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)
October 8, 2012
Pros:
-inexpensive
-easy pill to swallow
Cons:
-caused headaches
-must take with food (even tho it may suggest otherwise)
-stomach aches
I really wanted this product to work for me but unfortunately it gave me horrible headaches. I did not see a difference in my skin after taking it for about 6 weeks. All pills in the 'cycline' family have given me this reaction.
October 7, 2012
Pros:
Cleared cystic bumps on chin in 2 days
Free at Publix pharmacy
Cons:
Hard to swallow at times
Pills made me excessively tired and hungry
Broke out on the left side of my cheeck
My derm prescribed this to me along with tretinoin gel. I took it for 2 months then my derm advised me to stop taking them. I feel better overall not taking the pills. I was constantly tired and hungry. Once I stopped taking the pills I felt like myself, energectic and happy.
October 5, 2012
Pros:
NONE
Cons:
DOES NOT WORK
DOXYCYLINE IS NAUSEATING AND INEFFECTIVE
September 15, 2012
Pros:
-cheap
-easy to swallow
Cons:
-makes me feel very very tired
-mood swing (a prominent problem for me)
-a lot of white and black heads
-sun sensitivity
-did not work AT ALL
People on this forum gave me a lot of useful information about the pill before I started taking the pill and so I really would like to share my experiences of taking this pill. Just give it a second thought before you try the pill.
I started taking this pill 6 weeks ago (early August) and just stopped it yesterday. My acne just got worse than ever! I guess I am immune to it. My doctor prescribed 100 mg to me and I took one per day.
1st week: slightly better
2nd week: got worse suddenly
3rd-6th week: better than 2nd week but worse then not taking it
I nearly threw up the first day I took it because I did not have enough food before I took it. Just remember to eat enough before you take it.
One very obvious side effect for me is that I got extremely tired very easily. If you are not a very strong person you might get tired pretty easily after taking this pill. I am not sure if it is just me. I got so tired and I always wanted to sleep. I remember a few reviews mentioning the exhaustion. Unluckily I am one of the users that have this side effect.
Would like to remind you that the pill can cause deformity in babies if you're pregnant while taking this pill.
I became emotional after taking this pill. If the pill can cause deformity in babies than I suspect that it has something to do with hormones. It might be the reason why I became sad so easily. My friends in college noticed that I became tired and sad after taking this pill. I would not even start taking the pill if I know it brings mood swing.
My acne did not get any better (but luckily not worse for too much). However I have become weaker.
I really think that if you don't see any results after 6 weeks just stop taking it. I've tried another prescription 6-7 years ago. I was moderately severe at that time. I took the green little pill for a month and the acne was all gone by the end of the month and only scars left. If a prescription really suits you results should be seen more p
September 10, 2012
Pros:
Cheap.
Can be purchased without prescription.
Cons:
Have to strictly monitor administration
Can not exceed 3-6 months
Can cause severe gastric pain (vomitting, nausea)
Can developed resistance over time
I reviewed this over a year ago and at that time, I was on my 3rd antibiotic course. I don't recommend it. It suppresses the immune system and doesn't fight the cause of acne. I'm now acne-free and it wasn't because of doxycycline.
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.
July 4, 2012
Pros:
Minimal side effects
Has a co-pay card (only $25)
Worked (minimally) improving deep, cystic acne bumps, but did nothing for whiteheads
Cons:
Hardly improved my acne at all
I am a 32 yr old woman who has struggled on/off with acne my whole life. It got so horrible at one point, so I started seeing the derm. Before I got in with the derm (about 1.5 months), I cut out dairy and noticed significant improvement. The doc put me on epiduo (had previously been using retin A) and Doryx. She warned me my skin would get worse before it got better. Well it is nearly 3 months later and I haven't seen any improvement. Fortunately my skin did not break out or get worse. And I "think" maybe "hope" that the cystic acne got a little better. But it seens like I have more whiteheads especially on my cheeks and around my mouth. So I stopped the Doryx and my doc just put me on Solod. If this antibiotic doesn't work, then the next step will be accutane.
June 17, 2012
Pros:
None
Cons:
Causes dizziness.
Didn't help my acne in any way.
June 6, 2012
Pros:
Clears acne relatively quickly
No initial breakout.
Cons:
Stops working after about a month
Makes acne worse eventually
Stomach upset
I wouldn't recommend antibiotics. Actually, for acne, I would vehemently fight your doctor from putting you on them. If you use an antibiotic for acne, you risk several things with your skin alone. Number one, continued usage will kill about 95% of the bacteria which live in your pores. However...the 5% which remain will breed...and breed...and breed...and the antibiotic will not be able to touch them, because they are descendents of that original 5%. When you do the math...you realize that after a few months, the doxycycline (or other antibiotic) will be rendered totally useless. The other issue I have with antibiotic usage for acne is the fact that bacteria is NOT the cause of acne: unless you have an infection. All other things considered (let's say you exfoliate and you wash your face daily with a gentle cleanser, and you're still getting acne...and it's driving you nuts)... you either have an excess of oil production due to a) overactive glands as a result of an endocrine or hormonal problem, or b) a general hormone regulation problem (such as PCOS). THOSE MEDICAL PROBLEMS CANNOT BE FIXED WITH AN ANTIBIOTIC...as such...accutane and birth control are the only two "cures" for acne. So, your doctor prescribing an antibiotic for you will NOT fix the problem in the long run...and you'll be back at square one in the doctor's office explaining your problem to them again for another expensive visit. I hope this has helped you all...please reconsider if you're going to go on this medication. It's pretty much useless unless combined with another, more powerful medication.
Pros:
If you're NOT allergic to it - clears acne