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Acne and tetracyclines
My experience with tetracyclines
Date: 2/27/2008 2:07:00 PM ( 16 y ) ... viewed 1994 times I've taken two different tetracyclines over the last 10 years, neither of which completely resolved my problem.
The first was minocycline, which I took for around 5 months before finally deciding that I didn't want to be taking antibiotics every day. I didn't experience any adverse reactions on this, but my spots didn't clear up completely either. It certainly reduced the big, sore, cyst-like pimples I was getting, but at the end of the day I was still getting spots. Presumably the antibiotic reduced the bacteria so that my skin wasn't so red and inflammed, but didn't actually cure the root cause.
Next was Limecycline, which I was prescribed in November after continuous huge cysts kept appearing under the surface of my skin. I took this for 12 and a half weeks. In the first month, all my big spots went away - I was just getting pimples all the time. Then, after the first 6 weeks or so, big spots started to come back. First one, then another, until i felt that I was back to square one. I carried on taking the drug until last week, when my body finally decided it had had enough and I had an allergic skin reaction all over my back and stomach. The doctor said to stop taking it (which I did gladly, since it didn't actually seem to be helping much anyway!), and gave me some antihistamines to reduce the itchy rash reaction (I took one. That was enough to sort it out).
I won't be able to take tetracyclines again after this, although to be honest, I'm not too concerned about that. I think I have finally come to the conclusion that todays medical knowledge is great if you have an acute problem (sudden accident, heart attack, allergic reaction, etc.), but is always going to fall short of ideal in the long run when it is trying to treat chronic symptoms, and not the cause of the problem.
My doctor has basically explained that since I have tried prescription topical lotions and antibiotics, along with the pill, my only course of action now would be referral to a dermatologist and roaccutane. However, she did say that she didn't think my acne was "severe" enough for this. I'm not trying roaccutane. I've heard too much bad stuff about it to want to go down that avenue. My system is sensitive enough to everything as it is.
I didn't ask her WHY she thought I was getting spots all this time. Maybe I should have posed this question. WHY is my skin like this? I think this is the one thing that every doctor I have seen over the years has neglected to ask.
So, currently, I am off the tetracycline, and have no lotions or potions to use.
However, I have another plan. Sitting and thinking about exactly what I am suffering from and why, I have come to the following conclusions:
1) What you put on your skin might make it worse, but it probably won't make it better, whether it is organic or synthetic, because it is only treating the symptoms.
2) If you take medicines for the problem, they will mask the symptoms of the underlying cause and you will always find yourself back at the start looking for something to fix what's gone wrong.
3) What you eat doesn't really affect your skin (with a few exceptions- I will discuss this in a future post), it's what you DON'T eat that matters.
My personal belief at this stage is that consistent, untreatable acne over years of someone's life comes down to something being wrong internally. And by this, I mean hormonally. Acne doesn't start until your hormones come alive in your early teens. I was thirteen when my spots started, not long after my first period, and I've had them ever since. It's my hormones that need sorting out, not the bacteria, not my brand of facewash, and not my oil glands.
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