Oral Antibiotics and Rosacea

For most rosacea sufferers, antibiotics will reduce the inflammation of your skin, reduce the number of pustules you will experience, and reduce the redness. They are usually applied either orally or topically. Oral antibiotics are given to rosacea sufferers that are moderate to severe in symptoms. The oral antibiotics used for rosacea will kill the bacteria in the skin pores, usually given at a high starting dose and tapering it off to have a topical antibiotic take over.

Antibiotics used in rosacea have been known to reduce the symptoms of rosacea, including redness, pimples, and red lines on the face (telangiectasia), and thick bumps on the nose (rhinophyma), and to reduce the symptoms that accompany eye involvement in rosacea.

With oral antibiotic treatment, symptoms usually improve in 3 to 4 weeks, with greater improvement seen in 2 months. A dual combo of oral and topical antibiotics will see faster results. There is a chance that the bacteria in a rosacea sufferer will develop new immunities to the antibiotic and become less effective. To combat this you can use antibiotics for a shorter period of time. If one antibiotic stops working, a new one can be prescribed.

Common side effects of antibiotics include:
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Photosensitivity
Allergic reaction
Vaginal yeast infection
The diarrhea and the yeast infections tend to occur because the oral antibiotics will destroy some of the normal healthy bacteria that are naturally occurring in the body along with the unhealthy bacteria.

Oral antibiotics for rosacea that tend to be prescribed frequently are tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, and erythromycin.

Tetracycline (Oral)
Tetracycline is an antibiotic for rosacea used to treat infections. It also will work on the eye problems associated with some rosacea sufferers. You shouldn’t take tetracycline if you’ve ever had an allergy to it, if you are under 8 years old (due to permanent discoloration of primary teeth, must wait for all permanent teeth to appear), if you have liver disease, if you are pregnant, or if you are breastfeeding. Care should be taken with this rosacea antibiotic in that it will increase your likelihood of a sun burn and decrease your birth control pill effectiveness. You shouldn’t take tetracycline with dairy products within a 2 hour time frame, or use any antacids, calcium supplements, or sodium bicarbonate.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Panmycin�®
Tetracyn�®
Robitet�®
Achromycin V�®
Sumycin�®

Side effects for tetracycline include:
Less Serious:
Mild diarrhea
Nausea, upset stomach
Sensitivity to sunlight
Vaginal itching or discharge
More serious:
Rash, hives, severe itching, swelling
Wheezing, trouble breathing
Severe diarrhea (watery or bloody)
Blistering or peeling skin

Doxycycline (Oral)
Doxycycline is an antibiotic for rosacea used to treat infections. It also will work on the eye problems associated with some rosacea sufferers. You shouldn’t take this rosacea antibiotic if you’ve had an allergy to it, or if you are under 8 years old (due to permanent discoloration of primary teeth, must wait for all permanent teeth to appear), if you are pregnant, have liver disease, or if you are breastfeeding. You shouldn’t take doxycycline with dairy products within a 2 hour time frame, or use any antacids, calcium supplements, cholestyramine, or sodium bicarbonate. Care should be taken with this rosacea antibiotic in that it will increase your likelihood of a sun burn and decrease your birth control pill effectiveness.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Vibra-Tabs�®
Vibramycin�®
Monodox�®
Doryx�®
Novodoxylin�®

Side effects for doxycycline include:
Less serious:
Diarrhea
Nausea or upset stomach
Sore mouth or throat
Sensitivity to sunlight
Itching of the mouth or vagina that lasts for more than 2 days
More serious:
Skin rash, hives, or itching
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Swelling of the face, lips, or throat

Minocycline (Oral)
Minocycline is an antibiotic for rosacea used to treat infections. You shouldn’t take this rosacea antibiotic if you’ve had an allergy to it or any sulfite sensitivities, or if you are under 8 years old (due to permanent discoloration of primary teeth, must wait for all permanent teeth to appear), if you are pregnant, have kidney or liver disease, are taking a blood thinner, or if you are breastfeeding. You shouldn’t take minocycline with dairy products within a 2 hour time frame, or use any antacids, calcium supplements, iron supplement, or sodium bicarbonate. Care should be taken with this rosacea antibiotic in that it will increase your likelihood of a sun burn and decrease your birth control pill effectiveness. This rosacea antibiotic will also make you dizzy or lightheaded, and care should be taken about driving or doing anything requiring balance and concentration.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Minocin�® (Oral)
Dynacin�®

Side effects for minocycline include:
Less serious:
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Problems with hearing
Skin rash
More serious:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in face or hands, swelling or tingling in the mouth or throat, tightness in chest, trouble breathing
Headache or blurred vision
Sore throat, heartburn, or pain behind your breastbone
Severe skin rash or sores
Stomach pain (severe)

Erythromycin (Oral)
Erythromycin is an antibiotic for rosacea used to treat infections. You shouldn’t take this rosacea antibiotic if you’ve had an allergy to an erythromycin drug,), if you are pregnant, if you are taking theophylline, SeldaneÃ?®, blood thinners such as CoumadinÃ?®, or seizure medicines such as DilantinÃ?® or TegretolÃ?®, or if you are breastfeeding. Make sure your doctor knows if you have liver or kidney disease. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
Sold under the Brand Name(s):
Robimycin�®
Eryc�®
E.E.S.�®
E-Mycin�®
Erythrocin�® (Oral)
Pediamycin�®
Ilosone�®

Side effects for erythromycin:
Less serious:
Nausea or upset stomach
Diarrhea
Sore mouth or tongue
More serious:
Skin rash, hives or itching
Difficulty breathing
Swelling of the face, throat, or lips
For erythromycin estolate (Ilosone�®): severe stomach pain, weakness, or if the skin has a yellow color