To not want to take long-term antibiotics for my acne?

[Butterflyy]

I'm in my 20s and have acne on my chin. It's the painful under the skin acne where my whole chin area feels bruised and inflamed. I've been using adapalene for around a year and it worked quite well up until around a month ago. I've also tried topical antibiotics alongside the adapalene which worked well for the 30 days or so I was applying the topical antibiotics.

I spoke to my GP and they prescribed oral antibiotics (lymecycline) for 3-6 months. I feel quite anxious about taking antibiotics for that long and I'm worried about the side effects. I have IBS and recently have been having some flare-ups that have made me feel nervous when leaving the house, so I'm nervous to take something that could potentially make things even worse.

I'm not sure what to do. Do I just take them or could I ask for an alternative? I've looked at the clinical guidelines for acne and I'm not really sure what other options I have. I don't want to take the contraceptive pill due to an underlying health condition I have being contraindicated with it

Does anyone have any advice or experience with taking antibiotics for acne?

Dd takes them. I think the gp wanted her to try them as it's the first line recommendation. They don't seem to be working so she can go back and say that and they will try out other options, but they maybe wouldn't have been as keen on that if she hadn't tried the antibiotics first.

It is quite a low dose. Not like taking them for a week.
She has noticed some issues with appetite but more when she started taking them than now.

I took lymecycline for acne and it was the only thing that actually made it go, including being on dianette for awhile. I had no gastro issues with it but it did take a good few weeks for the effects to be seen.

The other option was roaccutane but that was last choice due to other side effects that may have outweighed the acne.
The other option is finding yourself a qualified skin expert who can begin you on a specific skin routine with treatment along the way. I know someone I can recommend if interested. Her results photos speak for themselves.

I've been taking them for years. Maybe you should trust your doctors knowledge when prescribing them.

I have had antibiotics for acne in the past and in my experience they were useless however I understand that there is a process the GP has to follow before referring. Id ask the be referred now as you've been on the creams for a year. I was given epiduo gel last year by the dermatologist and its worked wonders although it did take about 5 months. I think only a dermatologist can prescribe it though. Its basically either that or accutane by the time you see the dermatologist. If your acne is causing you to scar I was ask the GP to refer you now and say it is because it is scarring that you'd rather not carry on with trying antibiotics.

You could look into seeing a naturopath. With your IBS and other issues, it is likely that you would benefit from some specifoc dietary advise and supplements/herbal supports. At a minimum, you should take probiotics while taking antibiotics (at a different time of the day) and vitamin C, zinc and magnesium but a qualified naturopath would be able to give you more individual advice.

From recollection they go pill, antibiotics, Roaccutane.

Unfortunately nothing really helps without some side effects. I’d try the antibiotic and see.

I suddenly got really bad acne in my 25s, all around my mouth and jaw and neck. Being on oral antibiotics (oxytetracycline) was okay for an initial 12 week stint but I got put on them again when it returned a couple of months later and it was horrendous, I basically had thrush or bacterial vaginosis for a whole month and it wrecked my mental health. The GP was unhelpful and only offered me antibiotics and told me I shouldn't considered roaccutane which they said was the only other option. I then badgered them to send me to a dermatologist who helped me so much!

I started taking lymecycline approximately 25 years ago (for rosacea rather than acne). Every few years I come off them and my rosacea flares up. Nothing else helps. I have found that once I have taken them for a few weeks I can get away with taking just 3 tablets over the course of the week. I have never suffered any side-effects, and I know it is an incredibly low dose. I am now in my late fifties and my GP is happy for me to continue taking lymecycline.
My daughter took roaccutane for severe acne in her twenties. It was a really tough few months but 3 years later her acne has almost totally disappeared.

My best friend’s stomach was absolutely destroyed by long term use of antibiotics for her skin. In the end the only thing that helped was roaccutane.

I think if you want to go the isotretinoin route you have to have tried the antibiotics.

