The Risks and
Side Effects of Prescription Acne Medications
Minocycline is an oral antibiotic that is commonly used for the treatment of
acne. Due to the fact that is prescription strength it is normally only
indicated for use in patients who suffer from moderate to severe forms of acne
vulgaris.
At the current time, minocycline has become an extremely controversial treatment
for acne. This is primarily related to the fact that two patients have died
following the use of this antibiotic as an acne treatment and a number of
studies have now reported that this drug is directly responsible for many
serious health conditions. Reports indicate that it can lead to the development
of respiratory failure, pulmonary complications and a number of other health
conditions.
In a study conducted at St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London and
reported in 2000; researchers found that while minocycline is an effective
treatment for acne; even in severe forms; there is definitive cause for alarm
concerning the side effects associated with the use of this drug. Furthermore,
when compared to other acne treatments including other oral antibiotics and even
topical agents, minocycline tends to rank at the higher end of the price scale
for acne treatments.
More recent studies have further indicated that while minocycline has shown to
be effective at treating acne; in only a very small number of studies has it
been proven to be more effective than other oral antibiotics for acne treatment.
A study conducted at Oxford University and published in 2003 concluded that ‘no
RCT evidence was found to support the benefits of minocycline in acne resistant
to other therapies…”
A study published in as early as 1989 in Germany, summed up the data concerning
minocycline perfectly: “The results showed no significant difference between the
clinical efficacy of treating acne vulgaris with doxycycline at a daily dose of
50 mg and 100 mg of minocycline daily, a fact which has already been
demonstrated by earlier studies.”
Considering the fact that there are now numerous studies which indicate that
minocycline is directly responsible for severe health conditions combined with
data from other studies which indicate that minocycline is no more effective
than other oral antibiotics used for acne treatments associated with lower risk
for serious side effect; at this time there is no basis to indicate that
minocycline is a preferable acne treatment choice over other equally effective
and less dangerous options.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD002086. PubMed
Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety.
Garner SE, Eady EA, Popescu C, Newton J, Li WA.
Department of Public Health, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer
Terrace, Tooting, London, UK.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(2):CD002086. PubMed
Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety.
Garner SE, Eady EA, Popescu C, Newton J, Li Wan Po A.
Unit of Health-Care Epidemiology, Institute of Health Sciences, Oxford
University, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, UK
Hautarzt. 1989 Sep;40(9):577-81.PubMed
Treatment of acne vulgaris. A comparison of doxycycline versus minocycline]
Laux B.
Hautklinik der Universitat Mainz.
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