When it is all about treating the acne, most of the people relies on OTC (over the counter) medicines such as acne cream, cleanser, face wash or even topical acne ointment. But according to Mayo Clinic, not all cases respond good with these over the counter medicines as they are not the first line of treatments.
Acne Antibiotics
As in most of the cases, a bacterium knonw as Propionbacterium acnes is responsible for the breakout and that is why, OTC products alone cannot get results. It is therefore, if the acne is to be treated effectively, proper combination of antibiotics and other OTC products is required.
Let us learn few of the antibiotics that are used to treat the acne breakouts effectively…
Tetracycline
Tetracycline is one of the strong antibiotics prescribed in the treatment of acne especially if appearing like pustules and papules. Recommended dose of tetracycline for this purpose is 500 mg to 1 gm. daily for 5-7 days. As stated by AcneNet, a lower dose of tetracycline is generally prescribed for maintenance. However, the drawback of using tetracycline is teeth staining. Also, it is strong antibiotic and hence is contraindicated in pregnant and nursing women. The drugs that fall in similar group such as minocycline and doxycycline are also used.
Erythromycin
Erythromycin is another oral antibiotic that is used as broad spectrum for treating various types of acne. Broad spectrum literally means that the medicine is capable killing a wide range of bacteria. Nevertheless, as stated by AcneNet, the side effects of erythromycin drug include abdominal discomfort and indigestion. This antibiotic is prescribed when acne has not responded to lower antibiotics.
Topical erythromycin is also available to apply onto the affected area. it is also a broad spectrum skin cream based antibiotic used to treat various acne breakouts. It helps in reducing the inflammation, redness and irritation by eliminating the bacteria. AcneNet reports some mild side effects of topical erythromycin such as irritation and dryness of the skin. Nevertheless, these problems can be tackled using oil-free moisturizer.
Clindamycin
Classified as semi-synthetic, clindamycin according to AcneNet is topical antibiotic used to treat various types of acne. In fact, this is the drug of choice when the doctor wants to avoid side effects of oral antibiotic that goes through the entire digestive tract. If used in a proper way, clindamycin can clear off the acne without producing any side effects in general. However, some report dryness and redness of the skin.
Sodium sulfacetamide
Like clindamycin, another topical antibiotic for acne is Sodium sulfacetamide. This typically targets the P. acnes, the organism responsible for acne in most of the cases. Along with its antibacterial function, this antibiotic also helps in cleansing the skin pores and reducing the inflammation. As the term suggests, it contains the sulfur that has bad odor and is of rough texture. It has good skin soothing properties and hence also improves the complexion along with acne clearing.
