Overview of Silver Sulfadiazine User Reviews

This section contains all of the individual user reviews and antibiotic susceptibilty rankings for Silver Sulfadiazine (Silvadene).

If you have used Silver Sulfadiazine as a treatment for acne vulgaris, please share your experience and opinions.

Type of Treatment: Rx Medication – Antibiotic (Topical) - Sulfa Family

How It Works: Silver Sulfadiazine is an antibiotic. Antibiotics can improve acne symptoms by limiting the growth of bacteria that contribute to Acne Vulgaris.

When is this medication used? Silver Sulfadiazine is a topical antibiotic from the Sulfa Family.  Silver Sulfadiazine is a medication that is used to treat a range of bacterial skin infections.  Although, silver sulfadiazine is rarely used as a treatment for acne, there is some anecdotal evidence that this medication can be an effective treatment for acne symptoms. Silver sulfadiazine can be used as a treatment for all types of acne vulgaris (Acne Types: 1-4), although it is likely to be most effective for the treatment of mild to moderate acne (Acne Types: 1-2).   For the treatment of moderate to severe acne  (Acne Types: 3-4), topical Silver Sulfadiazine will likely need to be used in combination with a complementary treatment (eg. oral antibiotic, oral retinoid, androgen inhibitor or light/laser therapy).

Frequency of Silver Sulfadiazine Resistant P. acnes Bacteria: Rare. (What does this mean?)

Official Name: Silver Sulfadiazine.
Popular Brand Names: Flamazine, Silvadene, Silverex, Silvazine and Thermazene.
Related Medications: Co-Trimoxazole, Dapsone, Mafenide and Sulfacetamide.

Important Note: The information provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. The Science of Acne strongly encourages you to consult a qualified medical professional before making any treatment decisions. For the complete disclaimer, click here.

Overall (Composite) Ranking for Silver Sulfadiazine

The COMPOSITE ranking is calculated from a combination of all of the individual rankings for this medication (EFFECTIVENESS, ADVERSE EFFECTS and ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY).

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (WORST) to 5 (BEST).

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Effectiveness Ranking for Silver Sulfadiazine

Silver Sulfadiazine is a topical medication that is infrequently used to treat acne vulgaris.  Silver Sulfadiazine may be used alone for the treatment of mild to moderate acne (Acne Types: 1-3).    Silver Sulfadiazine is generally used in addition to an oral antibiotic, oral retinoid or light-based treatment for the treatment of moderate to severe acne (Acne Types: 3-4).

The EFFECTIVENESS ranking is based on patient reports of how effective this medication was at improving their acne symptoms.

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NOT EFFECTIVE) to 5 (VERY EFFECTIVE).

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Adverse Effects Ranking for Silver Sulfadiazine

Topical silver sulfadiazine tends to have minimal side effects, most of which are mild.  Allergic reactions are the most common problem associated with this medication.

The ADVERSE EFFECTS ranking is based on patient reports about the adverse effects and side effects that they experienced with this medication.

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NO SIDE EFFECTS) to 5 (SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS).

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Antibiotic Susceptibility Ranking for Silver Sulfadiazine

The ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY ranking is based on scientific research reports about the antibiotic sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), which is a bacterium that is a primary cause of acne symptoms. Our antibiotic susceptibility data is generated from the combined results of over 50 independent scientific studies. For more information about which antibiotics are most effective against P. acnes bacteria, visit the Antibiotic Susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes page.

Frequency of Silver Sulfadiazine Resistant P. acnes Bacteria: Rare. (What does this mean?)

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NOT SUSCEPTIBLE) to 5 (VERY SUSCEPTIBLE).

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User Recommendations for Silver Sulfadiazine

The USER RECOMMENDATIONS chart indicates how many reviewers recommended this medication as a treatment for Acne Vulgaris. These recommendations are only from The Science of Acne users. For additional reviews of this medication from outside sources, refer to the section below.

