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 28, 2012
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Cons:
Dependent on drug
None besides that
Okay listen to ME. I've been on this drug for about a year, so I know more than the people reviewing this drug after 3 days of using it. Let me start off by saying it DOES WORK. It may not be the miracle acne solution you've been dreaming of, but it definitely keeps acne at bay. My dermatologist writes me 4 refills every time I get a new written prescription for it, and let me say that whenever I finish a bottle (bottle of 30) and I go a few days before getting my refill, I break out. That's the only downside is that you kinda become dependent on it. But while on the drug acne reduces dramatically. It may take a month or two for you to start noticing, but it really does! Take this medication while applying Retin-A and I also promise you will see a major decrease in scarring. No new acne = No new scars. Then the old ones fade! Please just give it a try! There are no crazy side effects like dry skin or hair loss. Like I said, I've been on it for about a year. So I'm like the solodyn expert! Haha. Just try it, it can't possibly hurt!
June 17, 2011
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
clears up acne. just a simple pill to take once a day. it's super cheap with a coupon.
Cons:
slight fatigue
brittle nails
the effect of the drug is pretty good. within the first 2 months, i definitely noticed that my break-outs were much less frequent. by the 3rd and 4th months, my face was noticeably clearer (and smoother!) and break-outs were just not happening at all. i just started my 5th month, and will be taking it for a full 6 months. i'm really afraid of what will happen when i stop taking it. so we'll see. i had moderate acne when i started this, at age 29. my face responded very poorly to benzoyl peroxide and other over the counter stuff, so that's why i decided to go with something which would target the cause of acne, and accutane scares the sh*t out of me. the only side effects of solodyn i've noticed are slight fatigue and brittle nails (both hand and toe). i have to cut my nails much more frequently than before because they break easily once they grow out at all. one totally unintended consequence (unrelated to acne) was that i stopped getting tonsil stones. i haven't seen this reported elsewhere so i thought i'd put it out there. but that was a very pleasant. it cleared them up completely, even though i have had them chronically for 8 years. i think solodyn might make me more tired than i was before, but it's hard to tell because i've also been cutting back on my caffeine intake.
April 27, 2011
Pros:
Prevents skin from new breakouts
works almost inmediately
Cons:
Terrible side effects at the begining (dizziness, headache, blurred vision)
but after a couple of weeks they all disappear (at least in my particular case)
It works against acne but does not clear up the previous scars so you'll probably have to use a cream for the scars
November 27, 2010
Pros:
Is effective for a while.
Takes a long time to kick in.
Cons:
Nausea.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Listlessness.
When I took this, at first I was on a low dose. It took about a month to two months to work. But i worked great along with some topical medication I was taking. I had to get off it after about five months because of insurance/cost. Got back on about two months later. It took even longer to do anything almost half a year. I noticed some other effects the medication was having on my body/mind this time around that were only minimal the first time (it may have been because I got on a higher dose the second time). I felt like I was in a fog, watching my life subliminally. I became extremely depressed and suicidal. I never did anything that had interested me before. It was hard to think or care and it took me a while to realize it was the medication.
I do hate acne very, very much. I'm sick of living with it for about half my life now. But not being myself, not caring about things and people that I love, is not worth it.
I'm going off the medication. I'll try other things.
I would maybe recommend this on the low dose. It didn't seem to psychologically effect me as much on a lower dosage obviously.
August 6, 2010
Pros:
*does clear up skin
Cons:
*side effects outweigh benefits in my opinion
*not a long term solution
I am really torn about minocycline. I really wish I could take it forever with no side effects and no worries, but I have to say its not healthy or safe to be on antibiotics to clear acne you may have indefinitely. it does work so well, but it didn't take me long to feel the side effects - loss of appetite, stomach issues, and this will give ladies yeast infections after some time. I even dealt with all that crap bc it does work so well. But on my 3rd course of antibiotics derm put me on solodyn (slow release) within the 2nd month my mom kept commenting that my hair was falling out, not ther normal shedding. So looked it up online, and saw several ppl have had the same. So, needless to say im off them for good.
July 12, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
none
Cons:
bad headaches, nausea
I've been on SOLODYN for the past 21 days and i have NOT seen any improvement at all in my skin...in the beginning i had really bad headaches followed by Nausea..low energy...I have painful cystic acne specifically underneath my jawline and now on my forehead! i literally have a new painful pimple on my forehead and jawline almost every other day! i never had forehead acne before and i've had acne ever since i was 18 and iam 25 now..so i started SOLODYN after mere desperation!! i ordered PROACTIVE!! iam on PROACTIVE now along with SOLODYN and still no improvement!! iam just loosing hope........
May 24, 2010
Pros:
Tamed my Acne
Cons:
Lost its effectiveness
I was first put on Gen-Minocycline after I began experiencing terrible outbreaks when I was 17. With in a 2 week period, their was a major difference. I finally, thought that this product was going to clear up my acne. However, after a while I felt that I was taking these pills for no purpose. I later tried Mylan-Minocycline, which was the most useless thing ever. No improvements at all, and I used it as directed. I think the mylan was not strong enough for my acne.
May 5, 2010
Pros:
No acne after about 3 days. Some newer mild acne scars faded about 30-50% . made my acne scrubs/washes work much better. Sweating with sports/workout doesn't worsen acne anymore. Shaving and pluckng face hair doesn't promote acne anymore
Cons:
Not immediate results. Acne comes back if you stop. About 5-10% dizzy throughout the day. sometimes tired and upset stomache about 30 minutes after I took a dose for 5 minutes. Sometimes your face starts itching.
Yes take it. It really depends tho if you want to have less acne tho. For me the pros evened out the cons.
March 22, 2010
Pros:
It clears up the skin and keeps cysts from inflammation. Makes skin less oily.
Cons:
MUST eat copious amounts of yogurt, take acidophilus probiotics, garlic pills, etc. to prevent yeast infections on this drug, causes discomfort in G.I. tract because it kills all the bacteria in your body, including your good bacteria! It also causes pigmentation in the skin with dark marks where pimples used to be. It also causes lupus like symptoms such as slight rash on cheeks and joint pain (in my ankles).
Do not use this if you have mild acne. I only get hormonal cysts (maybe one or two) a month on my chin. I was prescribed this by my doctor. Now, it hurts when I pee (not a burning UTI feeling). But, it causes a lot of gas build-up and majorly screws up your G.I. tract. I've read that some people have IBS from taking this drug for long periods. I've only been on this drug (100 mg/day) for a month and have begun weaning off it by taking it every other day. I've read this works best on websites as opposed to stopping cold turkey. Many websites say you should take it every other day for two weeks and then once every two days for another two weeks. Not sure if this will work! I hope so! I still got cysts (1 or 2) during my ovulation period while on this drug, but they were not as big. It also could be the topicals I use such as benzine peroxide and salycic acid (in low percentages). Do not take this drug unless you have to and take PLENTY of probiotics!
December 8, 2009
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
I have been taking solodyn for 2 weeks, my face starts to clear up a little bit
Cons:
headache at times, and constipation. I am also scared because many people have reported many serious side effects such as hair loss, bruising eaily . i am watching myself carefully for any of those side effects.
i was on retin a ,but now I am going to start tri luma
Pros:
Convenient
No major side effects
Small pills