tikigasa 0 Share Posted July 10, 2006 [font=Georgia]I have been fighting acne for years. I went on accutane twice and it worked but with really annoying side effects. I had a problem with very dry lips and thirst. I was also warned about the dangers of using accutane such as liver problems (they now reqire an annual blood test) so I quit. I tried many topical "remedies" but nothing worked. I even used a chemical peel. What a waist of two hundred dollars!!! I finally went to a dermatologist my sister in law recommende and he put me on spironolactone along with an antibiotic. My skin started clearing up in just a few weeks!! My skin is so much nicer. I'm sad to say that this was the first time since I was twelve (I'm an adult in her early 30s) that I've ever seen "MY" face. I knew I was in there under the bumps somewhere. I'm now on a cream to fade the blemishes left behind. They are fading. The bonus is that the spironolactone also has some side effects I kinda like. My menstral cycle is less harsh, pms is pretty much gone and I could swear my chest is growing!!! Trust me that's a good thing. I just wanted to share! I recomend this treatment to all women/ girls with acne problems. Just know that getting pregnant on this medication can be dangerous for the infant and is something to avoid. You also have to be careful of your potassium intake. bananas etc.....Anyway, I wanted to share my story.I attached my before treatment picture and my after treatment picture. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peachy_D225 1 Share Posted July 10, 2006 [font=Georgia]I have been fighting acne for years. I went on accutane twice and it worked but with really annoying side effects. I had a problem with very dry lips and thirst. I was also warned about the dangers of using accutane such as liver problems (they now reqire an annual blood test) so I quit. I tried many topical "remedies" but nothing worked. I even used a chemical peel. What a waist of two hundred dollars!!! I finally went to a dermatologist my sister in law recommende and he put me on spironolactone along with an antibiotic. My skin started clearing up in just a few weeks!! My skin is so much nicer. I'm sad to say that this was the first time since I was twelve (I'm an adult in her early 30s) that I've ever seen "MY" face. I knew I was in there under the bumps somewhere. I'm now on a cream to fade the blemishes left behind. They are fading. The bonus is that the spironolactone also has some side effects I kinda like. My menstral cycle is less harsh, pms is pretty much gone and I could swear my chest is growing!!! Trust me that's a good thing. I just wanted to share! I recomend this treatment to all women/ girls with acne problems. Just know that getting pregnant on this medication can be dangerous for the infant and is something to avoid. You also have to be careful of your potassium intake. bananas etc..... Anyway, I wanted to share my story. I attached my before treatment picture and my after treatment picture. how many mg are you taking? I just started taking it and was prescribed 200 mg to be taken all at once every day. Do you think this is too much? How long did it take for you to start to see an improvement in your skin? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Holly_08 0 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hey! How long have you been taking the spiro?? I am considering the Accutane for another round, but I am afraid to because of hair issues from my first treatment.I've been doing research on this and I've come accross information that says that spiro can block male androgen hormones that are sometimes associated with female hairloss. Have you noticed any changes in your hair quality while taking this med? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tikigasa 0 Author Share Posted July 10, 2006 [font=Georgia]I have been fighting acne for years. I went on accutane twice and it worked but with really annoying side effects. I had a problem with very dry lips and thirst. I was also warned about the dangers of using accutane such as liver problems (they now reqire an annual blood test) so I quit. I tried many topical "remedies" but nothing worked. I even used a chemical peel. What a waist of two hundred dollars!!! I finally went to a dermatologist my sister in law recommende and he put me on spironolactone along with an antibiotic. My skin started clearing up in just a few weeks!! My skin is so much nicer. I'm sad to say that this was the first time since I was twelve (I'm an adult in her early 30s) that I've ever seen "MY" face. I knew I was in there under the bumps somewhere. I'm now on a cream to fade the blemishes left behind. They are fading. The bonus is that the spironolactone also has some side effects I kinda like. My menstral cycle is less harsh, pms is pretty much gone and I could swear my chest is growing!!! Trust me that's a good thing. I