Spironolactone

Overall rating: 4.19 / 5
(based on 1,068 votes)

Recommended by 52% of visitors

Average price: $14.16


         
  
By on

have been using spironolactone along with doxycyxline and clymadicin topical gel for 2 months exactly, and my acne has worsened. Used to only have acne on my forehead and the occasional chin spot, and now i seem to have a lot more on my chin area and the forehead remains the same as before if not a little worse, none of the treatments seem t have worked. Think spiro may have prevented the antibiotic from working, as im concerned my acne is not hormonal, or at least not caused by excess androgens. when i went on dianette earlier this year, i was on it for 3 months and it also significantly worsened my skin and caused severe bloating and mood swings.

Does anyone know if the spironolactone is the cause for worsened acne/ lack of effectiveness of the antibiotic (i previously took tetracycline which cleared my skin after about 2 and a half months, and have used zineryt , both which seemed to clear it previously)

Pros

[not submitted]

Cons

  • acnes worse
  • for a few months
  • I do not recommend using this treatment.


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By on

This pill has been a miracle drug for me!

I am 23 and have suffered from horrible cystic acne for as long as I can remember. Like everyone else, I have tried everything. I have seen multiple dermatologists but nothing ever worked for me. Finally, I decided enough is enough and I made an appointment at a dermatologist office in downtown Chicago. I explained to her that my acne has always been pretty severe. I have always broken out on my face, back, chest, and arms. It has always seemed to flare up right around my period and then it would clear up the week after my period. As soon as I mentioned this, she recommended Sprio. She told me that it would take 3-6 months to see the full results, so I needed to be patient. I was hopeful! She started me on 50mg of Spiro for the first two weeks and then bumped it up to 100mg in combination with Atralin gel and cerave lotion. The first two months were hell. My chest and back flared up the worst I have ever seen and my face was a mess. I went back to see her after two months and she added the antibiotic Monodox and bumped up the Spiro dosage to 150mg. Now I was finally starting to see some results. By 3 and a half months, my chest and back were perfect. Not one single blemish. My face is now the best it has ever been! I still get a few small bumps on my face, but I am confident that those will clear up as time goes on. I went back to see my derm and she added Aczone gel to use in the morning. She compared this gel to microdermabrasion. She said all my scarring should be gone within 12 weeks. I am absolutely thrilled with my results!!!

Pros

  • Cleared up my chest, back, and face
  • You can take it for life
  • Does not dry out skin

Cons

  • Bad initial breakouts
  • You have to take it every day
  • for more than a year
  • $ 2
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

This pill was a miracle for my skin.

I was prescribed this pill for acne and hirtuism. I'm prone to hormonal acne, and pretty much tried everything. I started using Spiro (along with Epiduo) about 2 years ago. I was put on 50mg/2x per day, which didn't do anything. I upped it to 100mg/2x day, and the changes began. For a few weeks, I had HORRIBLE purging; I would take photos of my face every week, and it was rough. I guess between the oral and topical, it was extra bad. But around the 3rd week, things began to clear up. For over a year, I didn't see one pimple. The dark spots left over from prior breakouts finally had a chance to lighten up. I also noticed my period became regular like clockwork (I've always been very irregular). As for the hirtuism, I honestly didn't notice too much. I think I was paying more attention to the acne.

My only cons: It depletes your potassium, so you may end up with leg cramps (or wherever on your body). Also, you should get your blood checked maybe twice a year; the medication can mess with your creatinine numbers.

Pros

  • Clears up acne beautifully.
  • Makes you thirsty, which forces you to drink more water (always a good thing!)
  • Helps if you suffer from PCOS

Cons

  • A bit expensive with no insurance
  • You may end up peeing a lot (it's a diuretic)
  • Do not take if you're pregnant or have kidney issues
  • inconsistently
  • $ 47
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

just started and i see a major turn around i must be patient my DR. told me this will take time she has put me on a antibiotic for the mean time im not sure if it is this pill or the antibiotic but it seems to show

Pros

[not submitted]

Cons

[not submitted]
  • for a few weeks
  • $ 8
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

I've been on Spiro for 10 weeks and it has absolutely contributed to my recent breakthrough in my skin. The first 4-6 weeks were torture, my breakouts were mostly inflamed pustules on my chin/jaw and within 2 weeks it moved my cheeks.

Finally after 10 weeks im noticing that I'm breaking out less and less and my skins is mostly smooth to the touch. BE PATIENT, please ladies stick it out. I read other reviews on acne.org during bad breakout days to keep my spirits up.

