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
April 12, 2011
Cons:
Increased urination
Increased appetite
Extreme thirst
Cannot be taken with dairy products
Cannot lay down within an hour of taking (else severe heartburn)
Within an hour of taking these pills, I feel as if my stomach has been emptied, and since the pill does not work well with dairy products, I find myself in a constant struggle to find something to binge on that has no dairy.
Also, I find myself with a unquenchable need to urinate and drink, often at the same time, which can be quite frustrating when in public, that lasts for about an hour.
My skin DID clear up quite nicely, however, but this pill has too many side-effects to be ideal.
March 31, 2011
Pros:
-limits breakouts while using it
Cons:
-yellows teeth
-once you stop using it breakouts come back
-can't be taken with meals/milk
I am against taking pills to begin with so when my doctor prescribed me an antibiotic I was very reluctant to take it. I wish I had never started these pills. They turn your teeth yellow. I can never find a time to take them on an empty stomach b/c I'm out of the house all day and I don't want to bring the pills with me. I didn't want to be on these pills for an extended period so I stopped taking them after taking them twice a day for a few months. Pimples have started popping up again mainly on my chin and around my mouth. It's very disappointing.
March 29, 2011
Pros:
~Works great to clear acne
~Very cheap
Cons:
~Not a long term solution
~Not good to be on antibiotics for too long
~Causes nausea
This really works to clear your skin up quickly, but it is not a permenant solution. First of all, it's not good to be on antibiotics all the time. Secondly, your body will become immune. I was clear for about a year and then I became immune and broke out bad again. I am going back on it, and this time before I get immune, am going to switch to a different topical antibiotic. Always keep your skin guessing i guess. For the year I was on it though, I didn't have one pimple. Was super nice to have clear skin, and in conjunction with retinol all my scars cleared up-no one thought I ever had an acne problem. I'd suggest using this to get rid of your acne quick, but then after 4-8 months switch to a different therapy like Clindoxyl and Retinol. The antibiotic is key. The meds did cause a bit of nausea because you have to take it with no food...so I would take it before bed so I was already laying down. Well worth a try, but I suggest knowing your plan for afterwards-dont wait until you become immune like I did!!
March 17, 2011
Pros:
Did clear all my facial and body acne within 3 months
Cons:
acne will come back after you stop using this (although it kept me clear for about 7-8 months after i stoped)
i would recommend this for teenage acne or possibly something to use while you start holistic treatment maybe, wish i didn't become immune secound time round though, hopefully my new pills will work the same an i eventually grow out of this horrible condition (im 22)
February 14, 2011
Pros:
None
Cons:
It's an antibiotic, and it's generally not healthy to be on antibiotics for extended periods of time.
Slight nausea and headache.
This product had very little to no effect of me.
January 29, 2011
Pros:
Got rid of all my acne whilst taking it.
Cons:
Acne came back at the same level pretty much immediately when i stopped.
After taking this prescription continuously for about 9 months I feel I can finally write a decent review for acne.org. I would like to point out I followed the empty stomach instrctions religiously so this review would be accurate.
After having suffered with acne for about 5 years I finally decided to man up and go to the doctor. He classed the acne on my face as moderately severe and that on my chest as severe. I was given a 3 month course of tetracycline which was eventually extended to 9 months after visiting each time I ran out. Now the good stuff, after about 2 weeks of starting taking this medicine I never saw a zit again for the rest of the 9 months. It took about 2 months for those red painful bumps (anyone with bad acne knows what I'm talking about, the ones that hurt to touch) to stop appearing. After 5 months all the red marks had faded and I had perfect skin apart from some pretty heavy scarring. As you can imagine I was over the moon and could finally experience all that good stuff we acne sufferers dream about; massive boast in self confidence and finally some interest from girls.
So why have I only given a two star review I hear you ask, well because it is not a permanent cure :( As soon as I stopped taking this my skin went back to its old ways. It took only a few days for zits to start appearing again and after about a month I started to get those painful red bumps all over my face again. Now 3 months after I stopped taking I'm back to pretty much where I was a year before. I wake up with 4 new zits every morning and at least one of those painful deep bumps. This is made all the more cruel by the fact that I have experienced an acne free life and my self confidence has plummeted. I'm embarrassed to be seen in the street again and it is sorely tempting to skip uni so my friends won't see me.
So in conclusion tetracycline is amazing when you are on it but after you stop the acne comes straight back and it is all the more depressing when
January 8, 2011
Pros:
none what so ever
Cons:
colours teeth yellow.
gives you a sore head if you miss a pill.
Causes redness.
Causes itchiness.
This is the second time I've been on these antibiotics and they DO NOT WORK ON SPOTS!
They don't even work in the long term - and I've been on them for a year!
January 5, 2011
Pros:
I took a 600 mg dosage, which is pretty high - thus, it completely cleared my skin in three weeks. Works really well and doesn't cause redness. Makes your skin look better as a whole. Used it with Epiduo.
Cons:
It is extremely upsetting to the stomach, and may cause nausea and vomitting. I took it with pantoprazole 40 mg, because I have gastritis.
It works, especially if you take higher doses.
December 31, 2010
Pros:
May improve skin.
Cons:
Must take an hour before meals or wait 2 to 3 hours after to take medicine. This doesn't help when your stomach is empty... Nausea can occur.
Tetracycline might clear up skin for certain individuals. I have been taking this medication for the past 4 years on and off. When my acne cleared up I would stop taking it, my skin was clear for a couple of months then I would have to go back to taking them. It did take a while to see results on my skin, but it worked.
November 30, 2010
Pros:
Helped with acne a little bit.
while on it.
Cons:
It took months to see some minor improvement and it all came back as soon as I stoped taking it.Had to plan meals.yellow teeth.
Can help while on it, but no cure since it comes back (sometimes worse than before).
Pros:
Works well
Reduces blackheads