Oral Antibiotics for Acne - Indicated for Moderate-to-Severe Acne 

First-Line Drug Class: Tetracyclines 



In the last post I reviewed mild acne treatment which consists of TOPICAL products. Now let's talk about oral antibiotics. These can be used for moderate-to-severe acne. However, they should be used IN CONJUNCTION with the topical products previously mentioned. After initiating, reassess patients response to the antibiotics and discontinue them when possible to ensure the shortest duration. First-line is tetracyclines, most commonly used is minocycline since it is best tolerated and there is some evidence showing it more effective than tetracycline. The newest option is sarecycline which is a tetracycline developed specifically for acne treatment. We can also pulse-dose azithromycin for patients who cannot use tetracyclines.



#Acne #Oral #Antibiotics #Pharmacology #Management #Dermatology