hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

Usually you start low and titrate up. But my doc started me at 100 and quickly bumped to 200, so might not be out of the ballpark. Just call your doc if you have any crazy side effects or fainting spells.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

Week 10 Update- Since the last of my Obagi Blue Peel dissolved a week ago, it's been a little difficult to discern which changes in my skin have been brought about from being on spiro, and which changes have taken place because I've recently had a chemical peel. Right now, I have a few acne lesions along my chin and jawline (white pustules). I'm not sure if they've cropped up because I am on the last couple days of my cycle, because my skin's a little "stressed out" due to the peel, or because my spiro 'script ran out last Friday (today's Wednesday), and my dermatologist's office hasn't been open until today.

A little concerned about these whiteheads, but I don't think that they're the kind that will produce scarring.

Hopefully in a week, things will have improved in these areas on my face. I'll let y'all know.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

 

I like being on spiro alright. Truthfully, it didn't totally clear my face of acne lesions the way that I wish it had. I still get one or two a month, albeit much less painful and deep than they used to be. I am thinking I might have to increase my dosage to 50 mg in a month or so, because right now my chin and jawline are pretty broken out. I haven't had such a breakout in a long time, but I'm also thinking that the pustules might be present because I had Aquaphor on my face for a week straight after getting an Obagi Blue Peel. I'll probably know for sure in at least a month's time.

I've never heard of tri-sprintec or augmentin before. Do you mind telling me a little bit about them? As in, one sentence or less, so you don't have to take up too much of your day talking about it with me.

Acne certainly can take an emotional toll on a person. I've been there myself, and cried a few times to my mom over the acne I've had, and its scarring effects. Please know that you're not alone in your feelings. Things do eventually get better, and sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. It just takes LOTS of patience and quite a bit of time, as I've come to find out.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

 

I like being on spiro alright. Truthfully, it didn't totally clear my face of acne lesions the way that I wish it had. I still get one or two a month, albeit much less painful and deep than they used to be. I am thinking I might have to increase my dosage to 50 mg in a month or so, because right now my chin and jawline are pretty broken out. I haven't had such a breakout in a long time, but I'm also thinking that the pustules might be present because I had Aquaphor on my face for a week straight after getting an Obagi Blue Peel. I'll probably know for sure in at least a month's time.

I've never heard of tri-sprintec or augmentin before. Do you mind telling me a little bit about them? As in, one sentence or less, so you don't have to take up too much of your day talking about it with me.

Acne certainly can take an emotional toll on a person. I've been there myself, and cried a few times to my mom over the acne I've had, and its scarring effects. Please know that you're not alone in your feelings. Things do eventually get better, and sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. It just takes LOTS of patience and quite a bit of time, as I've come to find out.

 

that stinks about your new breakouts i wonder if maybe because you've gotten to the 3 month mark that happened. i've heard it takes about that much time for spiro to take effect, maybe purging? oh tri-sprintec is the generic for orthotrycyclin (BCP), i have to make a yearly appointment with my gyno so i may inquire about getting something with the lowest androgens. augmentin is an antibiotic, i think it really messed with my immune system as i developed a staph infection shortly after i stopped taking it. i never really understood how antibiotics were a good route as far as acne. for me once i stopped them, it just came back again.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

 

I like being on spiro alright. Truthfully, it didn't totally clear my face of acne lesions the way that I wish it had. I still get one or two a month, albeit much less painful and deep than they used to be. I am thinking I might have to increase my dosage to 50 mg in a month or so, because right now my chin and jawline are pretty broken out. I haven't had such a breakout in a long time, but I'm also thinking that the pustules might be present because I had Aquaphor on my face for a week straight after getting an Obagi Blue Peel. I'll probably know for sure in at least a month's time.

I've never heard of tri-sprintec or augmentin before. Do you mind telling me a little bit about them? As in, one sentence or less, so you don't have to take up too much of your day talking about it with me.

Acne certainly can take an emotional toll on a person. I've been there myself, and cried a few times to my mom over the acne I've had, and its scarring effects. Please know that you're not alone in your feelings. Things do eventually get better, and sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. It just takes LOTS of patience and quite a bit of time, as I've come to find out.

