Minocycline
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Minocycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should...

Minocycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should be used only short term (max. 3 months).

It is usually taken once a day with food, at the same time every day.

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Used Minocycline? Rate It:

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November 29, 2010

Pros:

None

Cons:

4 days in intensive care...severe reaction. Docs said I had multi-organ failure. I was on this drug for about 8 or 9 days when I got sick. Thought it was a virus. couldn't breath and kidney's were in shut down. Very dangerous. Be careful and go to the doctor if you don't feel well

Stay away. Too many side effects and dangers.
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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.
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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.
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November 16, 2010

Pros:

Got rid of large, painful bumps quickly.
Helped soothe redness.
Cleared me up about 90% in just over two weeks.
Easy to take.
No side effects at all.
Free! (Covered by my health care plan)
:)

Cons:

None for me!

I have been taking minocycline approaching three weeks this friday, and it has worked wonders on my skin! Two months after coming off the birth control Yasmin in the summer my face exploded with acne, much worse than what I had previous to going on the pill. It was very devastating. I didn't want to leave the house, which is not like me at all. I finally decided enough was enough, and when i had spent a pretty penny on multiple acne kits, spot treatments, at home remedies and the whole nine yards, i went to an acne clinic and saw a dermatologist. She was fantastic. She immediatley prescribed me mino to clear up the mess on my face, and we talked about adding in Spironolactone in three weeks at my next appointment (since my acne is VERY hormonal, around my mouth, on my chin/jawline, and nose). So far I am very pleased with the results of Minocycline! Even if it is a temporary fix, it did do the trick for the mean time. I am also back on birth control, but now am on YAZ, for one month now. Here's to clearing skin! Hope this helps. :)
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November 12, 2010

Pros:

it works. i was on it for a while with no acne at all. Then took myself off of it because of pain but then now im back on it again.
DRINK A TON OF WATER WITH THIS STUFF!

Cons:

if you get off of it your acne WILL come back.

it works. give it a shot.
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November 11, 2010

Pros:

- no side effects
- easy to take (pill size)
- reduced inflamation

Cons:

- hard to remember to take all of them, i.e. one in the morning and one at night and have to be close to 12 hours apart
- didn't really clear up my acne, just reduced inflamation

ok well i went on 2 courses of minocycline (Minomyicin and Akamin was the brands i used). The first course, which i didnt fully complete cleared my skin slighty, more just controlled breakouts. I had to stop taking it because i went on other antibiotics becasue of sickness and then never went back on it. I was on it for approx 4 out of the 6 months. Acne did return about 6 months later so the doc prescribed me another course. This did not help at all. To a degree, it did reduce inflamation in the last half of the sixth month but acne will still obviously there. If u want my advice, I wouldn't dick around with antibiotics, just go on Accutane (isotretinoin), I am on it at the moment and already seeing wicked results, 55 days in and have no active pimples, just has to heal now. Im 19 years old, bout the only guy who has acne still at uni and really wish i had got on accutane earlier. Goodluck anyone who is reading this! dont let your acne get you down!
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November 9, 2010

Pros:

cleared up inflammation on forehead

Cons:

slowly seeing results
lightheadedness
migraines

I have never before had acne. I'm 22 years old and after months of stressing over financial issues, family problems, having a poor diet that included little to no intake of water i broke out with bad acne. I went from having one or two random ones that went away within a matter of days, to having papules all over my forehead, cheeks, chin, jaw, chest... everywhere. I skipped periods. All in all, I feel like my lifestyle caused this to happen. I went to my doctor and she prescribed me ortho tri cyclen birth control. I had an adverse reaction from it after taking 1 pill. Severe nausea, dry heaving, blood clots all over my calves. It was bad. I got off of that and finally went to see a dermatologist. Its been a week since I've taken minocycline. The marks on my forehead have reduced significantly. I have scars on my forehead left and on my left cheek. It'll take time but I still have acne on my right cheek/jawline. Strange but I'm hoping for all of this to subside. Its taken an emotional toll on me. Never thought I would be one to suffer from acne and here I am, frantically searching for solutions online. I'm hopeful about this pill. I'm not a drug person (prefer to stay away from these kind of things). So I'm hoping I won't have to take this for long. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading.
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October 30, 2010

Pros:

-cleared up my severe acne relatively quickly
-noticeable results in 2-3 weeks
-all of the large bumps I had around my jawline reduced in size in a week or so
-the pills are small, easy to take

Cons:

-dairy products are said to reduce its effectiveness so that limited the times when I could take the pill

I had next to perfect skin before going off the pill in April. A few months later my skin broke out like nobody's business! I was very close to starting Accutane although my issue wasn't chronic and Accutane sounds pretty severe so I went the antibiotic route. Minocycline (twice a day, 50 g/capsule) in combination with Clindoxyl gel helped so much in bringing down the large, painful bumps on my face. My skin still isn't as pretty as it was before (I have red pigmentation marks left over from where the bumps were) but makeup can cover it up no problem. I definitely recommend Minocycline!
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October 30, 2010

Pros:

-completely cleared up acne
-really helpful for reducing redness
-no side effects
-inexpensive

Cons:

-takes a really long time to start working
-major breakout after about 3 months which left scars

minocycline is simply AMAZING. It takes a really long time to start working but its worth the wait. The best thing about it is that it has anti-inflammatory effects and reduces redness a lot - the first thing i noticed while taking it was that my skin became a lot less red after about a week. Getting rid of the actual acne took a lot longer. My skin started clearing up after about 2 months but it was quite a small difference. Everything went well (no new acne appearing) until about the third month when i was halfway through the treatment. I had the biggest breakout i have ever had - i have never seen my skin look so bad before. Antibiotics are not supposed to cause a breakout (apparantely) so it MAY have been because of stress, but i'm still leaning towards the antibiotic being the cause. I had blemishes where I'd NEVER gotten them before - my temples, all across my cheeks etc. It lasted for about 3 weeks but then my skin started clearing up again. I'm now up to my last month of taking it and my skin is completely free of acne - the only thing that is keeping my skin from being flawless is red marks from the breakout i had, but they're slowly fading. There were no side effects at all (although i was only taking 50mg) and it was so cheap. Overall I'm really happy with minocycline and I'd definitely reccommend it.
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October 27, 2010

Pros:

none

Cons:

Headache, dizziness, rash, hives, fever, itchiness, body swelling.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE. I do not recommend this drug to anyone. I had to be admitted to the hospital for four days because of this medication. I was taking it for two weeks and experienced some headaches and dizziness. Right around two weeks, my body had a severe allergic reaction to the medication. My entire body from head to toe was covered in hives and the itchiest rash.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

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Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website