hey all -

i realize this is a HUGE topic, so sorry if this is a repeat question (probably is

basically, i just want to know about people's experiences with spiro and doxy (or any antibiotic)

been on doxy (currently at 150mg) for around 10 months (at varying doses). flaring up pretty bad, so she's swtiching me to spiro. i have had a history of ovarian cysts, so i'm guessing my acne could be hormonal. yaz cleared me up pretty good, had to switch to necon 1/35 cause of insurance, now on yasmin for about a month - so just the switching bcps could be a factor in the flares, i suppose.

she said to just stop the doxy though, and start with spiro - i'm a bit nervous about going cold turkey. sure, the doxy doesn't seem to be doing the best job right now... but i am thinking i might rather phase myself off of it (it looks like lots of you have been prescribed both at the same time - so i'm assuming there are no contradictions!) than cut it off at one moment.

can anyone tell me their experiences either way? did anyone go cold turkey on the antibiotics and switch? how did that go? or how is it being on both at once?

thanks!

hey all -

i realize this is a HUGE topic, so sorry if this is a repeat question (probably is

basically, i just want to know about people's experiences with spiro and doxy (or any antibiotic)

been on doxy (currently at 150mg) for around 10 months (at varying doses). flaring up pretty bad, so she's swtiching me to spiro. i have had a history of ovarian cysts, so i'm guessing my acne could be hormonal. yaz cleared me up pretty good, had to switch to necon 1/35 cause of insurance, now on yasmin for about a month - so just the switching bcps could be a factor in the flares, i suppose.

she said to just stop the doxy though, and start with spiro - i'm a bit nervous about going cold turkey. sure, the doxy doesn't seem to be doing the best job right now... but i am thinking i might rather phase myself off of it (it looks like lots of you have been prescribed both at the same time - so i'm assuming there are no contradictions!) than cut it off at one moment.

can anyone tell me their experiences either way? did anyone go cold turkey on the antibiotics and switch? how did that go? or how is it being on both at once?

thanks!

[/quote

Oct last year i was on Minocyline for my cycst acne. 2 weeks after the medicine i found theres a huge changes on my skin. I kept going for 2 mths and my acne cleared up. But 6 mths later, i started to break out again like crazy. i must say the worst break out ever. So the doc gave me minocycline again. Sadly its not doing anything. Now my doc switched my medicine. Now im taking spiro n doxy together. The first 10 days it was only doxy. went back to the doc only to realize that the pharmacy missed another medicine for me which is spiro. Now im taking both of them together as my doc says its ok. I dun hv any side effects. its just my acne gets itchy tho. On my third day of taking these 2 medicine together. Still too early for me to say if its working but on the bright side, im not having any side effects. I will update my journey with this 2 drugs going together once this prescription is done.

Delphine - my daughter took Doryx and Spiro at the same time for quite a while. She weaned herself off of it. The spiro and Yaz kept her clear after that. Then she went off of the hormonal control and that was not good...She is now on Yaz, 100 mgs. spiro and Bactrim. I imagine she will wean off the Bactrim when she clears up. The only contraindication of Doxy and bc pills would be that there is a chance that it could interfere with the effectiveness of the birth control.

Delphine - my daughter took Doryx and Spiro at the same time for quite a while. She weaned herself off of it. The spiro and Yaz kept her clear after that. Then she went off of the hormonal control and that was not good...She is now on Yaz, 100 mgs. spiro and Bactrim. I imagine she will wean off the Bactrim when she clears up. The only contraindication of Doxy and bc pills would be that there is a chance that it could interfere with the effectiveness of the birth control.

thanks for the advice - i want to wean myself off of the doxy too, but i would rather wean than go cold turkey. i think i will start 100mg tonight (have been at 150). due to my cysts, i pretty much will be on the bcp until i decide to get pregnant... i'm hoping this spiro might be the trick, though, in which case i plan on staying on it for the foreseeable future as well...

and this seriously might be the WORST my acne has ever been... i just don't get it!