 

that stinks about your new breakouts i wonder if maybe because you've gotten to the 3 month mark that happened. i've heard it takes about that much time for spiro to take effect, maybe purging? oh tri-sprintec is the generic for orthotrycyclin (BCP), i have to make a yearly appointment with my gyno so i may inquire about getting something with the lowest androgens. augmentin is an antibiotic, i think it really messed with my immune system as i developed a staph infection shortly after i stopped taking it. i never really understood how antibiotics were a good route as far as acne. for me once i stopped them, it just came back again.

 

oh i meant to ask, do you have oily skin too? if so has it helped mattify it at all?

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

 

I like being on spiro alright. Truthfully, it didn't totally clear my face of acne lesions the way that I wish it had. I still get one or two a month, albeit much less painful and deep than they used to be. I am thinking I might have to increase my dosage to 50 mg in a month or so, because right now my chin and jawline are pretty broken out. I haven't had such a breakout in a long time, but I'm also thinking that the pustules might be present because I had Aquaphor on my face for a week straight after getting an Obagi Blue Peel. I'll probably know for sure in at least a month's time.

I've never heard of tri-sprintec or augmentin before. Do you mind telling me a little bit about them? As in, one sentence or less, so you don't have to take up too much of your day talking about it with me.

Acne certainly can take an emotional toll on a person. I've been there myself, and cried a few times to my mom over the acne I've had, and its scarring effects. Please know that you're not alone in your feelings. Things do eventually get better, and sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. It just takes LOTS of patience and quite a bit of time, as I've come to find out.

 

that stinks about your new breakouts i wonder if maybe because you've gotten to the 3 month mark that happened. i've heard it takes about that much time for spiro to take effect, maybe purging? oh tri-sprintec is the generic for orthotrycyclin (BCP), i have to make a yearly appointment with my gyno so i may inquire about getting something with the lowest androgens. augmentin is an antibiotic, i think it really messed with my immune system as i developed a staph infection shortly after i stopped taking it. i never really understood how antibiotics were a good route as far as acne. for me once i stopped them, it just came back again.

hello,

I've started spiro today, 100mg twice a day. Derm wants me to come back in about 5 weeks to check progression. Should I ask for bloodwork too? I don't really have a primary doctor as I no longer have health insurance. Also is it typical to start high and taper down?

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer the question as to what is "typical" or not in regard to being on spiro. I have just been on it since October, but hopefully another member will come across your question among the threads and give you an answer that you might find satisfactory.

Personally, I think it's a little atypical that your derm did not send you to a clinic or your general practitioner for bloodwork. If I were you, I might try giving your derm a call to ask why not.

Also, I don't have health insurance, either. I simply went to my county health department and paid around $35.00 for a full metabolic panel after having been on spiro for 2 weeks. Not bad at all.

Hope that helps you.

9 Week Update- Sorry that my 9 week update is nearly a week late. It's the holiday season, you know. Anyway, there isn't a lot to report in regard to any new changes in my body. Right now I am still dealing with my skin's reaction to the latest Obagi Blue Peel that I had done the week before Christmas. It's hard to tell which changes have been brought on by the peel, or which changes might have been brought on as a result of spiro.

I'll try to keep y'all on the up and up once my skin has settled down a bit more.

 

Thanks for the response!

how are you liking being on spiro? I've had such oily/acne prone skin every since puberty it seems, and i will be 30 in May My face is so-so, but my back i've always had breakouts. i'm so self-conscious, it's gotten to the point that it's made me cry right front of my boyfriend. the only thing that did help from my previous derm was augmentin twice a day, didn't really help with the oil but my skin looked great. of course it came back after about a month and i also developed cellutis. i had my pharmacist print out a list of all the stuff i was prescribed so i could show it to this new derm. i'm really hoping this is going to be the magic bullet along with tri-sprintec, which i've been on almost a year but not seeing much improvement. i guess when i go back to him in a few weeks i'll mention getting a bloodtest if they do it there.

 

I like being on spiro alright. Truthfully, it didn't totally clear my face of acne lesions the way that I wish it had. I still get one or two a month, albeit much less painful and deep than they used to be. I am thinking I might have to increase my dosage to 50 mg in a month or so, because right now my chin and jawline are pretty broken out. I haven't had such a breakout in a long time, but I'm also thinking that the pustules might be present because I had Aquaphor on my face for a week straight after getting an Obagi Blue Peel. I'll probably know for sure in at least a month's time.

