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
June 2, 2011
Cons:
NAUSEA
You must be patient to see results
I seem to be affected every summer by skin issues...beautiful all winter long...as soon as summer hits, the problems start. Doxy is easy to get even w/o insurance...most minute clinics will write a script and if you live in the south east U.S. many Publix pharmacies will fill the script for free :)
The down side, as hard as it is to do, it must be taken on an empty stomach to work its full effect as quickly as possible. This could be a big deterrent for some, but trust me its worth it...(Ive taken 600mg Bactrim horsepills that did not have the nasty side effects like 100mg of this)...I was prescribed 100mg 2x per day for 30 days...reduce to once a day for the remaining 30. It only took 2 days and three doses before the Doxy had me balled up in a fetal position with nausea...The nausea will pass within an hour and probiotic pills help reduce the nausea a great deal! But nothing with milk products or high calcium content! My best advice is to take your dose when you have nowhere to go for a few hours and can lay down and rest...I highly recommend NOT taking it before going out anywhere for at least one hour! One side effect I did notice immediately though was that the Doxy raised my body temperature by 2 degrees and I was sweating bullets after the first dose! One of the listed side effects is fever, but it seemed to hit me particularly hard...It felt more like my metabolism spiked more than anything though... As far as results go, within 2 days I could see that no new spots were forming especially overnight, and thats when most people seem to be hit the hardest. Be warned though that ANY new spots that were beginning to form when you started the Doxy will run their course. This seems to be a major frustration for many people who've taken this. After two to three weeks there should be noticeable clearing....BE PATIENT! I recommend taking omega 3 oils with the Doxy as well as it will make your skin dry out considerably...especiall
January 15, 2011
Pros:
Small pill very easy to swallow
Cons:
Are not very strong
I have been taking these for at least 4-5 months now and they have barely made a difference to my spots so therefore when I have finished this lot I am definitely going to go back to the doctor and get some stronger pills.
December 29, 2010
Pros:
-cleared up some of my acne (mostly on my chest and back)
Cons:
-made my stomach hurt, sometimes I couldn't handle it and would actually vomit
I was so gratefull to have my chest and back acne cleared up. However, this perscription made my stomach very upset. One time I accedently put one of these pills in the washer and it came out about 4 times the size it was originaly. This made me relize that this is what it was doing in my stomach. (No wonder it made me sick) It didnt clear up the acne on my face at all, but I guess it was nice to be able to wear low cut tops.
December 10, 2010
Pros:
none yet
Cons:
depressed
paranoid
bloated
sick
i have been on 100mg a day for the lats week and a half i have seen no difference yet ? i am ment to take the 100mg for a month then 50mg everyday for 5 months i really hope it starts working soon it becoming not worth it
August 6, 2010
Pros:
Thus far, nothing.
Cons:
It doesn't work.
I've only been using this for about a week now in conjuction with Ziana and honestly, my skin has been getting WORSE. I have horrible breakouts now that I have been put on this regimen and after reading these reviews I am seriously nervous about continuing my regimen.
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.
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.
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.
November 5, 2009
Pros:
Reduces occurrence of pimples and blackheads a bit
Cons:
Red sunburnt skin
Makes oral contraceptive use risky
The redness wasnt worth the pimple reduction. My doctor said it didn't work particularly well for me and put me onto retin-a which then burnt my skin off and plasma was like leaking from my face and all of my clothing was covered in white skin cell dust. The pill (juliet/diane) worked the best in the end.
October 15, 2009
Pros:
I just started taking doxycline about two weeks ago
Cons:
i have seen any real results but then again i have only been on it for 2 weeks
I tried differen and cylindagel together and it did very little for me so my derm. perscribed doxycline. As well as taking doxycline i am still on differen and cylindagel. They said that i shouldnt see results until the 6 week point. I was reading other reviews and it seems like everyone gets sick from this medicine, but i will take it on an empy stomach and it is fine, besides on the bottle it says take on and empty stomach and dont eat for 1-2 hours. I also dont understand how everyone got this medicine for so cheap, i have insurence and the dema. gave me a coupon and it was still 25 dollars for 30 pills
Pros:
Cheap
Easy to get without insurance
works slowly...but it does work