in extremely severe oily hair and skin. And after about a year of the bad habits I ended up getting severe acne all over my body. I broke out everywhere on my face especially around the nose area and I got horrible acne everywhere on my back and chest, so bad I became insecure. Anyways, I stopped the bad habits in 7th grade and started showering on a regular basis, but by the end of 8th grade I was sick of the acne and decided to go to a derm. He prescribed me Doxycycline to take once daily plus epiduo and alcohal pads for the night. It could be the epiduo, but i'm convinced that Doxycycline has cleared up my skin fantastically. Relatives and family keep commenting on how flawless my face is looking. It really does the trick! Clears your face up if you don't have too bad of acne within about a week. And after a month it will be fabulous! I still have pretty bad acne on my back and chest except every week I check it's getting better and better slowly but surely. I do recommend this! But I do not recommend skipping doses. I accidently due to financial troubles missed a dose and face started breaking out horribly.
August 21, 2012
Pros:
- Cheap.
- Easy to take (small, no taste etc.).
Cons:
- Only works for a short length of time.
- Increases skins sensitivity.
In the first few months of taking Doxy there were amazing results. People were noticing the differences in my skin then when the 8 - 9th month began, i started getting moderately severe breakouts on my cheeks and chin. They've now moved down one side of my face and slightly down to my neck. My skins began getting as bad as it was before, if not worse.
August 16, 2012
Pros:
-Convenience
-Some clearing of acne while taking it
-Cheap
Cons:
-Most of my acne still remained during and after treatment
-Acne got SIGNIFICANTLY worse after I stopped taking it
I was on doxycycline for several months. I suppose I could've given it more time, but my doctor took me off of it. I'm now on minocycline, which isn't working either. Doxycycline cleared a minimal amount of my acne, but it got rid of the smaller blemishes and did little for my cystic acne. After I stopped taking it, my acne became primarily cysts and I have many more of them. My skin is the worst it's ever been. I have less blemishes than while I was in high school, but it's almost all cysts now (age 23), which I rarely had then. I said I wouldn't recommend that, but all I meant by that was it did not help me at all. I expect that people have very different experiences with antibiotics for acne.
April 18, 2012
Pros:
- It works like magic (for me)
- I had no side effects
- I had no sore stomach or sickness, even on an empty stomach.
Cons:
None really except that your acne comes back a couple of days after you stop taking it.
I'm a 21yo male with dy acne prone skin, this worked for me really well, I am really impressed with the results, I had no side effects whatsoever in the few months I've been taking doxy, I don't get a sore stomach even if I haven't eaten it's fine for me. I know antibiotics arent ideal but I love that it's cleared my acne right up and I don't have to use BP anymore, which wasnt really working.....its much cheaper too at $3 for a 90 day dose (on prescription)
April 14, 2012
Pros:
Lessens facial oil, prevents all types of pimples.
Cons:
They say not to take it with food but you kind of have to or else you feel horribly sick, the capsules get stuck in your throat.
I LOVE Doxy. My skin looks amazing, and I am going to ask my dermatologist if I can stay on it longer. I don't mind taking it with food but if you don't, you'll feel like vomiting. Since I fixed that little dilemma though, I am so shocked at how amazing this medicine works. It has been 2 months so far and I noticed a huge difference after 1 month.
March 23, 2012
Pros:
Kept Back Acne Under Control (which was cystic)
Reduced Inflammation everywhere (face and back)
Helped my roosacea (by reducing redness)
Cons:
Threw up from taking on empty stomach
Can upset stomach
Not the best on immune system
I took this over the summer. It helped I'd say. I has nice clear skin for months. When the fall came; however, I had a major breakout (tiny bumps, very red, all around center of face). So, it didn't help with that. At least I wasn't getting the bigger pimples though. I couldn't continue because of insurance issues, but when I did, I didn't have to pay.
February 28, 2012
Pros:
Chest and back are clear
Cons:
It's been 6 1/2 weeks and I haven't seen much of a difference.
I had really bad hormonal acne. I can tell that the doxycycline is surfacing the pimples, it's just taking longer than normal. I wish I knew if I were wasting my time. I'm using this 200 mg a day with duac and differin.
February 12, 2012
Pros:
Removed most Cysts on face.
Cons:
No real cons, I experienced no side effects, just made sure I ate before I took one.
After taking this for a few months, despite the fact it has eliminated some cysts on my face, I am not satisfied. I still break out and I would suggest if you're willing to go on Accutane, you skip Doxycycline and start it. Even if this is effective, your acne is still likely to come back after treatment.
However, if you're not willing to try Accutane due to it's side effects, this is probably the best antibiotic for you.
November 8, 2011
Pros:
Clears up skin
Cons:
Severe nausea
I started taking 100 MG twice a day for 2 weeks, every time I took it in the morning without food in my stomach I would throw up. So I now take it once a day before I go to sleep. It has been a month and my face is almost 100 percent clear. I don't get any new breakouts but the old ones are still clearing.
Pros:
If you're NOT allergic to it - clears acne