This is a little off-topic Julisss, but I thought I'd mention it. Tinnitus is a side-effect of too much copper in the body. Copper is everywhere and it also causes hormonal imbalances.
Do you or have you ever taken zinc supplements? Zinc lowers copper levels, so this might help you. I've been taking zinc for a little over a week and my skin has been clearing. I also get awesome dreams with it but that's beside the point. Anyway, I don't know if your tinnitus went away but it's maybe something to consider.
Hello all 
Whoever described their Spiro journey as "two steps forward, one step back" - this is extremely spot on!
I haven't posted for a while because things started to look quite peachy in the last 1-2 weeks, everything fading and drying up.
But it takes aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages to get rid of every old, stubborn, inflamed clogged pore, and I'm not even sure new ones stopped forming yet. So now I have a cluster of pimples in both corners of my mouth (developed from old whiteheads), and I have these annoying pin-sized inflamations, mainly on my left cheek. I'm really not sure what these are, they have no head, they don't even hurt, but still they are quite visible and of course, that's the worst aspect of acne.
I guess I need to be patient, the last few weeks have shown that I'm getting there, sloooowly but it was my time for the "one step back".
20% salicylic does a good job at drying them out, but does not extract deep whiteheads 
hey juliss i wanted to share with you something my derm told me a while back. he said that spiro alone will not clear me and that i need to combine it with a retinoid at night and then a good topical in the am. i currently use benzaclin and just started differin but he also mentioned that he normally prescribes a course of antibiotics as well but since i was on them on and off for so long they will no longer give them to me. anyway so not sure what your regimen is like but i would strongly suggest using something in the am and pm as well. are you still getting a period every few weeks? i had mine on the 5th and then got it again on the 26th which is annoying but what i have noticed is that i get no pms at all anymore.
I have craaaazy period, or something between spotting and period will see a doctor about it soon but still wanna give it some time, hoping it resolves.
I use Dan's cleanser, the bp (but not every day) and salicylic acid for spot-treating. I don't like retinoids, they really overdry my skin. But thanks for the suggestion.
For small acne I plan to apply 10% on larger areas, leave it on and see what it does. Will do it on the weekend so it has time to peel...
I am not happy taking antibiotics either, I had to quit tetracycline cold turkey cause it was probably messing with my hearing.
What dosage are you on? Many get clear on Spiro alone. Did your doc explain why Spiro alone wouldn't be enough?
hello again! good to hear from you again! i will say with spiro my periods are very light so that is one good thing! i know what you mean about retinoids. i have never had luck with them but every single time i go to the derm (and i have seen 3 of them) they all tell me i need to use one and just deal with the red and peely skin until i get used to it. they keep saying that if i use the retinoid that it will stop the acne from forming and then along with the spiro should be enough to get me clear. i am on 100mg a day of spiro and yeah i was surprised when the last derm i saw said that spiro alone wont get me clear. he didnt explain he just said with hormonal acne it takes more than one thing and that most times he has his patients on spiro, a retinoid and a good topical as well as antibiotics all at once. at this point if they would give me the antibiotics again i would take them but i know in the long run that its best i stay off them. there are so many times i just want to say f-it and get on accutane because i hate having to use so many products everyday. its just ridiculous to me!
you know when i used regular bp it worked a little bit but the benzaclin worked the best for me that any topical ever has i guess its due to the clindamycin in it. i was able to use just that twice a day on my face to be clear for years. when i had my dermatitis i had to stop using the benzaclin which i think partly contributed to my bad acne as well as the crazy hormonal shift that had to have happened because i went from getting 1-2 cysts every few months to like 8 at once. i just had my hormones tested again and am waiting for my results to come back. i think my androgen level was elevated a few years ago so i am interested to see what it says this time around as well as the other hormones. i think the reason the derm wants me to use the retinoids is that they really help with scarring and help collagen production besides helping with acne. the pa that i see a lot at the derm's office uses retin-a and she has the most perfect smooth skin. i am allergic to salicylic acid or i would use that and i have used mandelic acid in the past but the last time around it made my small pimples turn into huge cysts so i am going to try and stick it out with the differin and see how it goes.
