Doxycycline and Acne: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Par...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 15, 2021

For Acne "It has made no difference in my cystic acne, as it made me break out. Then I thought it would get better because it made it worse, then it didn’t get better, so I came off of it and it went back to the way it was. It was still a little worse than it was before. The NHS keeps refusing to put me on Accutane even though I’ve tried five repeated acne treatments. The reason I feel like they won’t give me Accutane is because it’s too expensive and costs too much for the NHS, even though the five repeated acne medications probably cost more in the first place."

• Spi...
• January 9, 2020

For Acne "I’ve had moderate/severe acne for 4 years. I have tried numerous topicals and cleansers. I have given each and every one a solid amount of time to start kicking in. Every single time it has gone through the purge stage. Then it always started looking better, which led to my excitement. But every single time, my excitement dropped like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. I recently started my journey of doxycycline along with Retin-A about a week ago. Although I feel as if I’m reaching the “purge” stage, I also feel as if the inflammation has been reduced, which is what doxycycline is supposed to do. Retin-A has also dried up my face, which is helping with old scars. So even though the doxy may be causing some breakouts, it’s also reducing inflammation along with Retin-A eliminating red pigmentation left over from old acne. So far, I like the combo."

• str...
• June 25, 2011

Doxycycline for Rosacea "I started using Oracea about four months ago, and it has been good for the most part. But it seems like my face is starting to break out again, and I have noticed that my teeth seem dull or a little yellow."

• ran...
• September 25, 2010

Doxycycline for Acne "Three days ago, I went to the dermatologist for the first time. I have a modestly severe problem with acne and have been using all kinds of over-the-counter acne products like Neutrogena, Clearasil, Clean and Clear, etc. She said that I have been wasting a lot of money on the acne products I have used in the past, just because they are all the same. She put me on Doryx 150 MG, Differin 0.3%, and also told me to wash my face with Cetaphil. I can say that my acne scars, which I have on both cheeks, have faded a little, and the size of my pimples has gotten smaller. She said that the first month is going to be the worst because I will break out but should see a big improvement the second month. I am really depending on this to work!"

• syd...
• May 25, 2015

Doxycycline for Acne "I have been on Doryx for nearly 3 months. The pimples on my face and back have gotten worse and worse. I am constantly breaking out. To be honest, my face is worse being on this medication than it was before I started it."

• mcf...
• November 29, 2014

For Acne "When I use doxy, prescribed by my dermatologist, it works well with occasional breakouts. The problem is when I stop using, and the doctor makes me stop after being on it for three months, going off for one. Well, my face explodes! Severe acne all over. I'm 40 years old and am so exhausted over trying to clear up my face. Thank goodness I can cover up with makeup. Also, I use Retinol, Ziana, and a face wash also prescribed by the doctor at the time! Frustrated."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2019

For Acne "I had moderate to severe acne. It started when I got off birth control (hormonal imbalance). The first month on doxycycline, my acne got a little worse, as the doctor had warned me, but now it has been over two months, and my acne has cleared up drastically. I still get pimples here and there, but it was a dramatic improvement from before. I take 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day along with tretinoin cream at night. It has lightened my scars a bit as well. Highly recommend!"

• Ano...
• February 4, 2015

For Bronchitis "I used doxycycline hyclate for my bronchitis. It really helped me get better faster, it even got rid of the few zits I had. The downfall is after I was done with my prescription, I broke out all over! My face, neck, and chest are all covered in acne, or it's a rash, I'm not sure... I've never had bumps this bad in my entire life!"

• ans...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2016

For Acne "I have been on Acticlate for 2 weeks now. The first week was awful. My face broke out all over, and I became very worried. Tomorrow, it'll be 2 weeks that I have been taking it, and my face has cleared up so much. When you first start taking it, is when the pill starts to bring up the nasty stuff from under your skin. It gets worse before it gets better."

• Anonymous
• September 26, 2015

For Acne "I'm 21, just wanted to share that I'm about to finish my first month on doxycycline with topical creams, benzoyl peroxide and Retin-A. It's looking pretty good. I was given 3 months on the medication. This medication made me break out in the beginning, but that's because it's getting rid of all the acne-causing bacteria, and now I have a few breakouts than before, so be ready. I'll keep you guys posted on my journey to clear skin."

