Clearing up Acne With Anitbotics
August 21, 2007
Antibiotics can and do often clear up acne, although you can often resolve the acne problem with topical over the counter products. If this doesn’t work, or if your acne becomes inflamed you should see a physician about a treatment of antibiotics. There are three important processes that antibiotics cause in your skin to help resolve your acne problem.
The most important effect that antibiotics have on your acne is to reduce the follicle bacteria that cause it. Antibiotics also reduce the chemicals that white blood cells produce that act as a skin irritant. Antibiotics will also reduce your skin’s free fatty acid concentration, which helps reduce inflammation.
Tetracycline and its derivatives is the most prescribed acne-fighting antibiotic. But you must not take it if there is any chance you are pregnant, or if you are nursing your baby. Generally a doctor will start you off with a twice daily dose of 500 milligrams and then cut that in half when your acne is noticeably improved. Tetracyclines must be taken on an empty stomach, which can be a hardship for a teenager. For many, then, tetracycline is not the best choice for fighting acne.
Erythromycin fights inflammation more effectively than does tetracycline, and it can be taken with food. In fact, that’s recommended as it can cause nausea or an upset stomach. Generally you’ll take 250 to 500 milligrams twice each day.
If you have pustules your doctor may prescribe minocycline twice a day in dosages of 50 to 100 mg. Its side effects are nausea, dizziness, change in skin pigmentation, vomiting, and discoloration of teen. The tooth and skin coloration issues are primarily seen with patients who have been taking it for a very lengthy time period, however.
Doxycycline can be prescribed safely if you don’t respond to erythromycin or tetracycline or can’t take one or the other. You’ll usually take it twice a day in a dosage of 50 to 100 mg. You must take it with food or you’ll be nauseated. The caution with this acne antibiotic, however, is that you sensitivity to sun will increase and you’ll have to be careful not to suffer sunburn.
Clindamycin is an acne antibiotic that can be either topical or ingested. Most doctors will prescribe a topical clindamycin cream. This antibiotic can cause pseudo membranous colitis, a severe infection of the intestine.
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