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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October 11, 2006

Pros:

Not yet

Cons:

Dizziness w/ high dose

You said it is making you dizzy- same thing happened to me the 1st day 100mg 2x a day. Spoke w/ my doc and he knocked it down to 50mg X1 a day. I take it at night (not laying down for at least 30 min. after taking the pill)and am not dizzy the nxt day. Its only been a few days- no improvment on the skin yet - but dizziness is gone! Good Luck!
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August 28, 2016
Cystic acne
I've been taking this for several moths now,400mg.a day.I don't break out as much but I need help.I've had this problem for two years and I'm 62yrs old.some say use honey,apple cidar vinegar.HELP.I also take care of a husband with 11yrs in with Alzheimer's
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Nanomeds
March 19, 2017
Gosh, I feel for you! That's a tough road. As a health coach, I've been putting my clients on lots of probiotics both topically and for digestive system. (Try VSL #3 or something equivalently strong). Paint face with plain kefir to re-instate good bacteria. Go off conventional dairy. Experiment a couple weeks with other common irritants (eggs, wheat, soy, canola etc). Drinking raw milk homemade kefir finally corrected my cystic acne at age 35! Before I even modified my diet.
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August 19, 2016
Caution
Take at your own risk----I started this drug around June 27th for my severe acne (paired with Aczone and neutrogina wash). I didn't really notice any side effects right off; I have a pretty strong stomach and am usually pretty immune to most forms of nausea though, so that wasn't too uncommon for me. Around 2 weeks in I did notice the initial "purging" where my acne did get worse (I started getting some on my forehead, which I didn't used to) but by 3-4 weeks I noticed some clearing up. By late July I was pretty stoked because I was looking way better, but by July 25th I started getting headaches. I will admit, I was being kind of stupid; I was really happy with the my face and rationalized that the drug shouldn't be acting up so late after having taken it and waited until after the 26th to stop (just to be sure it wasn't a fluke). That was a big mistake on my part. I got THE WORST headaches that lasted 2-3 days (though I had taken my last dose on the 26th, apparently minocycline stays in your system awhile) and kept me totally bed-ridden. I couldn't move my eyes without blinding pain and nearly vomited from how much it hurt in general. I now get to go to a doctor later to ensure I didn't develop psuedotumor cerebri (since, apparently headaches behind the eyes is one of the main symptoms of that) AND my acne is now worse---I'm going to look into birth control to see if that helps because I am now wary of antibiotics. I considered giving this drug 1 star just because what a hellish time I had, but if I had never developed the headaches than it was working (you know, until it tried to kill me) so it may work for others, but it certainly did not work for me.
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December 22, 2014
Staying hopeful
I was prescribed this drug about a year and a half ago along with an oral birth control pill and it cleared up my acne COMPLETELY! It got much worse before it got better, I would go out for the day and come home with over 20 new pimples on my face...I was very close to giving up but after about the second month on these pills it started to clear up. I am still on the birth control pill today, but only took minocycline for about 6 months. About 5 months ago my acne started to get bad again so I went back on this pill. It is my 4th week and I only see minimal changes. I was wondering if anyone else experienced extreme itchy-ness?! My whole upper body is SO itchy no matter what I do! My neck, back, hands, and scalp are red and dry. I take this pill twice a day with food. I want to stick with it otherwise I will be trying accutane. I also do not like the fact that minocycline can interfere with your birth control pill. Be very careful and use a backup form of birth control!
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September 25, 2014
So far, so good
I'm 28 years old and have had pretty good skin my whole life until about a year and a half ago. I started with a couple pimples here and there on my cheeks and forehead then it started getting worse. I decided to get it checked out and the Doctor started me on 100mg of Minocycline capsules, one per day.. I didn't start to see a difference until 3 weeks into the treatment. My skin is starting to clear up especially the redness. The only thing that seems to be sticking around are these pesky closed comedones (whiteheads). But I'm also not seeing any new ones either so I guess that's a good thing. I haven't experienced any negative side effects such as the ones I've been reading about. Today for the first time immediately after taking it, I did get a little dizzy but went away quickly.. Hopefully this medicine continues to work but also nervous that I'm going to start experiencing negative side effects now that I've been on it for almost a month.
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June 14, 2014
Ineffective
I was on this for a little while, and was later switched to Solodyn by my derm (supposed to be the same as minocycline except a bit stronger) and neither did much for my skin. I have severe cystic acne and am also on epiduo gel. While I was on minocycline I did notice the pimples that were on top of my cysts cleared up a lot, but I think that was mostly the epiduo gel. If your acne is not severe or cystic, I would suggest giving this, or preferably Solodyn, a try. If it is, you'll probably need something stronger. This did not give me an allergic reaction, but it did make me feel tired, nauseous, and gave me headaches. I did not experience these side effects on Solodyn.
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June 9, 2014
Caused Vertigo and Nausea
I tried Minocycline as the last attempt to avoid a second round of Accutane. After a few days on the medication I started waking up with vertigo and nausea so bad that if affected my ability to shower and get ready for the day. I normally don't have reactions to medications so it took me a few days to realize it WAS a side effect of the med but once I did my derm immediately took my off and we went with the Accutane. Unfortunately, the side effects kept me from being able to see the effects of the medication on my acne. Better luck to others!
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December 11, 2013
Great (temporary) fix

Pros:

Cleared skin
inexpensive
Minimal side-effects

Cons:

Temporary fix
occasional acid reflux

This works really well, while you stay on it. Allowed me to have a clear fall term of freshman year (college) so I'm grateful to it, but it is not a long term solution. It is a bad idea to stay on antibiotics long term (they mess with your digestive system). To anyone considering antibiotics, be careful about one thing: for years I had mild-moderate acne and coped pretty well with it (I didn't let it affect my life much) the danger with antibiotics is that you lose all your coping mechanisms when they clear your skin and then when you go off them and your acne comes back...for me it was pretty devastating.
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September 7, 2013
Works, but is slow.

Pros:

decreases pimple size
if you have oily skin, it wont be as oily

Cons:

makes you feel sick for a week or two when first starting
may not always work
more susceptible to getting sick

I was prescribed this and the first two ish weeks it made me feel really sick, but i stuck with it and I still use it now after 5 months. It does help with the size of your pimples and what not, but it never cleared me completely, so I'm using it in conjunction with other topicals. I noticed a lot within the first 2 months with how my big pimples became a tad smaller and right now I still break out about 3 spots each time, but they're not big and are almost gone after 4 days of getting them.
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August 26, 2013
Does the job

Pros:

Eliminates all whiteheads and mild cysts
Results are seen fairly quickly
Controls oily skin

Cons:

Acne may return after treatment
Can cause digestional issues and yeast infections
Sun exposure while on medication can be harmful

Minocycline worked much better than any of the topical treatments I tried and cleared up my skin completely! I used it for a year before I weaned off of it. I stopped in the winter and my skin stayed clear until the hot months provoked my oily skin. Unfortunately, after using this medication, my acne came back even worse than before, as there is more of it and it is cystic. I recommend this anti-biotic for those with very mild acne- very few whiteheads and normal skin type.
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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

Finding a Doctor

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