Oral Antibiotic Treatments for Acne
December 6, 2008If the topical acne treatments just aren’t doing the trick, the most natural next step is to upgrade to oral antibiotic medication. Oral therapy or oral medications simply means that you have to take it in the form of a pill. Most dermatologists will prescribe oral treatments in addition to topical treatments; products that you have to apply directly to the skin.
Antibacterial oral medications go straight to the source, killing of the bacteria that causes acne, from the inside out. Many times multiple medications will be prescribed to attack the problem from multiple angles. Talk to your doctor to determine which treatments you should continue using, and ones that may have a negative effect on your treatment.
Tetracyclines
You’ll probably be getting tetracyclines based medications as your first type of oral antibiotic. The three types of tetracyclines; generic, minocycline, and doxycycline which work by stopping future growth of bacteria. In combination with a topical acne treatment the bacteria will eventually be eliminated. It usually takes no more than a couple weeks for noticeable improvements to be seen.
Tetracycline Side Effects
As with many prescription medications, some oral tetracyclines have a fairly large list of possible side effects. Don’t let all these nasty side effects turn you off. Most people don’t see any side effects, but some do get affected by a few at most. If you experience any of the following side effects, get in contact with your dermatologist immediately so he can diagnose the problem and let you know if you should continue use of the medication(s).
- Sensitivity to the Sun – Some people’s skin is to sensitive, especially when on skin medication. Some people will find that they sunburn more easily when taking tetracyclines.
- Rashes – Most people get very irritating rashes or don’t get them at all. It all depends on your type of skin.
- Upset Stomach & Loss of Appetite – Sometimes oral acne medications will play games with your digestive system. Causing a number of things from cramps to loss of appetite.
Erythromycin
The next common type of oral therapy for acne is erythromycin. These don’t have as strong effects on acne, but are good for younger children, and doesn’t cause as much irritation. Like tetracyclines, erythromycins can cause an upset stomach, except usually considerably worse.
Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin, an antibiotic based off of penicillin, is a common medication for much more than just acne. Amoxicillin, is weaker than other treatments, but can still get the job done, with minimal side effects.
Azithromycin
Azithromycin is recommended for woman that experience severe acne at times surrounding their period. These pills aren’t taken every day. Instead, azithromycin is taken for only a week at a time based on the timing of your menstrual cycle.
Trimethoprim sulfasoxazole (TMZ)
Trimethoprim sulfasoxazole (TMZ) is usually used as a last resort treatment against acne. If any combination of the above do not work, these may be your last option, usually in place of Accutane. This is a last resort because it is strongly associated with severe side effects.
After you have gotten your acne under control, it is strongly recommended that you slowly ween yourself off the medication, and resort solely to topical acne treatments, to avoid building resistance.
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Tags: acne, Antibacterial, doctor, Rashes, Sensitivity, side effects, tetracycline
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