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Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:00 pm  |
OK I know that tetracycline isn't *technically* a beauty product, but it is my HG for hormonal acne.
I tried _everything_ : mild cleansers only, super exfoliation, medium exfoliation, no exfoliation, regular facials, supplements, c serum, zinc serum, ylang-ylang oil, pearl powder, clay masks, sulfur masks (DDF), tea tree oil masks (blue flame), salicylic acid, glycolic acid, enzymes, copper peptides, powdered sunscreen, no sunscreen, OCM, birth control pills, clarisonic, derma wand, no moisturizer, oil free moisturizer, normal moisturizer, etc. etc. etc.
While a lot of these products helped for a while and many visibly improved my skin, nothing completely stopped the deep cysts on my chin. I *finally* went to a derm a few months ago and got a mild Rx for tetracycline and I haven't had a zit since. Seriously. And even though antibiotics usually upset my stomach and other (ahem) bodyparts, this doesn't seem to upset me at all. |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:21 am |
That's great  I took it a few years ago for hormonal acne, and while it did clear me up, I had non-stop yeast infections no matter what I did. The doc took me off of them and gave me script for Clindagel, which I use whenever I flare up. I really wish the Tetra would have worked for me, but I have had great luck with Evening Primrose Oil in balancing the hormones that cause acne for me. Isn't it such a relief to not see those spots everyday? Enjoy your new, clear skin 
Tina |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:44 am |
| Will u be on it for long term? cos tetracycline usually cause yellow teeth. |
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Combination acne-prone skin |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:09 am |
| Tetracycline will cause yellow/staining of tooth structure only in developing teeth (ie: when you are young, taking tetracycline and teeth are developing - the tetracycline becomes incorporated into the enamel cells). Teeth that are already erupted won't be affected. |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:05 am |
| I'm not sure if I'll be on it long term. After a month I stopped and got a zit on my back and started getting signs of impending doom on my chin. I'll try stopping again in a few months and see how it goes. Even though it doesn't bother me (which is weird since antibiotics usually give me a yeast infection) I'd rather not be on them forever. |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:19 pm |
| It's rarely a good idea to be on any antibiotic for too long. You can develop resistance to it and it will no longer be effective. Plus antibiotics ruin the "good bacteria" and can increase your risk for other infections like yeast infections. |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:33 pm |
| Usually if taking antibiotics like tetracycline, it is very recommended to consume a lot of yogurt which will compensate the loss of the good bacteria destroyed by the antibiotics. With yogurt consumption you can actually avoid or at least reduce the possibility of getting yeast infection. |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 8:58 pm |
True about it not discoloring adult teeth, but it can make your skin photosensitive.
Found this out when it was prescribed for me and my pharmacist mentioned it. As it happened, I was leaving for a long weekend of outdoor activity, it was the middle of summer and my skin is already sun sensitive. She offered to call my doctor while I waited. Disaster averted thanks to her. Did I mention I love my pharmacist? 
So take precautions or see if another antibiotic will help. (In my case, it wasn't prescribed for a skin problem, so don't know what your options are.) |
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Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:08 pm |
| sister sweets wrote: |
| Tetracycline will cause yellow/staining of tooth structure only in developing teeth (ie: when you are young, taking tetracycline and teeth are developing - the tetracycline becomes incorporated into the enamel cells). Teeth that are already erupted won't be affected. |
icic |
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Combination acne-prone skin |
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Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:30 pm |
The only thing is, be careful if you're on hormonal birth control methods -- tetracycline can counteract their effectiveness. (Though I seem to recall that may not be a problem for ya, but I can never keep things like that straight so I just thought I'd mention it!) I was on tetracycline in high school, and when I found that out I immediately stopped, but I was SHOCKED that my doctor made no mention of that risk, when she was the one that had prescribed me the BC pills in the first place!  |
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32, fair hair/eyes/skin, always a mix of dry/oily/sensitive/acne/clogged pores. But I keep getting compliments on my skin, so something must be working! Beauty blog at http://heliotro.pe; online dating coaching at http://theheartographer.com |
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:53 am |
| I'm on the pill and the derm didn't say anything about diminished effectiveness. I'm past the "if I get pregnant my life is ruined" stage of life, so it's not a huge deal, but it's pretty lame that he didn't say anything. I bet the pharmacist would have told me but I didn't bother letting him do the little consultation thinking "What could I possibly need to know about taking an antibiotic? They haven't changed since Louis Pastuer." |
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:27 am |
Hehehe, I know what you mean about being past that phase -- when I was 16 it was VERY different than now, but still, I prefer to know what's coming.
I was very surprised myself to find out about this reaction, but all antibiotics can in fact affect the pill's effectiveness -- which I only was told my senior year of COLLEGE, and I've been on the pill since I was sixteen. Not a good thing to keep mum about!
It's probably not a huge deal, but I just wanted to throw that out there. I forget which one, but I also recall reading studies that a certain popular herbal supplement (I think it was either St. John's wort or valerian) also counteracts the pill's effectiveness in some folks.
Just good things to be told BEFORE it's too late, IMO!  |
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32, fair hair/eyes/skin, always a mix of dry/oily/sensitive/acne/clogged pores. But I keep getting compliments on my skin, so something must be working! Beauty blog at http://heliotro.pe; online dating coaching at http://theheartographer.com |
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Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:41 am |
I can definitely relate. I am forty and my chin was an absolute disaster for the entire summer. I had tried EVERYTHING.......even Retin A Micro, which made things exponentially worse. My derm finally prescribed Tetracycline, which upset my stomach but did miracles for my skin. He switched me to another antibiotic (kinder to the stomach) and it continues to keep my skin perfect.
I have two refills (sixty pills) remaining. In an attempt to stretch the prescription, I am now taking one pill every other day and it continues to work.
On acne.org, it seems that some individuals have a longer term prescription to antibiotics. I am afraid to stop the treatment in lieu of the results. It is amazing to wake up to perfect skin!!
If anybody has info on long term antibiotic treatment, please post! |
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Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:17 am |
| FWIW, my derm said that some people take antibiotics for a month or 2 and then stop and don't need any more but other people stay on them for years. You can always try stopping and see how it goes. If you start to get zits again, you can resume the antibiotics and clear them up pretty quickly. And if stopping doesn't work, your doctor should be more than willing to give you a longer prescription. |
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Sat Oct 27, 2007 11:33 pm |
| This drug also makes you very sensitive to sunlight. Make sure you always wear suncreen and a higher SPF than usual. It can make your eyes sensitive too. |
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Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:47 am |
| According to my dermotologist, you have to take it continuously for 2-3 months before seeing any results. Thereafter, if the situation improves, one a day is sufficient. If the skin remains clear after half a year, you can stop taking it |
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