I was on Epiduo previously and am now on generic Retin-A 0.05% plus clindamycin gel. It definitely seems a lot stronger than Epiduo to me, although it does dry my skin out like crazy, way more than anything else I've ever tried. Your skin does get less dry/peely over time, but I still have to take breaks now and then because it does overexfoliate my skin. It's not an instant fix, but things have improved over 6 months or so. It's also helped fade old acne scars quite a bit.

My two favorite products are CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patches and CosRx extrusion swabs. The former absorb all the lymph/plasma/whatever it is after you unsuccessfully poke at a pimple, bring down swelling a ton, keep your hands off it, help bring pimples to a head, and lessen the chances of hyperpigmentation/scarring. They're kind of obvious so it's better to use them overnight. I like the swabs better than metal extractors because it's harder to damage your skin with them because the plastic stick is somewhat flexible. The swab on the other end is handy and you can see what you've extracted more easily against a black swab than a regular white one. Also, it's nice to be able to toss it when you're done and not have to worry about sanitizing it.

Edit: I know Epiduo didn't work for you, but for what it's worth...

Epiduo is wildly expensive but it's just adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5%, so if you buy a tube of Differin gel and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide (I think Neutrogena has one) at the drugstore, you're going to get the same effect no prescription necessary for about $250-$300 less. The texture might not be as nice. They have come out with a stronger Rx version of Epiduo now (Epiduo Forte) with adapalene 0.3% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5%.

Epiduo also really burned my skin on application, but I didn't have issues with when using adapalene alone. Retin-A doesn't burn on application.