If you have moderate to severe acne, your doctor will sometimes prescribe pills or give you shots to help. It is certainly your choice if you do not wish to take any prescription treatment, including topical, oral, or injected treatments. However, you may benefit from the treatments if you try them.

You may be given oral antibiotics if your acne carries on for a long time. Oral antibiotics, like topical ones, work by cutting down Propionibacterium Acnes. This has an effect on clearing up skin lesions and decreasing inflammation.

P. Acnes can become resistant on your skin to the antibiotics you are taking. That is why an antibiotic will only be used for six months or less. If you need to be on antibiotics again, a different one will usually be prescribed.

Erythromycin is available in an oral antibiotic. It causes some people trouble with their digestive tracts, but otherwise it is a safe medication. It is used often. Tetracycline, however, can only be used by certain people.

Children under age 8 cannot use it because it will affect their growth. Pregnant or breastfeeding women cannot use tetracycline because it can cause problems in the child’s skeletal system. High doses are used for severe acne if you are one of the people who can take it. Related antibiotics are doxycycline and minocycline.

If you are a woman with acne, you might benefit from taking certain birth control pills. They help calm down the sebaceous glands so that they do not produce too much sebum. If you are over 35, you have a blood-clotting disorder or frequent migraines, or you smoke, do not expect your dermatologist to recommend them.

Spironalactone is a medication that can be added to birth control pills if they do not do the job on their own. It works by lowering levels of androgenic hormones. For some cases of severe cystic acne, interlesional corticosteroids are injected right into the acne cysts. The cyst will dissolve in a period of three to five days. In the meantime, inflammation will be reduced in the area and the pressure will be relieved.

If your acne is severe and it will not clear up by any other means, your doctor might suggest isotretinoin, also known as Accutane. This is a drastic measure because it has many side effects. It can cause you to have severe chest pain or pain in your abdomen. You may have extreme headaches. You may have trouble swallowing or nausea and vomiting. You may have diarrhea, depression, or thinning hair.

You might think it is worth the risk if you see before and after pictures of people who have used isotretinoin. It is practically a wonder drug for people who have cystic acne that is severe and persistent. It works on all the elements that cause acne. What is more, its results can last for years. It is highly effective, but only you can decide if it is right for you. Yet, the same is true for all treatments. You must take charge and plan your own strategies to overcome your acne.