Practically this means that you apply the benzoyl peroxide in the morning and the Retin-A before bed. These are less irritating but more expensive than benzoyl peroxide. These are especially useful for individuals with severe back acne, which is hard to treat with topical products. It takes up to 6-8 weeks to see the full benefit of oral antibiotics. Unfortunately the benefits rarely persist if oral antibiotics are stopped.
Some individuals initially improve over months, only to relapse with severe acne.
When this type of resistance, or tolerance, is seen, we often switch to different antibiotics or stop them for a while. About one in ten to one in twenty women will develop a vaginal yeast infection if they are on prolonged antibiotic therapy. Also allergic rashes can occur to antibiotics, particularly with Septra. If this happens with any antibiotic it should be stopped and reported to your provider immediately. Occasionally it causes dizziness, darkening of the skin or nails, and very rarely, graying of the teeth.