Acne.org Products
Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
54%
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 they can reduce severe acne in the short term, 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 Minocycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 21, 2012
Cons:
few side effects, nothing major
ive been prescribed mino a couple of times in the past. I believe the last time i was on this was 2 years ago, and I stopped after experiencing really bad dizziness. Im now back on it and i've been taking it with the full glass of water at 10pm (once a day) and just today i felt slightly dizzy, but nothing too dramatic. Im trying to stick it out for the 3 months and hoping for good results. Every time im prescribed the pill by my doctor (never been to a derm) Im also put on benzaclin, but didnt get it this time since it is very expensive (broke college student) but im using an over the counter BP, I LOVE BP.. It truly works wonders. I use the 10% from acnefree (terminator 10) but im currently on 5% bc my mom thinnks its better this way. I have really strong skin, 10% never really burns and it only does burn when im alternating with maderma (scar gel) .
December 31, 2011
Pros:
Helped clear up acne
Cons:
Hives!
burned esophagus
This works for some people but for me the side effects were too much. I would get hives regularly and you have to drink this with LOTS of WATER because it can eat away at your esophagus and cause an awful burning feeling near your breastbone. I used this for a while and the burning was the only problem so I got off. I used it a year or two later (drinking lots of water) and the hives were a big problem.. I'm not allergic to anything!
December 13, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared my acne a little, not fully
Cons:
Vertigo, Causes white stains on your teeth, Dry skin
I had severe acne and was put on acutane. Acutane cleared it after the 5th month and kept it clear for a year after stopping the medication. I went back to my doctor after my acne began coming back and he put me on this. I have seen little results as far as clearing my acne, and the side-effects are pretty annoying. Dizziness whenever I stand up and the White bands on the bottom of my teeth are the most bothersome.
November 5, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared acne
Cons:
Had a new yeast infection every month I was on it never had one before and havent had one since stopping a few months ago. Also developed sun spots on my face from sensitivity to light
I did not continue on it related to the side effects. I had cystic acne before using it and it worked great to clear it up.
September 10, 2011
Pros:
Kinda cleared up acne I guess...
Brought down redness...
Cons:
nausea
lightheadedness
dizziness
fever
chills
sore throat
sever stomach pain
unusual cramping
itching skin
joint pain
inability to sleep (extreme insomnia)
extreme moodiness
bad breakouts close together
I've been on this medication for awhile...and it has done very little for me...if you don't include the side effects.
It has caused alot of pain and sickness but whenever I go off it, it just gets worse. I honestly don't know what to do about it.
August 5, 2011
Pros:
Cleared most of my acne
Cons:
If you take on an empty stomach it causes headaches and nausea
this medication was prescribed to me in march. It works okay but i wouldn't say its a "cure" for acne. I was told to take it on an empty stomach for best results but i experienced to many side effects doing that so my doctor said to take it after i had eaten something. If you have moderate acne i would recommend this to tone it down a little use with a daily face cleanser and it should work.
August 1, 2011
Pros:
Helps get rid of acne on back
Cons:
Made my teeth yellow !
Stained teeth.works great though
February 27, 2010
Pros:
Gets rid of the big pimples.
Cons:
Doesn't help with oily skin/blackheads/blocked pores. Gave me headaches, made me feel dizzy. It stops working after a while. I'm starting accutane tomorrow.
Try it if you have very mild acne and you don't have oily skin.
November 24, 2009
Pros:
The price is good if you have insurance.
Cons:
This absolutely did NOT work for me. I took it for a month and my face kept breaking out more and more and got worse and worse. I am 49 years old and my face hadn't broke out this bad since high school. Awful, awful, awful!
The bottom line is that obviously not one particular thing works for everyone. My doctor also prescribed a topical cream called Metronidazole to use while I took Minocycline. It seemed a vicious cycle to me - Minocycline would make my face breakout and the cream would heal the breakouts but it just couldn't keep up... just too many blemishes to combat. Now after being off ProActv for six months I went back to using it last week to clear up all the blemishes. Combined with the cream to keep my face from drying out and to heal any new breakouts seems to be working. My face feels smooth again and the blemishes are slowly but surely healing and not returning.
November 7, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up my acne! Saw SIGNIFICANT improvement after 2 months. Skin was completely clear after 4 months (note I'm also on Diane 35 and using 2 topical acne creams). I experienced NO side effects!!
Cons:
Took over a month to see any results. Can't take it within a few hours of calcium and iron, which I found inconvenient. It was also inconvenient to stay out of the sun for long periods of time. Oh, and yeast infections. Tons of em.
Be patient! It WILL take more than a few weeks. But it's well worth it. I took one pill on an empty stomach before going to bed. Maybe this is why I didn't experience some of the common side effects (nausea, dizziness). I was sleeping! The only side effect I experienced was yeast infections which is common for any longterm antibiotics. I finally got those under control, and I recommend natural remedies for anyone having recurring yeast infections (you can find tons online). My acne never got worse during the course of this medication. It only improved. I now have 3 weeks left of the 6 month treatment, but I felt I could have ended it at 4 months! My acne is gone. See note above--I am using 3 other prescriptions (diane 35, steivamycin, and clindoxyl). This undoubtedly helped. Maybe ask your dermatologist to take an aggressive approach with several meds. Cost me $70 without a prescription plan, $7 with a plan.
Pros:
none yet