Home
Spironolactone Reviews
Total results: 881 Viewing page: 6 of 89
Dani from Canada
September 27, 2011
| Pros | -is a great option for women -clears skin quickly -helps with other hyper-androgenic issues (facial hair (gets rid of it), head hair loss (help your hair grow back), oily skin, body hair (reduces body hair growth) -works long term - |
|---|---|
| Cons | -dry mouth/chronic thirst -having to have potassium levels checked every 3 months -having to take an oral birthcontrol at the same time (you cannot get pregnant while on Spirnolactone/Aldactone) |
| Bottom line | I've tried every prescription for my skin in the 20+ years that i've dealt with hormonal acne which causes cysts and chronic break outs. Though I had always been told my skin would improve with age - it hasn't and has only gotten worse. Oilier, more prone to cystic acne. This drug is only for use in Women. In men it reduces the production of testosterone, which would cause them to become feminized (grow breasts, lose their sex drive) I also began experiencing severe hair loss 2 years ago. It was initially attributed to having just given birth to my daughter, but the shedding never stopped and finally, I went an saw my dermatologist. I had good success on Accutane many years ago, but unfortunately had to go off when I wanted to conceive. The dryness associated with Accutane was also a problem. I was forever flaking and my hair and nails became very brittle. This go-around, she recommended the Spirnolactone to help with the hairloss as well as with the acne. I started with 25mg 1x a day - and then after 1 week went up to 50mg 1x a day, up to 100mg 1x a day in the mornings. Within 3 days of being on the 50mg dose, my skin was no longer oily (I was having to wash my hair daily because it was so greasy) and my existing breakouts were clearing quickly. I am thirsty though. Very thirsty - which just forces me to drink more water- which is beneficial for my health anyway. I am also on Marvelon as a birthcontrol method which is helping my skin in conjunction. I've lost about 5lbs from all of the peeing i've been doing - my derm explained that the Spirnolactone's diuretic effect counteracts the water retention properties of hormonal birthcontrol - so you don't need to worry about weight gain. I am really happy I went on this med and if my daughter's ever have acne like this, I will not hesitate to have them take it. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $30.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
AKPK from San Diego
September 26, 2011
| Pros | None |
|---|---|
| Cons | Very dry skin. Weight gain. Dehydration. No improvement in acne. |
| Bottom line | This medication caused me to be thristy all the time, I could not drink enough water, and I had to urinate every 30 - 40 minutes. gained 10 pounds, with no change in diet or exercise. This medication did not help my acne at all. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $10.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Katya73
September 12, 2011
| Pros | Very effective for oiliness/acne |
|---|---|
| Cons | Had severe gastritis (stomach gnawing) for years from this - took 6 months to go away. |
| Bottom line | I'm writing this because it may help someone else out there. Sprionolactone took several months to work for me, but dramatically decreased my breakouts/oiliness. After taking it for about 2 years, I started to have gnawing pain in my stomach. I went to 4 different GI doctors over a 2 1/2 year period who insisted that it couldn't be this medication causing it. They tried many different medications (which never helped AT ALL), ran countless tests (ooh - even a colonoscopy - not fun!), took my gallbladder out and gave up on me. My pain was so severe that I didn't think I could continue to live like this the rest of my life (I'm 37). I stopped taking this drug on my own and now, after 6 months, the pain is 100% gone. Nothing else has changed. I actually recommend this drug because not everyone will react the way that I did, but if anyone starts having stomach issues, please suspect this drug as the culprit right away. I hope this will save someone the years of suffering that I went through. |
| Recommended | No |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Sarah from Ca
September 9, 2011
| Pros | This product has cleared my acne in conjunction with 2 topicals... need I say more. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Pee more frequently Potassium checks every 3-5 months |
| Bottom line | This product worked wonders for my hormonal acne (chin and jaw line). The doctor knew the minute he saw my face I had adult hormonal acne. I originally took 50mg then was increased to 100mg, which is why they had to begin testing my potassium. It took 3-4 months and slowly but surely worked. I did use it in conjunction with Ziana at night and Clyndamycin during the day. I was also given two chemical peels in the beginning, which my insurance covered (yours might too!). This type of treatment will only work for specific types of acne but I had to share my results for those of you that have hormonal acne. I strongly encourage you to try it! Be patient and take it EXACTLY as recommended. That is the key to any treatment. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $10.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Yaz from UK, London
