Pimples and zits affect almost every teen because hormones surge during puberty. Hormonal swings also contribute to adult acne, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. If you seek treatment from a dermatologist, you might receive a prescription for sulfameth trimethoprim, which can treat acne.
Causes
Bacterial infection plays a major role in acne, according to the Mayo Clinic. When excess oil and debris from dead skin cells clog your pores, they create whiteheads, blackheads and small bumps. Oil-loving bacteria begins to thrive behind the blockages, which causes inflamed and infected pimples. In badly infected acne, huge cysts form beneath the surface of the skin. Sulfameth trimethoprim, an antibiotic, treats these infections.
Features
Sulfameth trimethoprim, or sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in full, works by helping the body kill the bacteria that causes infection in acne. You might receive a prescription for sulfameth trimethoprim as the brand name drugs Bactrim and Septra, and it's often used to treat urinary tract infections, traveler's diarrhea and ear infections as well as acne, according to Drugs.com, a drug information website that provides peer-reviewed information to consumers. The medication comes in liquid and pill form.
Precautions
Side-effects of sulfameth trimethoprim can include a severe allergic reaction. In fact, many people are allergic to different types of antibiotics. If you're one of them, tell your doctor, and if you develop even the slightest rash or difficulty breathing after taking sulfameth trimethoprim, call your physician immediately. Other potentially less serious side-effects from sulfameth trimethoprim include dizziness and ringing in your ears, sleep problems and joint pain.
Research
Physicians have used sulfameth trimethoprim for decades to treat acne bacterial infection. In a 1978 study published in the medical journal Dermatologica, clinicians took 42 patients whose acne resisted treatment from tetracycline, another antibiotic, and placed them on sulfameth trimethoprim therapy. After 18 weeks, about 79 percent of patients had either complete remission from their acne or excellent results.
Considerations
Because sulfameth trimethoprim treats just one factor in acne--infection from bacteria--you might need to use it with another treatment to see the best results, according to the AAD. Dermatologists often prescribe antibiotics along with topical products such as retinoids, which can help clear your pores. Regardless, to get the best results with sulfameth trimethoprim, take it exactly as prescribed by your doctor, even if your acne begins to clear up before you finish your prescription.
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