source:flickr by:erix!Acne-Causing Medications

Acne-Causing Medications

Some acne breakouts have surprising causes, such as prescription medications. Even if your medical condition is not acne-related, the medication prescribed to treat the condition may trigger a blemish outbreak. If nothing seems to be helping and you’re at a loss for how to get rid of acne, your prescription medication may be to blame.

If you suspect that your medication is causing you to break out, do not stop taking the medication! Your doctor prescribed the medicine for a reason, and a blemish or two does not justify ceasing your regimen. Take your concerns to your doctor if you’re concerned about your medication causing or exacerbating your acne. He or she may have an alternative drug that won’t leave you looking for the concealer.

When experiencing medication-related breakouts, your normal acne treatment regimen should suffice. However, sufferers of mild to moderate acne may need to amp up their treatments for acne to combat worsening breakouts. Simply using a higher concentration of your active ingredient of choice may provide the results you’re looking for. Or, you can try out new acne-fighting ingredients to see what works best for you.

Here’s a general list of medications that are known to have acne as a side effect. If you are taking one of the listed drugs and experiencing unusual or worsening acne, talk with your doctor or dermatologist to see if there’s a different medication for your condition.

• Anticonvulsants – taken for epilepsy or other seizure-causing conditions, as well as bipolar disorder
• Antabuse/Disulfuram – a drug used to enforce sobriety in alcoholics
• Corticosteroids – used to treat asthma and chronic lung diseases
• Immuran – an immunosuppressant often used before organ transplant
• INH/Isoniazid – used to treat tuberculosis (TB)
• Quinine – used to prevent and treat malaria
• Thyroid medications – taken to stimulate the thyroid gland