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
August 29, 2012
Cons:
- Full results after ~3 months
- Requies dedicated, consistent use
- Not intended for long-term use
This product was a miracle for my moderate facial and body acne. At 3 months, both the deep large zits & small surface whiteheads were gone with new breakouts nowhere to be found. Lots of patience is needed to take the pill every day & wait months for results, but the payoff in the end was amazing for my wedding day. Unfortunately this treatment cannot be used long-term since it's an anitbiotic & can be harsh on the body.
August 26, 2012
Pros:
Reduce Redness
Less Oily Skin
Keeps Acne Away
Cons:
Slow
I started taking this antibiotic about a month ago and I believe it works. You just have to wait a few months. Please take it after a meal or your tummy will hurt. I haven't had any side effects at all, and I feel normal. But I have heard that some people get yeast infection from taking the pill. I have seen improvement on my skin and hopefully it will get better! I am taking this twice a day and I put on Atralin on the acne spots before I go to sleep. I also use CeraVe PM moisturizer over it (it helps my skin so much!) I know this antibiotic pill doesn't work for everyone, but I really hope it works for me because I can see it working slowly on my skin.
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 9, 2012
Pros:
Clears Acne Really Well.
Cons:
About 2-3 Weeks Into the process, It will make acne worse due to the fact the it kills all the acne bacteria and the bacteria has to get out somehow.
It works, just have to be willing to go through the first month.
July 17, 2012
Pros:
helped to clear my skin, did not experience any side effects
Cons:
antibiotics kill ALL bacteria in your system, even the helpful ones, like probiotic bacteria in intestines that help regulate the digestive system -- I experienced some unpleasant stomach pains and irregular bowel movements (ew, sorry, but its truth), also, messed with my eating habits/diet because of the directions to not take the pills with food, risk of antibiotic resistance
I developed a great deal of deep, cystic acne on the sides of my face and cheeks suddenly after new years. I had some regular pimples (not cystic) on my chin and forehead as well. No blackheads, really. My skin was so inflamed, new blemishes were appearing daily, each blemish would leave a deep red mark (my skin is light and prone to marks) so I panicked and went to the dermatologist. I was put on 100 mg of doxycycline 2x daily, clindamycin wipes (2x a day) and a 10% benzoyl peroxide-aloe vera wash (2x a day). I followed the routine religiously, and even so, it took three months to see really noticeable results. I continued this routine for five full months, and my skin is practically breakout free, and the red marks are finally beginning to fade (time and sun, according to my derm.). I requested that my antibiotic dosage be lowered because of the possible adverse side effects of long-term antibiotic use, and I halved my dosage, still washing with the benzoyl-peroxide wash, and still using the clindamycin wipes. It's been about a month on the lowered dosage and so far, so good. No new spots. It looks like I will be able to successfully wean myself off of the antibiotics. I remember reading reviews on this website about the ineffectiveness of antibiotics and the possibilities of resistance. These are all very real possibilities, but this routine has worked to clear my acne up and to keep it at bay, so it is not hopeless. I'm an advocate of this routine, in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.
June 22, 2012
Pros:
Easy to take
Clears face 90%
Cons:
Takes a month
Bad yeast infection
Really bad initatal break out
I am going to tell you my whole month experience so far, well start out my acne is moderate serve, and i start doxycycline and the next day or two i notices my acne looking much worse and for the next 2 weeks it continued i was going to stop, but i kept going ang and the fourth week i was so clear. So dont give it up... The breakout at first will be bad alot of white heads where u dont normaly get them or way more then will go away after the fourth week
June 8, 2012
Pros:
it really works but in the short term
Cons:
nausea and vomiting(if taken before meal)*I'M SERIOUS*
dry up skin
My acne is not severe but after I've recovered from shingles (Feb 2012) , I got infections on my skin and throat. I suffered severe acne and it hurts a lot especially when I wash my face, and I couldn't rub my face too. My doctor gave me doxymycin capsules (green capsule) to be taken one each day after meal for 10 days continuously together with vit C pills to lessen the scars. YES, doxymycin also works for lung infection. So, I took it as prescribed and drink water a lot (i was not using moisturiser during the recovering time) . after 3 weeks or so, my acnes cleared off, only scars left. My doctor also advised me to take vitamin E oil supplement, and i'm medical students. I know really well how vit E works..or you can even google its benefits:) however, it is not advised for a prolonged consumption.
June 2, 2012
Pros:
Clears up acne for 2 - 3 weeks
Cons:
goes back after that 2-3 weeks,
my acne became worse now that the clear phase of over i have spots everywhere now!
it was good for 2 - 3 weeks but its now a nightmare, only reason i rated it 4 is because of the clear phase...
May 21, 2012
Pros:
Worked in 10 days
Worked on both cystic and your run of the mill ones..
I woke up yesterday morning with not one pimple!!!
Cons:
Makes you nauseous if eaten without food
headaches
Will more than likely come back as soon as i finish antibiotics...
I am 24 years old had acne since 13ish i have tried every wash and cream under the sun during teen years i wasnt allowed to use perscriptions as my mother was cautious about side affects.. when i was 18-20 my acne actually cleared up ok, just a few spots around menstuation time but the last two years have been awful terrible cystic acne on my chin and back constantly leaving red marks inbetween the time they came and went i went to my dr's and he perscribed doxy i didnt hold high hopes the first week was hell my skin broke out worse than ever before i counted 17 cystic pimples on my back two on my temple and all along hairline i was mortified to go to work but stuck it out..i also used cetaphil wash and 5% benzyl and peroxide cream didnt pop just total left it alone and the last 2 mornings i have woken up not one pimple on my face or back!!!!! i still have red spots but i can now just focus on them instead of the vicious cycle of treating scars then have breakouts so on so on! my advice: take with food!!! otherwise you will feel ill, i also took 2 panadol day and night to fight of headache. good luck i pray this works for you too!
May 4, 2012
Pros:
Cleared acne.
Cons:
Nausea and felt like puking if I didn't eat enough prior to taking this.
Did really good job at clearing my acne. I was prescribed this along with spironolactone, which works wonderfully. I can't remember the last time I didn't have to wake up to several new pimples. My face is pretty clear. Fast results. It's just annoying having to make sure that I eat enough or I'll feel sick for half the day.
Pros:
- Dramatic reduction in facial & body acne
- Affordable