Had beautiful skin in my teens until the birth of my first child. That somewhat subsided until eight years later with the birth of my second. Have taken everything! Three rounds of accutane that afterwards worked for seven years then started again in 2005 but this time with cystic acne (never had before). Second round of Accutane in 2006 did not work at all (broke out the entire time I was on it!). 2007 started on Bactrim and that worked (as long as I could stay away from Starbucks!) mostly until late last year.

I've been on Sprio for one week today. Saturday had the 'dreaded' IB - the worst my skin has EVER looked in my entire life! My doc swears I just have to 'get to the other side.' Begged for Levaquin (what I consider the 'nuke' of antibiotics) and started that just yesterday (with some results - at least I don't want to put a bag over my face today!).

Some side effects with the Spiro - itching and a rash on my lower back (that appeared the second day and disappeared on the fourth) - oh! Intense nightmares which I otherwise don't get!

My question is - I am hoping I am lucky in that the IB hit so quickly? Has anyone had subsequent (or, worse, continuous) breakouts after the first???

Thanks for any help!

I am 16 years old and i've had acne for about 5 years. My skin is kind of weird because it will slightly clear up to the point where it is mild, then I will have a horrible breakout that will last for anything from 2 weeks to about 3 months. Last year my dermotologist gave me an ultimatum of Accutane of PDT light therapy treatments and I chose the latter because my mom was scared about Accutanes side effects. It only sort of helped for about 6 months but now my skin is breaking out around my mouth and on cheeks. My skin is looking a little better today but I am scared that my dermotologist won't prescribe Spiro to me.

I am seeing a new derm tomorrow and I was wondering if A) spiro could help me and B) how I should go about asking my derm for a prescription for it

I'm a 40 year old mother of two. I only had relatively clear skin during my pregnancies. I've been on Spiro for 3 1/2 months. I take 200mg per day. I was also put on Yaz to keep my periods regular while I'm on this. My skin stopped being oily in 2 weeks. My skin cleared up in 6 weeks and has remained clear ever since. I can actually get away with washing my hair every other day if I choose to now. I have had no side effects. It's a wonderful drug!!!!!

I am 16 years old and i've had acne for about 5 years. My skin is kind of weird because it will slightly clear up to the point where it is mild, then I will have a horrible breakout that will last for anything from 2 weeks to about 3 months. Last year my dermotologist gave me an ultimatum of Accutane of PDT light therapy treatments and I chose the latter because my mom was scared about Accutanes side effects. It only sort of helped for about 6 months but now my skin is breaking out around my mouth and on cheeks. My skin is looking a little better today but I am scared that my dermotologist won't prescribe Spiro to me.

 

I am seeing a new derm tomorrow and I was wondering if A) spiro could help me and B) how I should go about asking my derm for a prescription for it

My dermatologist refused to prescribe spiro, but I had been referred to an endocrinologist due to some of the derm's blood test results and they found that my acne was being caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, so the endocrinologist rather than the dermatologist prescribed spiro for me. Whether spiro will work for you or not depends on if your acne is hormonal or not---which is something your dermatologist should do a blood test for.

I'm nearing month 4 on spiro and my skin is 95% cleared up. My face has almost no acne, there's only a bit left on my chest, but my back seems to be more stubborn. Unfortunately my face is riddled with scars where the acne used to be, so I am thinking of asking my dermatologist about surgical excision for the ice pick scars. The fatigue side effect still hasn't worn off though, which is kind of annoying...it's really hard to get out of bed in the morning, which has never been a problem before, and I am tired throughout the morning. Since I was taking the spiro at night with dinner, I tried moving it to lunch to see if it would help with the morning tiredness but it didn't.