• Bec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2015

Doxycycline for Acne "Once I moved to a more humid climate around 8th grade, my skin exploded, and I decided to start the original Proactiv, and while it was harsh on my skin at first, it worked wonders for the 4-5 years I used it. After my skin got used to the Proactiv formula, I tried everything from Biore to Clean and Clear to gentle cleansers like Neutrogena. I'm now 20, and the acne was getting in the way of my self-confidence, so I decided to make an appointment with my dermatologist, and she prescribed Acticlate (doxycycline). I broke out on and off for about a month, but now it's mostly scarring and the occasional small pimple. If you're going on doxycycline, stick it out! I promise it's so worth it."

• Son...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2013

For Acne "I have had an overactive thyroid disorder for 3 years, which I had radiotherapy treatment for. Then it went underactive. So, 10 years on, I have been on levothyroxine and regular blood tests. This is now for life. I have every symptom going for thyroid disorder, including raging acne. Hard lumps with red tops that stay for months at a time. It's hard NOT to try squeezing them (even though we know we shouldn't), but that's mainly how it spreads. With the thyroid disorder, a lot of symptoms are hormonal. I thought at age 34 I shouldn't STILL be struggling with acne. So, my doctor tried me on many creams, tablets, etc. Until he gave me doxycycline, 100 mg once a day. I must say these are brilliant. Just be patient."

• Adu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 24, 2015

For Acne "I've been taking doxycycline for 2 years now, and in that time it has been a godsend. But unfortunately, in the past month, I have had a huge breakout. I feel very self-conscious at the moment. I do all I can to avoid going out, and I absolutely get so anxious on the days I have to take my daughter to school and can't rely on my husband."

• ush...
• September 23, 2015

For Acne "I've only been on Doryx for 5 weeks so far, but my face is completely smooth except for maybe 1-2 pimples. Around the 3rd week though, my acne got so bad! My face was just purging all of the bad stuff out, I guess. But stick with it! My face is super smooth now, but I have a lot of scars (makeup can cover those up, but I really want those to go away soon). I didn't rate it a 10 just because I'm not done with the drug yet."

• fin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2015

For Acne "I was put on Solodyn, but within days, my acne was getting worse and worse, which forced me to go to my dermatologist and ask for something else. She told me that antibiotics shouldn't make you 'worse before it gets better', considering how it's supposed to work. After getting cortisone steroid shots on them, she put me on doxycycline, and within days, my skin was getting better and better. I've been on it for 2 months now, and I've only gotten maybe 1 or 2 small pimples, and they would go away in 2-3 days tops. I'm also using clindamycin phosphate lotion 1% once a day at night, and this combination has been amazing."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2014

For Acne "I have previously taken doxycycline before at the age of 14 due to acne, and I found it really effective for about one year. Afterwards, I went on a course of Roaccutane for 6 months, and my skin was crystal clear. About one year ago, my skin started to break out again. Really bad breakouts and in such noticeable places. I am 18 now, and I have started on a course of doxycycline again, and this is my first week of treatment. I am already noticing results. I have had a few small breakouts, but nothing like before. My skin is healing quicker, and the redness is slowly going away. I expect to see better results around the one month stage, but so far I am happy with my results."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed this to get rid of a nasty sinus infection. I’ve had so many that antibiotics don’t always work, so my doctor prescribed doxycycline because I’ve never had it before. It got rid of my sinus infection within about 3 days and curbed my appetite a bit, but the downside to that is that my entire face broke out. I haven’t had this many pimples on my face since I was in middle school! So I basically traded a sinus infection for acne. Yay."

• sav...
• July 16, 2016

For Acne "I am 18 years old and had severe acne on my cheeks and chin area since I was about 14. Acne was the hardest thing I have ever gone through and was ruining my confidence. I went to the dermatologist and got prescribed 0.1% tretinoin cream and doxycycline 100 mg twice a day. I was on doxy for 4 months, and my acne stayed EXACTLY the same. I always read the reviews on this site for this product and promised myself I would write one. It did not work for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. I have been off doxy for about four weeks now, and I have ZERO pimples. I do have a lot of redness and LOTS of acne scars, but I use Mederma and have had one laser treatment for scars and am planning on having 2 more. Stay positive... it gets better!!"