I've never heard of tri-sprintec or augmentin before. Do you mind telling me a little bit about them? As in, one sentence or less, so you don't have to take up too much of your day talking about it with me.

Acne certainly can take an emotional toll on a person. I've been there myself, and cried a few times to my mom over the acne I've had, and its scarring effects. Please know that you're not alone in your feelings. Things do eventually get better, and sometimes I still have to remind myself of this. It just takes LOTS of patience and quite a bit of time, as I've come to find out.

 

that stinks about your new breakouts i wonder if maybe because you've gotten to the 3 month mark that happened. i've heard it takes about that much time for spiro to take effect, maybe purging? oh tri-sprintec is the generic for orthotrycyclin (BCP), i have to make a yearly appointment with my gyno so i may inquire about getting something with the lowest androgens. augmentin is an antibiotic, i think it really messed with my immune system as i developed a staph infection shortly after i stopped taking it. i never really understood how antibiotics were a good route as far as acne. for me once i stopped them, it just came back again.

 

oh i meant to ask, do you have oily skin too? if so has it helped mattify it at all?

 

I did have pretty oily skin, and I think that changing my diet (I cut out gluten and dairy) and taking spiro has helped with that problem. Excess oil is no longer a concern for me.

Hope I'm also purging... 7 weeks into treatment now and things calmed down for a few days, I almost felt relieved then overnight cystic pimples on forehead & cheeks that were clear so far! And I'm also dealing with the leftover of a breakout on my chin, that's been with me for more than 2 months now. I just grew something the size of a bean (((((

Ahhhh I am so emotionally exhausted!

Maybe it's my face getting adjusted to 200mg which is quite a big dosage, I think...

Accutane is so tempting right now, but I'll def wait a couple of weeks (will have to anyhow to get an appointment). I wish Spiro gave me a tiny sign that it will kick in.

Cherry, does this peel rid you of clogged pores? I wanted to have a med. peel too but I'm a bit afraid it'll just make my face red. Accutane made it so sensitive. :/

Hope I'm also purging... 7 weeks into treatment now and things calmed down for a few days, I almost felt relieved then overnight cystic pimples on forehead & cheeks that were clear so far! And I'm also dealing with the leftover of a breakout on my chin, that's been with me for more than 2 months now. I just grew something the size of a bean (((((

Ahhhh I am so emotionally exhausted!

Maybe it's my face getting adjusted to 200mg which is quite a big dosage, I think...

Accutane is so tempting right now, but I'll def wait a couple of weeks (will have to anyhow to get an appointment). I wish Spiro gave me a tiny sign that it will kick in.

Cherry, does this peel rid you of clogged pores? I wanted to have a med. peel too but I'm a bit afraid it'll just make my face red. Accutane made it so sensitive. :/

 

You know, I have never heard of anybody purging after being on spiro for several months. Did your doctor advise you about this before you began spiro? I have a really painful couple of cysts at the end of my chin right now, one is also the size of a bean. I thought that maybe I'm breaking out in cysts at this point because my face had been covered in Aquaphor the week before Christmas. But now I'm wondering if my chin and jawline are breaking out in pustules because I'm also purging.

However, I'm only on a 25mg dosage. Because my doses are so low, I was thinking for a few days that I might have to have my doc increase the number of mgs that I'm on.

The Obagi Blue Peel doesn't get rid of clogged pores. The type of chemical peel that I had was meant to treat blemishes, facial lines, scars, uneven pigmentation and acne. You can read a more about my experiences with the Obagi Blue Peel here; http://polkadotsleop...-christmas.html

Well actually, it hasn't been several months, just nearly 2 and for what I've read, some girls even continue to break out till month 3-5. Not that I have the capacity to deal with that. :/

I think that there is acne in the deeper layers of the skin that's been forming there for months and this all has to resolve. I just had a zit coming out on my nose that I swear was there for more than a year.

I think it is reasonable to up your dosage since 25mg is such a small dose, you may not see improvement under 100 (or not sufficient enough). Many say that increasing the dosage causes breakouts - might be true for me too, since I increased to 200 recently, but I wanna see max benefits. I think it's worth it if your bloodwork is ok so far!

Btw - I still put the muscle twitches down to Spiro, I just hope they will decrease along with the diuretic effect.

