Hey! I was just wondering, for those who have taken Spiro how many of you experienced an initial breakout?! I know some people may have experienced it but I think some people might have not as well. So I am trying to see on a scale those who have had initial breakout on spiro, and those who have not.

If you have, post! - How long did your IB last? :\
If you haven't, post!

It would mean a lot to me

Also, how did Spiro effect your hair? I hear it can be very drying and my hair is pretty try. =( Did anyone experience HAIR LOSS? =(
thanks!

Hi Everyone...This may be a very stupid question, but I was wondering if anyone knew if you can take spironolactone and accutane at the same time. I'd never even heard of spiro until I got on the site, but it sounds interesting. I'm starting my 5th month of accutane, but my face is erupting the week before my period, and it's taking a good 2 weeks to heal from that breakout, then the cycle starts again. So if anyone knows if you can take the spiro with the tane let me know--thanks!

Ok, so here it goes. I had the IUD Mirena removed the end of August (bc I started breaking out) and started Ortho Tri Cyclen shortly thereafter. I am now on my third pack of Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, and although my skin seems to be getting better, I have also been put on Minocycline as well. I do NOT want to be on minocycline forever. I am finishing this pack of OTC lo, and am wondering if going on Yaz will help me even more. Help so that I can get off of the minocycline and the Yaz will be my primary acne remedy. Any comments or suggestions or personal experiences would be GREATLY appreciated!

Hi, I am a 25-year old female. For the past 7 years I've tried a variety of antibiotics, topical creams/gels/washes, and birth control to treat acne. I want share my acne history with other girls/women, so you can decide what prescriptions to take or not take to treat acne.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

1) age 16-19, had mild acne, no medications to treat it at this time. Used a variety of cleansers, wore makeup to cover blemishes.

2) age 19-23, started using Duac Topical Gel twice a day, and 100 mg of Adoxa (doxycycline) once a day (both prescribed by my dermatologist), and Cetaphil face wash. Within a month or two my face was completely clear.

3) age 23, my family physician told me to stop taking the Adoxa medication. She came to this conclusion after reviewing by blood tests. I had a low white blood cell count, and she said the doxycycline could have been the cause, also because this medication was not supposed to be used over a long period of time. I still continued using the duac topical gel.

4) age 23, a month or two after stopping the Adoxa, some acne returned. Skin wasn't pimple free, but still mild.

5) age 24, I started getting some cystic acne along my jawline. I sought advice from a different dermatologist, and at first she had me try various washes (Clenia, Brevoxyl, Benziq) and creams/gels (Klaron, Differin, Tretin-X, Duac). Her intention was to try fighting acne topically, before prescribing antibiotics.

6) age 24, my dermatologist saw that my skin was not clearing, so decided to have me try taking Adoxa again. She prescribed a higher dosage (150mg), that Adoxa had recently come out with. After a couple of months on Adoxa, Duac Topical gel, and Tretin-X, the acne did not dissipate.

7)age 24, She said that doxycycline tends to work better on teenagers, but now that I was in my mid-20's it was very likely my acne was hormone-related. She then recommended I try Yaz birth control. She preferred Yaz, because it was a BC especially known for clearing acne, and less water retention (weight gain).

8) age 25, I stopped taking the Adoxa, and started taking Yaz birth control, Benziq cleanser and duac topical gel. My skin was flawless 6 weeks later. I also got facials twice a month which dramatically improved the texture of my skin and had a healthy glow. I was able to use an organic oil blend to hydrate my face with no problems whatsoever. However, I did gain about 7 or 8 lbs., felt more anxious, and was always hungry because of the BC.

9) age 25, A little over three months after starting Yaz, breakouts starting coming back. Not a lot, the worst was a cluster of five blemishes on the side of my face. The little bit of acne I had on my back was clear. I wasn't sure if it was stress causing the breakouts, or that my body had adjusted to the Yaz, and it wasn't working as powerfully anymore.

10) age 25, Started seeing a lot of health warnings on television regarding Yaz. This concerned me, because the main reason I started taking birth control was for the acne only, not to prevent pregnancy. Since Yaz is advised to ONLY be taken to prevent pregnancy, and because of the weight gain, anxiety and feelings of constant hunger, I decided to stop taking the birth control.

