Medication-induced acne
Examples of causes include:
- oral contraceptive pill
- phenytoin
- barbiturates
- lithium
- anabolic steroids such as Danazol, testosterone
- corticosteroids
- isoniazid
- bromides (1)
- Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor use (2) - study showed that JAK inhibitors were associated with a 3.83 times higher odds of acne compared with placebo
Less commonly drugs like tetracycline, azathioprine, cyclosporine, quinidine and vitamins B1, B6, B12 might also cause or exacerbate acne (1)
Reference:
- 1. Feldman S, Careccia RE, Barham KL, Hancox J. Diagnosis and Treatment of Acne. AFP 2004;69: 2123-30, 2135-6
- 2. Martinez J, Manjaly C, Manjaly P, et al. Janus Kinase Inhibitors and Adverse Events of Acne: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Dermatol. Published online October 18, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.3830
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