Well actually, it hasn't been several months, just nearly 2 and for what I've read, some girls even continue to break out till month 3-5. Not that I have the capacity to deal with that. :/

I think that there is acne in the deeper layers of the skin that's been forming there for months and this all has to resolve. I just had a zit coming out on my nose that I swear was there for more than a year.

I think it is reasonable to up your dosage since 25mg is such a small dose, you may not see improvement under 100 (or not sufficient enough). Many say that increasing the dosage causes breakouts - might be true for me too, since I increased to 200 recently, but I wanna see max benefits. I think it's worth it if your bloodwork is ok so far!

Btw - I still put the muscle twitches down to Spiro, I just hope they will decrease along with the diuretic effect.

 

I think that I might speak to my derm during my upcoming appointment about increasing the dosage of my spiro script, because it's been about 2 weeks now, and I still have this painful (and large) group of cysts on the lower right side of my chin. I thought they'd come to a head and drain by now, at least. They've shrunk in size, because I've been pretty diligent about applying medication on them, but they still hurt and are pretty obvious. I just want them to go away already without having to schedule an appointment for a cortizone shot. Those aren't at all pleasant and are expensive.

Strange that you are still continuing to experience muscle twitching. Have you kept your doc up to speed about this?

Actually it settled a bit, but I'm getting a magnesium level test with my bloodwork this time. Diuretics can cause this...

I know, I'm pretty pissed off as well! My face was healing so nicely and then all of a sudden, flare up from hell. Now I look like I was sprinkled with red paint, never felt this unattractive in my life. Not long now to convince myself to take Accutane again. It is really so sad. Not being able to cope with this mentally is one thing but now I'm starting to worry my skin will suffer permanent damage if I keep getting pimples. Even if it stopped right now, I'd have to work on my complexion for months to get even.

It's cool that derms give these cortisone shots. I don't think they are given at this side of the world. So at least you have a last resort!

Well actually, it hasn't been several months, just nearly 2 and for what I've read, some girls even continue to break out till month 3-5. Not that I have the capacity to deal with that. :/

I think that there is acne in the deeper layers of the skin that's been forming there for months and this all has to resolve. I just had a zit coming out on my nose that I swear was there for more than a year.

I think it is reasonable to up your dosage since 25mg is such a small dose, you may not see improvement under 100 (or not sufficient enough). Many say that increasing the dosage causes breakouts - might be true for me too, since I increased to 200 recently, but I wanna see max benefits. I think it's worth it if your bloodwork is ok so far!

Btw - I still put the muscle twitches down to Spiro, I just hope they will decrease along with the diuretic effect.

 

I think that I might speak to my derm during my upcoming appointment about increasing the dosage of my spiro script, because it's been about 2 weeks now, and I still have this painful (and large) group of cysts on the lower right side of my chin. I thought they'd come to a head and drain by now, at least. They've shrunk in size, because I've been pretty diligent about applying medication on them, but they still remain painful. I just want them to go away already without having to schedule an appointment for a cortizone shot. Those are painful and expensive.

Strange that you are still continuing to experience muscle twitching. Have you kept your doc up to speed about this?

 

if you dont mind me asking how long have you been on spiro? i am going into my 5th week at 75mg and then will go up to 100mg next week but i have some cysts that have been on my chin for 2 weeks as well and they arent going away at all so i had a tca peel done. i havent peeled yet but i am praying that when i do peel that these cysts will go with it. i have been going to the derm weekly for shots and its a real pain ya know? ugh i wish there was some other way to get rid of these cysts. i waited a few smaller ones out the one time to see if they ever do go away and 3 months later they were still there so i had the derm inject them. its ridiculous and i wish there was something that would make them go away. my derm wants me to start the 0.0025% of retin-a after i peel so i guess i will try that too. i have used it twice in the past and i never got past the peeling stage but then again i dont think i ever used moisturizer with it. oopsie!

Actually it settled a bit, but I'm getting a magnesium level test with my bloodwork this time. Diuretics can cause this...

I know, I'm pretty pissed off as well! My face was healing so nicely and then all of a sudden, flare up from hell. Now I look like I was sprinkled with red paint, never felt this unattractive in my life. Not long now to convince myself to take Accutane again. It is really so sad. Not being able to cope with this mentally is one thing but now I'm starting to worry my skin will suffer permanent damage if I keep getting pimples. Even if it stopped right now, I'd have to work on my complexion for months to get even.

