Acne-like eruptions related to medication

Medication-related acne

Some topical or oral medicines can cause acne or make it worse. When a medicine is necessary for a serious disease, acne may be an acceptable side effect. In other circumstances, the physician may stop the responsible medicine and choose an alternative. These eruptions may include comedones, red papules and pustules. Red papules are common and tend to occur on the trunk, including the back, chest and genital area, more often than on the face.

Management

Return to the physician who prescribed the medicine. They can assess whether another treatment can manage the original illness, or whether the same medicine remains necessary while the acne side effect is treated according to its severity.