11) age 25, two weeks after stopping birth control, my acne broke out worse than ever before (only on my face). I was totally shocked and embarrassed to be seen in public. Literally every pore on my face was covered with acne: whiteheads, red bumps and blackheads. Each day it was getting worse and worse. I was mad at myself for not reading more about the adverse effects after stopping birth control. Acne is a very common adverse effect, when women stop taking BC (9 out of 10 cases), and comes back worse than it was before taking it. Also, I have not had my period since stopping the pill. I talked with a nurse over the phone affiliated with Yaz, and he told me it takes some women 3-6 months to get their period back after stopping BC.

12) age 25, current: It has been 3 1/2 months since being off of Yaz. I contemplated going back on the BC to clear my skin, but I figured I was only prolonging the inevitable--that if I ever wanted to have a baby, I'd have to stop taking the pill and my acne would come back, and I was concerned the longer I take the BC, the more difficult it would be to re-balance my hormones.

I still have not gotten my period back, but my acne is getting A LOT better. I started doing the Regimen on Oct. 2, 2009. I am now at the beginning of week 4. I am so relieved that it is working. My results have followed the "what to expect" sheet exactly so far. I just started taking 80 mg of zinc, and fish oil daily.

13) age 25, I finally got my period! I am so relieved. This indicates my body is becoming more balanced again. I was almost at 4 months of not having a menstrual cycle.

...to be continued!

Not that I'm in a hurry, but I'm terrified of having a baby because of the havoc that my skin will face. In fact, I don't think I want one because of it. Is that selfish? Any of you have stories about babies and hormones and acne?

Hey there everyone. It is encouraging to know that right now over 1300 of us are logged on, trying to find hope. I swear, if I was a DR, I would work on a cure for acne. This shit is extremely debilitating. At my worst times, it seems like everyone else in the world has nicer skin than me.

I started having acne the moment I hit puberty. It was awful, all over my chest and back, and I was on the swim team. I remember sitting in the DR's office and just praying something would work so that I could wear spaghetti straps to the prom without embarrassment. I tried Retin-A, benzymicin, tetracyclin, etc, etc. It got a little better as I grew older, but it never really cleared up completely and I have always had extremely oily skin, too. Now, at age 31, I am on BC and it is worse than ever. It has been at least 4 months since I've been on this brand, one of the ones that is supposed to help. I don't know if I'm still purging or what, but I just want to peel my whole face off and start fresh. I do not want to take antibiotics or put some awful stuff on my face that makes it burn and flake. That just can't be good. I've tried benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, several kinds of moisturizers, etc. Sometimes I will try a new product and it will seem to help and then it just gets worse. Again, with the purging?

I feel like if it is the BC that is causing it, then the issue has to be corrected internally, right? I think the fear of getting pregnant (I am with a loving partner, but it's not time for children yet) is worse than acne-induced anxiety. But what are my other options? Have any of you switched to an IUD b/c of acne-related side-effects? I've heard mixed review about them and wonder what other's experiences are.

Hello everyone! I am pretty new to joining this site but I have been on it reading reviews and stories ever since my break out. I have never really had an acne problem until my senior year of HS. My break outs started back in July of this year. My face has never looked like this!

I've noticed I tend to break out more around my period than anything, which leads me to believe my acne is hormonal. ESP. since I have tried basically everything. ProActiv, Benzoyl peroxide, Salicylic acid <- which is my best friend right now, it's helping my break outs a lot but not exactly stopping them before they start, you know what I mean? Metronidazole, which I also like a lot! But still not helping as much as I'd like.

I've tried a more natural approach, like oatmeal (which helps a lot with redness!) Vitamins (A,E,C,B complex) Salt... yeah, I know -_-. lol and a lot of other things. Nothing is really working, when back in fresh-junior year these steps worked for me.

My Q's:
I'm pretty much at the end of my rope here, so I am here to ask about Spironolactone. (I appologize, there seems to be a lot of information on this site about spironolactone, but I have a few Q's that are a little different, and I havent seen them yet.)

At first, this drug seemed God-sent! I check the reviews on a daily basis -

Everyone seems to have really amazing results with this product, however, I've looked into it a little more and, it could be I am just really paranoid because I don't like anything un-natural, but these side effects scare me a lot.

Common:
Drowsiness or headache, thirst, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, muscle cramps.