It's cool that derms give these cortisone shots. I don't think they are given at this side of the world. So at least you have a last resort!

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your breakout. Have you talked to your derm about making the switch over to Accutane?

What part of the world do you hail from?

Well actually, it hasn't been several months, just nearly 2 and for what I've read, some girls even continue to break out till month 3-5. Not that I have the capacity to deal with that. :/

I think that there is acne in the deeper layers of the skin that's been forming there for months and this all has to resolve. I just had a zit coming out on my nose that I swear was there for more than a year.

I think it is reasonable to up your dosage since 25mg is such a small dose, you may not see improvement under 100 (or not sufficient enough). Many say that increasing the dosage causes breakouts - might be true for me too, since I increased to 200 recently, but I wanna see max benefits. I think it's worth it if your bloodwork is ok so far!

Btw - I still put the muscle twitches down to Spiro, I just hope they will decrease along with the diuretic effect.

 

I think that I might speak to my derm during my upcoming appointment about increasing the dosage of my spiro script, because it's been about 2 weeks now, and I still have this painful (and large) group of cysts on the lower right side of my chin. I thought they'd come to a head and drain by now, at least. They've shrunk in size, because I've been pretty diligent about applying medication on them, but they still remain painful. I just want them to go away already without having to schedule an appointment for a cortizone shot. Those are painful and expensive.

Strange that you are still continuing to experience muscle twitching. Have you kept your doc up to speed about this?

 

if you dont mind me asking how long have you been on spiro? i am going into my 5th week at 75mg and then will go up to 100mg next week but i have some cysts that have been on my chin for 2 weeks as well and they arent going away at all so i had a tca peel done. i havent peeled yet but i am praying that when i do peel that these cysts will go with it. i have been going to the derm weekly for shots and its a real pain ya know? ugh i wish there was some other way to get rid of these cysts. i waited a few smaller ones out the one time to see if they ever do go away and 3 months later they were still there so i had the derm inject them. its ridiculous and i wish there was something that would make them go away. my derm wants me to start the 0.0025% of retin-a after i peel so i guess i will try that too. i have used it twice in the past and i never got past the peeling stage but then again i dont think i ever used moisturizer with it. oopsie!

 

I've been on spiro since October 24th. So, I'm coming up on that 3-month mark.

It's strange, but the cysts that I have cropped up after I had my TCA peel done, and man are they painful. I think they arose due to the fact that I wasn't able to refill my spiro 'script for 5 days during my winter break from school, though.

Good luck with getting rid of your cysts with the TCA peel!

Week 11 Update- Again, sorry that this week's update has been a little slow in coming. I just had my first week of classes this past week, and am still trying to get organized. As I've told a couple of you, I have had a group of cystic lesions in my lower right chin for about 2 weeks now. I believe that I have them because I wasn't able to get my spiro 'script refilled for about a week at the beginning of January. That's just my own personal theory, but I'm not positively sure.

In exactly a month, I'm going to have a post-procedure follow up appointment with my derm so that she can evaluate my skin after the Obagi Blue Peel at the 6 week mark. If I still have these monstrous cysts in my chin at that point, then I will talk to her about either upping my dosage, or getting on a different form of medication.

Quick Update-The largest 2 cysts that have been in my chin for around two weeks now have finally subsided. Hooray! One of the cysts was about the size of a pinto bean, and now it has reduced itself by half.

Been taking my spiro everyday since getting my 'script refilled, and washing everyday with my sodium sulfacetacetamide medicated cleanser. I think both of these things are helping to reduce the acne lesions on my face.

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming...

Week 12 Update- Happy to report that most of the cysts on my chin have almost completely reduced. My face is still dry, red and flaky from getting the Obagi Blue Peel on December, 18th. Because of the dryness, I sometimes use quite a bit of Walgreen's Moisturizing Skin Cream (their version of Cetaphil) on my face overnight. This has caused a few small whiteheads to crop up on my face, but nothing like the huge, painful cysts I experienced just after the Blue Peel.

I do think that I'm going to request for my derm to up the dosage from 25mg to 50mg next month, though.

