Oral acne medication

There are literally thousands of oral acne medications available in the marketplace. Unfortunately, though, this can lead to extreme confusion and you may also be very frustrated as you have no idea which specific medication you should be taking. Your first port of call should always be to contact your dermatologist and undergo a skin examination. They will examine your skin condition and the severity of your acne, and from there they can recommend an action plan. Your dermatologist is able to prescribe a wide array of oral acne medication, which is typically used to treat moderate to severe types of acne.

The most popular form of oral antibiotic that is prescribed to treat acne nowadays is tetracycline. This antibiotic is known to work extremely well, even on inflammatory types of acne such as papules and pustules. However there are certain side-effects from tetracycline which may include an upset stomach and the discolouration of your teeth. Cotrimoxazole is another oral antibiotic and can actually work just as well as tetracycline. However Cotrimoxazole should always be considered as a last resort if all other oral acne medications have failed. If tetracycline treatment has absolutely no effect on you, your dermatologist may prescribe doxycycline. This powerful antibiotic also has an extremely effective track record in treating inflammatory cases of acne.

A few other forms of oral acne treatments include minocycline, although this medication is known to sometimes cause discolouration of the skin. Erythromycin is another popular oral acne medication and works in an extremely similar way to tetracycline, but with far less side-effects. Lastly there is clindamycin however this has been known to cause some very uncomfortable side-effects, which include diarrhoea. Therefore it is not a very popular choice as an oral acne medication. It is vitally important that if you are prescribed medications, especially antibiotics, that you take them exactly as prescribed. This is the only way to get the full effect from these medications. Unfortunately if you choose not to take antibiotics as they have been prescribed, this can often cause your acne to become completely resistant to medication.

Another popular form of oral acne medication is not actually intended to treat acne. However many women who suffer from mild to moderate forms of acne such as whiteheads and blackheads have found that oral contraceptives can be extremely effective in controlling acne breakouts. Ortho-Tricyclen and Estrostep are both forms of birth control pill, although they are now proving extremely popular in helping to control and overcome acne. Birth control pills are able to control acne because they reduce the levels of the hormone known as androgen in the body. Androgen is mainly responsible for Sebum, or oil, production. As you may be aware excessive skin oil can be a major cause of acne.

Another oral acne medication that is typically used for moderate to severe acne is Accutane. However this, once again, should always be used as a last resort as it is an extremely powerful medication. Unfortunately there is a large list of side-effects from taking Accutane and these are sometimes extremely serious. If your dermatologist prescribes Accutane as an oral acne medication they are likely to monitor you extremely closely throughout your course of treatment. You will also find that your dermatologist is likely to test your liver function before, during and after acne treatment.

If you are a woman who is using Accutane as a treatment, it is compulsory that you are on two forms of birth control and you will often be tested to pregnancy. The main reason for this is that if Accutane is taken during pregnancy, it is known to cause some very serious birth deformities and even death to your baby. If you wish to take Accutane you will need to register with a specific organisation, iPledge, who are dedicated to preventing pregnancy during any form of Accutane treatment. Accutane will usually need to be taken for 4 to 5 months.

We have long been aware of the potential side effects of oral acne medications, and this is why it is important to take certain forms of medication under medical supervision. Some of the side-effects include:-

Change in body weight, breast tenderness, tiredness, change in libido, mood swings, depression, teeth discolouration, impaired liver function, thrombosis, fluid retention, headaches, tumours, skin pigmentation, decreased hearing, photosensitivity, skin allergies, muscular pain, behavioural disorders, dry eyes, visual disturbances, dizziness, suicidal tendencies, hypertension, changes in menstrual flow and leg cramps.

As you can see some of the side-effects can be considered extremely dangerous and this is the main reason why you should be monitored closely by a medical practitioner. You may initially start out with a topical form of acne treatment however if you are unable to bring your acne under control or it is considered severe, then an oral medication will typically be prescribed.

Last updated on Jun 28th, 2011 and filed under Drugs and Medications. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed