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 25, 2007
Cons:
makes you very nauscious if not taken after a meal :/
I have severe cystic acne and I've been taking 2 100mg of this a day for about a week and have already seen a 50% improvement in my existing acne. On top of that, i have had barely any new breakouts. I have only been taking the doxycycline and washing my face with noxema cream clenser twice a day and it has helped. I feel more confident and overall happy. It doesnt hurt anymore to move my face or smile. I hope this will completely clear me... there is hope! :)
October 21, 2007
Pros:
Very affordable. Very few side effects if taken correctly.
Cons:
NONE
PLEASE READ THIS before you get discouraged reading negative comments about doxycycline. I too was very hesitant about taking Doxy until I decided to try it for myself. I take 100 mg. 1x daily and my skin looks wonderful!!! Here are some tips on taking Doxy without suffering from nasty side effects:
1) Always take after a full meal and lots of water!!
2) try taking it the same time everyday.
3) For women- eat lots of cultures (yogurt) to prevent yeast infections.
4) Have a positive attitude and remember that there is NO cure for acne...this just helps to keep your acne from getting worse and to calm some existing acne. My skin is honestly about 75% better. Oh and using a topical like benzoyl peroxide/retin a micro/ duac really helps to accelerate the healing of acne. Getting biweekly detoxifying facials really really help too!!!
October 4, 2007
Pros:
Started to work really quickly, cleared up things nicely without any dryness.
Cons:
Its hell if you forget to eat something before you take it. worst stomach ache of your life. plus after using it for a year it stopped working.
worked awesome at first, then slowly died after a while. if you do start to take it, make sure you take EVERY recomended dose, the pills you miss does make a huge difference. and ALWAYS, ALWAYS eat something before taking it!
August 2, 2007
Pros:
Cleared skin up in less than a month
Cons:
Dont get off it or your acne will get worse
Greatest thing ive tried for my acne
July 14, 2007
Pros:
Much more effective than topicals Ive tried, including benzyl & tazorac.
Cons:
Apparently doctors wont let you take it forever
Age 27. Took 20mg, 2 times daily. Have nearly perfect skin for the first time in years. I take it without water or food and have no stomach issues. I have been using for 2 months, the doctor is already cutting back my dosage. Too bad.
May 18, 2007
Pros:
only made me feel sick first 2 days, Its been 2 weeks.. still waiting
Cons:
Initial breakout, I broke out after 1 week on it..but i was told to give it a month so..
Well I have mild/moderate acne...and I think a case of BDD.. I am very depressed when I breakout and stay in and dont go out with friends. I just started Doxycycline exactly 2 weeks ago... I got an initial breakout.. so i am SUPER depressed right now..only been leaving home to go to work. I plan on giving it a month.. Is this normal to have an initial breakout?? Because my skin has never been this broken out before..and im just hoping if i stick with it it will clear..?? Thanks for any advice..:( !
May 14, 2007
Pros:
The drug worked
Cons:
I didn't know that it was extremly corrosive and one night I took it without enough wather and it dissolved in my esophagus. I went to the hospital and they found the burn. I was on a liquid diet for three weeks and the pain was horrible.
I do not recommend this drug....at all.
May 14, 2007
Pros:
Cleared up acne on my face very quickly; noticeable difference
Cons:
I had to get off this medication because of sun burning; dosage schedule didn't always fit my schedule (can't eat for "x" amount of time during digestion); stomach aches (very rarely) sometimes to the point of vomiting
I just recently came off of this medicine after 7 and a half months of use. It seemed to work great, but the one problem I had was that it makes all of my skin susceptible to the cold and sun. I started noticing this last winter that the cold weather really irritated my hands (of all things). My knuckles chapped, peeled, and opened and didn't get any better until it became warmer. I thought nothing of it until this spring. I'm outside constantly for baseball right now and the sun is absolutely killing me. Everything burns! My hands, chin, nose, ears, cheeks, and neck burned. I don't always have time to put sunscreen on and this was a major problem for how much I am outside. Looking back, this product still helped. I do have fair skin to begin with so this may not be a problem for you. Now that I'm off of it though, I am worried that my acne will come back because this has basically covered me, and I only got occasional pimples.
May 2, 2007
Pros:
Worked at first.
Cons:
After about 3 weeks on this medicine, my face slowly began to break out, then break outs became severe.
This medication made a mess of my skin. There were no other diet, medical or prescription changes, so I believe it was this medication that caused it. I would not recommend. I would never take it again. I have been off of it for over a month now, and am still getting some breakouts; it is a very slow process to clear up.
April 8, 2007
Pros:
Cleared up my acne within 1 month of use. Not much problem since.
Cons:
Nausea if taken on empty stomach. Shouldn't be taken with birth control.
I had the worse acne of my life @ the age of 23! I thought puberty was over!! It was on my cheeks and jawline. I also was breaking out on my chest and arms. I went to the doctor and she put me on Benzyl Peroxide 5% wash for a month. It made it worse!! I went back and she prescribed Doxy 100mg 2x a day. She said that the pimples I see now were developed 3 weeks ago and it would take about 3 more weeks to see results. I noticed no new outbreaks and it cleared up my skin perfectly in about 5-6 weeks. I only took it for about 3 months and quit because I didn't want it to interfere with my birth control. I have only had small outbreaks since but nothing compared to what it was. I would recommend this to someone who suffers from moderate acne and has tried all the topical remedies. Accutaine would have been the next step but a friend of mine recently started taking it and his acne got so bad in the beginning that I don't think that it is worth it unless you have severe acne.
Pros:
is used to kill bacteria, and seems to be working well.