Infrequent:
Confusion, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, constipation, breast tenderness, unusual sweating. Numbness, tingling in hands or feet; menstrual irregularities; change in sex drive; dizziness; energy loss.

****Rare:
Rash or itchy skin, fever. Deep voice in women, excess hair growth, voice change, enlarged clitoris in women.

1. Okay, so seriously. Those "rare" side effects freak me out. I've heard that Spiro was actually perscribed to help STOP exessive hair growth in women, as well as stopping hair loss (on our heads) So why would it CAUSE this? Like, why would it be a side effect? What is Spiro's effect on hair? (on body and head) Does it stop it on our body or have women seen more of it in places it shouldn't be? and have anyone ever experienced hairloss on their head? or it being EXTREMELY dry while on this med.?

2. Has anyone experienced their voice deepening?!?!?! & if it did, does it go back to normal? Why does that happen?!

3. Will effects on our body go back to normal if this medication is stopped being taken, or will it permanently alter the hormones in our body?

So anyone who has taken Spiro, please help me out with this. Taking pills are a big decision for me and for it to be altering things in my body scares me.. *reasons why I wont even TOUCH accutane, and I even have issues with BC! >__O* though, I am aware I might have to take a BC with Spiro.

If anyone would like to share their Spiro story as well, I'd love to listen. I want to learn as much as I can about this drug before I take it. But those are my III main issues so far with Spiro, voice and hair on head and body.

Thank you SO much to anyone who has taken their time to read this very long and probably confusing message!! I really appreciate it <3

anyone know of a houston dr that will prescribe spiro?

Hello,
I am currently on Yaz, but I don't like being on BC and want to go off it soon. The only problem is that I have a feeling that my skin will completely freak out if I do this. Along with Yaz, I already use Tazorac and Aczone. Does anyone think that those topicals will be enough to prevent major breakouts from going off the pill? Is a major breakout inevitable, or does it only happen to some? And does it subside, or will it last forever?
Thanks!

Hi, I'm a newbie here. 30 yrs old, mother of 2. I just started spironolactone 25 mg. I am hoping it helps. I have been off of accutane for 3 months and my acne is coming back and my oil seems worse than before. I have only been on spiro for about 1 week so of coarse I notice nothing. I was previously, 4 yrs ago, on yaz and spiro 25mg and my skin was AWESOME!! Since then I've had a baby and had my tubes tied so no need for yaz now. I am hoping the spiro will clear my skin with out the yaz, if not, I guess in a month or so we will up the dose to 50 mg. Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like the only 30 yr old mom with acne

Birth control pills causing melasma...and melasma occuring after chemical peels due to birth control...



can this be avoided by being diligent with sunscreen? Or does it occur from within--something that can't be avoided?




I'm worried about this Please help!

I am freaked by all the posts saying ppl started loosing hair on this medecine!! dos anyone know why this happens? how will i know if it's happening to me, like will i start loosing big globs of hair? does it go away....can you stop it? HELP! it scares me! : (

Hi everyone. I've been reading this forum for a while, but never posted anything before. I'm looking for some input. I apologize in advance for how long this is going to be...

I'm 20-years-old and have had acne since puberty, although it suddenly got much worse when I was about 16 and seems to be getting progressively worse every year since then. My acne is usually cystic and very painful, but I also get some smaller bumps mixed in. I am also EXTREMELY oily.

I've tried everything (multiple different antibiotics, BCP, both OTC and prescription topical of all varieties, proactiv, you name it). About 5 months ago my derm (well, she's a physician's assistant, not a doctor) told me I might have PCOS and put me on spiro. I was taking 75 mg daily.

Recently I saw my obgyn and mentioned the derm's PCOS diagnoses. The obgyn gave me a transvaginal ultrasound to check out the ovaries and said she did not believe I actually had PCOS.

Today I went back to the derm and told her I didn't want to be on the spiro any more. I had three reasons for this:
1. My skin has barely improved, if at all
2. My obgyn doesn't think I have the PCOS it was prescribed for
3. The hormonal changes made me feel lethargic and fuzzy

The derm reacted to what I told her about the obgyn by kind of brushing me off (at least that's how it felt) and saying that the ultrasound might have just been taken in between cystic flare-ups. She then prescribed me 500 mg daily of glucophage (metformin), which I have learned from my internet research is used to treat acne in women with PCOS. She told me that I have to take it for 3 months, and that she doesn't want to see again until then. So if it doesn't work, I'm stuck with nothing for 3 months.

