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Minocycline User Reviews & Ratings

Brand names: Minocin, Emrosi, Dynacin, Ximino, Minolira, Solodyn, Minocin for Injection

Minocycline has an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 from a total of 564 reviews on Drugs.com. 45% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 33% reported a negative experience.

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Reviews for Minocycline

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Tey...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 25, 2014

For Acne "This medication worked absolute wonders for me! After having tried several topical treatments on my adult acne, with little to no result, it wasn't at all like teenage acne that I had experienced in high school. This acne came in my second year of university and lasted until my fourth and final year, which was when I decided to take action. I was prescribed minocycline. Although results will vary with EVERY person, my results were almost instantaneous! I took the pills the first day, went to bed. Took them the second day, went to bed... when I woke up I had almost NOTHING on my face. It was amazing and has stayed away. I was also lucky enough to not experience any side effects! It has been two years since, and the acne hasn't returned."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • June 28, 2009

Minocycline for Rheumatoid Arthritis "Having suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for more than 20 years, I suffered a whole-body flare 5 years ago severe enough to almost prevent me from walking. Twenty-six days after being put on Minocin by my doctor at Harvard Medical School, I was riding my bicycle 10 miles a day. Minocin is not a 'cure' for rheumatoid arthritis. Whenever I have attempted to get off this drug, the rheumatoid arthritis has come back within 2 months. But as long as I take it, you would never know I have rheumatoid arthritis. Only side effect I've experienced is a grayish-blue tint to my skin on my neck and cheeks."

9 / 10
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147 Report
  • Ali...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 18, 2020

For Acne "Minocycline made me super sick. I thought I had COVID but got two negative tests. I stopped taking it and started to feel better in about a day. Made me tired, nauseous, chest pain, headache, weird around the tonsils. Also didn't help with the acne the way other antibiotics have."

1 / 10
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44 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • XO7...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 9, 2019

Minocycline for Rosacea "I had rosacea for six years. It was debilitating. I was in severe depression from it. I tried everything. Then I went to a skin doctor who told me I had the worst case of rosacea that he’d ever seen. I hated him for saying that, but he prescribed Dynacin, and within 3 days, the rosacea was gone. I did not want to stay on antibiotics, so I only took it for 30 days. My skin stayed clear for about a year when I had a small flare-up, and I took another 30-day dose. I have not taken it again. My skin has remained clear, and it has been 15 years now. I had no side effects."

10 / 10
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  • Smi...
  • January 10, 2014

Minocycline for Acne "So over winter break, I gained a HUGE allergic reaction from an acne face wash that made me break out with acne ALL over my face. BIG CYSTIC PIMPLES. Yeah, it was really bad. I was embarrassed, I didn't want my family to even see me. I was ashamed. My mother took me to the dermatologist that Friday, and I was prescribed Solodyn. I got a two-week prescription for free. I've had an amazing experience so far, it's only been a week, exactly a week from today that I've been on this medication. ($35 for a 3-month medication) I don't regret it at ALL. The only side effect it has had on me is tiredness after school. My acne has cleared about 90% if not more. I HIGHLY recommend this product to anyone with a very ugly acne breakout."

10 / 10
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  • 112...
  • March 6, 2016

Minocycline for Acne "I never had problems with acne as a teenager or young adult. I'm 47, and I started getting terrible, very painful cystic acne about 6 months ago. It covered the entire surface of my chin and some around my nose and mouth. I was mortified and depressed because of these horrific, awful lesions on my face. I would do everything possible to avoid interaction with people. I hated going anywhere other than home, and even at home, it was hard to let my man look at me. I had no clue I had cystic acne. I thought it was just hormonal changes. I couldn't take it anymore, it wasn't going away no matter what I did. I went to the doctor, and he put me on Minocin twice a day, and within a week, my face is 98% clear. I can hold my head up again with confidence."

10 / 10
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  • Car...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • May 28, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Originally diagnosed as having severe, aggressive RA, I was put on Methotrexate for a year. I hated the way it made me feel, and I freaked when she wanted to put me on either biologics or Plaquenil. I found the Antibiotic Protocol Therapy for Minocycline on the Road Back Foundation and convinced my GP to allow me to go onto it. In 10 months, I was RA-related pain and deformity-free, and in 2 1/2 years, I found a new rheumatologist that did not believe that I really did have severe, aggressive RA - it is that good. You have to start slowly, or you may suffer from a Herxheimer reaction, but I have enjoyed this time without the worst of the RA symptoms. YAY!"

10 / 10
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  • Jas...
  • May 24, 2013

For Rosacea "I first started using minocycline when my rosacea got so bad it was affecting my eyes. This cleared it up in a few days. About a year ago, I stopped using minocycline and yes, the rosacea came back. So I started it again, and in 5 days, the rosacea was totally cleared up again. I've noticed no side effects whatsoever. It really works for me."