I am 16 years old and i've had acne for about 5 years. My skin is kind of weird because it will slightly clear up to the point where it is mild, then I will have a horrible breakout that will last for anything from 2 weeks to about 3 months. Last year my dermotologist gave me an ultimatum of Accutane of PDT light therapy treatments and I chose the latter because my mom was scared about Accutanes side effects. It only sort of helped for about 6 months but now my skin is breaking out around my mouth and on cheeks. My skin is looking a little better today but I am scared that my dermotologist won't prescribe Spiro to me.

 

I am seeing a new derm tomorrow and I was wondering if A) spiro could help me and B) how I should go about asking my derm for a prescription for it

 

My dermatologist refused to prescribe spiro, but I had been referred to an endocrinologist due to some of the derm's blood test results and they found that my acne was being caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, so the endocrinologist rather than the dermatologist prescribed spiro for me. Whether spiro will work for you or not depends on if your acne is hormonal or not---which is something your dermatologist should do a blood test for.

 

I'm nearing month 4 on spiro and my skin is 95% cleared up. My face has almost no acne, there's only a bit left on my chest, but my back seems to be more stubborn. Unfortunately my face is riddled with scars where the acne used to be, so I am thinking of asking my dermatologist about surgical excision for the ice pick scars. The fatigue side effect still hasn't worn off though, which is kind of annoying...it's really hard to get out of bed in the morning, which has never been a problem before, and I am tired throughout the morning. Since I was taking the spiro at night with dinner, I tried moving it to lunch to see if it would help with the morning tiredness but it didn't.

 

Congrats! I'm glad it's working for you. I'm currently on Spiro, only on my 3rd day at 25mg but I'm just happy I was prescribed it. I'm also on Yasmin and I felt like you did when I first starting taking it, but I would say try some vitamins. I myself take B complex, C and D. I don't know what it is, but it's helped and I don't feel that "worn out" feeling anymore. I also work out 5 days a week so you'd think I would be really tired. LOL. Just thought I'd thrown in my 2 cents.

Can you tell me what dose you take of Vits B, C and D

Whether spiro will work for you or not depends on if your acne is hormonal or not---which is something your dermatologist should do a blood test for.

Hormonal causes for acne won't always show up on bloodwork. While one's testosterone level may be in the "normal" range, they may have a higher sensitivity to testosterone. PCOS can usually be diagnosed by ultrasound of ovaries.

Whether spiro will work for you or not depends on if your acne is hormonal or not---which is something your dermatologist should do a blood test for.

Hormonal causes for acne won't always show up on bloodwork. While one's testosterone level may be in the "normal" range, they may have a higher sensitivity to testosterone. PCOS can usually be diagnosed by ultrasound of ovaries.

 

My endocrinologist, who prescribed me spironolactone and also diagnosed me with PCOS, said that PCOS can not be diagnosed just by an ultrasound -- she said that PCOS is a strange condition, and probably shouldn't even be CALLED polycyctic ovarian syndrome due to the fact that the ovaries do NOT always have cysts on them. Some people have excess testosterone in their blood with no signs of cystic ovaries, and other women have no excess testosterone in the blood but DO have cystic ovaries...so she said it varies person to person, and is complicated to diagnose. How she diagnosed ME personally was by my blood tests showing an amt of testosterone that was slightly above the normal range, and the fact that my periods were sporadic and came only every 3 months or so when not on the pill...she said that was enough information for her to diagnose me with PCOS.

If you suspect hormonal acne, definitely try to get referred to an endocrinologist and get blood tests to try to prove your point. Then you would probably be prescribed spiro like I was

Can you tell me what dose you take of Vits B, C and D

Sure! I take 1000mg of C. I only take B-12 right now and that's 200mg, but when these are gone, I'm switching to a BComplex, sometimes I steal my mom's. LOL. And 1000 vitamin D. I take these only once a day, including Yasmin and Spiro. I will also be adding a Vitamin A as well.

Whether spiro will work for you or not depends on if your acne is hormonal or not---which is something your dermatologist should do a blood test for.

Hormonal causes for acne won't always show up on bloodwork. While one's testosterone level may be in the "normal" range, they may have a higher sensitivity to testosterone. PCOS can usually be diagnosed by ultrasound of ovaries.

