8 replies to this topic

[justsomeone212]

I'm 3 months into my Spironolactone treatment (on 75mg) and am still broken out. Is it time to up my dosage? I'm a 21 year old female weighing 95 pounds.  GEDC0539.JPG   74.15K   41 downloads  GEDC0543.JPG   74.35K   42 downloads  GEDC0541.JPG   70.91K   45 downloads

What do you guys think?? Thanks!

[JWaltersRN]

Yours looks alot like mine. I just started Spiro 100mg yesterday. She also gave me Differin gel, and approved once weekly 20% Salicylic acid peels, as long as I hold the Differin the night before and the night of my peels.
The plan is to up my dosage to 200mg next week if I don't have any side effects from the Spiro.
I would ask your doc about upping the dose. If you are taking birth control, this might weigh in on how much you should take of the Spiro. I am not on BC so that's why I think she started at 100mg.
Also, she really wanted me to try Accutane, which scares me, so she compromised by "letting" me take Spiro first.

Hope this helps.
I am also using OCM followed by a non-soap, organic, non fragrance cleanser just to remove oil traces, and using raw honey/cinnamon masks 2-3x per week for hydration. Just those alone improved my acne 75%. I went to the Derm since the cystic acne stopped improving. Just food for thought. Good luck!

[freeas4bird]

hey it doesnt look bad at all. i hope mine look like that 1 month and 3 weeks. So far i just finished my 5th week.
Now about increasing your dossage, i asked my dermatologist last week if i should increase it and she said that if she does that i will get more spots quicker and bigger ones as am speeding the process, she suggested to stay on the dossage i have, as after all the course is 6 months anyway.
Hoever i would recommand u ask your dermatologist, i suppose each case is different, PLEASE dont make a decission on your own or from our comments, its a strong drug so make sure you ask the doctor for sugesstion.

Have you done the blood test of midd tearm yet?

take care
FAAB!

[shawnabowbawna]

Tough call. I feel like bumping it up 25mg wouldn't hurt, especially if you are not feeling any side effects. Have you had your potassium levels checked recently? Do you have any marked improvement or do you think you're at exactly the same spot you were 3 months ago?

[melissa1234567]

If you have seen quite of an improvement, I would just stay at the dosage you are at now. You should definitely ask your doctor though.

I started spirolactone and minocycline 3 months and 10 days ago and my face is pretty much clear. I have about 4 deep pimples, but they are slowly going away. My face would clear up for about a week and then break out really bad the second week and this continued until just a couple of weeks ago. I am currently taking 100 mg.

Taking spiro and seeing major results, is a very slow process! Patience is key! Although, I know that is easier said then done.

Edited by melissa1234567, 20 December 2012 - 01:17 PM.

[Green Gables]

75mg did nothing for me. 100mg keeps me clear. I am 125lbs though, so I don't know if your doctor would feel comfortable upping your dosage when you're at such a low weight.

Something you should know, the less fat you have, the less your body is able to retain normal levels of estrogen. At 95 lbs your body may simply be incapable of maintaining a normal female balance. Lack of estrogen generally equals acne in women. This is why little pre-pubescent girls have stick figures. When you hit puberty you are supposed to gain fat deposits to maintain an adult female's estrogen levels. Not only affects acne, affects fertility and such down the road.

For me, that's pretty much my problem, I have a lot of muscle, exercise at a high athletic level and intensity, and that lifestyle + low fat percentage means I can't hold onto estrogen. But I'm 30lbs heavier than you are, so in comparison your body is probably freaking out.

I'm not saying you're anorexic or anything, but women's bodies just can't do basic hormonal things without an adequate amount of fat.

Edited by Green Gables, 21 December 2012 - 04:49 PM.

[JWaltersRN]

I don't know how much fat would have to do with the dose. It really depends on your bodies natural composition. Girls that are just naturally low weight and don't carry body fat don't necessarily have hormonal or fertility issues. If the OP is 95 pounds and doesn't take measures to keep herself at a "low weight" this doesn't make any sense. Relatively short (4-5 feet tall) should be right about 100 pounds or so.
I am nearly 6 feet tall and never weighed over 125 pounds (except pregnant). Had absolutely no bearing on my fertility. Heck, I'd get pregnant just laundering my husbands clothing! LOL
This is just how I'm put together. My hormonal acne did not start until after my son was born. Go figure, I have 2 daughters with no problem, but carry around a boy for 9 months and my body wants to make testosterone forever!
Anyway, the point is, that when you artificially alter your body composition, your hormones will definitely go bananas, but advising someone that they will have problems simply because of they weigh 95 pounds isn't accurate.

Oh, forgot to mention. I'm 125 pounds and have been on 200mg Spiro for the last week. Started at 100mg, then upped to 200 once we knew I could tolerate the medication. Again- weight has very little to do with dosing adults.

[graceleigh31]

did you start at 75mg or lower? 100mg 2x daily is what's worked best for me, but that was over a year of gradual increase. It really can take longer than 3 months to see a difference, but if you body tolerates it, I'd ask your doctor to increase the dose, ESPECIALLY if you feel like it's helped a little at this point. In my experience having it work a little bit at first meant it was going to work better and better as my body got used to it.

Good luck!

[Green Gables]

The amount of FAT DEPOSITS certainly has an effect on estrogen. You can be at a low weight and have a decent amount of fat. I am at a "normal" weight yet am thinner than many at this weight because I have a very low body fat percentage and a high amount of muscle. I started having acne once I hit puberty. I am very active now, but there were definitely times in my life where I wasn't "training" or "forcing my body to be at an unnaturally low weight" and yet I still had acne and a very low body fat percentage.

Muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm sure everyone knows this by now.

A friend of mine who is taller and weighs less than I do has about 10% more body fat (we recently both went to get the composition scan). She also has never had acne problems. Maybe coincidental...just saying.

OP for whatever reason could not be storing an adequate amount of fat, therefore estrogen, at her weight.

Estradiol is not only produced in the gonads: in both sexes, precursor hormones, specifically testosterone, are converted by aromatization to estradiol. In particular, fat cells are active to convert precursors to estradiol, and will continue to do so even after menopause. Estradiol is also produced in the brain and in arterial walls

Compound estrogen creams for hormone therapy are rubbed (for transdermal absorption) specifically on fatty areas such as the inner thighs because estrogen is stored in fat.

Edited by Green Gables, 04 January 2013 - 06:20 PM.