Acne
Spots on the face, chest or back. Very common in teenagers and often persists into adult life.
How long does a course usually last?
Courses last weeks to a few months. You must have a review with your prescriber, usually at 3 months, to decide whether to continue.
Your prescriber sets the exact length for you. Finish the course you're given unless a healthcare professional tells you to stop.
Never re-use antibiotics
- Do not re-use this treatment, or take leftover or someone else's antibiotics, unless a healthcare professional has expressly told you to.
- The right antibiotic, dose and length depend on your current infection, which can be different from last time.
- Re-using antibiotics can be ineffective, cause side effects, and drives antibiotic resistance. Return leftovers to any pharmacy for safe disposal.
What the guidance says
Antibiotics are not the first step for most people with acne. NICE recommends starting with a 12 week course of treatment applied to the skin, such as a cream or gel containing adapalene with benzoyl peroxide, together with simple skin care (a gentle, non-alkaline cleanser, avoiding picking or squeezing spots).
Antibiotic tablets are only considered for moderate to severe acne, or when skin treatments alone have not worked well enough. They are never used on their own: NICE recommends combining them with a treatment applied to the skin, such as adapalene with benzoyl peroxide, to make them work better and reduce antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic creams or gels should not be used on their own either.
If antibiotic tablets are prescribed, the usual first choices are lymecycline or doxycycline. Erythromycin is only used if these first-choice options are not tolerated or not suitable. You must have a review, usually at 3 months, and antibiotic tablets should normally be stopped by 6 months. If acne has not improved, ask about other options rather than another antibiotic course.
Based on NICE guidance — always follow your own prescriber's advice.
Antibiotics sometimes prescribed
When to seek help
If you are getting worse, develop a high fever, feel confused or breathless, or your symptoms are not improving as expected, contact your doctor or call NHS 111. See the warning signs page.