September 8, 2011
| Pros | - Has completely cleared me of all acne. - I can now eat WHATEVER I want - no breakouts, wooo! - Oily skin has diminished greatly, I would go so far as to now call my skin dry. - Same as with hair - much less greasy, I can go days without washing it! - Slower hair growth such as on legs, etc whilst thickening my actual hair - a huge plus since I have fairly thin hair. - Less of an appetite. - Weight loss (6lbs for me). - No bloating!!111!!1 LOL. I'm loving my flat tum. |
|---|---|
| Cons | - Harder to obtain being in the UK - my doctor flat out refused to give me it so I had to buy it via an online pharmacy (which DOES have its risks - one of the pharmacies I purchased from sent me pills that did not work!) - If you cannot get it on prescription expect to pay a lot more than other people may be - I am currently paying around £50.00 for a 2 months supply. It's worth it tho... - Takes a few months for the drug to work at its full extent though drier skin was evident within 1 |
| Bottom line | You may get a small initial breakout within the first month - though this does clear quickly and is only minor. BE PATIENT. It took me over two months before I could call my skin clear. You will probably reap the benefit of lessened oil production earlier on though, as did I. This is the drug starting to work. Keep a log- I did. It helped me to carry on and to be patient. I also logged any side effects at different doses I was trying so I could find the most effective dose for myself. Also log foods high in potassium - you should avoid these as a large part of your diet, though in small amounts they should be fine. Side effects that occurred for me early on were dry mouth and increased first, and also slight dizziness and insomnia. Just increase your water intake and you're good to go. Oh, and the insomnia disappeared after the 1st month - don't know why it happened, though it could be put down to me also starting the pill. This drug DOES work better with the BCP Yasmin - Google Dr. Redmond, he recommends it. This combo has definitely worked for me. Bottom line - spiro is a godsend; it literally saved my life. I'm going to uni in a week and my confidence has been boosted so much - literally a month ago I was contemplating declining my place that's how bad I felt about my acne. I have gone from over 30 blemishes to 0. Amazing. PS. my acne was largely hormonal - an imbalance caused from coming off of BCP Dianette. I'm now on Yasmin which was working but adding spiro gave it that boost that I needed, LOL. If you have hormonal acne I urge you to try spironolactone! Don't leave it too late - I did, and I have the scars to prove it. Thank you for reading my review! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Lizzy from Atlanta, Georgia
September 8, 2011
| Pros | -totally got rid of my cystic hormonal acne within the first week -makes my skin less oily -reduces hair growth, as it's an androgen blocker -reduces bloating as it's also a dieuretic -cheap as h e l l with insurance |
|---|---|
| Cons | -minor breakout within the first week, primarily whiteheads and nothing that isn't easily dealt with -HORRIBLE aches, pains and nausea the very first day I took it; after that initial night though I was fine -makes you have to pee a bit more frequently -can't take anti inflammatories or eat high amounts of potassium |
| Bottom line | I got on Spiro after my derm got tired of seeing me twice a month for cortisone injections into these massive, seemingly endless cysts that would pop up around my lip and jawlines regardless of my cycle. What would happen is that I'd get small white heads that, within a week, would turn into big monstrous creatures that wouldn't pop. Those whiteheads totally disappeared within the first week of using Spiro, and in turn so did the cysts! The general state of my skin's improved within the two weeks I've been on it too - I'd get lots of random innocuous little bumps on the lower half of my face that would just annoy me whenever I felt how uneven my skin is, and those are gone. I'm also a ridiculously hairy mofo and the androgen blocking abilities that Spiro has is very slowly thinning my facial hair growth (thank the lord) Spiro's great, despite all of the silly things you can't do (eat tons of bananas or take Aspirin), I'm so glad I found it. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $5.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
hat80 from Knoxville, TN
September 7, 2011
| Pros | - Cleared up cystic acne!!! - Small, easy to take pill - Inexpensive with insurance - No side effects (so far) |
|---|---|
| Cons | None yet... |
