I'm doing my best to file through some of these forums and Im getting mixed answers about whether birth control is a must with this prescription or not.
Personally, Im not a fan of birth control pills. I feel like a crazy woman when Im on them.
I get that they suggest you take it with Spiro to regulate your period. But personally, I dont care if the period is at the start or end of a month or whatever. I just hate the side effects of birth control.
Anyone taking Spiro by itself?
I know that you do not have to take the bc pill while taking Spiro. Yeah, Yaz makes my daughter crazy but she is going back on it plus Spiro because her acne has come back. I have suggested that she just take it by itself but it's up to her. I think she wants to try other bc pills to see if they make her less crazy.
You do not have to take birth control with Spiro.
The only medication that you should take birth control with is Accutane due to the teratogenic effects on a fetus.
It is however pregnancy category C so you should NOT get pregnant while on spiro when spiro is used only for acne. If it were used for other things like congestive heart failure, there's more latitude in prescribing.
I'm on Spiro without birth control for acne and PCOS, prescribed by an endocrinologist. Boston50, you might want to check about your daughter taking Spiro and Yaz at the same time---Spiro is a potassium-sparing diuretic and Yaz increases blood potassium levels, so combining the two could result in a dangerously high potassium level. When my doctor recommended birth control in addition to the Spiro (which I declined because bc makes me cry all the time) he specifically said Yaz was not an option because of this dangerous combination.
I'm on Spiro without birth control for acne and PCOS, prescribed by an endocrinologist. Boston50, you might want to check about your daughter taking Spiro and Yaz at the same time---Spiro is a potassium-sparing diuretic and Yaz increases blood potassium levels, so combining the two could result in a dangerously high potassium level. When my doctor recommended birth control in addition to the Spiro (which I declined because bc makes me cry all the time) he specifically said Yaz was not an option because of this dangerous combination.
Yeah I know. So does her doctor. But I know that some women take up to 200 mgs in addition to Yasmin/Yaz. Spiro is talked about a lot in the book "The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman" and the doctor that wrote it actually recommends the higher doses. But it does concern me. She has had her levels checked and they always turn out fine.
So are you getting good results just taking Spiro?
I know this is an old thread, but wanted to see if it'd become updated if I post on it..
I was prescribed Spiro last week. So far my acne has gotten worse, but im hoping its just an initial breakout and will clear soon! I've been reading a lot on how awesome spiro is, but it seems like most women take birth control with it. I'm not on birth control, so I was wondering about the effectiveness of spiro for clearing acne on its own. I know my derm has no problem prescribing it to me while im not on birth control, but will it still work as well?
yeah the spiro will still work with not being on birth control. i have been on spiro for over 16 months and am not on anything else and it works very very well. i used to get a lot of cystic acne especially before my period but now i get nothing. its great stuff. i also use an AHA daily too.
the spiro did take a while to kick in and for the first 2 months my acne got a lot worse but then i started keflex and it cleared up right away and then i weaned off of the keflex and only take the spiro now.
I know this is an old thread, but wanted to see if it'd become updated if I post on it..
I was prescribed Spiro last week. So far my acne has gotten worse, but im hoping its just an initial breakout and will clear soon! I've been reading a lot on how awesome spiro is, but it seems like most women take birth control with it. I'm not on birth control, so I was wondering about the effectiveness of spiro for clearing acne on its own. I know my derm has no problem prescribing it to me while im not on birth control, but will it still work as well?
I've been on Spiro off and on for a few years. The first time I used it, I believe I was on 200mg/day (I have PCOS as well) and I wasn't on any birth control. I had TERRIBLE acne for about a month, which was horrible because each pimple left a dark spot. After that, my acne began to lessen and within maybe 2 or 3 months I had no acne whatsoever. So try to stick it out, I know it's tough but you should see improvements soon! 