Pros

  • reduces breakouts
  • reduces pustule inflammation

Cons

  • Severe initial breakout
  • Breakouts in new places
  • Occasional dizziness
  • Muscle Cramps
  • moderately severe
  • for a few months
  • $ 20
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

I had a hard time finding a review that seemed to cover all the bases when I was debating going back on spironolactone. So here is my review.. I hope to help someone looking for answerers. So Last summer starting at the end of August I was prescribed Spironolactone, doxycycline, and epiduo gel. I didn't use the gel much but I took the pills everyday like I was prescribed. 75 MG of spironolactone a day and 100 MG of doxycycline. My acne just got a lot worse and I had it in places where I never really broke out (which seems to be pretty common) the breakouts were near my jaw, chin, cheeks, and neck. Which seemed strange because those areas are a popular area for hormonal acne. (and hormonal acne is what spiro is suppose to help with). Nonetheless it made mine worse. I was on it for a month or two..I'm not sure exactly how long it was, at the time the pimply days just seemed like forever but now looking back I think it was less than two months. Anyways, I stopped taking it because I thought it just wasn't the pill for me. While I was off the medication my initial breakout that I got from spiro went away but my skin was still not the clear skin I was seeking out in the first place. In February, after reading MANY reviews that mentioned an initial breakout I decided I would give it another try. So its been roughly 1.5 months and my skin had improved a lot. Within the first 3 weeks I may have experienced a small initial breakout but nothing like the first time. I still had slightly irritated skin within that time as well. However my skin is glowing now. I still have a few pimples but nothing like before and I am still in the beginning phase so I know I will still see improvement. I am also on tretinoin cream as well. I should also mention I am not taking the doxy.. I just don't feel I needed it and plus now I have a backup when a UTI hits me hard. ANYWAYS. Spironolactone works, maybe not for everyone but for many it does. If you look through the revi

Pros

  • Clears skin.

Cons

  • Takes a while to work. I had an initial breakout. My skin seemed red and irritated at first.
  • moderate
  • for a few months
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

My face never broke out until I started taking birth control a couple months ago and this has already helped my face in a period of 48 hours! I just hope I don't get an initial break out in a couple of days :( the only thing I don't like so far is being so thirsty all the time

Pros

  • my skin already looks better

Cons

  • have to be careful about getting dehydrated
  • moderate
  • for a day or two
  • $ 15
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

Birth control made my hormonal acne 10x worse than it had ever been, even after taking it for half a year. I take 50mg of spiro every day and now I am finishing my first month - my skin is way noticeably clearer. Less and less breakouts every day, and they go away much faster. The dehydration isn't even enough for it to bother me, and drinking water is good for your skin anyways. Using this as a supplement for Ortho Tri Cyclen, and also using Aczone as a topical which has worked wonders.

Pros

  • cleared hormonal acne
  • fast results
  • inexpensive ($10/month)
  • no initial breakout

Cons

  • a little dehydration
  • moderate
  • for about a month
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

This product worked for me when nothing else did. I am 19 years old. I developed severe acne when I was 12, and for years could not find anything that could help my skin, which had a crippling effect on my confidence and self esteem. I would cry about how ugly and helpless I felt all the time. I tried over the counter drugs, every type of pill my dermatologist could find, and accutain TWICE to absolutely no effect. Finally a family friend recommended spiro, and I tried it. After 2 months of terrible initial breakout, my skin suddenly started to clear. Within 2 weeks all of my acne was gone. I cant believe how different and free I feel now that I have clear skin.

Pros

  • • it gave me almost perfect skin
  • •does not dry skin
  • •not expensive ($5 for me with my insurance)
  • •small pill
  • •works on hormonal acne

Cons

  • •TERRIBLE initial breakout ( 2 months for me)
  • I recommend using a combo of neosporin and crushed aspirin treatments to help keep inflammation down. Something that helped so much was ice facials alternated with the use of a hot washcloth. I would take an ice cube and apply it directly to my skin in circular motions until it melted. Then I would get a washcloth wet with warm water and repeat. I repeated these 2 steps as many times as I had time for. It really helps with redness and inflammati
  • moderately severe
  • for about a year
  • $ 5
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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By on

I do notice the occasional bump or LITTLE zit but it is nothing! People have been noticing my clear skin and i love it. On top of getting on spiro now i feel like i should offer some other acne advice which i know have helped me. Cut out dairy and suger foods from you diet. Drink a lot of water and eat lots of greens! wear minimal make up-i know thats hard sometimes.Wash your face only ONCE a day. Deep breathe and exercise to limit stress which causes breakouts. Smile! you are not alone

Pros

  • Okay so I have never written a review before but this site did help me find out about spironolactone about 4 months ago and I am eternally grateful. I have suffered from acne since I was 11. It was so bad that i never went swimming, i wouldn't leave the house without makeup, it actually controlled my life. I was always insecure about it and it prevented me from playing sports sometimes because i didn't want to sweat. I know anyone who has moderate-severe acne has felt these feelings.

Cons

  • NO CONS! but using this space..I have tired EVERYTHING: clindoxyl and other topicals, proactive, a million face cleansers and multiple birth control pills. Finally i did research and found the ACNE FACE MAP (Check out!!) I figured my acne was hormonal. In addition to taking 100mg day of spiro, i also am on yaz. I use the proactive spot treatment if I ever feel a zit coming on which actually has no happened in over a month!! My skin is finally starting to clear and scars are healing.
  • moderately severe
  • for a few months
  • $ 10
  • I recommend using this treatment.


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