 

 

My endocrinologist, who prescribed me spironolactone and also diagnosed me with PCOS, said that PCOS can not be diagnosed just by an ultrasound -- she said that PCOS is a strange condition, and probably shouldn't even be CALLED polycyctic ovarian syndrome due to the fact that the ovaries do NOT always have cysts on them. Some people have excess testosterone in their blood with no signs of cystic ovaries, and other women have no excess testosterone in the blood but DO have cystic ovaries...so she said it varies person to person, and is complicated to diagnose. How she diagnosed ME personally was by my blood tests showing an amt of testosterone that was slightly above the normal range, and the fact that my periods were sporadic and came only every 3 months or so when not on the pill...she said that was enough information for her to diagnose me with PCOS.

 

If you suspect hormonal acne, definitely try to get referred to an endocrinologist and get blood tests to try to prove your point. Then you would probably be prescribed spiro like I was

 

Yep! I was told the samething!

well, i made a post on here earlier in the week, but it looks as if it was deleted...hmmmmm

 

I have been on Spiro since April with wonderful results. I am taking 150 mg a day and have had no significant breakouts since I have been on it. I rarely get a teeny tiny little one here or there, but they usually clear up w/in 24 hours. How many milligrams is everyone taking?

150mg seems like a lot,.... no?

I just started taking Spiro on Saturday and have only taken three doses of 50 mg. I take it in the afternoon so that it doesn't interfere with school.

I'm on birth control and my period is extremely regular. I got my period Friday night as usual. Then took my first dose the next day. My period usually lasts until Tuesday with a little spotting on Wednesday, but my period completely stopped on Monday. Past Monday night I have had no bleeding, not even spotting.

This has left me a bit concerned. I've read through the thread and noticed that others have had changes in their periods but many were not on BC. So, do I have a reason to be concerned or can Spiro affect the periods of women on BC as well?

150mg seems like a lot,.... no?

25mg-200mg per day is the general dosage range for spiro.

hey lolo i have a question! i am also on 200mg i don't really get any side effects as far as i know, (maybe moodiness lol) i have REALLLY persistent mild acne that just doesn't go away. i havent tried the yasmin combo but i just wanted to how you got 200 prescribed to you. I am only allowed 100mg but i just overdose i guess you could say because its the only way that anything works for me so far :/

hey lolo i have a question! i am also on 200mg i don't really get any side effects as far as i know, (maybe moodiness lol) i have REALLLY persistent mild acne that just doesn't go away. i havent tried the yasmin combo but i just wanted to how you got 200 prescribed to you. I am only allowed 100mg but i just overdose i guess you could say because its the only way that anything works for me so far :/

Hi everyone. Just wanted to say that I too am on spiro--started 1 wk ago. My dr put me on only 25mg once a day and said he'd increase monthly as neccesary. However, I don't understand how docs can be so different in their prescribing. My sis goes to a diff dr and she prescribed her 200mg TIWCE A DAY from the getgo!! What's up with that?? I feel like I need to be on a lot more bcz today I woke up with thee worst breakout i have ever had. I read through the forum and someone stated that they too brokeout worse than ever once on the spiro, but i think it was posted in 2004. So just wondering if anyone here (2009) has had this same prob. Also i've read a lot about how wonderful they love this drug bcz it has made them less oily. But...i really don't have probs w/ oily skin. Does this mean my acne isn't hormonal and/or spiro is not the drug for me?? I have an appt w/ the Derm on Oct 1 and I'm curious how a dr/derm actually goes about diagnosing ones acne type? Can they tell just by looking or do blood work or just started trying diff meds as trial and error??

