Doxycycline
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Side Effects

Doxycycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should...

Doxycycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should be used only short term (max. 3 months).

It is usually prescribed at a dose of 50 to 100 mg once or twice per day.

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5
20.4%
4
35.1%
3
21.8%
2
12.1%
1
10.5%

Used Doxycycline? Rate It:

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November 22, 2009

Pros:

dried up acne. pain and inflammation are gone.

Cons:

after 3 weeks not completely clear, some small pustules still appearing. very sick to stomach if not taken with food. medicine causing fatigue and depression.

Asking doctor for replacement or suffering through without oral medication. Going off to see if mood elevates and energy returns.
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November 21, 2009

Pros:

Cleared my cystic acne completely minus the odd spot. No scarring, but I also use a good moisturiser and Retin-A gel.

Cons:

The results aren't instant but are worth the wait. Moisturising twice a day is essential! Also, I found when trying to come off it my skin returns so I think it is only good for long term usage.

I have been on this for about a year and I previously suffered from fairly severe facial cystic acne which was embarrassing for a young girl, I'm now 20. This has given me really clear skin and it really was terrible before, I'm not exaggerating and now looking at me you wouldn't believe I have ever had acne. I didn't just have it in one area, although the face was the worst, I had light spots on my upper back, chest and the sides of my neck which is now all gone, I really would recommend this to anyone. I know how confidence knocking acne can be. Oh and below I'm guessing the price in dollars, I pay £7.10 a month (Brit).
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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.
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November 18, 2009

Pros:

Had perfectly clear skin the whole time on the Doxy, minus the first 2 initial months.

Cons:

Pretty bad breakouts the first month. Second month spent waiting for marks to fade. SOO sick if taken without food.

So the first couple of months are a little rough, but after that, no more break outs whatsoever for the remainder of the year on the medication. Came off Doxy, kept me clear for about 10 months after. Now just starting to break out again, going back to the doctor for something new. Stick with it when you start, the first 8 weeks of hell were COMPLETELY worth the 2 years of clear skin for me. ONLY thing! Oh man, take it with enough food. Only happened to me once, but took it on an empty stomach, sick for about 2 hours before it passed through.
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November 17, 2009

Pros:

The pimples on my chin have cleared up almost instantly, and I can see that it's working on the rest of my face and my chest and back.

Cons:

I was prescribed Doxy with Epiduo and a benzoyl peroxide wash, and after only two days of taking it, my skin is red, scarring, blotchy, and flaking off. I'm not sure if it's because of the combination, or just the Doxy, but I'm quite upset.

Try it on its own before using other products with it.
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November 16, 2009

Pros:

Cleared up cystic acne well. I didn't suffer from any of the listed side effects.

Cons:

You must be extra careful when out in sunlight.
Didn't fully clear up all visible pimples.

I've done 2 full courses of this medication, about a year apart. I think I did eventually build up a resistance to it. It worked relatively well, but was not the solution to my acne problems. Once I got off the medication (both times) my acne did return within a couple months. Keep in mind that this is an antibiotic, so it is not a product you can stay on forever.
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November 13, 2009

Pros:

very affordable, lesser tendency of developing resistance, very effective in preventing cysts, lesser side effects ( diarrhea )

Cons:

possible renal or hepatic damage in the future

i was on tetracycline for almost a year but i had a major breakout 2 months ago....i also developed terrible diarrhea with tetracycline...so i decided to switch to doxycycline and i never had any cysts for almost a month now...im still using Benzoyl Peroxide gel to lessen the possibility of resistance.
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November 10, 2009

Pros:

all the cyst acne i had are gone, so no more pain from that.also no new acne. yay!

Cons:

a little upset stomach/diahhrea, but its worth it because the results are great so far.

just to clear things up, your doctor and/or pharmacist says not to take with food and to leave time before and after you take it (about 2 hours of not eating), and this is because doxycycline molecules attach themselves to calcium, aluminum, iron, magnesium, and zinc molecules, making it harder for your body to absorb the medication. i went to my dermatologist today and he said that its not dangerous to take it with food. the other problem with taking it with food is that you could take it with milk and think you got enough calcium for the day, but your body didn't absorb it very well. so my doctor also told me to take 1000 mg calcium supplements (1 per day) and to make sure to take it away from the time of taking doxy. this pill isnt for everyone and works differently for everyone, but its worth a shot. just make sure you understand the directions, and dont freak out if you get a few side effects.
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November 7, 2009

Pros:

Dries up acne fast. Doesn't make me nautious. Used it last year, so I know it will work.

Cons:

Leaves acne scars...Makes me red.

I used to take this medicine last year when I had severeee acne. Red everywhere and huge cysts. I took this with Yaz birth control, Duac Cream, Retin A Micro, and Doxycicline. In 6 months I was completley clear. However, it started to come back this year... So i thought it was the birth control, so now I am taking Tri Lo Sprintec since Ortho was too expensive. Ive been on that for 3 weeks and I'm back to taking Doxy with all the other creams. It dries out my acne but I still get cysts... i have a bunch of horrible scars and hoping they will fade away... Don't give up guys! it takes months for some people to have it be cleared. My acne was so bad that my dermatologist had no hope.. and when it cleared he told me he was completley suprised and in shock. This is my second time going through it.. I know how you all feel but DONT GIVE UP. Its a struggle and it does cause depression but you will get through it :) Ill come back to update in 3 months
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November 7, 2009

Pros:

Starts to work immediately and no new pimples form in that first week of taking it. After a week my acne is fading and the cystic acne stops cold- no pain or inflammation.

Cons:

Must be taken with a little food, some doctors say an hour before eating or 2 hours after eating for absorption reasons, and then some say it doesn't matter. I eat it with toast. Can cause upset stomach and a nauseaus feeling if taken without food.

Doxycycline is the fastest way for me to clear my skin. I don't take it for more than 6 months at a time because I'm aware of the negative effects of taking antibiotics for a long period of time, but it is a quick fix, for me that is. Once I get off of Doxy, my skin stays clear for about 3 months and then I notice a slow progression of acne. That may be related to the antibiotic or just stress.
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The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
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