Acne.org Products
Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
56%
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 and only to some people, and may lead to side effects and strains of resistant bacteria. Studies do show doxycycline can reduce severe acne in the short term, and as far as oral antibiotics are concerned, it’s usually the go-to, 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 Doxycycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 8, 2014
Great- short term
I have been dependent on the cycline family for 20 years. I began "breaking through" more and more, likely as my intestinal flora suffered and suffered. Always a low dose, for inflammation, not enough to kill the acne.
In short, get yourself through a bad period with this, but it's a band-aid, and it can cause more problems in the long run.
July 25, 2013
pointless...
Cons:
made my face really red
acid reflex
it's an antibiotic so it's hard on your body
I took this product to help with my moderate acne. It's mostly on my cheeks and my forehead. I've had acne since about 5th grade and since last year i have been trying to find an oral contraceptive to help. I've tried tetracyclen, doxycycline and now i'm on Ortho tri-cyclen. i was on doxycycline for about 4 months and it did help my acne a little bit but it didn't completely clear my skin which is what i was hoping for. This pill made me develop acid reflex which was very painful. I also started getting heat flashes once in a while and my face started turning REALLY red all the time and people noticed.
June 7, 2013
Saved my face
Pros:
helps with pimples
Cons:
doesn't help with blackheads/whiteheads
can't take on an empty stomach
So, this is a vague review because this started years ago. I had really bad acne my whole life and I tried everything under the sun. My doctor one day prescribed doxycycline along with my birth control. 100 mg in the morning and a 100mg at night. I take a lot of medication to begin with but there is one thing I learned with this medication. Never...EVER take this on an empty stomach. You will likely get nauseous.
Slowly but surely, my face cleared up and I rarely get pimples now. The reason I put down "inconsistently" is because I can't get the antibiotic anymore for the past 2 years (why, I don't know... shortage?) but, my face is still clear. I think it has a lot to do with entering my 20's. Even though it helps with the pimples, I still have blackheads and whiteheads on my face. Seriously though, this really saved my face from further damage in my teenage years because I had breakouts that would swell my face.
March 30, 2013
Pros:
Easy to take
Not overly expensive
No side effects
Cons:
Cleared skin about 50%
Pimples still visible under surface
Not the miracle product I was hoping for
Takes a while to work for the minimal results
Have been on doxy for 6 months. Started with 100mg a day have now been on 200mg a day for 3 months. When I went away and forgot the product for 2 days I did start breaking out again which shows this product does help control the acne a little. However, my skin is far far from clear meaning it did not fully work for me. Used with a cetaphil oily skin cleanser.
March 18, 2013
Pros:
I had cystic acne and Doxycycline cleared my acne within a month! I have been taking for 4 years now and I have clear skin majority of the time. It has also cleared up my scarring because I have no new acne coming up onto my skin
Cons:
Although the pill works, it is very harmful to your body. If not taken with food I would throw up almost instantly after taking the pill. I have a hard time taking pills to begin with so I would occasionally feel the pill get stuck in my throat This lead to a HUGE problem. I have taken the pill consistently for 4 years, not always with food (before bed) I warn people to NOT DO THIS! Take it in the morning with food always!
My throat has felt blocked lately, and my stomach and right side of my chest were hurting. It kept getting worse where it was uncomfortable to eat, swallow and drink. I have been to 3 doctors and finally the hospital found out what was wrong. I have a rare side effect caused by this pill called: Esophagitis. This caused by taking the pill on an empty stomach where residue sticks to the lining in your throat and causes acid from your stomach to travel up your esophagitis. I am off the pill now!
February 13, 2013
Pros:
- Cleared up most of my acne!
- The few pimples that I do still get heal very quickly
Cons:
- Seems to give me big pimples on my jawline
I wish I'd gotten onto this sooner! I have suffered through moderately severe acne for about 7 years and although it wasn't as bad as it used to be, it was still definitely there and not going away. My doctor put me onto this and within the first few days I was noticing a difference (he also diagnosed me with rosacea and gave me hydrocortisone acetate cream which has completely cleared up the vivid redness all over my face!).