Hello all.
Today (or tomorrow? not sure) marks 3 months for me. I've uploaded some new pics in the gallery.
I do not want to jinx myself, cause I'll never take clear skin for granted again, but there has been a dramatic improvement. I still have a few whiteheads, red marks and peeling leftovers, but now I am okay with a thin layer of foundation.
I am going out again and living life to the fullest. Not to say I have no troubles 
but it does make my life a lot easier and so far *knocks on wood* so good. Even got complimented by quite a few and snogged by this super-sweet guy 
haha, so I no longer feel unattractive. Just saying this because my confidence suffered so much, was destroyed in fact, and I know many of you feel the same way... Bottom line is: keep going with Spiro please. I cried myself to sleep every night and was re-considering Accutane every day. My skin isn't perfect - but it doesn't cross my mind anymore.
For the remaining pigmentation, I use a cream with alpha-arbutin, and for the remaining whiteheads I still use 20% salicylic. I hope perfect skin is only a few months away now. 
An important side note: my period issues still haven't resolved and I may have to start birth control with it. I give it another month.
I am glad it is working for you.
I wish the truth about Accutane was more public...people STILL treat it as a magical solution even though it is the hormonal treatment that really clears acne in women. With iPledge you have to go on birth control with Accutane...if they do get clear, it's generally because they happened to get on a good birth control for acne, not because of the Accutane!
I have seen so many people suffer through course after course of Accutane and wonder why they still have a pizza face and it's just sad. I think your choice to stay on Spiro will be the best for you in the long run.
If you do end up needing BC for your period issues, please make sure you choose one that works for acne...many women take Yaz and Spiro concurrently and they seem to be quite compatible. I just don't want you to undo your great results with a bad BC.
I am glad it is working for you.
I wish the truth about Accutane was more public...people STILL treat it as a magical solution even though it is the hormonal treatment that really clears acne in women. With iPledge you have to go on birth control with Accutane...if they do get clear, it's generally because they happened to get on a good birth control for acne, not because of the Accutane!
I have seen so many people suffer through course after course of Accutane and wonder why they still have a pizza face and it's just sad. I think your choice to stay on Spiro will be the best for you in the long run.
If you do end up needing BC for your period issues, please make sure you choose one that works for acne...many women take Yaz and Spiro concurrently and they seem to be quite compatible. I just don't want you to undo your great results with a bad BC.
Thank you! Of course, I'll try to pay attention if it comes to b/c-s.
I am just not sure about Yaz/Yasmine. I've read so many horrible things about them, blood clotting, etc, but will try to find something with drospirenone 
How about estradiol? I think I once took pills with estradiol-drospirenone and they did nothing for my skin, better or worse, just thought I'd still ask.
I am glad it is working for you.
I wish the truth about Accutane was more public...people STILL treat it as a magical solution even though it is the hormonal treatment that really clears acne in women. With iPledge you have to go on birth control with Accutane...if they do get clear, it's generally because they happened to get on a good birth control for acne, not because of the Accutane!
I have seen so many people suffer through course after course of Accutane and wonder why they still have a pizza face and it's just sad. I think your choice to stay on Spiro will be the best for you in the long run.
If you do end up needing BC for your period issues, please make sure you choose one that works for acne...many women take Yaz and Spiro concurrently and they seem to be quite compatible. I just don't want you to undo your great results with a bad BC.
Thank you! Of course, I'll try to pay attention if it comes to b/c-s.
I am just not sure about Yaz/Yasmine. I've read so many horrible things about them, blood clotting, etc, but will try to find something with drospirenone
How about estradiol? I think I once took pills with estradiol-drospirenone and they did nothing for my skin, better or worse, just thought I'd still ask.
All birth control pills contain estradiol AFAIK, it is the only form of synthetic estrogen used