just wanted to share! I recomend this treatment to all women/ girls with acne problems. Just know that getting pregnant on this medication can be dangerous for the infant and is something to avoid. You also have to be careful of your potassium intake. bananas etc..... Anyway, I wanted to share my story. I attached my before treatment picture and my after treatment picture. how many mg are you taking? I just started taking it and was prescribed 200 mg to be taken all at once every day. Do you think this is too much? How long did it take for you to start to see an improvement in your skin? Just a month or so. I'm on 100 mg now but started on a very low dosage. like 25mg. I was told to take it in the smaller form starting at 1 pill a day for 4 days then every 3 to 4 days upping my dose to first, 2 pills (50mg)/day then 2morning and two in the eavning 100 mg. each dose. He then wrote a prescription for 100mg pills to be taken twice a day. I've been taking the 200mg since the 2nd month of my treatment. (late Feb). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peachy_D225 1 Share Posted July 10, 2006 [font=Georgia]I have been fighting acne for years. I went on accutane twice and it worked but with really annoying side effects. I had a problem with very dry lips and thirst. I was also warned about the dangers of using accutane such as liver problems (they now reqire an annual blood test) so I quit. I tried many topical "remedies" but nothing worked. I even used a chemical peel. What a waist of two hundred dollars!!! I finally went to a dermatologist my sister in law recommende and he put me on spironolactone along with an antibiotic. My skin started clearing up in just a few weeks!! My skin is so much nicer. I'm sad to say that this was the first time since I was twelve (I'm an adult in her early 30s) that I've ever seen "MY" face. I knew I was in there under the bumps somewhere. I'm now on a cream to fade the blemishes left behind. They are fading. The bonus is that the spironolactone also has some side effects I kinda like. My menstral cycle is less harsh, pms is pretty much gone and I could swear my chest is growing!!! Trust me that's a good thing. I just wanted to share! I recomend this treatment to all women/ girls with acne problems. Just know that getting pregnant on this medication can be dangerous for the infant and is something to avoid. You also have to be careful of your potassium intake. bananas etc..... Anyway, I wanted to share my story. I attached my before treatment picture and my after treatment picture. how many mg are you taking? I just started taking it and was prescribed 200 mg to be taken all at once every day. Do you think this is too much? How long did it take for you to start to see an improvement in your skin? Just a month or so. I'm on 100 mg now but started on a very low dosage. like 25mg. I was told to take it in the smaller form starting at 1 pill a day for 4 days then every 3 to 4 days upping my dose to first, 2 pills (50mg)/day then 2morning and two in the eavning 100 mg. each dose. He then wrote a prescription for 100mg pills to be taken twice a day. I've been taking the 200mg since the 2nd month of my treatment. (late Feb). So you take 100 mg in the morning + 100 mg at night? I've been taking all 8 25-mg pills in the morning, because that's what the doc said to do, but it seems like it would make more sense to take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night. What do you all think? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boston50 2 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Are you on a bc pill also? Our derm put DD on Yasmin for a month and then wrote a prescription for 25 mg to add if the Yasmin isn't cutting it on it's own. I'm upset that he wrote it for so little as I know that it's 100 mgs and upwards that seems to help. I'm thinking of giving him Dr. Geoffrey Redmond's book but feel foolish giving this to a doctor. Dr. Redmond loved spiro and prescribed it freely for acne and also hair loss issues I think.Hey! How long have you been taking the spiro?? I am considering the Accutane for another round, but I am afraid to because of hair issues from my first treatment.I've been doing research on this and I've come accross information that says that spiro can block male androgen hormones that are sometimes associated with female hairloss. Have you noticed any changes in your hair quality while taking this med? