tetracycline for acne?

[flea]

hey everyone,

today i went to the dermatologist complaining of acne, and after she tried to get me to take the pill and i said no, and she asked me to use creams full of harsh chemicals and i said no, she suggested antibiotics.

tetracycline is a specific antibiotic that is supposed to target the bacterial infections that can promote acne.

id have to take it twice daily for 3 months before i may even see results.

im very skeptical of antibiotics, and tetracycline seems to have some pretty gnarly side effects from a bit of googling....but im also super keen to get rid of my acne.

what do people think? evil western medicine? potential?

thanks kids!

ps: been raw about 2 years, diet is ridiculously good (coconut water everyday, green smoothies everyday, hemp oil, yoga, blabla, dont think its my diet)

pps: if the actual cause of my bad skin is hormonal, does anyone have any ideas in how to treat that? im 22 and have had bad skin since adolescence.

ppps: ive tried a range of different herbal remedies, coconut oil, oil pulling, everything - all to no avail, which makes me think, as this is internal, it may hold more promise?

[How?]

I had to go on roaccutane years ago and then do a second course some time later.it certainly got rid of the problem and haven't taken them in several years but change in diet etc.. since has seen me keep my clear skin thankfully.
Its easy for people to say no to harsh medicines like this but if you've tried everything and it still persists you haven't many options left.I personally would use roaccutane again in a second despite some potential side effects but thats because I know how horrible it can be to live with something like this. I guess at the end of the day its something only you can awnser.

ps. I have never tried this product but have used some of the others they sell with success...http://www.amoils.com/acne.html

[Aleesha Sattva]

perhaps it's an allergic reaction to something you are eating/using/around/ingesting... etc.

i know someone who... whenever she ate anything with potato in it... she broke out.

[sport]

What about a fast.

[klomasius]

It does sound like you might be allergic to something, be it something you are eating or being exposed to (or using on your face).

Also, have you tried rinsing/cleaning your face with salt water? Salt is a natural antiseptic and might help with the problem. Just make a salt solution and gently rinse/clean your face with it each day. Make the salt as concentrated as your skin will allow and try this for about a week. If you want to make it more effective, soak a face washer in warm salt solution and cover your face with it, soaking your skin thoroughly with it.

[oceanluv]

is a face washer the same as a wash cloth?

[klomasius]

is a face washer the same as a wash cloth?

Um.. sorry, it's the cross continent confusion. Yep, it's a face cloth. I call it a flannel but figured no one will know what that means so I called it a face washer! :D

[walnutty]

To flea,

My son took Doxycycline for Acne and it worked very, very well. He took it from 16 to 19. He has a terrible diet (hates fresh fruit and veggies) and doesn't drink much water. My little brother, when he was a teenager, also had acne and only ate fresh fruit & veggies and drank tons of water. According to my sons' dermatologist, it has nothing to do with diet. Now "breaking out" is a different story altogether, but having the diagnosis of "Acne" needs anti-biotics. I wouldn't have believed it except I saw how my brother ate so well and he had terrible "Acne". He tried all kinds of things and nothing helped (he refused anti-biotics) and he now, in his thirties, has awful scarring.

I don't know if it helps or not to know my families' story or not, but I hope it does...Ü...

[walnutty]

Also, as far as the "3 months before seeing results", my son was cleared up within a week. His skin was very clear for the 3 years. Acne is usually outgrown. So, at 19 the derm took my soon off of Doxycycline and he had a cyst here or there occasionally and then nothing. He has had clear skin for a year....with the same horrid diet!

My brother also outgrew it, but because of the scarring he will always live with the acne...:(...

[k8sl8]

Youngest DD had acne and did tetracycline and then 2 courses of accutane over about 5 or 6 years. She eats very well now (raw) and has very few problems, but never seemed to trigger off food. Still has an occasional flare, but usually short lived and not severe; now trigger is hormonal. She is 26.

Nothing is perfect, but for true acne, meds is probably the only "sure" way to beat it.

[freespirit]

My skin was bad same age yours is. I tried drugs, cleansers, creams, diets, and masks. Nothing worked. or at least they didnt have a lasting effect.

Nothing changed until i did my first fast which was an 11 day master cleanse. My skin changed. forever. Before you do any drugs please try that. its the liver cleansing effect that make it work so well for the skin.

My mother will still stare at my face and say how she just cant believe the difference. its amazing. I wished I had found this information when I was 18 rather then 25