There are four options available for this ranking:

YES (definitely recommended)
MAYBE (conditionally recommended)
NO (not recommended)
DON’T KNOW (no opinion)

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Outside Reviews of Silver Sulfadiazine

The following is a list of links to pages that review or discuss the use of this medication. Note: Some of these reviews are not specific to the use of this medication in the treatment of Acne Vulgaris.

Additional Patient Reviews of Silver Sulfadiazine: Acne.org, WebMD, Drugs.com, DailyStrength.org, RxList.com, EveryDayHealth.com, Treato.com, UserMeds.com, DrugsInfo.com, RateADrug.com.

Silver Sulfadiazine Background

Silver sulfadiazine is a topical antibiotic cream that is commonly used to prevent secondary skin infections in burn patients.  Silver sulfadiazine is an antibiotic salt that inhibits the growth of bacteria in two different ways.  First, sulfadiazine is a sulfa family antibiotic.  This family of antibiotics kills bacteria by preventing them from synthesizing folic acid, which is an essential B-vitamin.  Second, silver sulfadiazine releases silver ions into the tissue where it is applied.  Silver itself is toxic to most types of bacteria.  The combined action of these two mechanisms contribute to the overall antibacterial activity of silver sulfadiazine.

Additional Names for Silver Sulfadiazine: Adiazine, Argedin, Bacternil, Bactrazine, Brandiazin, Burnazin, Dermazin Ditrim (Sulfadiazine and Trimethoprim), Flammazine, Geben, Labdiazina, Sanaderm, Sedoflame, Sicazine, Silbecor, Silvadex, Silvadiazin, Silvadin, Silvadina, Silvamed, Silvazine, Silvederma, Silver Sulphadiazene, Silverdin, Silverin, Silverol, Silvertone, Sliverex, SSD, SSDee, Sulfadiazin, Sulfadiazina, Sulfadiazinum argentum, Sulfasil, Sulfatral, Sulphargin, Theradia, Urgotül, Zilversulfadiazine and Zitep.

Important Note: The information provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. The Science of Acne strongly encourages you to consult a qualified medical professional before making any treatment decisions. For the complete disclaimer, click here.

Cost and Availability of Silver Sulfadiazine

Pharmaceutical products that contain silver sulfadiazine are available both as prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) medications.  When possible, prescription silver sulfadiazine should be obtained through consultation of a physician. Many physicians and dermatologists are familiar with this medication, although it is not widely used for the treatment of acne vulgaris.  Both generic forms and brand name formulations of this medication are widely available. Generic silver sulfadiazine tends to be inexpensive and brand name formulations tend to be moderately expensive.

Important Note: The information provided above is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement. The Science of Acne encourages you to adhere to all applicable legal regulations in your jurisdiction. Before ordering pharmaceutical medications online, please read our overview: A Guide to Buying Prescription Medications on the Internet.

Related Articles from The Science of Acne

In Depth: Silver Sulfadiazine (Silvadene) and Acne Vulgaris
Avoiding Negative Drug Interactions
A Guide to Buying Prescription Medications on the Internet
Prescription Medications Used in Acne Treatment
What causes acne?

References and Sources

Books

PDR Staff Writers. 2011. 2011 Physicians’ Desk Reference
Gallagher. 2011. Antibiotics Simplified, Second Edition
Habif. 2009. Clinical Dermatology
Goodheart. 2006. Acne For Dummies
Bartlett. 2012. Johns Hopkins Antibiotics Guide 2012 (Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Online Resources

PubMed Health – The National Institute of Health (US)
Silver Sulfadiazine @ Wikipedia
Physician’s Insert for Silver Sulfadiazine

Scientific Research Articles

1. Carr, et al. 1973. Silver Sulfadiazine: In Vitro Antibacterial Activity.
2. Elston. 2009. Topical Antibiotics in Dermatology: Emerging Patterns of Resistance.
3. Fox. 1968. Silver Sulfadiazine—A New Topical Therapy for Pseudomonas in Burns.
4. Fuller, et al. 1994. A Review of the Dosimetry of 1% Silver Sulfadiazine Cream in Burn Wound Treatment.
5. Atiyeh, et al. 2007. Effect of silver on burn wound infection control and healing: Review of the literature.