hello there
i have been on the tetracycline range of antiobiotics(nearly all of them) and wondered if there were any other antibiotics available and if so please tell me their names
please respond
thank you
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bouncing.gif

Tetracyclines are the one and only antibiotics for the acne. There are different forms of them. They are quite ineffective.

I used something called the "Z pack" and it worked great for me. I don't know what family of antibiotic it is, though. Ask your doctor about it.

That is not true! all antibiotics are effective at ridding acne. However, if you have used any of them before or several times over, you may become resistant to it, hence why it didn't work for you.

(ones in ()I've personally used for an infections)
Erythromycin (works),
Doxycline
Minocycline (intentionally for acne, works)
Tetracycline (works)
Augmentin (possibly)
Levoflaxcin (possibly)
Penicillin (don't remember)
Amoxocyllin (works)
Benzaclin
Benzamycine

Of course there are more, but I wouldn't take ANY antibiotics for your acne. Try using the topical antibiotics instead. I've never found my skin to become resistant from using them over the years, but I haven't used them in at least year. However, if you take the internal ones (don't use with the topicals if u do), you will eventually pay. My skin was looking wonderful on Minocyline and after 3 months I stopped (didn't want all the nasties that came with it) and in the end I still broke out less than a month after stopping.

This break out was worse than I've had in several years PLUS it caused my acne to branch out to other areas that I'd NEVER had it before (eyebrows, more on the nose, some in the ear, some on my legs, some on my lower arms...thanfully most were tiny). This was probably caused by the mild yeast infection it gave me (1st one ever).

After two years I've finally gotten most of those extras breakouts to disappear and my skin is looking a lot better. This summer, I've been dabbling with probitiotics and a diet change and I suggest to you that if ANY of you use antibiotics to take probiotics, lower your sugar intake, and bread intake (sugar). Basically make sure you are eating less carbs (sugar) than usual to pervent a yeast infection.

Antibiotics are not a PERMANT solution. Whether you go off of them or continue using them, you're breakouts will come back. Hopefully you will be fortunate enough to simply "outgrow" it.

[This message has been edited by SweetJade1 (edited 08-30-2002).]

sweetjade is right, antibiotics can control acne but do not cure it. plus you need to be careful when using antibiotics for long periods of time. my derm mentioned amoxicillin and Bactrim DS (also sold as Septra DS). Bactrim is more effective, but it can cause terrible side effects, so she was going to put me on monthly blood tests.

Sweetjade, you'r right, but tetracyclines are the most common antibiotic-family when it comes to acne-treatments. According to recent researches more than 40% of bacteria, that causes acne, are immune to antibiotics. So they aren't really effective and definitely not a permanent solution.

Hello,

I just wanted to tell you that the Z pack is another name for the antibiotic Zithromax. It's very strong, and works very well, but is only used for 5 days per month. My daughter's Dr. put her on that a few times when she broke out real bad, and had an event coming up. It worked excellent, but because it's such a strong drug, it's quiet dangerous if taken for months at a time.
I was on antibiotics all through my teens, into my 20's with no problems, for the most part they kept me 85% clear. If you do a search under oral antibiotics for acne, a list will come up showing you all of them.

thanks for the help
has anyone tried BACTRIM??????????????????????
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bouncing.gif
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bouncing.gif

I'm taking Bactrim DS (same as Septra DS) and its been my acne miracle drug. I'm 85% clear and two months - this is after 4 years of minocin and erythromycin and two courses of Accutane.

That said, it is a sulfa drug. Sulfa skin allergies are very common (rashes), and Septra and other sulfa drugs are linked to a very rare allergic skin reaction called TEN and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (Essentially a second degree burn covering your entire body - half of patients die of a secondary infection).

A lot of derms are hesitiant to put people on Bactrim for this reason, but it's really a pretty low risk. If you have non cystic acne I would highly recommend inquiring about Bactrim before taking the Accutane plunge (which usually only provides temporary relief for those without cystic acne).

It also appears Zithromax can be a very potent acne therapy, yet it rarely prescribed for acne. Extremely expensive (like $300 a month! hope you have insurance), but worth a try for stubborn non cystic acne. It would have been my last resort had Bactrim not worked.

I'm on Sulfamethoxazole...similar to Bactrim. Seems to be doing ok for me.

Whoa, I never thought Zithromax would be $300 a month. Luckily I get a months worth for $20 with my insurance which is great.. If I ever got on Accutane I can get it for $30 a month, remarkable coverage.

Been on Mino 2x 100mg a dayfor 4.5 months.

Results:

99% clear, no side effects.

I hope it stays this way for a while.

I used atibiotics for at least 2-3 yrs. and it helped control but never really got rid of breakouts. I suggest like she mentioned that you not take oral antibiotics for this, because I think that the side effects of these which I'm not sure but, I'm definately curious if my condition, which is not a good one, could have come from antibiotics. Because now I have stomach probs and all around probs and I'm not sure I would advise taking them for to long. Try topical methods first.

i dont know if this will help but my brother had really bad acne when he was 17 and somewhere he heard that penicillin could possibly clear it up. he started taking it everyday and his face cleared up! he has been taking it for 3 years and he hasnt had a breakout since! im not saying this will work for you but i mean you could try it. besides its better than spending a lot of money on the antibiotics you have been taking that havent worked when this might:) **hope i helped**

LyNdSeY