Minocin Acne And Side Effects
How Does Minocin Work?
Minocin contains the active ingredient minocycline hydrochloride, which
belongs to a group of antibiotics called the tetracyclines. It is used
to treat infections caused by bacteria.
Minocycline works by interfering with the ability of bacteria to produce
proteins that are essential to them. Without these proteins the bacteria
cannot grow, multiply and increase in numbers. Minocycline therefore
stops the spread of the infection and the remaining bacteria are killed
by the immune system or eventually die.
Minocycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic that is active against a wide
variety of bacteria. However, some strains of bacteria have developed
resistance to this antibiotic, which has reduced its effectiveness for
treating some types of infection. Minocycline is used to treat
infections caused by susceptible bacteria, which may affect the skin,
genitals (eg gonorrhoea, urethritis, prostatitis, pelvic inflammatory
disease), urinary tract, lungs (eg bronchitis, pneumonia, lung abcess,
nocardiosis), eye, ear, nose and throat. It may also be used to prevent
infections before and after surgery.
To make sure the bacteria causing an infection are susceptible to
minocycline your doctor may take a tissue sample, for example a swab
from the infected area, or a urine or blood sample.
Minocycline is also used to treat acne, as it is active against the
bacteria associated with acne, Propionebacterium acnes. This is a common
type of bacteria that feeds on sebum produced by the sebaceous glands in
the skin. It produces waste products and fatty acids that irritate the
sebaceous glands, making them inflamed and causing spots. By controlling
bacterial numbers, minocycline brings the inflammation of the sebaceous
glands under control, and allows the skin to heal.
What is it used for?
Acne vulgaris
Bronchitis
Eye infections
Gonorrhoea
Infections of the ears, nose or throat
Infections of the urinary tract
Inflammation of the prostate gland due to infection (prostatitis)
Inflammation of the urethra due to infection (urethritis)
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pneumonia
Prevention of infections following surgery
Skin or soft tissue infections
Warning!
This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery
safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this
medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
Slight blue/black/grey staining of the skin, teeth, nails, inside of
mouth, eyes, tears, breast milk or sweat has sometimes been reported
with this medicine. This can occur at any time but is more common during
long-term treatment. Any skin or mouth staining usually disappears a few
months after stopping treatment, but staining in other parts of the
body, although less common, may persist. A persistent muddy-brown skin
stain has also been reported, particularly in sun-exposed areas of skin.
Consult your doctor without delay if you notice any staining so your
treatment can be reviewed.
If treatment with this medicine is continued for longer than 6 months,
then your doctor should ask to see you regularly, usually every three
months, to monitor for possible side effects on the liver or a condition
called systemic lupus erythmatosus.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it is important that you finish
the prescribed course of this antibiotic medicine, even if you feel
better or it seems the infection has cleared up. Stopping the course
early increases the chance that the infection will come back and that
the bacteria will grow resistant to the antibiotic.
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