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
August 8, 2014
Did nothing for me, don't drink with this
This did nothing at all for me, except one time I grabbed a couple of drinks after work with friends and ended up with the world spinning around me because it makes you so dizzy. Don't drink with this. It can also cause your teeth, nails, and skin to become permanently stained, and can also cause lupus...not worth it for a drug that can only work short-term. Doxy worked better for me with less risk of side effects and no dizziness.
August 5, 2014
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Works... But not for me
I've been using Solodyn for about 3 weeks now. My dermatologist has me taking half of a 115mg Tablet once a day along with Aczone and Acanya. It's definitely cleared up most of the inflamed acne but everything else is still present. I think this is because I have extremely oily skin so my pores are constantly being clogged. Before this I was on Doxycyclin for a little while which did absolutely nothing. Then Aczone and Acanya with little improvement. Hence the reason why my doctor threw in Solodyn. If cystic acne is your main problem then this will probably work for you. But personally I'm just waiting on my follow up date so that I can beg for Accutane.
July 15, 2018
Doxycycline literally did absolutely nothing for me either!
August 23, 2013
Works Wonderfully Short term
Cons:
Can cause minor stomach aches
Acne bacteria grows resistant quickly
I was on this for about...a year, I think? Which is actually very dangerous as it can cause very serious liver problems if it's used long term. Anyways, after around month 2 my skin was completely clear aside from blackheads (which aren't related to bacteria anyways; this drug is not meant to treat them). It stayed that way for about 4 months afterward, and I felt amazing. However, I developed a resistance to it and it eventually stopped working.
August 14, 2013
Minocycline: Short-term fix
Pros:
Breakouts clear faster
Pimples are less inflammed
Almost completely clear skin!
Cons:
Acne returned after treatment
I took Minocycline a few months ago. My acne is moderately severe and persistent. I'm 21 now and ever since I was 14, I have had at least 10 pimples (some cystic) on my face every day of these past 7 years. I've tried lots of topical creams and other antibiotics and this is the only thing that really cleared me up. I had almost no acne and even if a pimple did pop up, it was far less inflamed and cleared up much faster. It started working for me within the first few days of taking the pills. Definitely try this drug if nothing else has worked for you! I had no side affects whatsoever. My acne returned pretty much right after I stopped taking the pills though. Good luck! :)
July 24, 2013
Felt sick from side effects
Pros:
Clears acne
Easy solution
Cons:
Side Effects
Not long term
At first I was prescribed an antibiotic which I loved but unfortunately my insurance did not cover it, so I was prescribed to minocycline and to take two 50mg per day. When I first started taking this medication, it worked, although I felt extremely sick to my stomach. I eventually decided to only take one 50mg tablet at night before bed, and this has seemed to work. I have been doing the one pill for over a year now, and when I first started taking this medicine, it worked right away, but eventually has been less effective. I have stopped taking this medication for a week and I did notice that my breakouts occurred more often when I was off the medicine, so it is working, just not as strong as I like. Again, I am pretty sure it would work more if I took two pills rather than just one, but my stomach can't seem to handle this.
July 10, 2013
Great, few side effects
Pros:
Easy to use
Cleared skin completely
Lasting effects
Cons:
No dairy hour within taking meds
Lightheadedness
Dryness?
At first, I started taking minocycline (antibiotics) in the morning, and found that it made me lightheaded, also you cannot eat dairy within one hour of taking it because it reduces the effectiveness of the antibiotics. I recommend taking it before bed. I had pretty moderate acne, which became a lot worse in the past year. Within four months of using the antibiotic (combined with clindoxyl cream and Retinol A gel) my skin cleared up COMPLETELY. I did experience extreme dryness (red, burning, flaking and peeling skin) with the use of these three medications, but after a while my skin adjusted and dryness went away. After around 4 months of antibiotics, I haven't had a noticeable pimple for a very long time. My skin is very clear, except for a few red marks from scarring, and continues to stay completely clear although I stopped minocycline a month ago. Overall, worked amazingly for me, consider this before trying Isotretinoin (Accutane). I can't remember the last time my skin was this clear!
January 27, 2013
Pros:
helps get rid of the nodules and redness, however using a topical cream really helps knocking out the rest!
Cons:
some nausea
minicycline helps if you take it at the same time everyday i am using this medication alog with diffren gel which works better than just the antibiotic alone.
January 26, 2013
Pros:
It works very well!
Cons:
Got an allergic reaction to it after a couple of months
Developed an itchy scalp and some tiny pimples on it.
A year ago I broke out, BADLY! We're talking about pimple and cysts everywhere. It doesn't help your cause when you add depression into the mix. My dermatologist prescribed me Minocycline along with Epiduo..After a month I saw a completely different person. I was clear, happy, and enjoyed the life I never had throughout my teenage years. This medication saved my life : D Then I began getting pimples on my scalp which made me want to scratch my scalp all the time. So I decided to stop taking it and side effects stopped after a week or so. Overall, a good antibiotic.
January 2, 2013
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Once a day.
Clears big, painful acne.
Takes 3 months for comlpetely clear skin.
Cons:
My insurance doesn't cover it.
Can only get through Rx.
Not sure if it's harming my body in the long-run, being an antibiotic.
Wish I was put on this years ago! My deep painful, red embarrassing pimples :) I mail in a pamplit to the company and they mail me the meds, I wish my insurance covered it, I have to switch to a generic brand next month, I hope it works just as well. I'm 22 and have acne since 12 and never got better, only more severe. O happy to have gone on this!
October 23, 2012
Pros:
nothing
Cons:
-gave me dermatographic urticaria after two weeks
-made my acne worse
-sensitivity to sun
-diaria
It didn't work at all and it made me break out more and the thing that worked was the benzoyl peroxide gel that was also prescribed to me along with this antibiotic. After about two weeks, i started getting really itchy skin all over my body and if my skin is rubbed or irritated, it forms this itchy hive. This applies everywhere on my body (arms, legs, back, everywhere).
Pros:
Cleared me up completely
Made my skin feel like a baby's tushy