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
June 3, 2008
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Cons:
BEWARE!!! The side effects that only happen to a small percentage of people, happened to me. Minocycline drugs can cause drug-induced hepatitis. Drug makers neglect to tell you that. Even if only a small # of cases, if it happens to you-its not good
My derm. started me on Solodyn after several topical meds that failed to work. Solodyn worked great for me. HOWEVER... recently I applied for additional life insurance, had a physical & was rejected due to liver enzyme levels being 5x higher than the normal range. I went to my PCP, who refered me to a liver specialist out of Loyola Hospital in Illinois. They have a "liver team" at Loyola. Before my first appointment, I researched this online & found other cases of this happening from the use of Solodyn. I immediately stopped taking the drug. I told the specialist what I suspect had caused the liver enzyme elevation. He ordered several tests & a series of blood tests. I went back today for my follow-up & found out I had drug-induced hepatitis from the Solodyn. Because I caught this so early on, the condition reversed itself & I no longer have it. My doc told me not everyone is that lucky. PLEASE monitor your liver enzyme levels if taking Solodyn. My derm told me it was safe.
May 19, 2008
Pros:
Works somewhat initally
Cons:
Made acne worse..new spots which where nt many but when they did come they where deep red and long lasting..seemed to make me tired and sleep bad..not sure if the drug caused this or coincidence..anyway after 3 months have stopped taking them..
A false dawn, wasted 3months when could've been half way through accutane treatment which prob would work and last..
May 2, 2008
Pros:
Began to work after about 1 month. I had tried many different medications, oral, topical and birth control- this seems to be the only one that works. I experienced acne only in college and did not have skin issues in high school.
Cons:
Sun sensitivity; I'm already fair, so I have to be careful.
Acne treatments work differently depending on the person. Obviously, it caused problems for some and worked wonders for others. I have only positive things to say about the medication and believe it's worth a try.
February 4, 2008
Pros:
Working so far, but Im also using Tazorac cream. My skin is better, night and day. I've been on the pills and cream for 3+ months. My doctor said that it takes anywhere from 3-6 months for it to work.
Cons:
I dont want to stay on it for good, so along with my other health measures, Im hoping that this will kill the bacteria while i replenish my system.
Take this, it works. However, like any antibiotic you MUST, i repeat MUST take a probiotic daily with it. Our bodies NEED good bacteria for proper bodily function or the symptoms listed on this site or on any other medication can occur. Taking a probioic will help your body remain balanced and decrease your chances of a) symptoms b) having to permanently stay on this antibiotic. Good luck to all, Acne is a terrible thing, but remember, to always fight the problem using natural ways before you try harsh drugs. If you need a boost, take drugs, but in the meantime ensure that you are eating well, exercising and taking in GOOD BACTERIA.
January 2, 2008
Pros:
clears skin everywhere
Cons:
only for a few months
I used minocycline a few years ago and it worked great for me. i hate using creams so the pill took away all of my acne (even my back and chest) but after five months it stopped working. its a great drug to use and you start seeing results in less than a week but once it stops working, all related pills stop working. because it is an anti-biotic your immune system will get used to it and it will eventually stop working along with all other anti biotics (for acne). ive tried three different pills afterwards and none of them worked so now i have to start on accutane.
anti biotics like these also dont work if you have taken alot of anti biotics as a child. so if you want a quick fix minocycline is great for a few months but good luck trying to find something to replace it after it stops working.
December 5, 2007
Pros:
Within the first couple of days my skin appeared to be less oily. Skin cleared up very fast. Ladies when combined with Birth Control, this works wonders.
Cons:
After about two weeks of using hte product, my skin flarred up again however still less oily.
I became VERY dizzy (often having to take a nap after I took it), irritable, and naseaus.
Works.. however will look for an alternative.
October 13, 2007
Pros:
None that I can think of
Cons:
Far too many
Let me preface this with saying I only took it for a week before I quit the medication, so I probably did not give it enough time to work. The reason I quit is the adverse reactions. Thanks to Minocycline, I now have an itchy rash on my neck that won't go away. I have a yeast infection. It made me so dizzy, I couldn't even stand up for long periods of time. I threw up each day I was on it. It did far more harm than good. I only have mild acne so putting up with theses symptoms for a few pimples here and there is absolutely not worth it. What a waste of $35 bucks ($10 for the prescription, $20 for Monistat for the yeast infection, and $5.00 for Benedryl for the rash. Not to mention the ginger ale and saltines I had to eat everyday because of the vomiting)
September 29, 2007
Pros:
Minocycline keeps pimples at bay but doesn't quite completely clear skin if you have moderately severe acne lesions.
Cons:
You break out worse than ever once you stop taking the drug. For naturally tanned people (olive skin), it causes a blue-gray pigmentation on the skin which may occur on the face, or body because of increased skin sensitivity to the sun.
After beginning this medication, in a matter of days, my skin lost his lustre/glow - I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. When the dermatologist told me that tetracyclines when used long-term may cause hyperpigmentation, I was horrified. I quit the drug after 2 months of taking it and my face has broken out like never before. I was better off having not taken minocycline because I could actually look at myself in the mirror before. My dermatologist has now prescribed Accutane after taking a look at my skin after using this.
February 3, 2007
Pros:
can't see any as of yet (6weeks)
Cons:
made my acne much worse without signs of improvement
I am 20 years old an started to develop moderate/mild acne over the last year. I have been on minocycline for almost 6 weeks now. The first 4 weeks I noticed no change. The 5th week I started to break out worse than ever. I even took off from work today because I was too embarrased to see anyone. I am now in my 6th week and just added Retin-A Micro to my routine as per my derm. I am hoping this helps but heard this also makes acne severly worse before better. I am not trying to scare anyone from using this product.. but if you occasionally or rarely break out i would reccommend just dealing with it and skipping this all together!
August 16, 2017
Horrible reaction, and did nothing anyway!
I was prescribed this as a second to last option (last being Accutane). I was on it for 2 weeks, when I started noticing my face getting VERY dry and red. Shortly after that, my body swelled up in all the major joints (knees, knuckles, elbows, and so on), and I also experienced facial swelling, hives that would come on and off for WEEKS (some were nearly 12 inches long), I began having terrible migraines, anxiety, couldn't sleep for more than 3 hours or so at a time, was nauseas, so dizzy for weeks, had digestive issues and the list goes on. I of course stopped the medication but for weeks the symptoms wouldn't go away. The dermatologist believed it was Serum Sickness but they weren't sure. I was also experiencing such bad swelling in my hands i couldn't write, or grab things for multiple days. I stopped the medication 4 months ago and to this day still have hives that show up exactly where I was getting them on the medication. For weeks I felt like I was dying, I felt so weak, sore, and itchy 24/7 with hives. The reaction lasted just over a month. about 4 weeks, and then finally started to go away. I had to quit my job because the hives weren't manageable with any medication or ointment and I was so swollen, weak, sore, and was having terrible migraines and vertigo some days I couldn't even leave bed. I was put on an extremely high dose of Prednisone for 2 weeks and had to stop after seeing no difference. This medication is so risky and I've read so many other horrible reactions, that is it really worth it? I also had no improvement with acne.
Pros:
This medication worked well for me. I have a co-pay of $35, which I got back in rebates from the maker of Solodyn, Medicis. Without insurance, it is very expensive.