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?

I've been in them for a couple years for a skin condition, I also have IBS and they haven't impacted it at all

I would take the anti biotics and review after 3 months. I would not take them long-term.
I would also consider seeing a dermatologist as I found that although helpful my GP didn't really understand skin.

Exactly the same for me although not as long term. Really effective and no side effects.

Antibiotics always stopped working for me in the end.
My acne wasn't severe, just persistent - sore spots on the chin.
Roaccutane solved the problem. Wish I had done it years earlier.

I took lymecyline for 6 months but it did fuck all. It went away itself eventually.

The people I know who had serious acne had to take Roaccutane to get rid of it.

Not me but my 19 year old son. He tried posh skincare regimes, antibiotics for months on end and nothing was shifting it. Eventually we agreed we would try roaccutane and it cleared up never to be seen again. Yes, it made his skin dry and very dry lips but that was easy to deal with. We looked for the mood swings which was difficult being a teenager (!) but he came through and it cured it.

Sorry I have kind of read through quickly so might have missed something. Have you been tested for PCOS? I had acne just on my chin/jaw line and one particular GP I saw said straight away, yep it's that. CeraVe face wash the salicylic one is good. I had lots of tablets lotions and potions I only found that they helped a bit, but nothing fantastic.

Roaccutane worked for me as a permanent fix. The downside is that you need to be on birth control pills. Unless you end up getting treated by a Catholic hospital where they will just allow you to regularly pregnancy test. (I'm not Catholic but can't seem to get on with any birth control pills so I was grateful for this). This isn't very practical / accessible advice I appreciate, but if anyone reading this is in a gap year type situation and has some funds, the best possible thing you can do is what I did (I didn't plan this, it happened coincidentally): fly somewhere like Costa Rica or somewhere really humid and travel whilst on the medication and that way you won't be affected by your skin drying out.

@TheLette interesting, thanks for sharing. What's the point of the pregnancy test? I mean, what do they suggest if you DO get pregnant on Accutane? Given an abortion is out of the question? That you just go ahead and give birth to the poor child with serious physical disabilities? Will they pay disability benefits for poor said child? Would it not be more ethical for a Catholic hospital to just refuse to prescribe for a childbearing age woman unless they promise to abstain? Mind you, I suppose they could still be sexually assaulted.

Especially if you have other health issues, I'd recommend trying an elimination diet. Among other things, my acne vanished when I stopped eating dairy.

Well then don't. Just be red and spotty

Antibiotics a waste of time here. Tried every cleanser going. Roaccutane was the only thing that worked, and I didn’t find it too unpleasant. Wish I’d done it earlier and hadn’t had to put up with horrible skin all the way through secondary school.

I did this when I had adult acne about 8 years ago.I had thrush so severely that it created small cuts around my vagina, and I still get them now from time to time!As soon as I was off the antibiotics, the acne came back.

Acnecide worked. I still have no idea what caused it.

You need to go through a couple of courses of 2-3 months of antibiotics to access further treatment.

They made no difference to me. ( or my daughters) Dianette kept the acne at bay for a while, but in the end I took roaccutane at age 40- it was life changing.

I don't know about those specific drugs or acne but I do have IBS and my gut health is significantly improved in the short term by a course of amoxicillin. It doesn't last but it's incredibly liberating for a few weeks or more as I can enjoy many foods I'm intolerant too.

I get probiotics from Holland and Barrett. Not good with swallowing pills so have the chewy ones. Keeps the thrush at bay and helps my stomach stay settled

@ChinBristles I have now idea how the Catholic hospital got away with it. I agree with you in principle although equally I think I should be trusted as a grown woman to be sensible with other means of birth control / abstain to avoid this risk. I don't agree with being forced to take birth control pills (which are not 100% reliable anyway!) as the only way of getting some medication which is pretty essential to wellbeing. As mentioned birth control pills really seem to mess me up, I've tried loads and my body hates them!

I've not had the acne you describe, but from personal experience, if I eat dairy I get cystic acne that lasts for months on end. Try cutting out dairy, my skin can tolerate butter, parmesan & cheddar cheese and thats it. I have to be fastidious about what dairy I eat, otherwise I see the evidence on my face for the next 6 months and it really pisses me off! I would suggest giving up dairy to see if you get some improvement after a month or so

I'm on lymecycline - I'm 45! Suffered with acne most of my adult life. I was put on roaccutane about 7 years ago which was brutal but worked. First time in my adult life I was acne-free! Then peri menopause hit two years ago and suddenly it was back. I've been on lymecycline since, though I was referred for roaccutane again 8 months ago - but the backlog at the dermatology service is so long I've not even been sent an initial appointment yet.

So I've been on it for about a year now (also suffer from bouts of IBS, but it hasn't affected that) - it keeps things under some form of control, I came off it for a month and my face basically exploded, so I know being on it is better!