10 / 10
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69 Report
  • Eme...
  • March 18, 2015

Minocycline for Acne "I had pretty bad acne and tried many topical creams with very little relief. Solodyn really helped with my acne pretty quickly. But what I noticed is that if I missed a single daily dose, I would start to get really deep acne within 24 hours. It was frustrating because, when I was getting low on a prescription, I had to make sure to go to my dermatologist immediately. It also dried my skin out quite a bit. My advice to anyone considering it: 1) make sure to be very consistent with when you take it, 2) start decreasing your dose as soon as you start seeing some improvement (break pills in half but still take daily, then 1/3 daily, etc.), 3) drink lots of water and use face lotion to hydrate your skin because it really dries it out."

8 / 10
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56 Report
  • Oks...
  • January 2, 2014

Minocycline for Acne "I've had acne since I was 14 years old, and I'm 18 now. So I've been suffering for 4 years now. I've tried everything to get rid of my acne. I had some cystic acne and just regular acne, but it would be all over my face and leave bad scarring. It was very embarrassing. I finally decided I would do something about it. I went to the dermatologist and she prescribed me Solodyn. My face cleared up within a month, I have never seen my face this clear before. It's like I never even had acne, all that's left is scars, though. But this medicine, from my experience, works great, and I didn't experience any serious side effects. I highly recommend it."

8 / 10
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63 Report
  • mer...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 8, 2014

For Acne "I LOVE minocycline. I used to have HORRIBLE acne all over my cheeks that would lead me to cake my face with makeup every day and I hated it. Then I tried minocycline and my skin was flawless within a week. I completely stopped wearing makeup because my skin looked great. However, last week, I ran out of my refills of the prescription, so I had to see my dermatologist and he gave me doxycycline and I HATED it. Every time I took it, I would vomit and it made my acne MUCH worse. I'm going back to minocycline tomorrow and hopefully my skin will clear up again."

10 / 10
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70 Report
  • Anonymous
  • January 21, 2013

For Rosacea "I have used this medication successfully for years. Initially, I used it daily for a few weeks, then tapered down to 3 times a week, then only 3 days in a row for flare-ups. I haven't used any for 3 years until just recently when I had a flare-up. After one dose, the redness decreased and there were no new pustules. The only side effect has been a yeast infection when I take higher doses, i.e., twice a day for 5-7 days, but I have not found that I need to do that. I can usually take 50 mg once a day for 3 days, then I take a dose every other day for 3 days. By then the pustules have resolved and there is no yeast infection."

10 / 10
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  • Hoc...
  • September 5, 2020

For Acne "After one week or two, I was taking 2 minocycline pills a day (one in the morning and one at night), and I immediately saw the difference. I have been suffering from pretty bad cystic acne for a couple of years, and my skin had never been that clear. After 3 months of usage, my skin was still amazing as I was not getting any pimples, like nothing AT ALL. After 3 months, he told me that he could only prescribe one more month because of the acidity and the effect it could have on my body. I was only taking 1 pill a day for the last month, and I could immediately see that my acne was starting to come back, although not as bad as before taking the medication. Then, I stopped taking the medication, and my skin has never been that terrible after 2 weeks. I thought I had maskne because of wearing masks every day, but the mask is not the problem as stopping wearing it didn’t stop the problem. The minocycline is a good solution in the short term but not the long term, as the acne came back even worse than before."

3 / 10
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28 Report
  • Jo1...
  • March 17, 2014

For Acne "I've always had clear skin until I got pregnant when I was 29. Suddenly, I had cystic pimples on my chin almost constantly. When I had my baby, it didn't get any better. I was tired of having the painful bumps on my face all the time, so I told my doctor about it, she prescribed minocycline, and within a week, I noticed a huge improvement, my chin has totally cleared up!"

10 / 10
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  • Hol...
  • August 31, 2014

For Acne "I've been taking 100 mg 2 times a day for 3 months now. It has cleared my shoulders, back, chest pretty well, as well as my face being mostly clear too. It works best if you take it consistently. I am a very busy 16-year-old girl with sports and school. If I skip a dosage, I notice a few blemishes on my shoulders appear. If you get on this and you don't see a difference in a month, call your doctor and ask if they can up your dosage. If you follow the regulations and take it as directed, it works pretty well. I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with finding a face wash to work for them."

9 / 10
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  • tiw...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 16, 2015

Minocycline for Acne "I really like Solodyn as my acne treatment. I have been using this medication since March 2015, but after a couple of months of using it, my acne disappeared. I was on Proactive for 2 years, but no luck. Solodyn is truly a great antibiotic pill for acne. Please do yourself a huge favor and try it! Everyone deserves to go through life with clean skin! God bless."

10 / 10
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  • Mag...
  • July 6, 2015

Minocycline for Acne "I was able to get my first bottle free, and the rest is covered by insurance with $35 out of pocket monthly. Yes, it is more on the pricey side, but having taken it for an entire month, I noticed a difference in less than a week. This stuff has been a miracle for me, and I finally have clear skin."

