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[krispie9]

When I was young (12-16) I had persistent acne on my face and neck, back and shoulders. I went on birth control at age 17 and it cleared up my acne and I pretty much forgot about it. At age 26 I had stroke and I am not allowed to use oral birth control anymore. Since my stroke in March 2012 my skin has broken out on my face and body. I was perscribed Differin, but I haven't seen any real improvement. I am pretty sure my acne is hormonal since the oral birth control helped dramatically and then reappeared as soon as I stopped the pill. My hair and skin are also very oily.

I am wondering if anyone has had a similar expereince. Does anyone with blood clotting disorders use Spironolactone for acne? Are there any hormonal treatments that are safe for people with a history of stroke, blood clotting issues?

[Green Gables]

It shouldn't be a problem unless you are taking an anti-clotting drug. Like any drug, spiro can interact negatively with other drugs. Here are the contraindications and such. (ALDACTONE is the brand name for spironolactone)

you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant
ALDACTONE should not be used during pregnancy due to possible effects on the developing baby (fetus).
you are breast feeding
The drug may appear in the breast milk and be passed to the infant.
you are allergic to ALDACTONE or to any of the tablet ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet
If you have an allergic reaction you may get a skin rash, have difficulty in breathing, or become faint.
you have severe kidney disease or are not passing urine
you have hyperkalaemia (high levels of potassium in the blood).
Hyperkalaemia is very serious if you also suffer from severe heart failure. Symptoms of severe heart failure are shortness of breath and swelling of the legs from fluid build.
you have Addison's disease (a condition where the adrenal glands do not work properly)

and

Some of the medicines that may affect ALDACTONE or be affected by ALDACTONE include:
other medicines used to treat high blood pressure
diuretics, which are fluid removing medicines also known as water tablets
digoxin, a medicine used to treat heart conditions
medicines to prevent blood clots.
potassium supplements or potassium-containing salt substitutes or potassium sparing diuretics.
cholestyramine, a medicine used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood
ammonium chloride, which is contained in some cough and cold medicines
aspirin
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) medicines or other medicines which are used to relieve pain, swelling and other symptoms of inflammation, including arthritis.
regional or general anaesthetics.

You will notice NSAIDs on there...which means pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen (Advil, Aleve). I clarified this with my pharmacist...you can take Advil or Aleve for occasional pain while on spiro, but if you are taking them for chronic pain you should not take spiro.

As far as drugs go, spiro is pretty mild. Not nearly as altering as birth control or accutane. It does seem to do wonders for females with hormonal acne, though. It will take months to see the improvement, though. I started at a 25mg dose, and worked up to 100mg dose by week 3. I am now at month 4 and finally getting clear...clearer than I've been since before puberty

Edited by Green Gables, 21 June 2012 - 12:23 PM.