Acne and Antibiotics – How Antibiotics Work to Treat Acne

With acne being one of the most common skin problems occurring to millions of teenagers and adults across the globe, the treatment options have started flooding the market. Today, the market is overloaded with many treatment options for acne to choose from.

You need to consult a health care practitioner because each treatment would produce different results on different types of acne. The type of acne on body varies from mild and moderate to severe.

Doctors usually prescribe a combination of remedies to treat acne. One of the most commonly prescribed treatments for acne in conjunction with topical remedies is antibiotics. Some of the most common antibiotics used in this regard include the following:

a) Erythromycin

b) Tetracycline

c) Minocycline

d) Doxycycine

A) The working of antibiotics to treat acne

Antibiotics are responsible for controlling breakouts via curbing the production of P. acnes (Propionobacterium) in the body. This bacteria is known to be a major cause of acne production in the body and to reduce inflammation. The whole process may actually take many week or even months together. Hence, it is very important to exercise patience.

Most people think that if the breakouts have been subsided, they are cured. However, this is not the case. When the breakouts are subsided, it is an indication that medicines are doing their job properly. Hence, if you stop as soon as you see breakout, being subsided, it will probably come back.

Similarly, increasing the dose of medication without consulting your doctor will not clear up the skin at a fast pace. In fact, this may also result in certain side effects. This may result in plugging and follicular irritation.

In case, you are suffering from a lot of blackheads and whiteheads, you can use a topical treatment that would unblock pores. You may also be prescribed to use an antibiotic tablet as an oral form.

It is important to read the leaflet carefully prior to start using antibiotics.

B) Certain precautions

a) Children under the age of twelve years should not take tetracycline based antibiotics. Tetracycline based antibiotics are prohibited under the cases where the patient is pregnant, breast feeding or planning to conceive. It would be wise to speak to your doctor in this regard.

b) When on contraceptive pills should take additional precautions when taking antibiotics for the first three weeks.

c) Milk and food tend to affect the absorption of tetracycline or oxytetracycline. Hence, it is important to take these tablets on an empty stomach with a glass of water.

d) Antibiotics such as minocycline, Doxycycline and lymecycline can be taken with food.

You can go for treatment with antibiotics in cases of moderate to severe acne after consulting your dermatologist. Once you have started the treatment it is important to continue it until the doctor asks you to discontinue it. Don’t stop using medications without consulting a doctor.