ACNE MEDICINES AND IBD

For a number of years, there was concern that acne medicines could cause Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. 

Isotretinoin (Accutane)

The confusion came about because acne, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis all occur in teenagers on a regular basis, so it was easy to associate isotretinoin (Accutane), one of the common and most effective medicines for acne, with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). But that didn't mean that the medicine causes IBD nor does it mean that IBD causes acne (though steroids can cause worse acne for those prone to it). In fact, studies have repeatedly proved that IBD is actually less common in those who get Accutane.    

Antibiotics

Antibiotics, especially the tetracyclines (doxycycline, minocycline), are commonly used to treat acne, often with skin creams or ointments also applied. There is no evidence that they cause IBD either. 

But antibiotics can cause problems for those with IBD:

• Teens and young adults often take these medicines just before bedtime without much water to flush it down. That makes them the perfect candidate for the pills to get stay in the esophagus and cause a large, painful ulcer. The problem can be solved by drinking a full glass of water with these sticky pills and by sitting up for a short while before lying down.
• Antibiotics can change the intestinal bacteria while they are working on the skin. That does make intestinal infections more likely. Probiotics can be taken but they can cause more problems for those with Crohn's disease. Instead, you can focus on Prebiotics, the foods that healthy bacteria consume—and some of the best prebiotics are beans, vegetables and other high fiber foods.