What oral medicine is effective for acne

Acne is a common chronic skin disease in life. It is more common in adolescents and has a great impact on their psychological and social aspects. When this happens, if it is serious, local medication and oral antibiotics can be used for treatment, such as oral tetracycline drugs or cyclopropyl ester drugs, which have certain anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects.

What oral medicine is effective for acne

(1) Topical medications: Retinoic acid (retinoic acid cream, adapalene gel, tazarotene gel), benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics (clindamycin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, etc.), azelaic acid, sulfur lotion, etc. (2) The first choice of oral antibiotics is tetracycline (minocycline, doxycycline, etc.), followed by macrolides (erythromycin). Avoid antibiotics commonly used to treat systemic infections such as levofloxacin. The course of antibiotics is usually 6 to 12 weeks. (3) Oral isotretinoin For severe acne, oral isotretinoin is the standard treatment and currently the most effective method for treating acne. The treatment course aims to achieve a minimum cumulative dose of 60 mg/kg.

(4) Anti-androgen therapy, such as the oral contraceptive cyproterone acetate combined tablets, is suitable for female patients with moderate to severe acne accompanied by symptoms of excessive androgen levels (such as hirsutism, seborrhea, etc.) or polycystic ovary syndrome. Female patients with delayed-onset acne and acne that is significantly aggravated before menstruation may also consider using oral contraceptives. (5) Oral glucocorticoids are mainly used for fulminant or aggregated acne, following the principles of short-term, low-dose, and combined with other methods. (6) For patients who cannot tolerate or are unwilling to receive drug treatment, physical therapy such as photodynamic therapy (PDT), fruit acid therapy, laser therapy, etc. can also be considered.

Acne treatment in stages

(1) Level 1 is generally treated locally, with topical retinoic acid preparations being the first choice. (2) Level 2: Combined use of topical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics, and oral antibiotics if necessary. (3) Grade 3 often requires combined treatment, with oral antibiotics combined with topical benzoyl peroxide and/or retinoic acid drugs as the first choice. Antiandrogen therapy may also be considered for female patients where indicated. (4) Grade 4 oral isotretinoin is the most effective treatment and can be used as first-line treatment. For patients with more inflammatory papules and pustules, systemic antibiotics combined with topical benzoyl peroxide can be used first, and then oral isotretinoin can be used for sequential treatment after the skin lesions have improved significantly.

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