7 replies to this topic

[acneisdumb]

I've been on accutane 3 times since I first started getting acne when i was 12. I'm 22 now and the results from my last course of accutane seemed to last the longest, until i stopped taking yasmin back in april to try to have a baby. in june i got a few pimples and it just kept getting worse and worse and now i would say my acne is full blown. i got back on yasmin because i was so tired of breaking out. i went to the derm yesterday and asked about spiro and he willing gave it to me and told me that i could get back on accutane if i wanted but i choose the spiro. i'm starting to feel like i made the wrong choice. accutane was like a miracle drug for me, i never had any symptoms besides dry lips.

anyone been on accutane before and then when it came back tried spiro?? if so which worked better/faster?

[Astra_99]

It's difficult to say what would work better as it's such an individual thing. If you are on Yasmin you are already getting the equivalent of 25 mg effectiveness of Spironolactone as the progestin in Yasmin is an analogue/derived from Spironolactone. So any Spironolactone dose on top of this would be adding to its effectiveness. Generally hormonal therapy does take longer to kick in. If it works though, you can stay on it long term assuming no other complications. Spironolactone also does have a high safety rating.

With accutane you might be a candidate for long term therapy at ultra low doses of once or twice weekly at as little as 2.5mg. Some Derms have now switched across to this in light of more recent research providing evidence that doses can be way too high. The ultra low dose also allows for long term therapy - which is also comforting.

In my case accutane worked the fastest. I have used Accutane many years ago, Diane 35 (BCP similar to Yasmin but with a different anti-androgenic progestin in it), and also Spironolactone. For me they all worked with comparable effectiveness. The hormonal therapies - Diane and also Spironolactone did take longer to work.

Of course you can't take any of these during pregnancy. Accutane technically should give you longer lasting results than any of the other therapies once you cease using it. Therefore some of its benefits might carry over during the period in which you try to concieve and also during any pregnancy.

[Myrl]

I just read the post about not trading or giving drugs on this site so I'm not sure what to do since I already gave you the info, I did not know this since I have not been on this site for quite some time. So I will admit to making a mistake on doing this on this site, not sure what to do about it thoughl; myrl

[zen.garden]

It really depends on whether your acne is hormonal. Accutane will get rid of hormonal acne, but it won't do anything to keep it from coming back once your course of Accutane is over. Spiro targets testosterone, which is often the cause of hormonal acne. If you've never had a hormone panel done, you might talk to your doctor about doing one to see exactly which hormones (if any) are out of whack.

[analeah]

I was on 40 mg of acutane for 5 months starting at age 43. It didn't work for me. BCP combined with spiro is the best thing I've ever tried for acne. My face completely cleared up. Side effects with the spiro, though. Hair loss and hair thinning. Quit spiro 6 weeks ago to see if I can get my hair to grow back, but, VIOLA-- I'm a zit face again. I'll probably ask my doc if I can try acutane again. I don't know what do do. I do know I want my hair to grow back.

[alternativista]

I took accutane twice and it did absolutely nothing for me. I tried spiro for my hirsutism, and it immediately made me less oily. My skin was already clear and only slightly oily from my diet. I could never deal with the dehydration though.

I've been drinking mint tea since the summer and it made a big difference in my hirsutism. The hair growth is a lot less coarse. I can't say that it helps with acne as my skin was already clear, but in the studies, they say peppermint has more of an estrogenic effect than spearmint. And both reduce free testosterone levels. Here's a discussion with some references to studies:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Peppermin...amp;hl=mint+tea

[tcjetsetter]

Hi guys,

I have a history with accutane and spiro. I'm 46, had acne since I was 12, mostly forehead, nose, chin area (rarely cheeks). I've always had very oily skin and 4-5 small whiteheads/day even with most treatments. After 5 rounds of Accutane (1-4yrs clear between rounds) I started on Spiro. Spiro took 6 months to be consistently clear (1-3/month) but oil decreased almost immediately.

I went into that long-winded explanation to say that I got complete clearing with accutane and didn't even have to "baby" my skin at all. I could use regular bath soap to wash my face, etc w. no other acne meds. The problem was that as soon as I stopped taking it, the oil and acne started to return.

With Spiro, I am VERY pleased after 1 year - no oily skin and rarely a zit (very small). My skin is pretty without makeup. BUT, I do have to exfoliate and I use 2.5% benzoyl peroxide daily.

In essense, I am saying that accutane will stop the abnormal cell shedding/sticking to oil and clogging pores. Spiro will reduce oil and microcomedone formation but not change the propensity to get clogged pores.

So, my conclusion is that I could have clear skin with either drug longterm. The question is which is riskier, has fewer side effects, and is more effective. As for me, risk is a toss up - either screw with hormones (spiro) or risk calcium density issues later in life, birth defects (accu). Side effects for accutane were dry skin/dry eyes, dehydration and fatigue for spiro. Efficacy goes to accutane for working fast and complete clearing w/o additional acne drugs.

Having said all that, I will remain on spiro since it is working so well. You guys can appreciate how lucky I feel (even at 46) to have completely clear skin. I wear VERY LIGHT mineral make up but look just as good w/o anything!!!! Good luck to you all.

Linda

[leesett]

I'm starting to think that I might need some oral treatment for my face but accutane scares me and spiro... I don't know about having to take something like that forever. I'm currently taking Ortho Tri-cyclen its only been 12 days. Accutane vs Spiro? I'm kinda curious myself.