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
March 19, 2011
Cons:
Nothing.
I've tried everything. But this is the only one that actually works. Sure, it took a month or so, but it was totally worth it. I don't really have big acne. just looks of small ones. But not any more. only a few tiny ones that i really don't care about seeing as it used to be a whole lot worse. i've been on 100mg a day for 1.5 months now and i'm so happy. I don't want to be too quick to review just incase it does get worse again so so far i'm happy. My skin is a lot smoother and Waking up in the morning is no longer a time where i have to look in the mirror and moan. I've seen a lot of reviews about side effects, which is bad but i have had none. although the first time i took it i felt a little bit dizzy, but nothing i couldn't get over in 10 seconds.
January 17, 2011
Pros:
Worked great for about 1 year. Awesome results!
Cons:
Quits working after time.
Like all oral antibiotics I have tried, minocycline failed about a year after I started it. During that year, though, I was breakout-free. It was GLORIOUS. Cystic acne, blackheads, whiteheads... all gone! I just wish it would have lasted forever. Sigh.
September 26, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
temporary eliminates acne
no side effects (for me)
inexpensive with insurance
Cons:
acne comes back
I was on this for 6 months, cleared my acne and i was happy for a while. 3 months after i came off it, acne came back and has become progressively worse since. I went back on it when i was desparate since it worked the first time and after 3 wks i wasn't seeing results and decided that it wasn't worth the effort since it would just come back in the end anyway.
September 13, 2010
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared up acne & reduced oily skin problem, didn't experience any side effects
Cons:
none
I have tried everything from Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin A, to Pro Active, Differin gel and Tazorac Cream to name a few. I have had severe cystic acne since middle school & the only thing that helped was Accutane which I have been on 3 different times. Accutane worked, but the maintenance meds after didn't maintain my clear skin for longer than a year or two. Solodyn was the only thing that worked since Accutane. I refused to try Accutane again b/c of the hassle & the side effects (possible) although I loved having clear skin. I thought that I wouldn't find anything else that worked since I hadn't after so many years, but Solodyn really worked. I was able to have clear skin (maybe a small pimple or 2, but that's nothing compared to what I had) for my wedding. However, I got pregnant on our honeymoon and had to stop taking the Solodyn. Everyone is different & different meds work for different people, but for me having very difficult to treat acne, I was happy to find something that worked without all the side effects such as dry skin, possible dangers such as liver damage & GI damage, monthly pregnancy tests & tests online just to take it such as what you have to do with Accutane.
July 1, 2010
Pros:
Kills acne
keeps skin clear
Cons:
take about 2 months to work
I am a fourteen year old girl, and this cleared my terrible acne very quickly! i would recomened this to anyone.
June 26, 2010
Pros:
none
Cons:
Very little benefit and issues with yeast infections later in life.
I took this as a teenager for horrible acne for 2-3 years, and I still fight with as an 32 year old adult with Duac, which works pretty well. Anyway, be warned about taking antibiotics as a teenager for acne! Antibiotics will not work well for you later in life when you really need them, and you may develop recurring yeast infections from chronic antibiotic use, which become another uncomfortable battle regardless of acne. I blame the long-term use of minocycline on my issues with yeast infections as an adult. For the little benefit you see from antibiotics, it's not worth the long-term issues.
November 16, 2009
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared up skin perfectly, got card from my doctor so that copay was $5/month
Cons:
upset stomach, had to take with food or else threw up, yeast infections, severe bruising, light headed (sometimes it got really bad), and once I went off it I looked like a 15 year old again (I'm 22).
What price are you going to pay for clear skin? Is suffering all of the above symptoms worth it? For a while it was for me, until I started hearing that many acne medications cause liver/kidney failure....I'm NOT okay with that.
October 15, 2009
Pros:
inexpensive. Worked at first...
Cons:
Now I'm in my second month of taking the mino daily and I'm breaking out much worse than before! I am wondering if this is a one time last breakout or if this is not the drug for me.
I need to go back to my dermatologist.
August 19, 2009
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Cleared up my cysts and most of my moderate acne.
Cons:
Took nearly 6-8 months to see real results. I experienced intestinal discomfort and swelling, hearing loss. I wouldn't recommend using this product for extended length of time as it can be very dangerous. Just read the side effects.
I'm 25 years old, and I've had moderate acne for about 12 years now. About a year ago, I was under a lot of stress and started developing cysts for the first time (never more than 2-3 on my face at one time). I've used antibiotics on and off, never exceeding 8 months of regular use (as it is dangerous to expose your body to ANY antibiotic for extended period of time according to my dermatologist). I'd have to say that Solodyn did a pretty nice job of clearing my skin, but I've since gone off the drug and am maintaining w/ external treatments such as facials. The tomato peel I regularly get seems to work just as well as the Solodyn, and it's much safer w/o the side effects. I think it's important to know that there are drugs like Erythromiacin that are just as effective and don't have as severe the side effects of Solodyn. Keep in mind that Solodyn only just recently entered the market (about 5 years ago), so the full extent of it's side effects aren't yet fully known.
August 14, 2009
Pros:
cleared up cystic acne after the 1st week, im just noticing the results after 1.5 months. my skin is more even toned and breakouts are less constant. It takes time to see results but its worth it
Cons:
headaches the first 3-5 days. Except for that there are no significant side effects. been taking 100mg minocycline daily on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and waiting 45min before having breakfast
to be really specific i started with an initial dose of 200mg and tapered down to 100 mg daily every morning on an empty stomach.
1st week: cleared up cystic acne on neck and jawline
2nd week: acne seemed to stop but redness and inflammation wouldnt go away
2-4th week: had some breakouts, less than before starting treatment, but acne redness and inflammation hadnt subsided
4-6th week: acne that appeared on problem areas has stopped, rednes has been reduced significantly and skin is more even toned. Have had a couple cystic pimples (small size) on places where it normally wouldnt appear but they have quickly dissapeared 3-4 days after. *im pretty satisfied with the results, i still have 1 more month to go and i will recommend it. by the way ive been using Proactiv along the treatment. I think it works even better if a topical is used alongisde an oral
Pros:
Basically everything.
It's the first thing to actually work.