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
May 19, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Cons:
I have been on this for about 8 weeks. I am unsure whether or not it is working. I refuse to take this more than 3 months. I have a bruise on my lip that won't go away and I have noticed my varicose veins are starting to become more prominent. (I don't know if this relates to the Solodyn or not, but they have never looked bad before) It will be expensive after the card runs out of refills...and that won't be worth it. I used Accutane and my face flared up again after 6 months. :(
it only cost me $10, but that is only for 3 refills. Furthermore, isn't it bad to be on an antibiotic for this long?
March 2, 2010
Pros:
clears up acne pretty well, but if you have anything worse than moderate, you probably need something stronger, or a combination
Cons:
dries skin out a little; not as effective as i wanted it to be
good for moderate acne to keep under control, best if used in a combination with other products
March 2, 2010
Pros:
- Significantly reduced my acne
- Helps control flare-ups
Cons:
- Causes my skin to flush easily
- Taking it 2x/day
- Reduces effectiveness of oral birth control pills
- For women- high risk of yeast infections which means you have to stop taking this until infection is treated
Have been taking minocycline for 10 months. Began taking this because my light/moderate acne worsened and I developed moderate and embarrassing (large papules) back and chest acne at age 21. After a year of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid OTC treatments, I went to a dermatologist who put me on this. I began noticing results after 2 months, and by month 5 my back acne reduced to maybe 5 zits a week and face acne was back to light/moderate. Then (at 5 months) I began taking Differin too (avoided it bc without insurance it's expensive!). Now, at 10 months my face has light acne (no big papules any more; still have small bumps a few times a week and blackheads on nose and forehead) and maybe only one or two zits a month on my back. The scarring is starting to clear up a bit too from the Differin. I'm happy with my results and may actually be able to wear tank tops this summer, but my acne has not entirely disappeared. Also, I am tired of taking an antibiotic 2x/day and my face/neck/chest flushing so easily (especially from just one drink at the bar).
February 8, 2010
Pros:
I was using clindoxyl gel for 3 months before my doctor prescribed minocycline. When on both it cured my cystic acne after 2 weeks, and since then slowly stopped the occurrence of other blemishes. I have been on both products for just under 2 months now. Although, I still have red marks but that'll take time to heal.
Cons:
I was on 100mg, twice a day, at first. The dose was too much and caused vertigo and loss of apatite. My doctor lightened the load to 50 in the morning (since my symptoms were mainly in the mornings) and 100 at night.
My face hurt from the cystic acne and minocycline got rid of all of it.
November 19, 2009
Pros:
Works great for my acne.
Cons:
Doesn't work if food is in your system.
The thing to remember is that since no two people are alike, the same goes for acne. What works for some, will not work for all. For me, minocycline worked wonders. About a year and a half ago, my mild acne all of a sudden transformed to moderate/severe. I was getting those nodular/pustular bad boys, ya know, where it actually looks like your face is changing shape...scarring, bleeding, non-stop ridges popping up everywhere. Finally I went to a new dermatologist who prescribed minocycline. I'd say within 2 weeks, I started seeing a difference, and it only got better. As with any acne treatment, you have to stick with it. None on them work overnight. For those of you taking it for a few days, and thinking about quitting...you have to give it more time, it might work wonders for you too. Today, a year and a half later, I'm still taking it.
November 14, 2009
Pros:
Started seeing some improvements in facial acne within first 3 weeks.
Cons:
Have not seen any improvement in back acne yet.
I don't think the majority of reveiws on here are worth reading and I'll tell you why. Most give low scores or consider it a "Con" that the product hasn't started working after one or two days of treatment! Are you people crazy or something?. Others complain of dry skin, which is most likely caused by the topical cream their derm prescibed in conj. with antibiotic. Other side effects described, may or may not be caused by this medication. Also who knows if some of the people not seeing results are taking medication exactly as prescribed. If they are missing a dose here and there, that could be why it is not effective.
So, basically what I am saying is don't take my or any one else's opinion with more than a grain of salt. If your acne is bad enough that your derm is suggesting antibitoic and nothing else has helped, then try it. Give it time to work before disregarding it as a viable option, and take it as prescribed. I am going to give it tme t work and then see.
April 2, 2008
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Easier to take and use than a topical remedy. More effective, too.
Cons:
Could give you stomach aches, but should be fine as long as you don't take it less than a half hour before going to sleep and eat something with it.
I've been through I don't know how many prescription skin medications, but nothing really helped clear my skin before this. I had bad cystic acne before, but now my skin is almost completely clear. People complement me on it. But, you really have to take it at almost exactly the same time every day. It takes a few weeks to work (took like six weeks for me), so be patient.
September 20, 2007
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared up skin, reduced acne dramatically, smoothed skin, no irritability, no noticable side-effects besides a little dry skin.
Cons:
None
I've used the 90mg Solodyn tablets every night for about 6 months. I've used Retin-A Micro (.1%) at night, and Benzaclin gel in the morning. My face has cleared up drammatically. I suffer from dry skin but nothing that a dab of moisturizer can't fix. If I miss a single night of not washing my face (I use Cetaphil) and putting on medication or taking Solodyn, there's usually a slight breakout in a day. So this is definitely a strict routine I have to keep up but it works for me. My Rx for Solodyn was free becasue of rebate slips my doctor gave me each time I've filled up.
August 12, 2007
Pros:
Cleared up acne within weeks
Cons:
Made lips, eyes, teeth,and gums really dark. Face lost its glow and began to look really tired.
The medication works to clear up acne but the side effects are really bad. I was supposed to take it twice a day but couldn't take the headaches, dizziness,... felt like I was a zombie. So I only took it before bed but ever since I noticed the darkness on my skin, i have stopped. Lets see if the acne comes back....
August 5, 2015
Works Temporarily
Minocyline was great for my cystic acne for the three months I was on it, and then three months afterwards. But, my acne did suddenly and aggressively return after both rounds. This would be a good short-term fix for an event or vacation.
January 12, 2016
I totally agree (unfortunately!) I started taking this around 5 months ago and it worked amazingly! However, after 4ish months, my acne came back...worse than before. Oh dear!
Pros:
I don't think my face has gotten well enough to say a pro at this point