Reducing Oral Antibiotic Use

We recommend that you make every effort to taper off oral antibiotics as soon as your acne is under control. An oral antibiotic may be intended for daily use over an extended period of time, often for four to six months and possibly much longer. Eventually, your doctor will taper off the medication and finally discontinue using it as your acne improves. The ideal long-term goal is to stop oral antibiotics altogether and rely only on topical therapy.

 

If necessary, antibiotics may be continued at the lowest effective dose for long periods of time, especially if your acne is persistent. However, this practice can lead to antibiotic resistance.

 

But remember, always discuss these options with your doctor. Don't just change your doses on your own.

 

Rollercoastering is a term we use to describe a method of fine-tuning the dosage of oral antibiotics that may help to minimize some potential side effects, lessen the total dosage you take, and bring the cost of the medication down.

 

For example, a dosage schedule can begin with two 50 milligram minocycline capsules to be taken in the morning and one in the evening, which equals 150 milligrams per day. Because the highest recommended dosage is 200 milligrams in one day, this dosage allows for a possible increase of an additional 50 milligrams per day on your next follow-up visit to your dermatologist. However, if your acne shows marked improvement on the follow-up visit, your doctor may lower your dosage to say, 50 milligrams twice a day.

 

If you experience premenstrual flares of acne, talk to your doctor about increasing the dosage five to seven days before your next menstrual period and then lowering your dosage afterward.

 

Other ways to reduce the amount of antibiotics used to treat acne include pulsing, using Accutane and other oral isotretinoins, and cortisone injections.