Minocycline
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Side Effects

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 20, 2013
Great for the short run, but acne comes back

Pros:

Does a good job clearing acne in the short run

Cons:

Headaches sometimes
Loses effectivity
Acne returns 10x worse

I was on minocycline for about a year, it cleared up my acne about 80% - but during that "time of the month", I'd still get about 2 cystic zits. Unfortunately you will either become resistant to this antibiotic or you'll be on it long enough for you to develop health risks... so I stopped taking it around the year mark. I stayed fairly clear for like 6 months past that, and then suddenly, I got the WORST CYSTIC BREAKOUT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I'm talking clusters of cysts like 10+ on my cheekbones and chin.... lasted weeks, some even 2 months..... I still have the scars on my face from that breakout..... now I am taking evening primrose oil (1000mg) a day and using a clay masque with sulfur (queen helene's mint julep masque) and my skin has finally relaxed. I have one spot on my face. Anyways, use this if you need a quick fix but by no means is this an acne "cure" cause your acne will eventually return much worse than before (my hormonal breakouts are now conglobata acne cysts, which I never used to get before taking this medication)...
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October 18, 2013
great

Pros:

small pimples
less pimples
less red

Cons:

gel makes face dry

i been on menocylone for about 2 months . and i have seen great improvment . pimples got alot smaller and face got less red on my cheecks . for the first week or two it would make my body numb but nothing that bad . but theres a benadryl proxide gel that has really dried my face out in the past week out of eight weeks ive been on it though
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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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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.
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July 21, 2013
Great at first, not so great after a few months

Pros:

great short-term solution
made pimples smaller and less frequent
inexpensive

Cons:

flushing
stopped working after about 3 months
not a long-term solution

At first, I thought this was a godsend. My acne (which had gotten really bad after a few months on doxycycline) cleared up almost immediately. I still got the occasional pimple, but nothing like what I was getting before. The side effects didn't really affect me too much - occasional stomach aches, light-headedness, trouble switching focus from things a long way away to things close, but these seemed to come for a couple of days and then go away again. I was on two 50mg tablets a day (one in the morning, one at night). After about 2 months, I noticed that my rosacea redness and flushing (which I already had) was getting a lot worse. Sometimes, for no reason at all, I would flush for an hour or so, my face going bright red and burning like hell. This sometimes happened 7 or 8 times a day, and it was really making me depressed and anxious. I was constantly checking my face to see if I was flushing. I then learned that other people had had trouble with this medication and flushing, and my derm had previously mentioned cutting back from two tablets a day to one, so I decided to try that (just taking it at night). At this stage, I was more preoccupied with the redness than the pimples, so I reasoned that even if the pimples got worse, if the flushing stopped, I wouldn't mind. So I've been on 50 mg once a day for a couple of days now (also on Finacea at night) and this seems to be helping. I certainly haven't been flushing as much as I was before. All in all, this medication definitely worked better for me than the doxycycline, so if you've tried doxy and it didn't work, give this one a go. Just don't expect it to work on a long-term basis.
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June 9, 2013
Side effects :(

Pros:

Helps with acne

Cons:

Doesn't completely control acne
Terrible side effects.

It really did help tame my acne and my acne is pretty moderate. I can't say that it was a miracle worker because it wasn't. But one night at a football game it was really cold and then for a couple months after that night I had pretty severe joint problems - basically arthritis - it turned out that it was this pill that was causing it. Once I was off this pill, I did start to break out again. :(
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March 21, 2013

Pros:

fairly clear skin for 3 months
reduces pimple duration
easy to take

Cons:

did nothing for the long term
redness of skin
bad Keratosis on the arms
headaches
tiredness

Cleared up acne fairly well the first few months. Had minimal break outs and skin was looking a lot better. After about 4 months, started to see skin discoloration and pimples started coming back. At this point, my face appears to be worse then when I started. i would only recommend this for a short term solution.
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March 15, 2013

Pros:

Skin is alot better than where it was 3 months ago
Severity is a lot less when a pimple does arise
Cheap in cost

Cons:

Still getting pimples even after 3 months at 100mg a day
Very slow in getting rid of the acne lesions, redness from previous pimples
A lot of discharge with females, possibly yeast infection, and very drousy

This is an okay med so far as it has helped me out a lot, however I am worried about acne coming back after I go off it and I hoped it would clear me skin entirely and really keep the pimples away which it hasn't quite....
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February 8, 2013

Pros:

Improved moderately-severe full-body cystic acne 90% within 2 months.

Cons:

Took dosage of 50 mg twice daily for 4 months, within 2 weeks of ending the prescription, acne returned to previous severity all over.

Minocycline is not a long-term cure for acne. I was told I would have clear skin for 6 months after stopping. I am 30 years old and have suffered from acne my entire life. I have used pretty much every topical medication available with varying results. If I don't use topical medications consistently, acne worsens. Topical medications alone do not improve acne very much at all.
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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