• Ely...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2018

For Acne "If I could give this medication a 0, I would. I didn’t have very severe acne, just minor breakouts. When my derm recommended this medication for 8 weeks, I was thrilled to finally get rid of those pesky breakouts! WRONG. I NEVER had horrible cystic acne until NOW! My face has never looked so bad. My derm told me to “trust the process” and to keep taking the medication. On top of having horrible whiteheads, blackheads, and cystic acne ALL over my face, I have also begun to become very depressed. If I skipped the medication even once, I started crying uncontrollably for no reason. I began to stop eating and was very lethargic. I am a couple weeks now OFF the medication and my face HAS NOT improved. I am seeing an esthetician now so she can FIX what my dermatologist RUINED, which is my face and my confidence. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICATION."

• Ely...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2018

For Acne "If I could give this medication a 0, I would. I didn’t have very severe acne, just minor breakouts. When my derm recommended this medication for 8 weeks, I was thrilled to finally get rid of those pesky breakouts! WRONG. I NEVER had horrible cystic acne until NOW! My face has never looked so bad. My derm told me to “trust the process” and to keep taking the medication. On top of having horrible whiteheads, blackheads, and cystic acne ALL over my face, I have also begun to become very depressed. If I skipped the medication even once, I started crying uncontrollably for no reason. I began to stop eating and was very lethargic. I am a couple weeks now OFF the medication and my face HAS NOT improved. I am seeing an esthetician now so she can FIX what my dermatologist RUINED, which is my face and my confidence. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICATION."

• Ely...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2018

For Acne "If I could give this medication a 0, I would. I didn’t have very severe acne, just minor breakouts. When my derm recommended this medication for 8 weeks, I was thrilled to finally get rid of those pesky breakouts! WRONG. I NEVER had horrible cystic acne until NOW! My face has never looked so bad. My derm told me to “trust the process” and to keep taking the medication. On top of having horrible whiteheads, blackheads, and cystic acne ALL over my face, I have also begun to become very depressed. If I skipped the medication even once, I started crying uncontrollably for no reason. I began to stop eating and was very lethargic. I am a couple weeks now OFF the medication and my face HAS NOT improved. I am seeing an esthetician now so she can FIX what my dermatologist RUINED, which is my face and my confidence. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICATION."

• Ale...
• May 30, 2017

For Acne "I am about one week in (100 mg twice a day), and I think I am in the purging period. All of the closed comedones (aka texture) on my forehead have started to come out as whiteheads, and the pre-existing whiteheads seem to be getting worse. I really hope this will be over soon, but I am hopeful it will work! I'm sure it is just the course that the drug is taking on my body. On the bright side, though, all of the acne on my chest and back is gone since taking it! For context, I am also using a Retin A cream and Clindamycin Phosphate gel."

• Rac...
• August 17, 2015

For Acne "I'm 17. I started doxycycline 50 mg once a day on the 24th of April (almost 4 months ago), and at first, my acne hadn't changed much at all. If anything, during that starting period, my pimples on my cheeks and chin got worse, though that was to be expected. I continued to take it, and after a consecutive month or so, I noticed my pimples subsiding. From then on, my skin just kept getting better, it's now smooth, soft, and healthy, with only a couple tiny, non-pus-filled pimples here and there. I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but if my face is exposed to the sun for 30 minutes, I get a few extra pimples. Anyway, the keys for this antibiotic to work at its finest are: - Touch your face as less as possible - Try to eat healthy foods - Do not pick at your spots."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2019

For Acne "My dermatologist prescribed doxycycline for my acne. I must say, I do see an improvement, and I get compliments on my skin. I definitely have fewer breakouts, but my skin hasn’t changed immensely. I’ve been on doxycycline for 3 months. The only problem I had is itching and some acne on my back. I don’t experience itching as bad anymore. I would say to give it a shot. Give it time, it’s not gonna work right away. Overall, I like the way my skin is looking. Take with water and eat before you take the pill, it’ll save you from being sick."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2015

For Acne "I've been struggling with acne for a year now. I'm a high school student, and it's so hard to be confident when everyone else has clear skin and you feel really insecure about yourself. I've been taking this medicine for 2 weeks, and my skin is its worst it's ever been. The first week I barely broke out, I now have 3 cystic acne, and I really hope this is part of the plan. I'm going to stick with it for another 3 months."