Minocycline side effects

Minocycline can be used to treat a variety of conditions such as bacterial infections, tick fever, chlamydia, and skin conditions. What most people aren't aware of is that the side effects caused by Minocycline can be devastating!

Side Effects of Minocycline

 Minocycline can cause birth control to be ineffective and if you're pregnant can cause birth defects in babies. It can also cause tooth discoloration (in your baby) later in life. If you have a baby and are breastfeeding, do not take the medication. It can pass into the milk and cause your child's teeth to turn yellow or gray. It's permanent so don't take any chances!

Taking Minocycline for an extended amount of time can also cause your teeth to turn yellow or gray. It also will cause your skin to discolor both of which are permanent. I've read stories of people who claim the discoloration on their skin fades while others have been living with it for years so there is a possibility that once Minocycline is out of your system your skin will clear up. That is not so for your teeth. Once they become discolored, they stay that way.

It can also cause Lupus! How scary is that! For those of you who don't know what lupus is, it is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks healthy tissue.

Every drug you take will have side effects. I wanted to point out the side effects Minocycline causes that were the scariest but could be controlled as long as you do not take a high dose or take the drug for a long time.  Don't take Minocycline for more than 4 months because it could cause a lot of problems for you and you'll be even more miserable than you were before you took the drug.

Minocycline: Does it help cystic acne?

For the past 7 years, I have been suffering from cystic acne. I would normally get 1 small cyst which wouldn't be too terrible except when it went away it left behind a scar. I'm not talking about a red mark either (I get those too but I can live with red marks...the scars are a whole different story)! It would leave behind a small indented scar.
If you've read my previous posts, you'll see (pictures) the damage those cysts have caused. I was left with a ton of little holes on both side of my lips. For the past 2 years, I have been picking at the cysts. BIG MISTAKE! Picking at the cysts left a couple of medium sized scars including 2 icepick scars in my smile line where it now looks like a wrinkle!

What Minocylcline did to my skin

Before I started dermarolling, I went to see a dermatologist who prescribed Minocycline. I took 50mg daily and I was only allowed to take it for 4 months because of the side effects (which I will discuss in my next post). During those 4 months, my skin was fabulous! Not one single cyst appeared. I felt great! I was happy and I was hoping this effect would last once I was off Minocycline.  Unfortunately, that was not the case for me.
Once I was off Minocycline, I started getting 2 cysts at a time. That had never happened before. I lived with it for a few months and then went back to my dermatologist who once again prescribed more Minocycline. That would be my last try and I was hoping for the best. After I finished the prescription, my skin got worse. I now break out with 6-8 small cysts a month and they aren't just near my mouth anymore. They now appear on my forehead and in between my eyes.
I want to make it clear that even though Minocycline did not work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you. I've heard that some people take it and never get another cyst again. Others end up having worse breakouts after they are off the medication which was what happened to me.
If you've taken Minocycline, feel free to comment about your experience with it.

Dermarolling: Recent breakout has caused red marks

 I have had another bad breakout and now I've got red marks that are taking waaay too long to disappear. This past month I got 6 cysts. They aren't huge but they leave red marks and a couple look indented but the skin is fine. It's just red. Isn't it weird how sometimes redness makes the skin look indented?
As soon as these red marks clear up, I'll post more pictures of what my skin looks like now. I really love how the scarred areas are filling in. Like I said before, it works on the small scars the best and that's what I am full of.....A whole bunch of little clustered scars (on both sides of my lips). I've got a few med. sized ones too and those have healed a bit too but I am not expecting a miracle. I know scars can not vanish completely and that's fine with me.

Dermarolling put on hold... :(

My face is still breaking out. I got another cyst on the side of my lip. Ugh. I hate this. I had 2 above my lip recently and they left little indented scars. I poked at them...couldn't help it.
The good news is I truly believe in the dermaroller and the studies I have read (done by Dr. Fernandez...the man who created the dermaroller) say (and show...amazing pics. I will have to look for articles and post links)that the dermaroller works best on the upper lip area! And that is where I got the 2 new small scars. Studies also show it works best on old scars but I have faith that mine will go away!


Here is a terrible pic of what my skin looks like now and why I haven't been able to roll.

 Those were all cysts that I squeezed out. I have another one that I haven't squeezed on the other side. What a nightmare. Stay away from Minocycline. I used to only get one a month before I took that damn medication.  now I get them all over my chin, above my lips and the sides of my lips and I got one in between my eyes. P.S. If you look closely, you can see my line scar...the one I hate. Yes, I always have to point that out. Can't wait to dermaroll it the hell away! :)

I really hate the waiting....

Dermarolling: Will I ever do it again???

I love dermarolling and I love the results I am getting. It's a slow process but I definitely see changes in my scars. Unfortunately, I have not been able to roll in at least 8 weeks (or a little longer) because my skin has been a mess! I got a canker sore which extended to the side of my lip and onto my skin. :( It is still healing and now I have broken out in the area I roll! :(((((( I will have to wait until my skin clears...I really hate this.
I was on minocycline for cysts awhile back but when I got off the meds I broke out even more. So I went back to my dermatologist and got another prescription of Minocycline. Unfortunately, it isn't working the second time around. I am still breaking out worse than before. ugh

Will keep you updated!

Dermarolling: Update with pictures

Here are some new pictures taken today.

Stretched skin:That little red mark is where my skin filled in about 50%.

Excuse the ugly red mark on my chin. I was poking at my skin (and I wonder why I scar!). There is some redness in the scar I have been working on (where my lips meet) but the indentation is slight. There still is a hole but it's not as obvious.

Do you see that big red mark where my smile line should be? That's the ugly scar that won't go away.


The next pictures I take will be exactly like the first ones I took when I started this journey. Pictures were taken in my guest bathroom but we have guests so I have not had access to it. I will try to recreate the same lighting, position, etc so that you can see if there have been any changes. I have see the change but it's so hard to show in pictures.
I will be rolling in about 2 weeks from now.  I am hoping to get microdermabrasion done before I roll. I had 6 sessions done before I started this but it did nothing for the scars. It did, however, make my skin so beautiful and healthy looking.
I was also on Minocycline for about 4 months to help with the cysts. It helped and they went away but now that I am no longer taking the meds the cysts have come back (hence the big scab on my chin). And I have been getting 2 at time instead of one...ugh. So if I have cysts in a couple of weeks, I will not be getting micro done. :((((((