Minocycline
Results
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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3.2
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Compare To Other Treatments
5
15.8%
4
28.7%
3
25.1%
2
15.9%
1
14.6%

Used Minocycline? Rate It:

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November 8, 2011

Pros:

Cleared up 95% of my acne

Cons:

I started off taking 50mg 2x a day, but this made me dizzy and nauseous. I went down to 1x a day and had no more side effects.

I'm 26 years old and have been seeing a dermatologist since I first started getting acne at 12. This is the first medication that has consistently worked for me.
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January 30, 2011

Pros:

Does the job for the time being
No side-effects
Reduces redness

Cons:

The pros are gone as soon as you stop taking it
Antibiotics are not healthy
Not a lasting solution

Minocycline gets the job done when used properly. I have mild-sever acne and after trying everything for years, I finally decided to give it a try. Yes, i still had a few pimples here and there and 1 or 2 cystic acnes a month, but overall it cleared my pimples and redness like no other topical product has ever done. I was taking 100mg twice a day for 6 months. The bad came as soon as I stopped taking it. After a week my face broke out like crazy. Hopefullly my body will be able to adjust itself and go back to how things were or else I have no choice but go back on it.
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January 11, 2011

Pros:

Cheap with insurance
Helped prevent new pimples from forming
Very few side effects

Cons:

Didn't help with cysts
Difficult to take according to all the directions
Only minimal improvement

Worth a try. Can be annoying to take because it must be taken twice a day on an empty stomach, about 12 hours apart between doses, and you can't lie down right after taking it. It only helped me minimally, but I gave it a 7 week try and don't regret it.
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December 20, 2010

Pros:

-Skin got less oily
-Redness gone
-Acne on my cheeks and nose went away
-Didn't experience any side-effects

Cons:

-Didn't clear up my acne on my chin/ forehead.
-When I stopped my acne came back

I've had acne since I was 12, only on my forehead. When I got older the acne spread all over my face and instead of some pimples I had so many of them really close together with a lot of redness. It is pretty severe. But I know people who have/had it worse. Because of that I didn't go to a derm, I thought it was for people with severe acne, and that mine wouldn't be bad enough to do something about it. So I tried the Clinique system first for 3 months. Didn't work. I became pretty depressed about my skin ( I didn't go to sleepovers anymore because of my face, I wouldn't go swimming and I woulnd't do things that would cause sweating ( and so my make-up smearing). I finally went to the dermatologist and they said I should have come sooner. Since I had pretty bad skin I was put on Minocycline + Retin A. I had to do this for 6 weeks. The first weeks it became worse, but it did clear up gradually. BUT it only cleared up the minor pimples on my face (around my nose and on my cheeks) and my forehead cleared a little. My chin was stil horrible. My derm didn't want to stay to long on a medication when it didn't do anything anyway, She said that after 6 weeks I should see improvement and if I didn't we would try something else. I am on accutane now for 2 weeks and it became worse some days ago, it is now starting to go away. I was getting pimples on cheeks again so I know now that that wouldn't have stayed clear anyway. I do reccomend this, but to people with a milder form of acne, when you have some pimples and want them gone, but not when you're entire face is covered with pimples and redness. My acne was to severe for the medication. I really hope Accutane will work!
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November 11, 2010

Pros:

- no side effects
- easy to take (pill size)
- reduced inflamation

Cons:

- hard to remember to take all of them, i.e. one in the morning and one at night and have to be close to 12 hours apart
- didn't really clear up my acne, just reduced inflamation

ok well i went on 2 courses of minocycline (Minomyicin and Akamin was the brands i used). The first course, which i didnt fully complete cleared my skin slighty, more just controlled breakouts. I had to stop taking it because i went on other antibiotics becasue of sickness and then never went back on it. I was on it for approx 4 out of the 6 months. Acne did return about 6 months later so the doc prescribed me another course. This did not help at all. To a degree, it did reduce inflamation in the last half of the sixth month but acne will still obviously there. If u want my advice, I wouldn't dick around with antibiotics, just go on Accutane (isotretinoin), I am on it at the moment and already seeing wicked results, 55 days in and have no active pimples, just has to heal now. Im 19 years old, bout the only guy who has acne still at uni and really wish i had got on accutane earlier. Goodluck anyone who is reading this! dont let your acne get you down!
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April 16, 2010

Pros:

Clears most of acne

Cons:

Can't be on it forever

I have PCOS, so I have moderate acne. During my period I get cystic acne. My PCOS is moderate. I only have the acne and the hair problem. I am not overweight and I do not have diabetes. My derm put me on Minocycline and I do the occasional chemical peel. It works for me. I do drink the recommended water with the pill. I have been on 50mg twice a day. I haven't had any side effects. I'm also 22. Not sure if that would make a difference in terms of teenage VS. adult acne. Hope this helps someone out there.
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August 5, 2015
Really works but not long-term solution
Took this for around 8 months and completely cleared my skin, but like most things, it doesn't last forever. I didn't want to be on antibiotics any longer than this so came off them and the acne eventually returned. Once the acne got bad again I went back on these for another 6 months, and acne once again cleared but came back when I stopped taking them. These will not cure your acne but will help to treat it.
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MGreene
January 12, 2016
Shame!
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June 29, 2011

Pros:

Seemed to have cleared acne
Pill form, so you don't need to deal with nasty lotions
Cheap

Cons:

Made me break out in hives all over my body
Made me very itchy

I had been using this for somewhere between one and two months and it seemed to be helping clear my acne but then one morning I woke up and I was really itchy all over. This went on for about a week or two and then one day I took a nap and I woke up and my body slowly began to become covered in hives! It was the scariest thing! This happened twice, along with other times of only small areas being puffed up. So how am I sure it was this medicine? Couldn't it have been a reaction to laundry detergent? Well, I went to the allergy doctor and got tested with a hundred scratches all over my back and it came up that I was allergic to cats, dust mites, and mold. But I told him that I had recently started on this new prescription and he seemed interested so he made an extract to test me with and I came back a few days later. He did a smaller test and it made my skin puff up right away where he injected it. I was allergic. Just because I was allergic, doesn't mean everyone will be so I said I WOULD recommend this product because it seemed to be working as far as acne went. You just may want to consult your allergy doctor and have him make an extract to test you with before you put this in your body, because my experience with it was horrifying. If you suddenly become itchy one day, discontinue use immediately, because this means you are allergic.
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June 6, 2011

Pros:

clearer skin after a while...no real negative side affects at all ( at least for me, everyone is different obviously)

Cons:

not a miracle...(it takes forever to start working)

so after about 5-6 years of dealing with acne i finally was talked into going to a dermatologist...people said "ooohh within a week or 2 your skin will be super clear" well this is not the case at all...i have been takin minocycline for about 3 months and my skin STILL is not clear... its not as bad but its not clear... hopefully my dermatologist will give me accutane...i just want to be done with this acne poop
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April 14, 2011

Pros:

can't think of any for me

Cons:

made acne worse if anything

i'm not saying this won't work for you, but for me it did nothing at all, actually made my acne worse.
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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