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 1, 2011
Cons:
Fainting spells
Internal Bleeding
Blood in Urine
Cancer-like-symptoms
After taking minocycline for months, my moderate acne began to clear. I started seeing blood in my urine, and the doctors ran hundreds of test. Then I started passing out, and had a huge tumor like bulge in my stomach. After nearly 2 months of tests, 2 hospital visits, visits to every specialist known to man....the doctors finally took me off the medicine and all symptoms went away within 2 months. The medicine is very powerful, and should not be used by everyone. Always use caution, especially when using antibiotics for long periods of time.
May 23, 2011
Pros:
Cleared up breakout and existing acne.
Less redness.
Fast working.
Cons:
Scars are still there.
I had a huge breakout on my cheeks,
around my mouth and nose. I started freaking out, so I went to my primary doctor and she prescribed me this along with epiduo.
In just three days, my face was less red from the acne and the acne itself has gone down. I have not experienced any symptoms maybe because I'm drinking like 8 bottles of water each day.
March 30, 2011
Pros:
Wasn't able to tolerate side effects long enough to see pros. Cost is low that's about it.
Cons:
I was so dizzy and disoriented that I couldn't be at work. I couldn't stand up long enough to function because my vision was so blurred. I was terrified by the way I felt. Very sick to my stomach. Scary experience. Took days to feel "normal" again.
I would not recommend to anyone.
February 8, 2011
Pros:
+ Beautiful skin. Only occasional, minor breakouts, and no more cysts!
+ Blackheads gone (though I think this may be due to the strong exfoliating effect of the Retin-A)
Cons:
- Dizziness at first. To combat this, I stopped taking my morning dose, opting instead to take 100 mg at night only. This way I was asleep before any dizziness could kick in.
- Stomach upset. I began taking Acidophilus and eating yogurt, and these measures made this side effect pretty bearable.
- I get tiny tiny bumps on my arms every so often, but they're hardly visible.
I had mild to moderate acne that was so persistent and frustrating that I was considering Accutane. However, at least for now it looks as though Minocycline in conjunction with 0.1% Retin-A gel can keep me almost completely clear. I just hope things don't take a turn for the worse once my Mino runs out...
November 21, 2010
Pros:
-Starting to help with the redness
-Helps with the inflammation
-Covered by my healthcare
Cons:
-Affects the less problematic areas of skin first.
-Took 3 weeks to START a VISIBLE difference.
I have tried tetracycline, and Diane birth control about a year ago, with no progress and no help, so my doctor put me on minocycline, twice a day. It's been about 3 weeks and i can say that i'm JUST starting to see a difference. For the first few weeks of being on it, my acne got worse, and mind you, it's moderately severe acne, around the sides of my cheeks, extending down to my neck, it's painful and inflated, which means that i need help now. I'm starting to see a difference, it's not as red, as for the impurities themselves, its all still there, hopefully it will work in the promised 3 months.
May 28, 2010
Pros:
It helped clear my back, but not completely. Mino didn't do much for my face.
Easy to take and inexpensive.
Cons:
Sun sensitivity
I used this for 6 weeks along with differin on my face. I was mostly taking it for my bacne. This might work for some people, but it didn't really help me, so my dermatologist switched me to cephalexin. I would try it and if it doesn't work talk to your dermo about it.
April 22, 2010
Pros:
its working for me but slowly definitly no next day perfect skin. my skin is surley alot better then when i started, ive been using it for 5 weeks now and id say my skin is 50% clearer
Cons:
none anymore but at first i couldnt sleep for the life of me
its working my skin is looking alot better im hoping it continues to work i still have a few cystic acne that ive had for a while but its getting alot better im gonna continue and hopefully it will clear everything if not next stop accutane :P...but its worth a try not many side effects and it does work maybe not fast like some people say but if you keep using it, it will definitly help
March 2, 2010
Pros:
In combination with birth control pill, it temporarily kept my skin clear
Cons:
The side effects caused me to have severe gastro-intestinal problems. I would also get yeast infections occasionally.
I used antibiotics off and on for 2 years. It worked really well when I used them in combination with birth control pills. When I started experiencing terrible GI problems (my stomach hurt all the time, I had diarrhea, terrible gas), a new doctor told me this is not the most effective treatment for acne. My current dermatologist also reccomends against using them. In the long run, you will become immune to antibiotics and they will most likely become less effective. The last 6-9 months I was using antibiotics, it did not decrease my break outs at all. It has been over two years and I am still working on improving the damage done to my GI systems from being on antibiotics for so long. I strongly urge caution for those considering this treatment.
February 10, 2010
Pros:
Nothing
Cons:
The side effects were horrible and it didn't do a thing for my acne. I was having severe headaches and was constently dizzy. After about two weeks I went to see my PCP who said that this medication can cause someone to have a pseudotumor cerebri so I had to get an MRI and it showed that's what I had. The risky side effects are not worth it.
Read all side effects of this medication before deciding to take it.
February 10, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
It seemed to clear the acne up while I was taking it.
Cons:
A BIG CON - I got pseudomembranous colitis from using this! Living with acne would have been better than getting some other more serious disease.
The acne returned after I stopped taking it.
If you don't want to risk getting a more serious health problem, don't take it. For me it wasn't worth it. Now I'm trying to cure my acne naturally (and waiting it out).
Pros:
temporarily cleared up acne