*Also like I mentioned above my sis is on 200mg twice a day and her acne (and some unwanted facial hair) was GONE IN 1 WEEK!!! (so lucky)

**One more thing, I also started BP at the same time as Spiro (1 wk ago). I know i probably should have tried one thing at a time to see which one was the one working, but i was too desperate to wait and thought i'd BLAST my zits with 2 drugs. (I know that was probably stupid) The BP has really dried out a lot of my acne and i don't contribute the dryness to spiro because i was dried out after 1 day of bp. I thought i was on my way to clearness, but like i said above WHAM...back to square one today. Does anyone have any ideas on using BP and Spiro simultaneously????? Sure would love to hear.

Would also LOVE to hear what the best non-comeogenic facial moisturizer is???? That isn't greasy or "heavy feeling" on your face.

Thanks, nursebetty.

Ya....it's me again. Sorry for the long ass post i just left.

Had one more question......

I am 33 yrs old and have read that a lot of women are taking bcp (like Yaz) while on spiro. Does the "combo" help with acne better vs. just taking spiro alone?? Or are people on both to counteract the side effects?? Just wonderin bcz if this spiro isn't goin to work and continue to make my face worse, i may consider adding bc to it. Just really cautious bcz i am 33 and i smoke and really don't want to deal with CLOTS at this time. Lol.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to say that I too am on spiro--started 1 wk ago. My dr put me on only 25mg once a day and said he'd increase monthly as neccesary. However, I don't understand how docs can be so different in their prescribing. My sis goes to a diff dr and she prescribed her 200mg TIWCE A DAY from the getgo!! What's up with that?? I feel like I need to be on a lot more bcz today I woke up with thee worst breakout i have ever had. I read through the forum and someone stated that they too brokeout worse than ever once on the spiro, but i think it was posted in 2004. So just wondering if anyone here (2009) has had this same prob. Also i've read a lot about how wonderful they love this drug bcz it has made them less oily. But...i really don't have probs w/ oily skin. Does this mean my acne isn't hormonal and/or spiro is not the drug for me?? I have an appt w/ the Derm on Oct 1 and I'm curious how a dr/derm actually goes about diagnosing ones acne type? Can they tell just by looking or do blood work or just started trying diff meds as trial and error??

*Also like I mentioned above my sis is on 200mg twice a day and her acne (and some unwanted facial hair) was GONE IN 1 WEEK!!! (so lucky)

 

**One more thing, I also started BP at the same time as Spiro (1 wk ago). I know i probably should have tried one thing at a time to see which one was the one working, but i was too desperate to wait and thought i'd BLAST my zits with 2 drugs. (I know that was probably stupid) The BP has really dried out a lot of my acne and i don't contribute the dryness to spiro because i was dried out after 1 day of bp. I thought i was on my way to clearness, but like i said above WHAM...back to square one today. Does anyone have any ideas on using BP and Spiro simultaneously????? Sure would love to hear.

 

Would also LOVE to hear what the best non-comeogenic facial moisturizer is???? That isn't greasy or "heavy feeling" on your face.

Thanks, nursebetty.

Acne is always "hormonal," even if you don't have oily skin. Various hormones are involved with hyperkeratinization (dead skin cells plugging follicles), sebum production, and inflammation, all of which are (always) factors of acne formation (unless you have environmental factors causing your acne, such as makeup clogging your pores)... so they don't really need to "diagnose" your "type" of acne, because the formation always occurs the same way...... it's really a mixture of trial and error, as well as patient compliance, to see what works for your skin.... the various medications help with acne in different ways... some can help prevent the formation of microcomedones AKA clogged follicles (retinoids, spiro), other medications, such as BP or antibiotics, primarily help with reducing inflamation responsible for turning comedones into inflammed lesions, which are pustules, cysts, etc...

Spironolactone is an antiandrogen... androgens are "male" hormones (like testoterone and dihydrotestosterone), which are partially (often mostly) responsible for sebum production... spiro reduces androgen production, and also competes for the androgen receptors in your sebaceous glands... this is why people that use spiro will notice that their skin is less oily....