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tikigasa 0 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 All I know is I feel so much better now and I can't believe anything helped. The spiro is a miracle. Ask about a larger dosage. You may reconcider your dermotologist too. Find someone else who is more up-to-date on treatments. I had a dermatologist when I was in my 20's who just told me to wash with Dove and change my pillowcases regularly. How stupid and basic is that! If that worked I would have no reason for showing up in her office. For a dermatologist she sure had the "your face is a mess you must not be clean" attitude. Un real. That's why it took me so long to go to another one. I'm glad I finally did. Almost had a mental breakdown before I decided it would be best for my sanity if I just went and gave it another try. Any way, good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lolo 1 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Thanks for the post. I am also on spiro and it has been great. I am wondering what you are using for fading the red marks? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boston50 2 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Thanks for the post. I am also on spiro and it has been great. I am wondering what you are using for fading the red marks? Peels are great. Our derm recommended L'Oreal Intensive Adult Acne Peel. DD also gets professional peels through Bio-Medic. All I know is I feel so much better now and I can't believe anything helped. The spiro is a miracle. Ask about a larger dosage. You may reconcider your dermotologist too. Find someone else who is more up-to-date on treatments. I had a dermatologist when I was in my 20's who just told me to wash with Dove and change my pillowcases regularly. How stupid and basic is that! If that worked I would have no reason for showing up in her office. For a dermatologist she sure had the "your face is a mess you must not be clean" attitude. Un real. That's why it took me so long to go to another one. I'm glad I finally did. Almost had a mental breakdown before I decided it would be best for my sanity if I just went and gave it another try. Any way, good luck. I am trying to use our HMO derm. The outside derm wouldn't even talk about it. Also, we have seen a reproductive endocrinologist who said he did a 6 month study on spiro and was not impressed. I don't know the dosage he used. I gave him Dr. Geoffrey Redmond's book and he's looking it over lol. He's still waiting on tests for my daughter to come back. Maybe he will work with me. It's hard to call a derm and demand they give you spiro. I once asked for recommendations for derms in So. Cal on this board but never heard anything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
springmore 0 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I'm beginning Spiro tomorrow. It's a last-ditch effort before Accutane. I've been on Yasmin since January and have noticed a decrease in oil production since then, so hopefully Spiro will push it along. I'll be on 50 mgs a day, plus the 25 mgs that's in Yasmin (of drsp, a variant of Spiro).Good luck, everyone! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boston50 2 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I'm beginning Spiro tomorrow. It's a last-ditch effort before Accutane. I've been on Yasmin since January and have noticed a decrease in oil production since then, so hopefully Spiro will push it along. I'll be on 50 mgs a day, plus the 25 mgs that's in Yasmin (of drsp, a variant of Spiro). Good luck, everyone! Congrats on the wedding and staying clear. Do you think the Yasmin has helped on its own. I can't remember where I typed what but our derm has DD on Yasmin and is adding 25 mg to that if she wants next month. I think it's too low. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
springmore 0 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Yasmin on its own has definitely done something for my oil production, enough for me to notice that my hair and face are much less oily than they were. It may be enough for some girls, but I don't think it's enough for me. It just depends on the person. My dermo actually touched my face with her fingers yesterday to see how my oil production's doing. She said it isn't too bad, so she put me on a lower dose of 50 mg/day. She said that we may up it to 100 mg/day, but she doesn't want to do the 200 mg thing because I'm already on Yasmin. I've heard that the DRSP in Yasmin is comparable to 25 mgs of Spiro, but I've also heard that using Spiro in conjunction can increase the benefits of the DRSP, which can also increase the chance of having too much potassium in your system, which isn't a good thing. For now, I'm flying under the radar at a dose that will hopefully work for me but hopefully won't cause any side effects. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Holly_08 0 Share Posted July 14, 2006 I've done BCP's before (too short lived).I keep hearing a combo of Spiro with BCP--mabey I should try it for my acne. I'm just afraid of the hair shedding which I've heard with BCP's. I'm losing too much already. I don't scientifically understand why starting or stopping a BCP should cause hair shedding. I don't know if doing this in conjunction with Spiro would help any-- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