That's it for now. More updates from Spiro-Land coming soon!

Week 13 Update- Not too much to report at this time. Still have just one small cyst in the bottom left side of my chin. So tired of dealing with these chin-cysts altogether. It's just been over 3 months since I started spiro, and I still experience them on a monthly basis.

Definitely think it's time to request that my derm up the dosage to 50 mg. Thank goodness I only have less than a week left of my current 'script of 25mg.

Week 14 Update- Somebody's definitely getting her spiro prescription increased next month (this girl)! Grrrr...that large cyst in the lower right side of my chin has refilled itself, and has once again become a glaring red bump. So ugly!

Have any of y'all ever experienced a cyst refilling itself before? I'm pretty sure this is the first time it's ever happened to me, and it's not any fun.

Thought I'd also include a link from the blog post I created that talks about the skincare products I use for my A.M. Regimen; http://polkadotsleopardspots85.blogspot.com/2013/01/lets-talk-about-skin-am-regimen-for-face.html Hope some of you will give it a read.

More updates coming soon.

Week 15 Update- So, today I picked up my new 'script of 50 mg from the pharmacy. It's the exact same brand of spiro that I have been using since the end of November (Mylan). Same packages, only now I have to buy two of them at one time.

I'll be taking one 25 pg pill of spiro twice daily. Today, I took my first dosage of 50 mg, so it's obviously too early to notice any changes.

Two weeks from today, I also have to go to the Health Department to have a metabolic panel done on my blood to check my potassium levels. Not the most fun place ever in the world to visit. But at least it's a one-time thing.

I sure hope this increase in dosage will help, because at this point I'm not sure what else I can take to control the cystic acne in my chin.

Hi ladies I've been on Sprio for about 6 months now. I stopped for a couple of weeks or so during my first month. I continued to breakout for months 1-3 and then thats when i noticed i wasn't breaking out as much. For the most part I've remained clear these past 2 months. That was until 2 weeks ago. I currently have 2 cysts on my right side ( cheek and jawline) and the week before that broke out in a cyst on my chin and cheek ( left side) I'm starting to wonder if it's due to my period being around the corner or what. Like i said I've been acne free for a while now, almost 2 months and when u suffer from acne, 2 months is a long time to be acne free.lol. I won't lie I have broken out in tiny zits here and there but nothing major and they usually dry up 2 days later but NOTHING like before I cleared up. I also wanna say that I too lose a lot of hair. It falls off in little clumps. Mostly when I shower. I hate it , and it was stressing me out but honestly i'd rather have clear skin. I know it sounds lame but at least for me acne is worse. I do wanna make an appt to see my derm because I DO NOT want to stop taking spiro. It's been good to me. I started at 25 but saw no difference so I went to 50 mg's and saw a slight if any difference at all. I finally went up to 100 mg's . I've been on that dosage for over a month, maybe 2 months. I want to go up to 150 mg a day but am scared since I'm losing a lot of hair.

I just wanted to chime in here, thankyou CherrySoda08 for posting this log, I have enjoyed reading it. I am actually considering taking spiro, since I think it may actually help me. My ONLY concern with it is that I have researched endlessley about it and alot of women report "hair loss" or "hair shedding" with this. Have you experienced anything like this? I love my hair and, as a person with acne and a tendancy to feel bad about my body, it is the only thing that I feel makes me feel beautiful I guess...so I would hate to lose it. But anyway keep us updated! Im looking forward to hearing how the 50mg is treating ya

I just wanted to chime in here, thankyou CherrySoda08 for posting this log, I have enjoyed reading it. I am actually considering taking spiro, since I think it may actually help me. My ONLY concern with it is that I have researched endlessley about it and alot of women report "hair loss" or "hair shedding" with this. Have you experienced anything like this? I love my hair and, as a person with acne and a tendancy to feel bad about my body, it is the only thing that I feel makes me feel beautiful I guess...so I would hate to lose it. But anyway keep us updated! Im looking forward to hearing how the 50mg is treating ya

i know your question is for cherry soda but i can say that I have experienced a lot of hair shedding since i've been on it. Of course I lost some hair before in the shower but not the way i'm losing it now. It does suck and i was stressing out about it but to be honest I'd rather have thin hair and a clear face instead of a face full of acne and thick hair. i'm on 100 mg btw.