Most people with acne have glands that overproduce sebum, so sometimes spiro is enough on its own to prevent acne (normalizing sebum production can reduce the chance of clogged pores/ inflammation).... But usually it's more effective to deal with acne formation from multiple angles, so it's a good idea to stick with the topical BP if that's helping you. The BP helps with cell turnover (which helps with hyperkeratinization), and also kills P. acnes bacteria. Once a follicle is clogged, P. acnes (+ sebum) can cause inflammatory response which can lead to inflamed lesions (pustules, cysts, etc.)... I'm not really sure about the exact chemistry that would cause an IB with spiro, but continuing the BP should help reduce the severity of breakouts... antibiotics would help with this as well....

Birth control will also reduce androgen levels... the steady levels of estrogen (assuming you're taking a combo pill) can reduce testosterone activity/ free testosterone levels (higher estrogen means lower testosterone, plus more SBGH which bonds to free testosterone)... but it's not really necessary to take birth control if you're on spiro, since the spiro also reduces the amount of free testosterone/ testosterone production, and also directly reduces the ability of dihydrotestosterone to stimulate sebum production. Really, the primary reason to use birth control in conjunction with spiro (for acne) is to avoid side effects, primarily irregular menstrual cycles, which can be caused by spiro.... you don't want to overdo it with reducing your free testosterone levels, though, so you'd probably stay on the 25mg/day dosage if you were to begin birth control as well. (Some people actually have an hormonal imbalance, like PCOS, which causes elevated androgen levels, so it's necessary for them to use higher dosages of spiro w/BCP to see an effect...)

It's a good idea to start low and work your way up to higher doses of spiro, to see what the lowest effective dose is for you... it is a drug that will have more noticeable effects with higher dosages.... but also more noticeable side effects...

But wow, your sister is on 400mg/day? I hope she gets regular blood tests to check her potassium levels....

Have you tried any other acne treatments in the past? Or is the spiro and BP your first try?

Oh, and my favorite "light" moisturizer, which is also matte, is the skin balancing moisture gel by Paula's Choice.... it's not emollient enough for really dry skin, though...

Oh, and my favorite "light" moisturizer, which is also matte, is the skin balancing moisture gel by Paula's Choice.... it's not emollient enough for really dry skin, though...

comfy cat, would you recommend Paula's product? Now that my skin is doing much better, I'd like to find a product just right for my face, nothing too expensive also. I am having trouble finding something and what to use for my skin type. I feel like it needs a fresh start. LOL.

P.S. I have a few samples from PC, but I only use the Beta Hydroxy on these frustrating clear, large spots that have been on my face since Jan, including red marks.

Thank you "theComfyCat!" I found your answers to be very imformative and useful!! I think I will deal with my acne formation from "multiple angles" and stay on the Spiro 25mg/d and BP for now and just see what happens. One thing you stated was "you weren't sure of the exact chemistry that would cause an 'IB' with Spiro, but..." um...not sure what "IB" is? Sorry.

Right now I'm not having any side effects from Spiro, so I think I"ll hold off on starting BCP or see what my Derm says on the 1st. ??? I am also very hesitant about starting BC because of the wt gain issues associated with it. I care almost as much about gaining wt as I do with acne!! Sad I know!

Yep my sister is on the 400mg/d and I recently stressed to her-AGAIN-about the importance of getting her electrolytes checked. ie: potassium & sodium. Being a nurse I was well aware in advance of electrolyte imbalances with Spironolactone. So hopefully she keeps her appt to get these checked!! (Thanks for caring! =) )

I have tried other acne tx's in the past. ie: tetracycline, clindamycin (oral and topical), Proactive, minocycline, Retin-A, Burt's Bee's acne line, oral rice vinegar, and other "at home remedies," numerous OTC cleansers/bars/ointments/etc..., a few topical herbal products-can't remember names, but things never really worked especially the antibiotics-maybe I didn't give them enough time though? Proactive worked for awhile but stopped. I had acne in my teens (mild, mainly around my cycle times) and mostly clear during my 20's, but now 33 I started getting HORRIFIC acne (types and places I had never had before.) The only things I have tried for the past year have been Mino, Clinda (oral and top), rice vinegar, again the numerous OTC's, and NOW, BP and the Spiro...still waiting for results--PATIENTLY!!!