So my question is, should I bother taking it? I'm more inclined to believe the obgyn than the derm (who, like I said, is a PA and not a doctor), and I don't want to mess around with my glucose levels and whatever else if it won't do anything for me. The fact that spiro was such a disappointment makes me especially pessimistic. I'm feeling pretty ignored by my derm and am considering going to someone else and asking for accutane, since that seems to be the only option I have left. I'd like to hear if anyone without PCOS was helped by Metformin.

I have been on Spiro for 6 months now 50mg once-twice a day. I am all clear.

Has any gals experienced breast pains prior to their periods. My cycle has been somewhat irregular this past month and I have had increased breast pain.

If anyone has these same symptoms, please let me know so I can be assured that this is just a strange, but hurtful side effect!

Please contact me if you have experienced this side effect!

Thanks!
M

hey all! i'm 20 yrs old. i've had acne since i was 16. i recently went to an endocrinologist who did some tests and said i had PCOS. He prescribed me Glucophage, generic Metformin, saying that will regulate my hormones...(i am not diabetic).

my next appt. is on monday and i'm going to ask him about spiro since a lot of people seem to have great results on it.

i'm pretty skeptical about this Metformin stuff....has anyone else been prescribed this???

i smoke alot of weed and im also taking spiro 50mg morning 50mg night. does anyone else smoke weed? will spiro still work even tho i smoke weed? did it work for u?

Hi there,

I was just wondering if anyone else has an Implanon BC implant, and what their opinion of it was? I've had one for about 5 years (well, I've had 3) and I'm wondering whether to have it removed to see if it has any effect on my acne. Although I think it's a great form of contraception, I am wondering whether I'm in the minority of 10% who see their acne worsen while they have one.

Any opinions?

Thanks,

Helen

hi everyone !! =)
so im on spiro 100mg morning and 100mg night,
but i usually take my morning pill at w.e time i wake up which can be 1pm ,8am, 11am
and at night from 8-10
is it bad to take it at random times everyday morning and night.
i never miss my pills i just take them at very random times.
its been a month n i see no results. can that be why? what time do you take urs?
help pleaseee =(

So, its been 2 months that I had the Mirena IUD taken out. I am POSITIVE that the mirena is what led to my breakouts. I took accutane in 2002 for acne and ever since then, really nothing to report as far as acne. Then, all of a sudden it went all down hill. I am now on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo. About how long does it take for my hormones to readjust and for this acne to clear? Its def better. But its not how it was before. I keep hearing 2-4 months. Is that accurate. I am now just starting my third pack.

Hello to all.

I just went to my doctor, asked for spiro. He prescribed two weeks of 75mg (50mg in the morning, and 25 at night) and then a blood test for potassium level. I also asked for anti-biotics to prevent IB and some topical cream, he then prescribed doxycycline and retin-a micro.

When I was leaving, he told me that i was reading too much stuff online..lol.

Anyhow...wish me luck.

Hope I can get rid of the horrible horrible bumps and all the oil on my face! (fingers crossed)
I would kill to use 0 blotting paper for a day.

And good luck to you all.

Hi All

Acne really I need ur information using Diane35

Coz I've been using accutane 2 times. And few months after I stopped it
My acne start again!!! Some of my colleagues said that Accutane could be danger for liver on long term use

I'm trying to use Diane35 now..

Okay, so after trying all oral medications that my doctor could offer me, I brought up birth control and he recommended Yasmin. I stopped taking my current medication, Tetralysal 300 and started the first pack on the first day of my next period (it wasn't due if that's of any importance - pretty sure it was stress induced) after about a week? my skin had a MASSIVE initial breakout. I've had acne for about 4 years now, and it has always been consistently bad but I can't remember having a breakout this bad. The whole of my lower face, I'd say about an inch from my eyes is well vile - with the exception of my nose. On one cheek I have this massive red raised area, that's painful and itchy with about 7 spots within. And I have no spots on my nose, and only about 3 small ones on my forehead. I've also starting to get spots on my back, it's usually only my face and an old spot between my chests and flared up again.
I've been on Yasmin for about 1 and a half months now, and I'm still breaking out. After reading posts, I've decided to stick on it for 3-4 months but I'm wondering how bad was the initial breakouts for others? Oh and does dairy cause spots?
I'm sorry for this post being so long :]

I have been on dianette for 2 weeks now, and the first 1.5 my skin seemed to improve well, however, ove rteh last 3 days I have had terrible breakouts in places I did not before! Im really worried, are initial breakouts common with dianette and if so do they continue for a long time!!?

