--- description: Many people with acne take oral antibiotics for far too long before taking isotretinoin, the generic of the former drug known as Accutane title: People With Acne Stay On Antibiotics Four Times Too Long image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf55ec01af6190696/6987789655a859d9cba851eb/health-pills-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Research](/tag/research/) ## Research Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # People With Acne Take Antibiotics For Way Too Long: Study  by [Mandy Oaklander](/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 30, 2015 7:28 PM CUT  Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME  by [Mandy Oaklander](/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 30, 2015 7:28 PM CUT Acne sufferers tend to go through a predictable wringer of treatments: over-the-counter creams, prescription gels, and finally: oral antibiotics. If nothing works, dermatologists often turn to a powerful medication called isotretinoin, which is better known by the brand name Accutane. But according to a new [study](http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622%2815%2902254-9/abstract "undefined") published in the _Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology_, people with severe cases of acne who are eventually prescribed isotretinoin stay on oral antibiotics for far longer than current guidelines recommend—which raises concerns about how acne treatment may be contributing to antibiotic resistance, a growing problem in the U.S. **MORE**: [Too Many Antibiotics May Make Children Heavier](http://time.com/4082242/antibiotics-obesity/ "undefined") The researchers looked at data from 137 patients from the New York University Langone Medical Center dermatology practice, all of whom first used antibiotics and were eventually prescribed isotretinoin. These patients, all with severe acne, took antibiotics for an average of 11 months before being prescribed isotretinoin, and a third took antibiotics for a year or longer. Those who switched doctors or medical centers in the middle of their care were on antibiotics for even longer, “it’s like the next doctor started from scratch on you,” says Dr. Seth J. Orlow, a dermatologist and professor of pediatric dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center and one of the study’s authors. That’s almost four times longer than the current [guidelines](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19376456 "undefined") from the Global Alliance to Improve Acne Outcomes recommend; the group suggests limiting antibiotic treatment to three months. “Dermatologists must play an essential role in antibiotic stewardship because although dermatologists only account for approximately 1% of the physicians in the United States, their prescriptions account for 4.9% of the yearly antibiotic prescriptions,” the study authors write. **MORE**: [Half of Bugs That Cause Infections After Surgery Are Antibiotic Resistant](http://time.com/4075590/deaths-caused-by-antibiotic-resistant-bugs/ "undefined") Many people put off taking the retinoid isotretinoin because they fear the potential [side effects](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a681043.html "undefined"), which range from more mild issues like dry skin to rare but severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts. The medication also can cause birth defects, which is why women who want to take the medication must produce two negative pregnancy tests the month before they start and use two forms of birth control while on it. However, isotretinoin is one of the most effective medications for treating severe and resistant acne, and Orlow says that the fear of the medication far outweighs its risks. “There’s a lot of misinformation about the medication, and I think that makes patients more fearful than may be warranted for them for the medication,” he says. “It causes us to come against that when we do want to prescribe it.” **MORE**: [5 Ways To Improve Your Skin Through Food](http://time.com/3678726/use-food-improve-skin/ "undefined") Orlow says that he doesn’t necessarily think more people should be taking isotretinoin, but that those who eventually do should consider doing so sooner in order to shorten their course of antibiotics. “The doctor can’t make the patient take the medicine, but you can explain to the patient in your experience patients with this type of acne end up needing it anyway,” Orlow says. “We recognize now that maybe sooner is better than later if it’s going to be that way.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4094439/acne-antibiotics-isotretinoin/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4094439/acne-antibiotics-isotretinoin/"},"headline":"People With Acne Take Antibiotics For Way Too Long: Study","datePublished":"2015-10-30T19:28:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T12:13:50.993Z","description":"Many people with acne take oral antibiotics for far too long before taking isotretinoin, the generic of the former drug known as Accutane","url":"https://time.com/4094439/acne-antibiotics-isotretinoin/","keywords":["Research","Acne","antibiotic resistance","antibiotics"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf55ec01af6190696/6987789655a859d9cba851eb/health-pills-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf55ec01af6190696/6987789655a859d9cba851eb/health-pills-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIME.com stock photos Health Pills","caption":"TIME.com stock photos Health Pills","creditText":"Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4094439/acne-antibiotics-isotretinoin/","name":"People With Acne Take Antibiotics For Way Too Long: Study"}}]}] ```