DD is taking antibiotics for spots, what a difference!

[SecondhandRose]

Took DD 14 to the GP as she was fed up with her spots (not acne) but really getting her down and not just on her T zone, they would appear all over.

Took her to the GP and she has been prescribed Lymecycline 408mg for 3 months. She has been taking them for a month now and the change is fantastic. It probably took 3 weeks for them to work.

She is so much happier so just wanted to say they worked for us.

DS1 had spots during his early teens. Wasted a load of money on over the counter creams and potions that didn't work. In the end I took him to the GP who prescribed tablets (forget name) and they cleared up in no time.

Same here Rose.DD 15 is now on Doxycycline for the next year.She was put on a 3 month dose in the summer and they worked really well. She came off them and the spots returned as bad as ever.She is now on them for a year with instructions to break off them half way through the year for a few weeks and then resume if necessary.

We are back at the GP tomorrow with DS1. His face is not too bad but his back is awful.
He tried the Lymecycline and the effect was impressive and immediate but sadly after 3 they stopped working.
Now he has been on erythromycin for the last 3 months along with a cream. The improvement is negligible.
I suspect the next step might be a dermatologist but I think DS will refuse to go as he doesn't see the problem, plus I am not keen on the side effects of Roccutane which is the next step up.

As an acne sufferer in my teens, twenties and early thirties (and still prone to a few spots in my early 50s) I know from experience that antibiotics can be very effective, but they do become less effective the longer you take them and the acne will normally return when you stop taking them altogether. They only stop the symptoms for a while not the problem.

I took a range of antibiotics from the age of 16 until my early twenties and then gave up as none of them were having any effective. I wasted lots of money on completely ineffectual homeopathic remedies, blasted my face with a sun lamp (and now live in fear of skin cancer!) and eventually was referred to a dermatologist in my late twenties. He prescribed roaccutane. It turned my life around but I needed three courses and it really is only for very severe acne as there are a number of side effects.

I have 3 teenage boys who all have varying degrees of skin problems though none very severe. I'm on tenterhooks worrying that one of them will develop it as bad as I had it, as it really is a terrible thing to have to deal with.

secretsquirrels - it's difficult when they don't see it as a problem My eldest's skin isn't brilliant but he never used the antibiotic lotion he was prescribed regularly although I kept getting it on repeat prescriptions. Eventually he was asked to go in for review but couldn't be bothered. I then discovered that my 16 year old had been using it and was very distressed that it was no longer on the bathroom shelf! He has much better skin than his older brother and doesn't really need anything at all, but he is VERY conscious of his appearance generally and just a few spots really distress him. So, I've made an appointment with the gp to see if she will prescribe the lotion for him, even though he doesn't really need it.

My dd 15 suffers from acne. She has been on antibiotics (first lymecycline and then erythromycin) for the last 18 months but now neither of these work . She has just been given a gel called retin which is supposed to reduce the amount of sebum the skin produces. We'll see how it goes.

Just wanted to point out that there are other treatments available, so if you're not keen on roaccutane (I wouldn't be either) it's still worth seeing your GP or specialist.

Most definitely worth seeing a specialist. It took me ages to be referred to one as the antibiotics kept it under control for a couple of years but then I was away at university and afterwards moved around a lot. Every time I registered with a new doctor they refused to refer me until they'd had a go at treating me themselves. A specialist may not be able to wave a magic wand but they understand the problems much much better than GPs. Mine was simply wonderful and particularly sympathetic as his kids suffered as well. He didn't think I was over-reacting on the occasions when I sat down in his office and sobbed about the state of my skin. (or if he did, he didn't show it!)

Poor ds2s skin is starting to look a bit worse so maybe the trip to the GP is a good idea for him. It really upsets me - he's SO handsome but I can tell straight away if his skin's bothering him because he keeps his head down and won't look people in the eye.

Seen GP today. She said she could see a marked improvement. She has switched him back to Lymecycline as she reckons antibiotics work best if they are changed regularly. Together with the cream, Adapalene, we are making some progress.

My DS-17 has Acne and it's getting worse despite being on Tetralysal.

He is lazy about cleaning his skin, despite me gently reminding him to do it most evenings I don't think he bothers. It appears I'm more concerned than him

I'm seriously considering a Dermatologist but it's £160 for a half hour consult !!.

I don't want him on Roaccutane, the risk with links to depression worries me a lot.

My son's skin was really bad and he didn't want to take anything. I discussed this site with him www.acne.org and he has been following the routine - the results are brilliant even though he misses a session most days.
I bought the Neutrogena acne products (oily skin) along with panoxyl and it works!

Just to say my son had roaccutane at 16 for really bad acne and my daughter is currently taking it . The good thing about roaccutane as opposed to antibiotics is that generally if it works the effects last . My son is 19 now and his skin is wonderful . It may have side effects( they are rare ) but having terrible acne can be equally debilitating and depressing for a teenager.

Just to add ,we had tried all the other potions and lotions and my son is a bit OCD about washing etc so his acne wasn't likely to go any other way.

I took Roaccutane in my 30s with no side effects whatsoever, and its a permanent cure. So don't be put off it. It really worked for me.

I also took roaccutane in my 20s with no side effects apart from very dry cracked lips while I was taking it. I think the potential problems are really over exaggerated. Severe acne is awful to live with.

It's good to hear that roaccutane has worked so well for some of you and your dc's.

My friend's dd is considering it so I'll see how she gets on.

I took roaccutane on a low dose as a teen. It did work, pretty well instantly. I had dry lips as the main side effect too. The spots are back now though, in my late 20's, and I won't be taking it again.