Tetracycline
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Tetracycline is an oral antibiotic that works by systemically fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation.

Tetracycline is an oral antibiotic that works by systemically fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation.

It is normally prescribed at a dose of 300 mg once or twice a day. The dose is often reduced once acne is notably improved.

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5
15.2%
4
34.1%
3
23.4%
2
15.9%
1
11.4%

Used Tetracycline? Rate It:

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May 15, 2012

Pros:

Initally clears skin
Had clear skin with the odd spot for about six months
Free prescription from doctor
No side effects

Cons:

Takes time to work
Stops working after a while and skin becomes worse

I thought initially this was a wonder product. I was prescribed Oxyteracycline and started to take two tablets twice a day. After a while I noticed my mild acne had calmed down and my skin was controllable. For about six monhs I was amazed at how well they had worked on my skin. But it wasn't till a couple of weeks ago the antibiotics lost effectiveness and I started to break out and my skin was left in a state much worse than it ever was. I am still struggling to control the awful cysts (which in the past I've never had) Unless you want nice skin for a few months and are then prepared to have awful skin afterwards I dont recommend this, although it may work better for others, other reviews imply not. I did speak to my doctor and apparantly they do just stop working most of the time! I recommend looking into something else!
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May 12, 2012

Pros:

100% clears skin if only taken with zinc

Cons:

fatigue, dry skin, nausea, vomiting, eyes paining.

i m taking tetracycline for 5 months i am 95% except blemishes ... but i m taking 250mg x 1 with zinc at night, my eyes are paining. i m going to stop tetracycline and going to continue only with zinc... lots of side effects fatigue, dry skin, nausea, vomiting, eyes paining. even if u stopped tetracycline just for 1 day acne comes back.
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April 28, 2012

Pros:

Works effectively after a few weeks
Inexpensive

Cons:

Slightly inconvenient to take as it shouldn't be taken with a lot of food or any dairy
May stop working and will have to try something else
Other possible side effects as with any antibiotic
May be hard to stick to dose guidelines if you have an irregular schedule
Not a permanent fix

I took Tetracycline 500mg capsules for about a year and a half, it worked great for most of the time less so if the dose isn't taken exactly as perscribed or if doses are missed. I struggle with cystic acne and this pretty much cleared it up and it made my overly oily skin more managable. It can be very inconvenient to take at times, especially with not being able to eat within hours before or after taking the medication. I didn't really have any side effects except at times some mild stomach discomfort/nausea. All in all I would recommend it however I would like to drive home that this is a temporary fix and isn't a solution for long term.
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April 25, 2012

Pros:

- It works for acne vulgaris (- Do NOT work for blackheads, etc.).
- Highly recommended if you only have moderate teen acne, not if it has gotten out of hand.

Cons:

- There are side effects, just like any other medication.
The side effects I got was:
- Yellowing of the teeths (Not much. I still got whiter teeth than most other teen on my age. Dont let this point discourage you).
- Dry skin (not much).
- Dry eyes (not much).
- Some negative effects on my mood (gets really easily irritated).
- May also disturb sleep, making it harder to get to sleep.

- Do NOT (ever) take more than you your doctor has described for you. - Its NOT a long term solution. I would recommend anyone that has severe acne to go on roaccutane. Its not worth waiting a long time for you acne to disappear/ slow down. I waited 5 years, and I recommend everyone who has severe acne to just go on roaccutane.
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April 5, 2012

Pros:

Clears acne after a few months need to be patient

Cons:

Dry skin,
Nausea for the first week or so
Thirst
Initial breakout
Will probebly stop working eventually and you will move onto another antibiotic

I hate to be a downer, I have hormonal acne/adult acne and basically this and dianette and others have cleared my acne up perfectly but once you come off the meds it ALWAYS comes back with a vengence basically its meds for life which to be honest im not that bothered with its just annoying when the antibs stop working and u have to go on somethin else. Even with accutane it can come back :( but hey a few pills a day for clear skill im up for that!
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April 4, 2012

Pros:

* Cleared up by mild acne very well

Cons:

* Have to remember to take it twice a day
* Some mild stomach discomfort to begin with

I have been on Doctor-prescribed Oxytetracycline pills (250mg) for about 3 months now. Within about 2-3 week of taking this stuff my mild acne had cleared up very well indeed, the most successful of anything i've tried (BP, topical retinoids, various cleansers/washes/exfoliants/off the shelf products). The stuff tastes sweet going down, I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about.. I think it might be sugar-coated! I found that just washing my face with water every morning and evening was good. Everyone's different - the general advice here is to cleanse and moisturise but I find this just irritates my skin and makes things worse. I'd definitely recommend this product if you can get your doctor to give it you and you've already tried topical creams and stuff. DEFINITELY try this stuff before going on something hardcore like accutane, that stuff is not to be taken lightly!
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March 8, 2012

Pros:

Clears skin up 100%, my skin was like a baby and I had severe acne on jawline and back

Cons:

made me crazy!... thinking about life and death and started getting really bad panic attacks, etc

I haven't heard anyone in all the reviews have the same side effects as I did so I would say try it out, it did work perfect for my skin, just made me a little nuts
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March 5, 2012

Pros:

Completely cleared my cystic acne
Works fast
Helps with inflammation
Very little side effects for me!

Cons:

Dried face out
Have to plan meals around the pill
Occasionally gave me a stomach ache

I love this stuff! It completely cleared my horrible cystic acne in about a month. I tried everything from Proactiv, cutting dairy out of my diet, urine facials (yes, I was that desperate!) Tetracycline was my miracle solution. I rarely experienced side effects while taking Tetracycline. Once in awhile I'd get a stomach ache, but it would only last for half an hour, if that. The only down side to this medication is that you have to take it on an empty stomach. Being a teenage boy, this is extremely difficult for me, but it's so worth it! I would definitely recommend Tetracycline to any acne sufferer! It feels awesome to wake up in the morning and not have to worry if I broke out. :)
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February 23, 2012

Pros:

cleared up my acne by about 75%
few side effects

Cons:

trapped wind!
horrible taste and smell

taking in combination with dianette. works really well. im worried spots will return worse than ever when i come of them!
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February 22, 2012

Pros:

When initially taken it did clear my acne for a good 6 months.
Didn't have an initial breakout.
Only had to take once a day.
Inexpensive

Cons:

Large, hard to swallow plastic tablets.
Would repeat on me for about 2 hours after taking them.
Occasionally felt naseous.
Built up an immunity to it.

I would say Tetracycline is often one of the first antibiotics your given if you have bad skin. I used it for about a year and spent about 6 months clear but started to notice it wasn't working as well as it did before after a while. I had no remission of my acne afterwards, once I stopped the antibiotic, the acne came back. I didn't really like the tablets as they repeated on me with some strange taste and sometimes made me feel sick but I stuck with it whilst they were working. I was never told not to have dairy whilst on it but I always timed my dairy intake as far from the tablet as possible because it would make my stomach gurgle etc. Basically its a good first antibiotic but son't be surprised if you build up a resistance to it and need something stronger.
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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.
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