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
September 2, 2011
Cons:
Hard to take. Must be taken twice a day, without a meal, and can't be taken within 2 hours of a meal.
I took Doxy with Differin for two months. It made my acne a lot worse so my derm switched me to Mino afterwards. Both did absolutely nothing for me but make my skin worse.
June 30, 2011
Pros:
Cheap
Cons:
Didn't clear up acne/blemishes
Pill is HUGE, almost choked on it
Made me sensitive to sun, gave me nausea
I wouldn't recommend this product, I was and still am kind of scared of accutane side effects, so my dermatologist gave me this, wasn't helpful at all
December 1, 2010
Pros:
Cleared up acne
Helped with hyperpigmentation
Cons:
Made me really nauseated
I took 2 pills a day for my acne to jump-start the clearing process. I would take it in the day and get a lot of nausea. But it really helped me in the end and now my face looks clearer.
September 20, 2010
Pros:
Noticeable difference within 4 days
Pretty cheap cost
Easy to take pills compared to a regimen
Cons:
Not a huge difference in amount of acne
Made my stomach hurt a couple of times
An antibiotic, not healthy for prolonged periods of time
Found better options
I took two 100mg pills a day for about 15 days and it really didn't make much of a difference, I switched to AcneFree severe and that has worked much better in just days. The pills still had me producing new acne almost every day. For a prescription I was expecting much better results. For the time that I took the pills I also seemed to be in a bad mood for a major part of the day.
March 7, 2010
Pros:
No sign of vomiting, sore stomache etc.
No severe breakouts
Cons:
Over time loses its effectiveness
Was really looking forward using first oral treatment
Four months now and it really isn't making much difference
May give accutane a go
December 16, 2009
Pros:
Works well, more convenient than slathering creams on your face almost constantly, plus you get to avoid the burning and dryness that comes with most prescription acne creams.
Cons:
Aside from the stomach-based issues that have been mentioned endlessly, after taking doxycycline for a month, I learned that yeast infections were not just the domain of women. Just saying.
Between the constantly upset stomach and the yeast infection, I decided that acne was the lesser of all evils. I stopped taking the doxycycline after the yeast infection turned up, and whenever I would take even one pill, the yeast infection would flare up and I'd have to make sure I was always within close proximity to a washroom. Plus antibiotics aren't a long term fix anyways. I, for one, don't feel all that inclined to disturbing the bacterial balances of my body indefinitely. Further along that grain, replacing a benign skin issue with one that is, ahem, less socially accepted was hardly appealing. The only thing appealing was the cost. I was prescribed Periostat to be taken multiple times daily (20mg 3x/day) and though the sticker price is $3/pill, it worked out to $10 for 90 pills once the insurance kicked in.
December 11, 2009
Pros:
Instead of paying an estimated 20 bucks a month for brand acne medications that contains benzoyl peroxide which irritates and burns the skin, You can swallow the pill down with no worries its better then relying on topical applications!
Cons:
severe nausea, possible vomiting, mood swings, dry skin,- "so you may look a little white." hypertension, fatigue,
You must take this pill for the duration of time it tells you to on the prescription bottle unless you want the chance of vomiting, also preferably in the morning I suggest you take with food because your body is still "waking up," be cautious if your going out to tan make sure you wear sunblock some people may experience reactions while on that antibiotic, and the answer is "yes, it is ok to go tanning." for the most part I would suggest this product to anyone who is SERIOUS about completely clearing their acne. You will see the difference in about week and a half.
November 28, 2009
Pros:
its doing its job,clearing up the acne i guess,only been taking it for about 2 days :D
Cons:
TUMMY ACHE (N) eugh pleaseplease take with food ! or you'll start to be sick.
i do recommend it,if you can't stand stomach aches don't be on this drug.
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
November 5, 2009
Pros:
It is affordable for those people like me without insurance.
Cons:
It causes headaches and nausea (sometimes even taken with food). Does not work well for clearing up my acne.
I have been using this product for more than a year and I have seen very little improvement in my acne. I noticed more of an improvement by being on it than being off of it which is the only reason I continue to take it. I have no insurance and it is more affordable than other products out there so the little bit of control I get with it helps, but not by much. I still have at the very least four blemishes at any given time consistently. I would recommend another treatment if you can afford it.
Pros:
None