Minocycline and Anxiety: What Users Say

• tho...
• July 14, 2011

For Skin and Structure Infection "I have been taking minocycline for 2 years for scleroderma/generalized morphea. At first, I had a step down of prednisone for 2 months with it. It's stopped the spread of the morphea dead in its tracks. Now my skin is starting to clear up. Still have some bad spots that are clearing slower. For the side effects, I take a 0.05 mg clonazepam, and it gets rid of all the side effects. I had the vertigo and anxiety so bad."

• Ste...
• September 16, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "Multiple severe side effects, including severe fatigue, diarrhea, muscle pain, confusion, and anxiety. Do your research! This is a dangerous drug. Took only four doses before I ended up in the ER. I am still recovering four days later and don't know how long it will take for a full recovery. Use only as a last resort, e.g., NOTHING else will work and you're close to death. ...and even then think twice. Not kidding. ...side effects are absolutely terrible."

• Hsc...
• September 4, 2016

For Acne "Started taking this medication for under-the-skin cystic acne (1-2 would pop up pretty consistently). As soon as one would go, I would have another one! I had been prescribed benzoyl peroxide clindamycin cream, used Proactiv, still would get it.... Finally talked to a new doctor who prescribed this 50 mg 2x/day. I am 1 month in and no new acne! I am very prone to yeast infections, but really have not had a problem with that.... Yet. I also started taking an antidepressant at the same time, so I am not sure which one I can assign side effects to, but was waking up in the middle of the night a little restless/anxious and had a little dry mouth. These symptoms lasted about two weeks, and now I am back to normal with clear skin!"

• Not...
• October 4, 2019

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Had previously taken Bactrim for 60 days for a staph infection. Had some unfavorable side effects from it, so my doctor decided minocycline would be a suitable alternative for the last month of treatment. They were wrong. After a day of taking minocycline, I noticed that I wasn’t feeling like myself. As time has gone on, I have felt weirder and weirder. I am a regular sufferer of anxiety, and let me tell you, you haven’t felt real anxiety until you have taken this. If you thought Vietnam was bad, just wait for minocycline to take effect. It’ll make you harken for the good ol’ days of prospective Charlies in the trees. You know, when those were your only worries. Now you worry about everything. Stuff that isn’t even possible. Like getting Lou Gehrig’s disease or losing your significant other to that meddling group of magicians that live in the Ford Fiesta in the alley behind the Walgreens. FYI, they turn tricks... into reality. I don’t even have a girlfriend."

• Dan...
• January 9, 2016

For Acne "This medication changed my life! I'm 22 and had acne for about 4 years. I had tried everything from OTC to home remedies to topical gels from my general doctor, but nothing worked. I finally went to the derm, and he prescribed 100 mg twice a day. That was too much for my body, and I got severe nausea, headaches, and anxiety. I opted to only take one 100 mg pill every night, and within three weeks, I saw drastic changes! Now, 3 months in, I have no live breakouts, just a couple of scars!"

• Mor...
• June 16, 2021

For Acne "I was prescribed this medication 2 years ago for a bacterial/fungal infection that had caused severe acne for me. A month or two into taking this medication, I became severely depressed, and I had the worst experience with anxiety and panic attacks. If I was to be left alone for more than an hour, I would burst into panic, calling family members to come to my house and help calm me down. While taking this medication, I never slept, and if I did, I had nightmares. I also gained 25 lbs taking this. This was the worst time in my entire life. Depression took over my life, panic attacks every single day (never suffered from before). I had hit an all-time low. Mind you, the purge I had was so awful I stopped going out in public for months. Fast forward 2 years later, I have clear skin. But I would never ever in my entire life recommend taking this. I’m still struggling to lose the weight I had gained, it screwed up my gut health. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU."

• Not...
• January 17, 2017

For Acne "Just wanted to share my experience on this drug. Within weeks, my skin went from what I would describe as 'nasty as hell' to 'clear, with some residual redness.' For my skin, it worked wonderfully. HOWEVER, I am one of the rare few whose depression/anxiety was made 100x worse. Also, I gained a dissociative personality, which basically boils down to: I had panic attacks BAD, all of the time. I was also in a constant state of not knowing what was real or not. Moments of not knowing who I was, where I was, having to force myself to ground back into reality because I wasn't sure what was real or not. My doctor never asked if I had mental health problems, and I am now on anti-psychotics."

• Bre...
• August 6, 2016

For Acne "Yup, this is it! First week taking it, and already clearing my face. No new acne, and it feels awesome that I no longer have to worry about picking at my face. I strongly recommend people try and also buy Retin-A cream for caring for the skin. I take plenty of veggies throughout the day, so that helps. But this antibiotic is worth taking. It's normal to feel a bit dizzy at first, but it's all in your head. I heard anxiety? Well, I control my anxiety with positive thoughts and exercises. I highly recommend this for people who are prone to a greasy face. The pores are clogged, and because cystic acne is not a normal pimple, it's crazy to even imagine all the inflammation and pain it can cause!"

