Minocycline and Rash: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2016

For Acne "My first week of taking this drug was terrible. My acne got worse, and I broke out in hives. I was itchy. I felt ugly, and I was miserable and ready to quit. I didn't even want to leave the house! I continued with it, and one week later, my skin is clearing up, my hives have gone away, and I'm starting to be really happy with the results. If this drug makes your skin worse in the first week, don't quit because it will get better!!!"

• min...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2020

For Acne "I had a horrible experience on this minocycline antibiotic a few months ago. After a week of using it, I developed hives all over my body and also developed drug-induced lupus. I couldn't move any of my limbs, including my shoulder, knees, fingers, etc., without excruciating pain. DO NOT TAKE THIS. There are just way too many side effects."

• Kat...
• November 8, 2019

For Acne "Took minocycline for 3 days. Started getting little itchy spots on my legs in the early afternoon of the 4th day. Then they spread on my body and behind my ears in the evening. Woke up at 2 a.m. with the itchy spots very swollen, full-on hives. On the bright side, I noticed my facial acne improve. But I would much rather have acne than these hives. I am miserable."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2012

Minocycline for Acne "Solodyn is great, but unfortunately, the side effects aren't. This product has cleared up my skin, but I had to stop taking it due to its side effects. It made me really itchy, gave me yeast infections, and hives."

• sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2020

For Acne "I was taking this drug for acne for about 2 weeks, then suddenly started breaking out in hives every day. Usually in the night or afternoon. The hives were on all parts of my body, mostly arms, legs, and back. They were itchy for around 2 hours, then they went away for the most part. Started taking Benadryl to ease the hives. Wouldn't recommend it because of the negative reaction. Also, no change in acne while on medication."

• Cla...
• October 10, 2019

For Acne "It worked after like 5 weeks, and I'm off it now, and I'm fine, but wow. This makes your skin so sensitive to sunlight. I can't go outside without my face getting a rash or getting sunburnt, no matter how much sunscreen I put on. :)"

• MJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2019

For Acne "This medicine is horrible. I do not recommend this at all. My first week of taking this medication for my mild acne was cool, my skin even started to look a little different, but going into my second week, I noticed I was starting to itch everywhere and I was really, really tired and not myself. So I thought that it was normal or from something I ate or something. Then a day or two later, I started getting hives all over my body in different places every day, which is the worst itching ever. Benadryl wasn’t even working for me. My hands started to swell and my body became sore, and I woke up one morning and my eyes were swollen. I have had a bad allergic reaction to this medicine, and I wouldn’t put this medicine on my worst enemy! I have been off of this medicine for three days now, and I'm still going through this, the bad definitely outweighs the good with this medicine."

• Dt9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2018

For Acne "Started the medication, and it worked really well, my skin cleared, and my face brightened up. But I had really bad stomach pain when I took the medicine and had headaches as well. About 3 weeks in of taking the medicine, I broke out in hives, I also had swelling in my hands and feet, and my lips became swollen to 3 times their size. The medicine worked great but caused me a terrible reaction."

• new...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2014

For Acne "I was put on this for acne. The first two weeks, I dealt with dizziness and exhaustion. The day I reached two weeks, I broke out in terrible hives and severe joint pain that landed me in the ER. I really wanted this medicine to work but could not continue it."

• Sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2019

For Acne "My son took this medicine, starting having diarrhea and broke out in hives. They gave him prednisone for the allergic reaction, and he had a reaction to that as well, it did nothing to relieve his discomfort. He has been suffering from body aches, pain, and depression. He was an active college student and all-around athlete. It is going on 8 months, and he now barely leaves the house. I would not recommend this medication to anyone, especially a child. I’m devastated, we have been to all types of doctors and no help. I would give it a zero rating if I could."

• KEV...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2018

For Acne "I've never been allergic to any medication till now. Took minocycline for about 2-3 weeks. Had shortness of breath, then a few days later I broke out in hives, which has never happened to me. Worst itch in my life! Hands swollen very badly. Really itchy hands and even feet. Wouldn't recommend this pill at all."

