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
June 13, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Cons:
None!
I had a horrible break out around the beginning of April! My entire face was coverred in acne. It was horrible! I wouldn't go anywhere or do anything! I just stayed home and cried all day. My derm put me on Solodyn 65mg, Atralin gel .05% and Ovace wash. It took 5 weeks to really notice a big difference! I'm on my seventh month and I have about only two active pimples! They only thing left now are the red marks! Remember not to give up on a product and have patience! It will work! I also had no side effects. I did go out in the sun, but it wctually helped me tan =) I always cover my face though and use 100 SPF on it.
June 1, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Works Fast, doesn't make you feel sick and inexpensive.
Cons:
None
I have been taking Solodyn for a week. This is my first prescription acne medication and I already love it. Although I've only been on it for a week I have already seen tremendous results as the breakouts have gotten drastically better and any scars have been starting to clear up! I can't wait to see what happens in a month!
April 16, 2010
Pros:
Clears most of acne
Cons:
Can't be on it forever
I have PCOS, so I have moderate acne. During my period I get cystic acne. My PCOS is moderate. I only have the acne and the hair problem. I am not overweight and I do not have diabetes. My derm put me on Minocycline and I do the occasional chemical peel. It works for me. I do drink the recommended water with the pill. I have been on 50mg twice a day. I haven't had any side effects. I'm also 22. Not sure if that would make a difference in terms of teenage VS. adult acne. Hope this helps someone out there.
February 20, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
-> worked at first, and did a great job at managing my acne; however, it stopped working after about a month or two!
Cons:
-> just stopped working
-> became ineffective
-> skin was still breaking out, didn't really see a huge change.
This was the first prescription medicine that my derm put me on. I was really excited about trying it about for about 2 to 3 weeks, my acne seemed to be under control. However, after awhile, this just stopped working. Some of my acne came back. I wouldn't really recommend this, because I have seen much better results with *Spironolactone* instead!
August 5, 2015
Really works but not long-term solution
Took this for around 8 months and completely cleared my skin, but like most things, it doesn't last forever. I didn't want to be on antibiotics any longer than this so came off them and the acne eventually returned. Once the acne got bad again I went back on these for another 6 months, and acne once again cleared but came back when I stopped taking them. These will not cure your acne but will help to treat it.
January 12, 2016
Shame!
February 27, 2012
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Clears up exsisting acne fast
Cons:
causes new acne
causes hyperpigmentation
horrible side effects - nasuea, dizzyness, crazy dreams, headaches, and lethargy
expensive w/o insurance ($1000.00)
I'm sort of on the fence about Solodyn. I have light acne, but once in a blue moon I will break out and get a cluster of hormonal cystic acne on my cheek. Over Christmas I got a couple on my cheek & on my forehead. I decided I didn't want to wait two or three months for it to heal, so I went to my dermatologist. I was prescribed 55mg of Solodyn and right away I could tell it was working. It made my exsisting acne clear up right away. However, if you stop taking it for one day, it will cause you break out, but make it even worse, which is what happened to me. There was a mix up with my prescription and I had to wait four days for it to be refilled and during that time, the Solodyn caused me to break out into five huge cystic acne. I'm Asian with fair but olive skin, meaning I scar easily. Ususally when I break out, it leaves a bit of a mark, but with Solodyn, it left me with large purplish marks that I've never had before. If you don't want pigmentation, don't take this drug. When you're on this, man do you pigment. Also, the new acne that gets pushed out by the Solodyn takes forever to go away. The five that was on my cheek took a month a half to go away. It also makes any little bump you have turn into cystic ance. Transformed a small bump on my cheek turn into a pus filled papule. I'm on my third month, and I'm slowy weaning myself off this product. I like that it got rid of my exsisting acne, however, the resulting acne from the Solodyn isn't worth it. Neither are the side effects. My doctor told me to take it w/food, so it hasn't been that bad. One night I forgot to take it w/food and got the worst headache coupled with some pretty crazy dreams. Lesson learned, eat it with food and you'll be fine. If you have light acne, I probably wouldn't recomment you take this, but if your acne is severe or moderate, anything is worth a try. I, on the other hand, would not do this again.
June 29, 2011
Pros:
Seemed to have cleared acne
Pill form, so you don't need to deal with nasty lotions
Cheap
Cons:
Made me break out in hives all over my body
Made me very itchy
I had been using this for somewhere between one and two months and it seemed to be helping clear my acne but then one morning I woke up and I was really itchy all over. This went on for about a week or two and then one day I took a nap and I woke up and my body slowly began to become covered in hives! It was the scariest thing! This happened twice, along with other times of only small areas being puffed up. So how am I sure it was this medicine? Couldn't it have been a reaction to laundry detergent? Well, I went to the allergy doctor and got tested with a hundred scratches all over my back and it came up that I was allergic to cats, dust mites, and mold. But I told him that I had recently started on this new prescription and he seemed interested so he made an extract to test me with and I came back a few days later. He did a smaller test and it made my skin puff up right away where he injected it. I was allergic. Just because I was allergic, doesn't mean everyone will be so I said I WOULD recommend this product because it seemed to be working as far as acne went. You just may want to consult your allergy doctor and have him make an extract to test you with before you put this in your body, because my experience with it was horrifying. If you suddenly become itchy one day, discontinue use immediately, because this means you are allergic.
June 6, 2011
Pros:
clearer skin after a while...no real negative side affects at all ( at least for me, everyone is different obviously)
Cons:
not a miracle...(it takes forever to start working)
so after about 5-6 years of dealing with acne i finally was talked into going to a dermatologist...people said "ooohh within a week or 2 your skin will be super clear" well this is not the case at all...i have been takin minocycline for about 3 months and my skin STILL is not clear... its not as bad but its not clear... hopefully my dermatologist will give me accutane...i just want to be done with this acne poop
April 14, 2011
Pros:
can't think of any for me
Cons:
made acne worse if anything
i'm not saying this won't work for you, but for me it did nothing at all, actually made my acne worse.
April 5, 2011
Pros:
maybe slightly smaller pimples
Cons:
redder skin, photosensitivity
It didn't help my acne more than slightly. It made all my skin redder so pimples were less noticeable and it might have made them a little smaller but that was it. I quit taking it after a few months. But at least I didn't experience the side effects some here did!
Pros:
Clear skin =)