• Eme...
• November 9, 2015

For Acne "This medicine was amazing for my acne. It went away almost immediately. For once, I just didn't have to worry about it, and it was great. I stopped wearing makeup altogether. HOWEVER... it made me very aggressive and angry all the time. It gave me severe anxiety and made me very emotional. I'd fight with everyone. I even saw a therapist for my anger. But once I got off the drug, I completely calmed down. It took over my head. I had no control. My boyfriend almost dumped me. My best friend hated me. It was not worth it. My acne came back, and I considered it again... but with all those side effects... it can also give you arthritis and lupus with extended use. I just don't trust it. So now I only saw it as a temporary solution."

• Ple...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 29, 2016

For Acne "I took mynocine on and off for a year. Amazing at clearing acne, once you stop, your acne will come back for sure. SIDE effects that could last forever. I have a loud, and I mean loud, whooshing sound in my right ear, it's called pulsatile tinnitus, caused by mynocicline. I've been having it since I started the medication, been off the med for 4 months and still have it. It's horrible, I can't even concentrate because it's so loud. It gave me extreme anxiety to the point that I couldn't leave my house without Xanax. Thank God the anxiety went away, but the tinnitus has not. Whatever you do, don't take it. I read a lot of reviews just like you to decide to take this med, and even though a lot of people advised not to, I was so desperate to clear my acne that I still did."

• Ani...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 15, 2016

For Acne "I was on 100 mg for 6 months, worked great, my skin was clear, I was happy. My doctor wanted to try taking me off it slowly, so I went down to 50 mg every other day. After a few weeks, my skin started to break out again. I became stressed because I am unhappy. I am on 50 mg every day now to see how it goes. I'm 32, I don't want to stay on this forever. I want to have a baby soon. I hope this goes away. Doctor says it's hormonal. I still have active zits on my skin, but I will continue taking 50 mg every day and hope it helps clear, and I hope one day I will have my skin clear again. This started to happen to me in my mid-20s after getting off birth control. Prior to that, my skin was so clear it glowed. Good luck to everyone and never give up."

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2018

For Acne "I went on the acne cream for 2 months, it was amazing. However, it wasn't safe to use for a long period of time, so I had to get off it. I had clear skin with an occasional pimple here and there. I went on a low dosage of some other acne pill, terrible, didn't work. So, my doctor recommended the minomycin pill. I have never been so itchy in my life. I have broken out in hives all over my body and a rash, all red and itchy. I think I am allergic to it, and I have side effects of dizziness and lightheadedness. I have felt uneasy and nauseous. Definitely not worth the pain. Before this, I had a few to zero acne on my forehead and soon broke out in massive, painful zits, acne in places like my cheeks and T-section where I haven't had it in a while. Take this at your own risk! Good luck to those on it, and I hope it works for you!!"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2019

For Rosacea "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE! I was prescribed this drug for rosacea acne. I started at 1 pill a day as I easily get migraines. This pill messed with my mind. Felt disoriented, out of it, stiff neck pain, overwhelmed, no concentration after three days of being on the pill. Took it for five days, though, and stopped. Did clear acne, but then it came back a week later. Not worth the side effects. Going back next week for an alternative. This medicine scared me before I even started it. I did follow the rules...don't lay down until an hour after taking, can't take antacids or multivitamins, can't take long term due to liver damage. Felt like a gremlin!"

• Meh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 30, 2016

For Acne "First couple of months, it really works really well, but whenever I stop using it, I am breaking out really bad again, especially on my forehead. Starting using this medication, I've only had severe acne on my cheeks. I've been on this medication 2-3 years now. I really think that it will help me, but it's a BIG NO. Now I have cystic acne on my forehead and on my back. I'm working in front retail, and every time people look at me, it's giving me anxiety, and my self-esteem gets lower and lower. I don't recommend this medication, if you only have severe acne, it might just get worse. Good luck."

• lil...
• August 14, 2016

Minocycline for Acne "When I was 14 years old and had been getting acne for a little under a year, so when my dermatologist recommended Solodyn, I was very pleased. But being on this medication for less than a week, I have to say I would not recommend it. The joint pain I got in my knee was unbearable, and it also gave me random anxiety attacks, as well as mild depression. Very disappointed.:("

• Nic...
• August 22, 2016

For Acne "Please do not take minocycline for any condition! I took it for 3 days for acne, and I had an allergic reaction to it that was close to anaphylactic shock. It has been a month and a half since I stopped taking it, and it has left me with severe anxiety and random paranoia. This has been such a difficult time for me. It's gotten so bad that I can't even go to work or school without having panic attacks. Pick another drug."