• Mar...
• November 20, 2013

For Acne "I started taking minocycline around 2 years ago. I had bad acne cysts on my chin, and they were huge and came a few times a month. After going on the medicine, I did not get another acne cyst for 6 months. It worked miracles. After a while, though, it started to work less and the cysts came back. A few months ago, I began developing a red rash on my lips. It would come every few days. I thought I was allergic to my chapstick, but it turns out it was a side effect of the minocycline. I discontinued taking it a week ago, and the rash went away. I was prescribed doxycycline today, and I'm hoping for good results with no side effects."

• cat...
• January 8, 2017

For Acne "I have been on this medication for almost 2 months now, and I am still not seeing any improvement at all. I take it twice a day (100 mg), and I wash my face twice a day - clindamycin phosphate gel in the morning and adapalene gel at night. I have seen slight improvement as in my cystic acne has gone away, but I still have SO MANY blackheads. The side effects are not worth it - my stomach hasn't been right since I've been taking it, I've had an awful rash on my neck, my hair is falling out, and it's only gotten rid of the severe acne. Would not recommend."

• Jta...
• October 8, 2019

For Acne "Took this for two weeks. The first week I took it twice a day on an empty stomach. My acne began healing instantly, but there were side effects involved. I was always tired, exhausted, and my skin was a lot drier than normal because this drug affects the fatty acids on your skin. The side effects were too much, so I dropped to taking it once a day instead after the first week. I decided to stop taking this after one more week (two weeks total) because I didn't like the side effects, and I didn't want to risk getting long-term side effects like hives. This does work on getting rid of acne, but shouldn't be taken a long time. I've been off the stuff for a few days now and have noticed a small amount of acne popping up. If you're going to use this, I would say use it only while you focus on figuring out what really is causing your acne and fixing it. This stuff just kills off the bacteria on your skin while you're using it, but if you don't fix the core problem, the acne will return after you stop taking it."

• sam...
• September 26, 2019

For Acne "Took one pill daily for about 3 weeks and suddenly experienced extreme itching on my head and legs region. After that night, the itching turned into hives all over my body, one day later, I could see hives on my face too. Had to go into the ER at 3 AM. They put me on Benadryl. I’m only 20, and it’s so horrible. The silver lining in all this is long-term use of this medicine affects the liver and can also cause lupus. For me, it’s only been 3 weeks to realize to stop this medicine. For acne, it started working right from the first week, I could see improvements. My 2 cents to anyone starting this medicine: it might seem that your acne is the worst you’ve dealt with in your whole life, and you might even force yourself to ignore all the potential side effects, but please try everything with 0 side effects first, and even then hold off taking anything that even has the slightest chance of ruining your life. I regret it, and I am so worried these hives might stay forever, it looks awful."

• Gan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2019

For Acne "My doctor prescribed me Minocycline 100 mg to treat acne, and after taking it for 2 weeks, I broke out in hives with inflammation and itchiness all over my body. I stopped taking the next pill immediately and called my doctor, who then prescribed me Prednisone 100 mg for 6 days. I took my 1st pill within 12 hours from when I first noticed the rash on my knuckles. I will never recommend this medication to anyone! The itchiness did not let me sleep for 2 nights, and symptoms could have been worse and serious if I didn’t take the right step immediately at the right time!"

• Kje...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2014

For Acne "I was on minocycline for 7 days when I began rapidly breaking out in hives. I have had to go to both urgent care and the ER to find relief via EpiPen. Words cannot express how much pain I am in from these hives and swelling. The medicine did clear up my skin, but the hives and pain were bad. Doctors say to expect hives and continued reaction for upwards of two weeks."

• Man...
• October 10, 2019

For Acne "I was prescribed this medicine for mild acne. I was on it for a week and a half. After a few days on minocycline, I began to get side effects of being very itchy on my legs especially. The itching spread to my feet, arms, and back. After a week, it began to turn into hives, and I woke up with a swollen eye. I went to the ER, and they gave me an IV shot of a steroid and Benadryl. I was prescribed steroids and Zyrtec. I stopped the minocycline, and the itching has let up, but the hives are still randomly around my body. My eye got better, but after getting a shower, it swelled again, so it must be very sensitive to the water. It seems this medicine either works wonders or causes horrible side effects. I wish I would have read up more about it before taking it."

