Clinical inquiries indicate that use of minocycline as an acne treatment may
produce side effects similar in nature to those observed with the use of
tetracycline. Specifically, studies have found that use of minocycline has led
to staining in permanent teeth; which should be cause for alarm in adults as
well as teens. Studies have specifically indicated that staining which may occur
in permanent teeth related to the long term use of minocycline as an acne
treatment may not be reversible.
Perhaps even more disturbing than the strong indications that minocycline may
introduce permanent staining in the teeth of patients who use this as an acne
treatment product, are the results of studies which indicate that minocycline
may also be responsible for various pulmonary complications. A study conducted
at a hospital in Switzerland and published in 2003 found that minocycline, when
used as a treatment for acne, could lead to the development of pulmonary lupus
and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Specifically, the hospital reported a case in
which a patient presented with a quite severe case of toxicity which was
introduced by use of minocycline.
The patient in question experienced a form of hypersensitivity pneumonia that was further complicated by acute respiratory failure. The 54 year old patient, a female, had experienced a low grade fever and dry cough as well as persistent fatigue for a period of two weeks prior to her admittance to the hospital. A battery of tests were performed and it was found that the patient had no cause for the symptoms she experienced including travel abroad or the presence of HIV. With treatment the patient showed improvement and was release after several days.
Within two weeks; however she was re-admitted to the hospital
because of ‘rapidly progressive respiratory failure requiring
mechanical ventilation.’ Patient history indicated that 14 days
before her first hospital admittance she had begun therapy for
acne vulgaris, which included oral minocycline. Within 24 hours
before her 2nd episode, she had taken another treatment
containing minocycline.
In addition to the reports related to teeth staining and
pulmonary complications, a reported released by a university in
Germany indicates that side effects related to the use of
tetracycline may well include possible contraction of Sweet’s
syndrome; a condition in which painful red nodules arise on
various parts of the body and is also generally accompanied by
fever and malaise.
Finally, a report released in Israel indicates that there may be
a low risk related to prolonged use of minocycline for
developing a lupus like condition. The patient in question in
this study was a 26 year old female who developed signs of lupus
after being treated with minocyline for acne.
At the current time, research indicates that the side effects
related to the use of minocycline may be severe enough to
warrant serious consideration of whether the benefits of this
acne treatment product are worth the serious side effects and
potential health risks.
Br J Dermatol. 2003 Aug;149(2):237-9. PubMed
Minocycline: stain devil?
Good ML, Hussey DL.
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Royal Victoria Hospital,
Belfast BT12 6BA, UK.
J Periodontol. 2003 May;74(5):669-71. PubMed
Minocycline-induced staining of torus palatinus and alveolar
bone.
Ayangco L, Sheridan PJ.
Periodontics, Department of Dental Specialties, Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Chest. 2003 Jun;123(6):2146-8. PubMed
Relapsing acute respiratory failure induced by minocycline.
Oddo M, Liaudet L, Lepori M, Broccard AF, Schaller MD.
Critical Care Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Br J Dermatol. 2002 Sep;147(3):558-62. PubMed
Drug-induced Sweet's syndrome in acne caused by different
tetracyclines: case report and review of the literature.
Khan Durani B, Jappe U.
Department of Dermatology, University of Heidelberg, Vosstrasse
2, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
Harefuah. 2002 Feb;141(2):151-2, 223, 222. PubMed
[Lupus-like disease due to minocycline]
Marai I, Shoenfeld Y.
Department of Internal Medicine, Research Unit of Autoimmune
Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashaomer, Israel.
