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
January 7, 2014
It actually worked!
Cons:
Since antibiotics kill bacteria it will not only kill the bad bacteria but the good ones as well...
Risk of getting resistant
Didn't take away acne for good
I took an antibiotic called "Tetralysal" and it is the only thing that has taken my acne away. No side effects whatsoever, I felt great during the whole time, but it took some time before I could see any improvement. When I stopped taking the pills my skin looked great (I would get an occasional pimple, but in comparison to what I used to look like it was fantastic) and did so for another six months, then I started breaking out again like before I started taking the pill... It works temporarily but doesn't take away the cause of the acne, so once you stop the risk of getting acne again is big. But for me who has tried a lot of things, this is one of few that actually worked, if only for a short time.
November 12, 2013
not bad
Pros:
Barely any side effects
Eventually works
Cons:
gass
small rashes that go away but are annoying
takes a while for acne to go away
I never used to have acne before I turned 20. In 2 months my face turned into an acne warzone. I got cysts on my chin area, which gradually progressed along my jawline and lower cheeks. These were so red and traumatized me, as I had NEVER had anything like it before. There were so many spots, some would heal, and the marks would remain, and new ones would come. Mineral foundation hid the redness thankfully. I've been on tetracycline for 2 months. It took this long for me to see a DIFFERENCE, but I'm so happy I stuck with the regimen and didn't give up. Now, my face isnt blemish free as when I was 19, but it's really getting better. I have no more cysts on my chin at all, just the red marks which will go away with a little more time. My jawline is not acne-free, but it's getting better as well. When I pass my fingers over my face I dont want to cry anymore. All this to say, please don't give up on tetracycline even if you havent see a difference yet. The regimen for these pills is 3 months. By the 3rd month, I'm sure I'll have my face back 100% (no marks or acne), considering the way things are going now. I'm also using topical products at night and morning. I was extremely depressed when I got acne at 20 for the first time, and so severe. I thought tetracycline would work within 2 weeks. IT DOESNT. It's a gentler antibiotic that takes its time. I accepted that I have an infection, just that it happens to be on my face - which is what acne is. Once I accepted this crappy fact, it was easier to deal with. Sh*t happens. Tetracycline can help you, but dont be impatient and do use mineral foundation in the meantime if you're worried about what people think. Acne is dumb and annoying, but it's really more common than you think, and will go away if you fight it, like any infection.
November 3, 2012
Pros:
*cleared my acne for 2 years
Cons:
*made my skin dry
*upset stomach (my own fault)
I have been suffering from acne for 4 years. Around 3 years ago my acne got so bad (inflamed) that I went to the dermatologist and she prescribed me with Tetracycline. I took it for about 2 months and then i stopped because my acne cleared and i was having upset stomach (partly because I didnt take the protective pills which u r supposed to take when on antibiotic) I was very happy with the results. I would get the occasional spot here and there but my face and back were mainly clear. Only this summer I got something like cysts on my cheeks. They were just bumps under my skin which did not particularly hurt or anything. About a month ago my inflamed acne came back. I am 18 years old and I really hoped that by this age my acne would rather end then start again. I do recommend this antibiotic because it kept me clear for about 2 years. I might start it again.
August 14, 2012
Pros:
Clears up most cystic acne
Cons:
may need to adjust dosage accordingly to severity changes
causes diarrhea unless contracted with iron (cannot be taken within 2 hours of each other)
may sometimes cause nausea/lack of apatite
I was 250mg/day until I started getting cysts back during the summer. My doctor then doubled my dosage to 500mg/day because he said it was "unnaffective at 250mg" I had initially started at 250mg during the fall because topical treatments were not working. It did initially clear up my cystic acne, however im not sure if my body has overcome the old 250mg dosage resulting in my doctor doubling my dosage.
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.
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.
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. :)
February 6, 2012
Pros:
- Cleared up
- No side effects experienced
- Didnt get worse before it got better
Cons:
- Took ages to work
- Doesnt cure acne
Started on the 22nd december, now the 6th febuary and somehow my spots have literally gone in the last week, like im not just saying that each day i got less and less and less and now i have non, just quite a lot of hyper pigmentation, completely cleared pustular and papular acne, and slowly clearing my comedonal acne, dont matter though going on roaccutane cos i dont wanna go through acne again. Also started to eat healthy and only wash my face with water around same time i cleared up, dunno if its coincedental, but i believe if you eat all this bad junk food then it will come out in your face, and look at your facial washer and read all the chemicals, surely not good to put on your face? Look at the eskimo people for example, not a case of acne and then the americans colonised there and acne became apparent in the population, bad food... i dunno, also take flaxseed oil and havent experianced a outbreak, EVERYONES DIFFERENT YOU AINT GUNNA FIND AN ANSWER FOR YOUR TROUBLES UNLESS YOUR TRY IT
December 15, 2011
Pros:
-Reduced huge cysts
-works relatively fast
Cons:
-can't drink dairy while on it
-have to plan around a pill(small price to pay)
i have bad acne which does lower my self esteem quite a bit....The first week of using this was awesome. my cysts reduced dramatically and my face became less red. I have been on it for a little over 2 weeks. The last couple days i have been drinking a lot of milk (milk blocks the tetracycline) so it hasnt been working as much the last few days. it still is slowly improving. I am going to cut dairy from my diet completely to see what happens. The only side effect i am experiencing is that i have to fart like crazy after meals( i think its from the tetracycline
October 25, 2011
Pros:
.cleared up my acne
Cons:
.made me really sensitive to the sun
.when i went off of it, my acne got really bad but now im back on it so my skin is clear again
.after reading other people's comments, im afraid after a while of using it, it will stop working!
i reccomend it! it works like a charm. it only takes about 8 weeks for it to completely clear it up which is a miracle! i will keep using it!
.don't have any dairy within an hour of taking it
you need to drink a lot of water to wash it down and eat something too
. you still need to wash your face and such!
Pros:
It's super effective!
No side effects that I noticed