10 / 10
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  • Cat...
  • September 19, 2017

For Acne "I had hormonal acne when I started taking minocycline. I am 25 years old and a woman - if that is relevant to anyone. I was hesitant to start this medication since I read bad reviews on it, but I had no issues with it whatsoever! Cleared up my skin in less than a month, and acne did not return since. I stopped taking it after 30 days. I got a couple of spots here and there, but nowhere near as bad as I was. The only thing is don't take it right before going to bed because when I did that I would wake up feeling hungover and dizzy. If I took it in the morning or around lunchtime, there were absolutely no side effects. If you are hesitating like I was, my advice to you is to try it!"

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • February 23, 2020

For Acne "Started minocycline over a year ago to get my acne under control. My acne remained clear. But what I didn’t realize was this medicine's contribution to my debilitating mental health. Before I made the connection to the minocycline, I thought I was developing depression on my own. Life became such an effort, I didn’t want to leave my room, I cried almost every night, and I experienced unsettling moments of feeling like I didn’t actually exist. Then my dermatologist told me I could go off of minocycline as my face was looking good and it’s not good to be on long-term (I was on this for over a year, but these symptoms began to develop early on). Well, I have never felt so good. Being off the minocycline, I feel like I have just woken up from a year of not really being conscious. Also, upon stopping it, my acne came right back. But I will never put another minocycline pill in my mouth. If time had gone on and I had not stopped the medication, I worry for how I may have ended up."

2 / 10
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30 Report
  • Anonymous
  • June 16, 2013

For Acne "I've been on this medication for about four months now, and at the age of 25, having suffered from acne since I was a teenager, I am completely clear! Seriously, I barely even need foundation anymore. I occasionally get a little spot here and there, but that is nothing compared to my moderate (but always consistent) acne before! I read some of these reviews, and I can honestly say I've had absolutely no side effects. I also use this pill in conjunction with a benzoyl peroxide lotion in the morning and a cream called adapalene at night before I go to bed. But seriously, this medicine has changed my life!"

10 / 10
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46 Report
  • Kch...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 17, 2015

For Acne "I am a 40-year-old female. I have had acne since I was 14. I've been to a dermatologist and have tried everything from Proactiv to prescription pills, creams, cleansers, steroids, and even several different antibiotics. Nothing ever worked, so I gave up. My health insurance changed at the beginning of the year (2015), so I found a new PCP. She asked me if I'd tried any treatments for my acne. I said everything! First, she put me on doxycycline, which seemed to work but made me nauseous. Then she switched the medicine to minocycline. I noticed a difference the first week! I've been on it for 2 months now, breakouts are healed! I have dark spots where pimples were and put cream on those areas to lighten them. So happy! No more covering up with makeup."

9 / 10
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  • Roa...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • April 13, 2021

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I was diagnosed with RA seven years ago. I have never taken Methotrexate or any other drug, other than minocycline. When I started on minocycline five years ago, my flares stopped after a month or two. While I occasionally feel stiffness, it goes away with walking, yoga, and meditation. I started with 100 mg/day of minocycline, increased it gradually to 200 mg, and for the last three years, I have stayed at 100 mg daily. Many thanks to the foundation for referring me to a rheumatologist open to prescribing oral minocycline to treat RA and experienced in using this drug to modulate the immune system response."

10 / 10
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  • Ste...
  • July 26, 2015

Minocycline for Acne "I started taking this less than a week ago, but will be stopping it because of the side effects. It has helped my acne, but the side effects don't make it worth it. I constantly feel nauseous, have headaches, feel feverish, and am unusually exhausted."

2 / 10
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43 Report
  • Lyn...
  • October 22, 2014

Minocycline for Acne "My acne was terrible. I felt like I had tried everything and that my next option was going to have to be Accutane (something I really did not want to try!). I tried like 4 different dermatologists before I was finally recommended to try Solodyn, and within 2-3 months, my acne began clearing and not coming back. I took it for about 6 months, and I had a few pimples (but they were nothing like the ones I had before) and some scarring. I started slowly going off the Solodyn by taking half a pill every day and then every other day until I just totally stopped. It's been about 6 or 7 months since my last Solodyn pill, and my skin still looks great. I usually will have one or two small pimples, but I usually just spot treat with Epiduo."

9 / 10
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  • Don...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 16, 2016

For Acne "I love this medication. I'm seventeen, and I have been taking this on and off since I was about sixteen. I do not have cystic acne, just a whole lot of pimples a whole lot of the time. I also have a pimple popping and scab picking problem that prevented me from ever leaving my skin alone. I was so embarrassed of my constantly inflamed skin and hundreds (yes, hundreds) of scars that I would hide in my room instead of going out anywhere, even school. It took roughly two months for my skin to improve drastically, but boy did it clear up then. After about six months, everything about me had improved. My appetite was decreased, causing me to not eat as much, my pimples, non-existent, and my dark spots disappeared. I was thin and had perfect skin."

10 / 10
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32 Report

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