| Bottom line | I've had mild to moderate acne since I was a teen. I began birth control and ProActiv in my early 20s and stop doing both when I turned 30. Within the past year (I'm now 31), my acne got consistently worse - especially with cystic acne, the scars from which would not fade for months. I tried every OTC treatment/cleanser you can imagine to no avail. After reading about Spironolactone, I thought it was exactly what I needed. My dermatologist said Spiro was her "last resort" so she prescribed Doxycycline and Differin. My gynecologist prescribed Spiro and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (which I decided not to take). So here's my routine: - AM: take Doxy and 50mg of Spiro, wash with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, apply Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer, and I use Mary Kay TimeWise Matte Foundation (great make-up!! I'm always nervous to try new make-up but this is oil-free and works wonderfully!!) - PM: take Doxy and 50mg of Spiro, wash with Neutrogena, use ProActiv toner, apply Differin, and use ProActiv Refining Mask for spot treatment (clears up any small blemishes overnight!) I'm so incredibly happy to say that after 5 weeks of this routine, I am about 95% clear!!! Before this routine, I had about 5 large cystic spots that would just not heal. Slowly, my face began clearing and I haven't had one cyst or large pimple since. The extremely small ones I do get seem to clear very quickly. I know my results may not be typical and it may take several weeks longer for others to see results but my advice is to at least try it if advised by your doctor. It can change your life...it's amazing how your skin can affect the way you live it :) Good luck! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $10.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Nicola from England
September 5, 2011
| Pros | Completely cleared up my acne on chest, forehead and back. I had tried everything and nothing has come as close as this. I was very nervous to take it but I was desperate. Took 2 months to work so be patient, NO side effects at all. Started on 75g and went down to 50mg and it seems to work fine. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Watch your potassium intake. Not just bananas - broccoli, tomatoes, tomato paste, nuts, yogurt...worth doing some research on potassium high foods. |
| Bottom line | Works and well worth watching the diet to be able to wear nice tops without trying to cover up. Unfortunately cost very little in the US but in the UK they don't administer this drug for acne. Have to pay about $200 every six months. Would still pay double this for the effect this has had. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $200.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Anonymous from PA
September 1, 2011
| Pros | •Cleared skin after 1st week for 1wk •helps loose weight quicker with exercise •no more cyst |
|---|---|
| Cons | •1st wk broke out small pimples •Very oily skin, more than usual •small red pimples along jawline |
| Bottom line | Started breaking out at 27yrs old, very depressing. Went 2 a Dermatologist they said I have cystic Acne because I started getting these huge zits only on the right side of my face. 1 or 2 at a time that would last 4ever, sometimes more than a month. Then they would leave a scare 4 2 more months along with small bumps mainly on the right side of my face. The rest of my face clear. I went through numerous topical ointments & creams. Finally they wanted 2 start me on Acutane I said no. So went on Trinessa BC, Aczone cream & Veltin cream 4 6months. It helped but didn't get rid of the cyst. So they said most likely you have hormonal acne & started me on Spiro 25mg. The 2nd wk was great then, but now 3rd wk all I do is break out along my jaw line wit small bumps that r extremely red 4 15-20min then lighten up but stay. I want this 2 wrk but my face itches all the time with red bumps. Not as oily unless I move around a lot. I'm sticking with it cause I want that clear skin. This may not help but I hope it does. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $10.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Jaya from Australia
August 28, 2011
| Pros | Really clear skin all over the body |
|---|---|
| Cons | Potassium overload |
| Bottom line | I've been using this for ages and it had huge benefits for me with not just acne. My sinuses cleared, I stopped getting gout etc. I have had to lower my dose temporarily and some acne has come back. This is due to the fact that I have had a gradual increase in potassium over time and nearly had a heart attack in the street because of it. The leaflet says stay away from oranges and bananas, But I didn't know that Broccoli is really high in potassium... I would eat this 2 meals a day, six days a week. Also potatoes- sky high in potassium, maybe once a week pig out on potato. Almonds, also very high - well I'd eat a handful every day. Tomatoes and the paste, again sky high - I eat Indian mexican and Italian foods, so what do you reckon my potassium levels were? hahahah, Not to mention spinach and silverbeet, my weaknesses. I would say, monitor your potassium carefully. My first few tests were alright, so they stopped testing it. NOT good. I love it, I won't stop it, but I now have to watch what I eat Very carefully for a few weeks, to let it get back to normal. Be careful!!! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $5.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Total results: 881 Viewing page: 6 of 89