The only bad point about this in my opinion is that it is giving me big pimples under my jaw. Sure, I'd rather they weren't there, but I'd rather have them than pimples all over my face, so it seems like a small price to pay.
I am still getting the occasional pimple around my period (nothing will COMPLETELY clear up your acne, especially if it's hormonal), but overall my face has never been this clear since before I got acne when I was about 12!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone - it has really helped a lot.
August 29, 2012
Pros:
- Dramatic reduction in facial & body acne
- Affordable
Cons:
- Full results after ~3 months
- Requies dedicated, consistent use
- Not intended for long-term use
This product was a miracle for my moderate facial and body acne. At 3 months, both the deep large zits & small surface whiteheads were gone with new breakouts nowhere to be found. Lots of patience is needed to take the pill every day & wait months for results, but the payoff in the end was amazing for my wedding day. Unfortunately this treatment cannot be used long-term since it's an anitbiotic & can be harsh on the body.
August 16, 2012
Pros:
Cleared every bit of acne from my face and body, Never had any side effects.
Cons:
Acne does tend to come back when you stop taking it.
My dermatologist prescribed this to me in March, my acne was gone by May. I was so happy that something finally worked.
I had really severe acne, but now I barely have any. I stopped taking it because you're really not supposed to take it for that long and the acne on my face hasn't come back. But on my body it has :/
I think this is because I control the acne on my face with acanya and finacea, but don't use anything on my shoulders or back.
But doxycyline really worked for me, and I'm grateful for it. I also didn't have to pay a dime for it because my insurance covered it.
May 5, 2012
Pros:
Cheap.
Cons:
Does nothing for acne.
Did not do anything for me, in 2 months usage.
April 24, 2012
Pros:
- Cleared 95% of acne
- Reduced size of cysts
- Reduced redness
- Easy to take
- Completely covered on my insurance plan
- Smooth skin
Cons:
- Took about 6-7 weeks to see a difference in my acne
- Severe nausea if taken on an empty stomach
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Mood swings
- Breakouts after being off of antibiotic
I had severe acne throughout my sophomore and junior year of high school. I tried over-the-counter products but I did not notice an improvement with any of them so I decided it was time to see a dermatologist. My dermatologist evaluated me and we talked about treatment options for my inflammatory/cystic acne. I initially decided on Isotretinoin (Accutane) but later retracted due to fear of the side effects. The only other option was to go on Doxycycline. I was on 100mg 2x daily for ~7 months. I was also prescribed Tretinoin Gel 0.025%.
First month was absolute hell. Maybe it was because I was adjusting to the antibiotics, I'm not sure, but I was almost always dizzy (although not severe) and I never wanted to get out of bed because I was always sleepy. Throughout that month my acne got significantly worse but I stuck it out and continued with the antibiotic since "it gets worse before it gets better". The second month was a little better. I have made the mistake of taking this pill on an empty stomach and I was vomiting, but I know better now. I think it was on my third month that I began having mood swings. I would get angry and upset for no reason. I consulted my dermatologist about this and he was completely baffled. He said he has not heard of this being a side effect and although he was worried he still told me to continue with treatment because I was showing improvement. Thankfully the mood swings went away and I'm not as upset and angry anymore which is good! The rest of the months went pretty damn well. My skin improved significantly but I still had issues with the acne on my back and oily skin. After about 6 months of being on this antibiotic my dermatologist lowered my dosage to just one pill a day. When I was done with that month, my dermatologist had me discontinue treatment.
I've been off of Doxycycline for two months and I'm getting breakouts. Overall, I loved Doxycycline. Even though I experienced some bad side effects, it was wor
Pros:
helped clear my acne a little