Using Tetracycline To Treat Acne

If you’re the type who don’t really believe in home remedies for acne problems and would rather seek the medical prescription of a skin doctor, then tetracycline might be the right fit for you for your acne problems.

Tetracycline is an antibiotic which is used to treat skin disorders especially acne. It also suppresses other skin disorders such as rosacea and perioral dermatitis. According to studies conducted about tetracycline, this antibiotic could actually help improve upto 25% of your acne problem in a month. Basically, it works by reducing the number of propionibacterium bacteria which lives on the skin and fight various pathogens as well.

If it’s your first time to take tetracycline, your starting dose must be 500mg twice a day everyday until such time that you can already see a significant decrease in your acne lesions. Once you have seen an improvement in your acne problem, you can now decrease the dosage by 250mg twice a day. You also have the option to discontinue the use of tetracycline if you want. You should take this antibiotic on an empty stomach 30 minutes before you eat or 2 hours after a meal. It should not be taken with antacids or milk as it has the tendency to interatc with metallic ions. Take it with a large glass of water to avoid having it stucked in the esophagus which might lead to ulceration.

While it might be useful for acne treatments, tetracycline has also some side effects like the other medicines. Some of the potential side effects of tetracycline include skin rashes, liver disease because of an allergy, headaches, serious gastric intestinal problems, enterocolitis, hemolytic anemia, and renal toxicity. Tetracycline could also make you more sensitive to sunlight so it would be advisable to use a sunscreen when you’re taking this medication. A yeast infection in the mouth, rectal, and genital areas would most likely occur when you’re taking the tetracycline medication. It is not advisable for pregnant women or those nursing an infant to take tetracycline for it could cause staining of teeth permanently, enamel hypoplasia, and defects in the bone growth of the baby. However, tetracycline is safe to use especially if it’s prescribed by a doctor.

Aside from treating acne, tetracycline is also used to treat other illnesses such as actinomycosis, anthrax, brucellosis, chlamydia, granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum, rocky mountain spotted fever, syphillis, and lyme disease.

المصدر : عرب مكس