Acne.org Products
Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
69%
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 to only some people, and may lead to side effects and strains of resistant bacteria. Studies do show they can sometimes 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 Tetracycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 25, 2011
Cons:
- had to take 4 a day for 2 weeks in the beginning and i had to plan my meals around the pills which was really annoying
-made my eye sight really bad... it made my eyes go cross eyed randomly
-gave me muscle spasms
-decreased appatite
-DIDNT WORK
This didnt work for me. I wanted it to.... but it didnt. It didnt make my acne worse or better. It was like not even taking anything at all... except for the side affects. I think if I did keep on using this, i would have gone blind because everyday my eyesight kept getting worse. So, i used this for 4 weeks and saw NO improvement and only got bad things out of it. Bad pill. I wouldnt take it again and i dont recommend it unless you want terrible side affects.
September 23, 2009
Pros:
It really does work. The doctor told me to take these (tablets) for 6 months. This will be my second month and now it has cleared up.
Cons:
You need to take on an empty stomach.
Great product.
August 20, 2009
Pros:
reduces the emergence of new acne
Cons:
gives an inflammatory feeling in the esophagus
It had a postive effect while i was taking it, but my acnes has come back in a very visible way, now that I have stopped using it.
August 4, 2009
Pros:
Worked within a few weeks - I dont get any big spots now - just a few small pimples which are soo easy to handle and very often none at all.
Cons:
Now that the spots are gone I am stressing about the scars when I never used to notice them much before - feel like I still am unhappy but the scars will fade and it is so much better than being the way I was! Can make tongue yellow.
Try it. It really is a wonder drug. The only problem is it makes your teeth and tongue yellow sometimes - but this is just because the tablets are dyed yellow - if you brush your teeth and tongue twice a day you will be fine! I can recomment this enough - it has given me freedom and confidence. I can go anywhere - swimming, weekends away, everything I used to avoid - I can live and I honestly thought I would never do that! What have you got to lose? Just try it and see !!!
July 23, 2009
Pros:
Less severe side-effects than other treatments, such as Accutane (which I am currently on)
Cons:
This medicine upset my stomach, caused me to feel VERY sick when in the heat (cramping, nausea, etc.) and, ultimately, gave me the worst acid reflux imaginable. I know my experience is atypical, but it did no good, only harm. My acne stayed.
It caused much more problems for me that it was worth, and ultimately I was put on Accutane- which is more dangerous, but has not given me painful side effects.
June 27, 2009
Pros:
Completely cleared all of my cystic acne. I experienced no side effects.
Cons:
As stated when you go off of it the acne returns. Antibiotics should not be taken for long periods of time because our bodies can become resistant to it. I take it on and off again for 3-6 month periods.
The only medication that has worked for my acne. Affordable and has done wonders for my self esteem! I have PCOS so my acne is caused by imbalanced hormones, birth control pills made it worse and topical creams were useless. It's great to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about weather I broke out overnight!
June 5, 2009
Pros:
I took the pills for about three months, along with tretinoin cream. I was surprised by how quickly my acne improved. I was very impressed. I experienced no side effects.
Cons:
I stopped taking the pills for about two months and decided to start taking them again. I found that my acne had worsened. My cheeks are red and they feel/look almost like I have a rash. I'm not sure what to do. I'm frustrated.
It's hard to say whether or not I would recommend this product. As I mentioned before, I saw great results. I'm just disappointed that I am no longer seeing the same results. I read the other comments on here, and I had no idea that if you stop taking the pills and then start taking them again, that it can make acne worse. Bottom line, this product may work better for some rather than others.
May 19, 2009
Pros:
I noticed a significant improvement after a couple of weeks or so. It didn't completely clear my acne, but it definitely got rid of most if not all of the big zits (cystic acne).
Cons:
Getting used to being hungry and having to pay extra attention on when you take the antibiotic.
Tetracycline won't completely eliminate your acne, but I had moderate acne and this definitely turned it down a couple of notches. I have a habit of touching my face as well so I'm sure if you do not touch your face, drink as much water as you can, and take this antibiotic you should have a clear face, perhaps getting very small pimples everyone once in a while.
April 17, 2009
Pros:
It has worked better than any medication I have tried so far.
Cons:
Still have breakouts at times, which really make me feel low. But without it I have even worse breakouts so Im sticking with it for now. I have to remain on this medication for 6 months before my doctor can tell if it is working for me...Long!
I am using Tetralysal 300 and also use Retin-A Cream. The combination is ok so far, but not fantastic. I find that I still get spots, fewer than before though. Annoyingly my skin scars very badly, so the few spots that I continue to get never let my skin get back to scar free and normal. I have another two or three months left before my doctor will let me try another medication or a stronger dose. It is worth a try for anyone with mild to moderate acne.
April 15, 2009
Pros:
NONE
Cons:
Broke out even worse than before once I got off it.
Ruined my teeth!!! Read the fine print. Those side effects (however rare they may claim they are) do definitely happen.
So the bottom line is, no one, in my opinion, should use antibiotics for acne. They kill all the good bacteria in your body, which just encourages the bad bacteria to take over once you get off them. This causes all kinds of problems... Infections, candida overgrowth, acne, constipation, poor digestion, tooth decay....the list goes on and on. Tetracycline didn't even help me while I was on it. So it pretty much had no Pros and tons of Cons. I recently decided to treat acne naturally and healthily, and now I'm finally clearing up.
Pros:
nothing