I will check out "Paula's Choice" for a moisturizer. My husband just picked me up the Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer. So I'll give these a try first, but keep "your choice" in mind. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Thank you "theComfyCat!" I found your answers to be very imformative and useful!! I think I will deal with my acne formation from "multiple angles" and stay on the Spiro 25mg/d and BP for now and just see what happens. One thing you stated was "you weren't sure of the exact chemistry that would cause an 'IB' with Spiro, but..." um...not sure what "IB" is? Sorry.

 

Right now I'm not having any side effects from Spiro, so I think I"ll hold off on starting BCP or see what my Derm says on the 1st. ??? I am also very hesitant about starting BC because of the wt gain issues associated with it. I care almost as much about gaining wt as I do with acne!! Sad I know!

 

Yep my sister is on the 400mg/d and I recently stressed to her-AGAIN-about the importance of getting her electrolytes checked. ie: potassium & sodium. Being a nurse I was well aware in advance of electrolyte imbalances with Spironolactone. So hopefully she keeps her appt to get these checked!! (Thanks for caring! =) )

 

I have tried other acne tx's in the past. ie: tetracycline, clindamycin (oral and topical), Proactive, minocycline, Retin-A, Burt's Bee's acne line, oral rice vinegar, and other "at home remedies," numerous OTC cleansers/bars/ointments/etc..., a few topical herbal products-can't remember names, but things never really worked especially the antibiotics-maybe I didn't give them enough time though? Proactive worked for awhile but stopped. I had acne in my teens (mild, mainly around my cycle times) and mostly clear during my 20's, but now 33 I started getting HORRIFIC acne (types and places I had never had before.) The only things I have tried for the past year have been Mino, Clinda (oral and top), rice vinegar, again the numerous OTC's, and NOW, BP and the Spiro...still waiting for results--PATIENTLY!!!

 

I will check out "Paula's Choice" for a moisturizer. My husband just picked me up the Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer. So I'll give these a try first, but keep "your choice" in mind. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

comfycat is great at advice nurse betty, she has helped me alot too.

I just wanted to add like you, I also have tried all of the things you mentioned in your post, except a few, but most yes. Also, I am like you on the weight issues with BCP, that's another reason I want off Yasmin. It says it doesn't, but it holds this water like weight over you and I hate it. Plus it makes me ache all over and tired. I would just stick with Spiro for awhile, upping your dosage every month to more and more, to eventually finding a dose you are comfortable with. I'm shooting for 100-175mgs. Anyway, I just wanted to add my 2 cents in. I wish you luck!

Hey everyone. I went to my derm last Tuesday after no progress on my previous prescriptions (I have been on doxycycline, oracea, azelaic acid, metrogel as well as all over the counter products). He prescribed Spiro along with Differin. (I'm also on Ortho Tri Cyclen lo for contraception) I've been taking the Spiro since Tuesday and so far not much progress yet (I know it takes time to kick in). I currently have 1 active nodule and 3-4 active papules and that super annoying hyperpigmentation.

I am thinking of holding off on Differin until I see progress with Spiro, since I know retinoids typically have a nasty initial breakout (which would make me go insane). Is this a good idea? Has anyone had success with Spiro + retinoids/differin?

Other than that, I think that the Spiro will be my lifesaver. I have mild-moderate stubborn hormonal acne on my jawline and cheeks along with some hyperpigmentation. Speaking of hyperpigmentation, does Spiro help in any way? Probably not since it's a melanin issue, not a sebum issue (which Spiro addresses).

I'll be posting on here regularly )

One thing you stated was "you weren't sure of the exact chemistry that would cause an 'IB' with Spiro, but..." um...not sure what "IB" is? Sorry.

By "IB" I meant "initial breakout"