Acne Treatment Antibiotics Used to Treat Acne

by Annie
(USA)

Finding the right acne treatment antibiotics that works is not really quite difficult. Well, for an individual who wants to treat their acne this may sound quite a relief. There are a few antibiotics used to treat acne and they are much easier to use compared to using a complete daily regimen in taking care of your skin.

Let’s take a look at the real effects of hormones on your skin that leads to acne occurrence. Pilosebaceous unit is a hormone whose effects cause acne problems. This unit consists of a hair follicle, sebaceous gland and a hair. When the follicle is obstructed an overgrowth on the normal skin bacteria called the Propionibacterium acnes causes the destruction of the follicle lining. This is then followed by a process which allows follicular materials to enter the dermis that results to an inflammatory response or acne.

Acne treatment antibiotics which are used in treating acne work in different ways but the most important is they decrease the number of bacteria in and around the follicle. One of the ways antibiotics work is by decreasing the irritating chemicals produced by the white blood cells. They also reduce the concentration of free fatty acids in the sebum resulting to reduced inflammatory response. The most frequently used acne treatment antibiotics are tetracycline, erythromycin, minocycline, doxycycline and clindamycin.

Tetracyline is the most widely prescribed acne antibiotic. Usual dose starts from 500 mg to be taken twice daily until a dramatic decrease on acne lesions is observed. The dose is then decreased to 250 mg or discontinued. On the downside, this antibiotic has to be taken on an empty stomach to get the best out of it. It should not be prescribed to pregnant women and children under 9 years old.

Erythromycin is a commonly used acne antibiotic and has more benefits compared to tetracycline. One, it has anti – inflammatory properties which helps in reducing redness in lesions while killing the bacteria and it can be taken with food. Erythromycin dosage varies with the type of use. It is usually prescribed from 250 – 500 mg twice a day. On the downside it can cause stomach upset and nausea but on the bright side, this antibiotic can be used by pregnant women.

Minocycline is a derivative of tetracycline and had been used effectively for acne treatment for decades. Specifically is it useful for pustular type of acne. Minocycline absorption is decreased with food but not as dramatic as seen in tetracycline. Typical dose is between 50 – 100 mg twice a day. Side effects include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, skin pigmentation changes and tooth discoloration. Skin and tooth changes are more apparent in people who have been using the antibiotic for a long time.

Doxycycline is frequently used by people who do not respond or cannot tolerate erythromycin and tetracycline. Dosage starts at 50 – 100 mg twice a day and should be taken with food or else it will cause serious nausea. Doxycycline causes increased sensitivity to the sun or sunburns more than tetracycline.

Clindamycin is a useful oral antibiotic but it is widely prescribed as a topical antibiotic for acne. Usual dose starts between 75 – 150 mg twice a day. It causes severe intestinal infection called pseudomembranous colitis which is caused by Clostridium difficile.

All acne treatment antibiotics may cause candida vaginal yeast infections in women specifically tetracycline which has the most frequent side effect and all antibiotics lessen the effectiveness of birth control pills as well.