Thanks so much for any help

can you drink alcohol on this medication?

Anyone on Spiro notice a worsening of skin within the first month of taking it? I have more cystic pimples around my mouth and the zits are dry, painful, and itchy. and my face is also redder. what were your experiences with it ?

Hey guys,

I'm thinking of starting Spironolactone since my acne is hormonal (though not very severe), and nothing significantly helps. A lot of whiteheads (that leave really stubborn red dots on my face) and lately I've been getting much deeper pimples under my skin. I stopped my birth control two months ago and it did nothing for my acne, though lately I've realized more hair growing on the sides of my face.

Thing is, I'm really conscious of what I put in my body. That's why I stopped birth control -- I didn't like random hormones flying around and all.

But yes, I'm still debating this. It's just something I'm insanely self conscious about and it's controlling my life. I want to wait it out, and I want my hormones to calm down soon.. but in relation to my older sisters (though we all have completely different skin), it probably won't until my mid-20s. I'm 19.


I was just wondering, for people who have been on Spironolactone and stopped, did your acne come back? Did it return with a vengeance? How do you ween off of it (does the dermo take you from 100 mg to something gradually smaller and smaller)? And I've read that your facial hair goes away.. if so did it also come back the same or worse?

i noticed alot of people using spiro have regualr blood tests. My derm perscribed me 6 months of spiro at 25mg a day and 6 months of yasmin, but did not mention any need for a blood test. Is this because it is a low dose? Should i ask to have my blood tested?

I have had acne for almost 20 years ( I'm 31). I took Diane 35 or 'Dianette' as it is known in the U.K. throughout my 20s and had beautiful skin! I moved to the U.S. 2 years ago and found out that that drug is not available here. Now I am taking spironolactone and Yaz and I feel nauseous all the time and my skin is the worst it's been since my teens. I notice some posters here in the U.S. are using Diane 35. Please fill me in on the secret! This is really getting me down, I am so frustrated that after 8 acne-free years I am now back to having to worry about this! Any advice you have would be really appreciated. Thanks

Hey everyone... I've been a member on Acne.org for a few years now and like many of you, I've tried EVERYTHING. From Proactive to Acne Free to the DK Regimen, and then there are also all of those OTC creams, washes, scrubs and gels... all to no avail. As a last resort, coming to the conclusion that my acne was hormonal, and the fact that I kept missing my period, I went on birth control back October 07. I was on Yaz, and it took a few months, but after those few months my skin was flawless. I mean, my skin literally glowed. I didn't even have to wash my face! It was amazing! However, the side effects of the BC... weight gain, and anxiety (which spawned many visits to my psyhcologist) and feeling not so healthy ultimately lead me to go off birth control in April of 2008. So I was on BC for a good 7 months. The cool thing was, was that after I stopped BC my skin remained clear, and of course I dropped the weight that I had gained (almost 10 pounds).

The scary part comes next, in August/September 08 I started noticing pimples again... of course I freaked out... and decided to go back on BC, but then for whatever reason, before I started taking the BC, those pimples went away, so I didn't bother. The school year went by and my skin was fine... maybe a pimple or two, but none of those red under the skin bumps, all up until now! October 2009 and my skin is atrocious once again! I am contemplating Birth Control again, but I am so nervous. I want to try Yasmin instead of YAZ this time, but I am cautious because of the anxiety again, and the weight gain, and the possible long term side effects. When acne is hormonal, I've been told that there are only so many things one can do to rid themselves from it!

Which leads me to my next point... I have been hearing so much about Spiro and the amazing outcome of it, and I want to try it so bad! I made an appointment to see a new dermatologist (I've never been to a derm before) and I want to ask her about it... my question for you guys reading this (if you've gotten this far without Xing out the page because of my rambling back story hehe)... do you know if a derm can proscribe Spiro? Or does it have to be proscribed by an Endo? I really want to try it instead of birth control... Has anyone here done Spiro instead of BC? What is it like?

Thanks so much for reading this! I appreciate it guys!!