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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July 30, 2010

Pros:

Only had one giant spot whilst taking it

Cons:

Still had smaller spots
Felt out of it all the time - like I was watching my life on tv
Upset stomach
Constant thrush
Decreased appetite
Hyper-pigmentation (SP)

The drug definately reduced the size of spots but did not stop them completley. Took about 6 weeks to start seeing results taking 100mg a day. I think if I had continued to take it I would have seen improvements but the side effects were just too much and I would have wasted away! May work for some but now I am trying accutane as even though the side effects may be dire, there is more chance of long term improvement.
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July 25, 2010

Pros:

I worshipped this product for about a year. My acne wasn't too bad, but enough that it bothered me and this product completely cleared up my face. I used it for a year and experienced NO side effects.

Cons:

After a year of using the prodcut, it stopped working. Completely. And my acne came back worse than when I started using the medication!

I loved this product initially but it does not provide a long-term solution by any means! I'm now using Accutane.
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9 user(s) found this helpful

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July 16, 2010

Pros:

Completely clears cystic acne in about 1 month, Can take with food so is very easy to use on a daily regimen

Cons:

Dizziness, Stomach Pains, Nausea, You might develop a resistance to it

In the beginning, Minocycline was the answer to my acne problem. It completely cleared up my acne in less than 1 month. I was overjoyed and couldn't believe that I had worried about acne in the first place. My doctor made the mistake of changing my antibiotics, and having proven unsuccessful one after the other, my Doctor put me back on Minocycline. It no longer works for me, since I have developed a resistance to it. There was a recent study stating that nearly 25% of people will develop a resistance to a particular antibiotic they are prescribed over time. It was great while it lasted, but in the end it did not prove to have long-term benefits.
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July 15, 2010

Pros:

-Once daily dosing
-Clears and prevents comedonal acne fairly quickly

Cons:

-MAJOR gas (lol) and bloating within the 4-6 hours following each dose
-Cant consume ANY calcium during treatment (deactivates minocycline).
-Gastrointestinal aggravation.
-Takes long time to work (been on it for 2 1/2 weeks and have only seen minor improvement)
-Moderately expensive if you don't have insurance or a rx discount card.

Hello, 25 year old pharmacy student with moderate acne, which was not present during adolescence, yet showed up about 6 months ago. So went to my primary care physician and requested minocycline. I would say the largest inconvienience of this drug is that you cannot consume ANYTHING with even minor amounts of calcium in it. If you do, the calcium binds to and encapsulates the minocycline molecules and deactivates them, preventing metabolism and absorption into the bloodstream. Therefore, you have to PLAN everything and look at the labels of every single thing you eat to see if it contains more than 1-2% calcium per serving. Which has gotten quite inconvienent and annoying lol. The second most annoying thing is...the BLOATING and gas that this drug causes.. which is not specific to just this drug, but most antibiotics, albeit this drugs bloating and gas side effect is more pronounced. Anyways, as far as the drugs purpose goes, only been on Minocycline for 2 1/2 weeks, so cant expect ALL my acne to be gone, but to be honest, the larger, more troublesome pustular "deep" acne lesions dissolved within 7-10 days of induction. Still have lots of little tiny 'goose bump' looking raised tiny bumps on my entire forehead area, so hopefully as time goes on using this drug, they too will disappear. Oh, as a note, my treatment is as follows: I take 100mg minocycline, once daily (instead of the usual 50mg twice daily), and as an adjunct to the minocycline, and an attempt to clear the tiny forehead bumps, I use the 'Stridex' brand 'acne pads' (2% Salicylic Acid) pads, once in the morning and once at night. Good luck to all, down with acne! :) -Chris
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July 12, 2010

Pros:

cleared acne

Cons:

liver damage

I do not recommend this product. I was desperate for something, anything to work and now must deal with the side effects for the rest of my life. There are many other options.
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July 11, 2010

Pros:

Has cleared up my acne and prevented new breakouts.

Little or no side effects for me personally.

Cons:

Could be expensive if have to pay full price.

I'm very happy with what this medication has done for me. I'm 37 and have had pretty bad acne on my back for years and years. I finally decided to do something about it last year. My Doctor tried a milder prescription antibiotic medication (in conjunction with topical treatments) at first which did not have any effect. He started me on Solodyn tablets about a year ago. At first I took the 93mg tablets which had a slight effect on my skin but after a few months he stepped me up to the 115mg tablets. I kept on using the topical treatments in conjuction with the tablets and my back cleared up after a couple of months. So my regimen is: one 115mg solodyn tablet a day, glycolic acid cleanser in the shower followed by a 2% salicylic acid back spray (twice a day) and a 10% benzoyl peroxide cream before bed. So far it has worked a charm and the best part about it is that I'm getting no major breakouts anymore. This is good news as in the summer I used to get lots of new spots on my back and butt whenever I got hot and sweaty...but not any more! Now I can ride on my bicycle in the nice sunny weather and not have to worry about waking up the next day with a crop of new spots. I'm experiencing no noticable side effects that I can think of, but I guess this varies from person to person. Also I should note that I use a discount card given to me by my doctor to bring the cost of each prescription down to 10 bucks - the full price cost is a lot more and I don't think I could afford it if I didn't get the discount!
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July 9, 2010

Pros:

All Acne is GONE 100%

Cons:

Minor headaches, Nausea and a little dizziness.

OK..I read all the reviews on this and all products and I was scared to try. On the other end I was a 30 some year old woman, who never had acne and hated the way my face looked. I was on a small dosage and had no side effects or results. My doctor doubled my dosage and immediately my skin cleared and yes the side effects came along with it. Like all things in life you learn how to manage it. I only stayed on the meds for about a month. My acne is 100% gone and it's over 3 months. Everyone..try it and use your experience. All negative stuff can really scare you. At the end of the day all we all want is clear skin. Good Luck!
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July 9, 2010

Pros:

Gets rid of redness in face
Clears up bacne
Clears up acne , eventually

Cons:

Long time to work
Side effects

I have never had acne until this year. I was on proactiv for a bit but that didn't help at all. As my acne got worse my doctor prescribed minocycline and clindamycin. I have been on both medications for a month now and my face is less red, my bacne is completly gone and my acne on. My face is just starting to clear up. The only bad thing about this medication is how long it takes to work. When it does start to work though it produces good results.
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July 7, 2010

Pros:

not much, dried up my acne to moderate extent after 4 months of high dose

Cons:

dark pigmentation, my back looked SCARY (i was shocked and almost fainted), too much of high dose was needed in my case, was still having enough pimples to make people cringe when they saw my face.

I wouldn't recommend it. There are better antibiotics and I found Adapeline to be much better (it's topical, read my review there). Only the pigmentation was bad enough to put me off it.
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July 3, 2010

Pros:

I noticed a difference with the acne in my face in 1 week. It was pretty much gone in about 6 weeks.

Cons:

I had a slight stomach ache the 1st 2 weeks after taking it. It also made me feel sluggish. After About 4 weeks I noticed a rash on my hands & wrists, but I was in a foreign country & though it was something there I was allergic to. After 6 weeks (after I was back home) hives started to break out on my hands, arms, stomach, legs, & feet. I immediately stooped the medication. I've had hives for 14 days now.

This medication is great if you are not allergic to it. It gave my skin a glow & cleared up my clogged pores. Do not take if you're allergic to TETRACYCLINES.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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