Dicloxacillin For Acne

When it comes to acne treatment, dermatologists generally prescribe one of a handful of antibiotics that fight pimples effectively in many cases, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. But sometimes a patient's acne doesn't respond to these often-used antibiotics. If you're one of these patients, your dermatologist might prescribe dicloxacillin, a penicillin-type antibiotic, to treat your skin condition.

Cause

When your hormones cause your skin to get too oily, you tend to develop blockages in your hair follicles, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These blockages, known as whiteheads and blackheads, then can form tiny pimples. If bacteria begins to grow unchecked behind the blockages, larger pimples will form. In the worst-case scenario, you might develop widespread infection and inflammation from infected acne.

Function

Physicians use dicloxacillin to fight bacterial infection in your body, according to the website Drugs.com. It's used most often to treat bronchitis, pneumonia and staphylococcal infections, but physicians can prescribe it to treat any bacterial infection, including the bacterial infection present in bad acne. If you have an allergy to any penicillin-type drug, you shouldn't take dicloxacillin.

Treatment/Side Effects

If your physician prescribes dicloxacillin to treat your acne, you should take your doses exactly as prescribed, according to Drugs.com. You should take dicloxacillin on an empty stomach no sooner than two hours after eating. Once you've taken dicloxacillin, you'll need to wait at least one hour before eating. Side effects of dicloxacillin can include a severe allergic reaction involving facial swelling and hives. If this occurs, contact your health care provider immediately. More commonly, dicloxacillin can cause stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, vaginal itching or discharge and a swollen tongue.

Results

Few medical studies have looked at acne treatment with dicloxacillin, although a study performed by Dr. J.I. Ross and published in the "British Journal of Dermatology" in 2001 found that many strains of acne-causing bacteria are resistant to penicillin-type antibiotics. However, users of dicloxacillin who posted on the website Acne.org gave the antibiotic good reviews, saying it began to clear their pimples within a few days.

Considerations

Many strains of acne-causing bacteria have developed resistance to the most common antibiotics prescribed to treat acne, according to the website MayoClinic.com. To avoid this problem in your case, your dermatologist may prescribe only a short course of dicloxacillin, and may also recommend you use a topical medication such as benzoyl peroxide while you're taking the antibiotic.