Antibiotics didn't work for me. The pill did, but made me ravenous and I got fat. So gorgeous skin but a fat arse.
In my 30s I tried eating very low carb and within a few days my skin was better and within a week or two my skin was absolutely amazing. The benefits continued even after I reintroduced carbs. Although I probably don't eat as many carbs now...
Try it, the effect on hormones is astounding (2-3 day periods, no PMT, clear skin). The first time there's a terrible "carb withdrawal day" after maybe 3 days, but then it's plain sailing and I felt fantastic.

If you do try the natural, weirdly easy route of low carb, make sure you take magnesium and enough salt or you'll feel dreadful. There are loads of eg. Facebook groups that can give advice or pls message me directly.
It doesn't have to be for more than a few weeks and it honestly changed my life and I wish I'd known about it aged 14.

Roaccutane is the only thing that works, but you have to take antibiotics first to prove you've used every other available avenue.

I took tetracycline years ago for rosacea- worked brilliantly. I used to do a several month phase on it and then rest it - but the rosacea always came back. I am not aware of any long term after effects - I don’t have stomach problems. I was warned that it negated the pill and not to get pregnant as it can cause birth defects.
The only think that has stopped my rosacea long term? Menopause. GP said that it wasn’t commonly understood to be linked to hormones but mine certainly was - flared up after each pregnancy; disappeared after (surgically induced) menopause.

I hate that people are saying roaccutane is the only thing that works. Its a very strong drug with serious side effects.

I can really recommend the skincare regimen at acne.org which helped clear my adult acne completely never to return.

I’ve been taking Lymecycline for rosacea for three years, it’s been life-changing. My gp has recently advised a two week break every 3 months, but otherwise are happy for me to continue.

Lymecycline was amazing for me. I'd tried every cream going and been on various contraceptive pills. Went private to see a dermatologist who prescribed 3 months on lymecycline combined with epiduo cream and my skin has never been this good (more importantly STAYED this good. I took the lymecycline 18 months ago). I still use the epiduo cream once a week but haven't needed any antibiotics etc since the first bout. It's definitely worth a try. It doesn't work for everyone and I was very lucky. I wished I'd tried it sooner as I'm in my 40s now and for years just assumed nothing would work. I also have IBS and it didn't affect me. But again I know everyone is different.

Wow I didn't expect this to get so many replies! I think your comments have convinced me to take the antibiotics. I don't know anyone personally who has taken antibiotics for acne so I was a little worried, but it seems it's quite common. My chin at the moment is literally throbbing, it feels so inflamed and sore so I think I should give them a go.

Are there any probiotics, prebiotics or vitamins anyone can recommend to take alongside them?

I took antibiotics in my 30s for 6 months to treat really bad acne. It wasn't great but it worked and acne never came back. It was worth it. I also took Dianette with it.

I’ve taken them for cystic acne for 3 years and I will carry on as long as they let me, I’ve gone from having constant giant painful boil type things on my face to not having a single one since I started and they haven’t affected my stomach at all, I think the dose is really low not like regular antibiotics

My son is suffering with acne.
Our GP refused antibiotics saying he will never get off them if he starts, so told us to buy a gel from pharmacy. So far he has seen an improvement.

I had hormonal acne since my twenties. Now 38 had every type of antibiotic, contraceptive pill, topical treatment you could think of under dermatology. Not a candidate for roacutane because of ongoing depression. 6 months ago I discovered dim supplements. Life changing. Never get spots now.

Have you been tested for Coeliac Disease? I ask as I had acne and IBS and it turned out I was Coeliac. I took lymecycline for a year until I was diagnosed.

I did. Not long term, just a few months to get it under control. I took a contraceptive pill (can’t recall name) and it brought me out in marble sized, almost cyst like acne- chest, back, face. They were full of pus and blood and would burst marking my clothes (sorry tmi) If it’s painful or affecting your life I would take them.

Once under control I took Dianette for years.
I also swear by Liz Earle cleanser and the toner- on a cotton ball, with a couple drops of pure tea tree oil. I didn’t bother with moisturiser. I regularly exfoliated and my skin improved. I did use comedogenic moisturiser on occasion, if my skin was a little dry. I used non comedogenic high factor sun cream on holiday and any pigmentation scarring I had disappeared.