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 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!
December 11, 2013
Great (temporary) fix
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.
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.
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.
August 22, 2013
Such a great thing
Pros:
Cheap
Clears skin
Cons:
Dryness
I just started this about three weeks ago! It has worked incredibly well. I also use Proactiv. The medicine has dried out my face a lot though, seems to be going away. I recommend this. My friend also uses it and she has told me nothing but great things.
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.
June 3, 2013
help!
I have been taking monocyclin twice a day 100 mg per capsule for almost 14 weeks. My face is still breaking out and i am starting to lose hope. How much longer until I see results??
January 27, 2013
Pros:
Helped a little bit before I got an allergic reaction to it.
Cons:
Severe allergic reaction.
After two weeks of taking it, I started to have an allergic reaction. My eyes started to swell to the point of not being able to open them. I developed hives all over my body. I had swelling in my hands and feet, causing severe pain in my hands, feet, and knees. Loss of appetite for several days. I also was very dizzy. The itching kept me up for most of the night.
December 21, 2012
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Love this stuff works like a charm!
Cons:
Acne came back after only 3 months on it when I stopped. Might go for another couple months of it.
Well worth it
November 26, 2012
Product used: Solodyn (Oral Antibiotic)
Pros:
Works well, no side effects
Cons:
Can be expensive
Solodyn worked great for me. I used it for 6 months (along with Veltin). I didn't get any side effects with it like I did with Doxycycline (the doxy made me really nauseous and I completely lost my appetite and would get light headed). My insurance covered it with a $20 copay. I was scared to use it after reading some of the reviews on here... But it worked for me! My acne cleared up on my face and body very quickly. I guess you just have to try it and see, everyone is different. I've been off it for 2 weeks now and so far so good!
Pros:
Cleared skin
inexpensive
Minimal side-effects