• Nep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2021

For Acne "Minocycline did improve my acne in the short time I took it, but I experienced a reaction severe enough to land me in the ER. I started getting hives all over my chest and arms, diarrhea every time I ate, and the most intense abdominal pain I've ever felt. I tried to stick it out in the hope that my body would adjust, but instead, the reaction got worse until it was completely unbearable. After my ER visit, I discontinued this drug, and within less than 48 hours, I was back to 100% normal. My derm switched me to doxycycline, a similar medication which is also effective for acne, and I did perfectly fine on it with no side effects during that course of treatment. I now finally have my acne under control with only topical treatment. This was my personal experience with minocycline, and I'm not writing this to try to scare anyone out of trying this medication. Everyone's bodies are different, and I think mine just happens to be intolerant to this particular drug."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

For Acne "I was prescribed minocycline for acne. After taking this for 10 days, I felt itchy on my knees and arms. Took a Benadryl. Didn’t know this medicine would cause issues. After 4 days, I started seeing hives all over my body and could not control the itching. So I had to go to the ER. Along with the medicine from the ER, my dermatologist recommended Allegra or Claritin. I took Allegra along with the medicine from the ER and the hives disappeared in 3 days. Stopped using Allegra. After a week, they came back."

• Ibr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I was advised minocycline 100 mg a day for a month for scalp folliculitis. In a week it showed improvement, and I was happy. But in the second week, I developed flu-like symptoms, and then one night, hive-like swelling spread all over my body, and I spent a night in the emergency room, where I was told to stop taking minocycline as it was very itchy, with a burning sensation and pain. I was given some shots of antihistamine. I was prescribed antihistamine medicine for a month now. This medicine is horrible as I am suffering from urticaria due to this medicine."

• K12...
• October 13, 2017

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I was prescribed minocycline to treat a skin condition called Confluent and Reticulated Papillomatosis (CARP), and its results were devastating. I was outside at work one day after about three weeks of taking minocycline, and I felt faint. Then, a few days later, I noticed bumps on my forehead, which later spread to my arms and legs. I went to the doctor, and they gave me a shot of steroids, which made me think it would clear up my skin. Within the next days, the bumps turned into a full-blown rash all over my body, and my face had swollen up as well. A few days later, I got a biopsy done and learned I had developed a condition called Dress syndrome as a result of a severe allergic reaction to minocycline. A month after the biopsy, I'm still recovering with the use of steroids. Beware of this drug."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2017

For Rosacea "I have a history of mixed connective tissue disease and was recently prescribed minocycline for rosacea. After taking the med for 2 1/2 weeks, I awakened with intense itching of my head, face, and scattered rash on my body. I stopped taking the minocycline immediately and contacted my physician. It has been over 6 weeks, and I am still experiencing an intermittent rash on my stomach, thighs, back, and also had one episode of bumps on the back of my tongue. But the most aggravating is constant redness, itching, and burning of my face. My physician told me to just keep taking Claritin and Benadryl if needed. I'm not sure how long this will last. But no more minocycline for me."

• gia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2017

For Acne "I was hesitant to take this because of the mixed reviews, but gave it a try for my horrible acne, and within a day noticed it started working. I didn't have any side effects, and my face started to purge (giant pimples forming), and my skin was getting worse, so I knew it was pushing everything out of my face to start clearing my skin. A week later, I woke up extremely itchy on my neck, scalp, chest, back, shoulders, feet, hands, basically everywhere, and I had broken out in hives. I took a Benadryl. Then at midnight, it happened again but worse. My neck was swelling up, and the hives were the color of a tomato, and I was insanely itchy. If I didn't take a ton of Benadryl, I would've had to go to the ER. Happened today again. No longer taking them."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2018

For Acne "Horrible, horrible, horrible. I was prescribed minocycline for acne. The first day it seemed to work, and then I ended up in the hospital with a severe reaction. My face turned bright red, dermatographia, full body swelling, trouble breathing, a rash on my face, arms, and legs, tachycardia, and dizziness. It's the worst I have ever felt in my life, all due to wanting to give myself more self-confidence. I am not the only one with this terrible reaction, beware of this drug."