Re: minocyline / pigmentation

[Guest guest]

Hi Kaathy,

I too am on minocin for RA. Its working great and I have been on it for almost

year now. I have NO pigmentation issues with it as I also take it w/ Vitamin C

which is supposed to help w/ the pigmentation issue. I started off w/ 2000mg a

day of the Vitamin C and I gradually worked my way up to 4000mg which is where

Im at today. I take the Mino 200mg 3 times a week on M-W-F with food and then my

supplements about 2 hours after. I also stay loaded up w/ a good probiotic to

help gut flora daily.

lois...

rheumatic minocyline / pigmentation

Hi all I have been very happy on minocyline for a year and a half now, but

this summer I am just getting SO DARK... I was " tan " all winter, but now Im

really dark. which looks weird cause I have light green eyes.. anyway, I am

taking 100mg 1x a day. Im afraid to cut back if the RA comes back, but Im

thinking maybe I should go to every other day? would that even make a difference

on the pigment? (hyperpigmentation) Thanks, Kathy

[Guest guest]

rheumatic minocyline / pigmentation

> Hi all I have been very happy on minocyline for a year and a half now, but

> this summer I am just getting SO DARK... I was " tan " all winter, but now

> Im really dark. which looks weird cause I have light green eyes.. anyway,

> I am taking 100mg 1x a day. Im afraid to cut back if the RA comes back,

> but Im thinking maybe I should go to every other day? would that even make

> a difference on the pigment? (hyperpigmentation) Thanks, Kathy

5. WHAT IS HYPERPIGMENTATION? Minocycline can cause discoloration of the

skin anywhere on the body. This is called hyperpigmentation. Large daily

doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) may prevent this phenomenon. (Bowles WH,

Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M University System Protection against

minocycline pigment formation by ascorbic acid, J Esthet Dent, 10(4):182-6

1998)

Dr. A. Franco, a rheumatologist practicing in Riverside, California,

says that hyperpigmentation occurs in about 10% to 20% of patients taking

minocycline (Minocin) on a daily basis and over one year. Occasionally it

may appear earlier. It occurs less frequently with patients taking Minocin

on a three times per week basis. It may be necessary to switch to another

antibiotic. It is usually reversible after discontinuation of the

medication, but fades slowly and sometimes not completely.

Dr. Pnina Langevitz in Israel has done three double-blind studies on the use

of minocycline in rheumatoid arthritis with some patients on the medication

over 5 years. The following is from Langevitz et al - Minocycline in

Rheumatoid Arthritis; Isr. J. Med Sci 1996;32:327-330. 'We also observed

skin hyperpigmentation in about one third of our patients as a late

complication of the therapy. Minocycline related hyperpigmentation of the

skin is a well known complication of this agent and can be subdivided into

three categories. The first is characterized by dark black-blue macules

localized at sites of cutaneous inflammation. . . . . . . . . . . The second

type is a more diffuse hyperpigmentation, predominantly on the lower

extremeties and on areas exposed to sunlight. . . . . . . . The third form

of minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation is the 'muddy skin syndrome' Ð a

dark brown-gray discoloration of the skin generalized over the body, less

prominent in non exposed areas. The high incidence of skin hyperpigmentation

in our group of patients is probably due to the longer follow-up period than

that in other groups, and to sun exposure.' (Patients in this study were on

100 mg. of minocycline twice daily.)