Hi ladies - I have been a member on this site since 2011 and an acne sufferer for 16 years.....sigh. My acne has worsened since coming off of BP which was successful in keeping my clear, even during my periods.
I talked my Dr into the possibility of prescribing Spiro but my acne doesn't present as the typical hormonal acne
I DONT get cysts that much anymore
Acne is around mouth, sides of mouth, chin though
Acne is pimples with pus in them and sometimes blind pimples that are NOT cystic
I get 3-5 new pimples EVERYDAY
Skin is OILY beyond believe
I have regular periods
I don't have symptoms of hormonal balance (ie PCOS)
Is it worth trying Spiro at the risk of making things worse?
What kind of acne did you have before Spiro? Did you breakout more? How long? When did you start to clear?
I would appreciate if people could show before and after pictures (You can PM me if privacy is an issue - i can do the same)
FYI, been on accutane but didn't remain clear, BCP never helped, neither did antibiotics or topicals and because of eczema developed on The Regimen, i have to be careful with what i put on my face
i hope i get some responses from you wonderful ladies
I have been on Spiro 50mg for just over two months for face and body. Some progress on my face, not so much on my back.
I used to get cysts on my face but less so in the past few years (I am 34) but immediately before I started Spiro, I have moderately oily and congested skin - tons of blackheads on my chin, sides of mouth, jawline and cheekbones. Forehead was oily but totally clear for years. I would get whiteheads and red inflamed pimples, especially around the second half of my cycle. I have regular periods and no fertility issues. I am thin. I developed some darker facial hair in the last couple of years. Never been checked for ovarian cysts.
I had a small IB on spiro after 4 weeks - cystic acne near my nose. But it was just after a facial, so that could have been why. Cleared quickly. Now, my skin is less oily, I have no active lesions on my face (except when I pick), and my blackheads are clearing and not coming back.
My bacne is still cystic and not linked to my cycle. It might be improving a tiny bit, but I am still getting tons of cysts and smaller pimples.
I don't have any photos that clearly show my breakouts, sorry.
It is impossible to say whether spiro will help you, or whether it will cause a IB. My endo explained that spiro addresses sensitivity at the skin level to androgens, so I don't think that you need to have acne linked to a hormonal pattern for spiro to work. My hormones were "normal" (except for one 17OHP , which was checked). I decided to take it because nothing else (accutane, various BCP, topicals of all kinds, antibiotics) didn't keep me clear. it's a big decision to take it so good for you for really carefully considering it trying it. good luck with your decision.