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
July 3, 2009
Cons:
i don't personally have an cons to report. i've been on minocin for about 12 years and have had none of the side-effects that others report, but everyone reacts different, i guess.
i've tried everything to get rid of my acne since i was in junior high, finally, when i was in the 10th grade my dermatologist suggested i try minocin. literally within days my skin was clear.
as i've gotten older, my doctors have suggested that i get off of it, and of course i'm always willing to try new things...but every time i've been off of it for any length of time my acne comes back almost immediately. i had no choice about a year ago to get off of it completely as i was pregnant - and of course, my acne came right back. after i stopped breast-feeding my son, i started right back on it and of course, my acne disappeared.
there are plenty of side-effects that my dermatologist warned me about, but iv'e literally had NO side effects from this medication, not even the minor ones like sensitivity to sun.
i suggest to anyone to try it, it's the only thing that has worked for me.
June 23, 2009
Pros:
It helped clear the skin a bit, but didnt reduce scars or anything speacial but it made me feel more comfortable in my own skin
Cons:
No cons, just wished it would be more powerful
I would try it, it works, and you still have a few pimples here & there but that is to be expected because nothing is perfect
June 22, 2009
Pros:
Started clearing up my skin within the first couple days. No dryness or skin irritation.
Cons:
I got almost all of the side effects you could. It made me extremely dizzy and lightheaded, also I felt very nauseous for the first few days but all the side effects have gone away now.
I am still waiting to see full effects, which my dermatologist says will be by the two month mark, but I am satisfied so far. I have tried nearly every otc facewash including clean&clear, proactiv, nuetrogena, clearasil, and acnefree; and this has worked better than any of them so far. Hopefully everything keeps getting better with time!!
April 8, 2009
Pros:
Very effective at clearing deep cystic acne and reducing redness and inflammation
Cons:
After taking 100mg per day for a week, I noticed a blue gray tinge to my forehead. This apparently is a supposedly rare side effect. Also 7 tiny black birthmarks appeared on my body, apparently iron deposits caused by minocycline metabolism. Scary!
I would not recommend this medication to anyone. Black spots (iron deposits) on the skin (apparently permanent) and blue-gray tinge of the skin, bones, and blueing/yellowing of the teeth are all potential side effects, which are all much worse than acne in my opinion. I suspect these side effects are undereported, as supposedly they are very rare but it happened to me within a week of starting the medication.
March 28, 2009
Pros:
Worked pretty well for the first couple of weeks, I saw a reduction in the amount of acne I had, and all seemed well. Didn't notice any side effects, that I'm aware of.
Cons:
After about 14 months of using this medication you notice that after a while that it becomes inaffective, I even increased the dosage and still nothing. I'm starting to think that its making it worse.
Definetly not a long turn solution, it works well for a while but after that you gotta find something else.
March 25, 2009
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
None so far, I've been on this medication (135 mg) for about 5 weeks.
Cons:
None. Stomach doesn't hurt or anything and my face doesn't dry out from it.
My acne has stayed pretty much the same. This drug seems to have no effect on me at all. I'll probably take it for the rest of this month and if I see no changes than I'll try something else.
March 11, 2009
Pros:
The pills clear up acne on a decent level. I noticed a large difference in the first few weeks.
Cons:
Acne didn't get much better in the period after the first few weeks 'til now. Side effects: drowsiness, weakness, lazy, tired, dream-like state, sometimes sleepless/disturbed sleep, sort of a mental block becomes active.
They're good for clearing up acne for a few weeks of use, but after that I think they should be stopped and replaced with something more effective. I don't know if the acne reduction is worth all the side effects, but then again this is one of my first-ever prescription medications that I've taken.
February 20, 2009
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
none?
Cons:
I get awful headaches almost daily (that I NEVER had before) in the evenings.
My skin is the worst it's ever been but I don't want to stop an antibiotic in the middle of the treatment. I'm about 5 weeks in, I guess I'll wait it out until the end of the 12 weeks. Ive been very disappointed with this medication, I don't know how much longer I can handle the headaches and breakouts.
January 5, 2009
Pros:
none.
Cons:
expensive; got worse; the damage lasts long.
I only took minocycline for 10 days and after the 3rd day i noticed zits all over my forehead. I was furious. I called my dermatologist and asked what was up. She said that wasn't supposed to happen; there should be no initial break out at all. She told me to stop. Now, it's been a month since i stopped and i still have all these zits,scars, and pimples! My skin looks redder and much more bumpy than before. I'm trying different things to fix this problem: differin, clindamycin and neutrogena face wash. I'm contemplating whether to take Tetracycline to fix my face.
December 1, 2008
Pros:
Improved my acne slightly
Cons:
Was still getting cystic acne and comedones at end of second month of use, though not as many. Switched to cefadroxil and saw more improvement in one week than I saw in two months on mino
This just wasn't strong enough for my moderate acne. It made a dent, but didn't really fix the problem.
Pros:
my skin has been clear ever since i've been on the pills.