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2Nd Round Of Spiro Treatment Failed.

 
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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/22/2012 11:00 pm

Im at my wits end with this sh** its just ridiculous. was on the drug for a year and it pretty much gave me adrenal fatigue. Spiro is called aldactone. It lowers aldosterone in the body, causing you to loose sodium and water. Cortisol works together with aldosterone. When one went down so did the other. Like a chain effect. Was severely thirsty, constantly urinating, and experienced serious depression and anxiety, which stems from lack of cortisol. I plan on taking prescription cortisol and a med called florinef, to help me retain my salt and help with dehydration. I wanna try spiro one more time, along with those two medicines, because i was hoping those two medicines would cancel out whatever bad effects spiro was having on me. Any thoughts/comments would be greatly appreciated because i have no options left..

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/23/2012 1:29 am

I'm so sorry you are going through this.

 

It sounds to me like you have some more complex issues going. Maybe estrogen dominance or thyroid issues. I wish I had a better answer for you.

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/23/2012 10:44 am

OMG This is CRAZY! I just posted almost the EXACT same topic a cpl days ago. It's literally two posts below yours. Please go read it because it's kinda long and I don't want to retype everything.

 

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/320777-spiro-not-working-2nd-time-around/

 

It seems like you know a little more about whats going on than I do. In regards to the low cortisol.

 

Here is the story about the Depression Side Effect.

I took spiro for 5 years with amazing skin results BUT it gave me SEVERE anxiety, mood swings, rage.... my life was spiraling out of control. I turned into a different person. Always tired, complaining & negative. I worried constantly and my life became consumed with my mind spinning in circles. It pushed me into a very dark place. This is hard for me to even write but I just wanted to die.... that's all I could think about. And I even attempted to kill myself two times... one landing me in the hospital. :(

 

A little about me .... I was a very happy energetic social person (pre Spiro). I live in So-Cal and have an amazing Fiance who takes care of me so well. So my life is EASY and filled with exciting things. Weird saying this... but I am an attractive person. Tall, thin & athletic, blonde, and pretty face. The only problem is it's always been covered with acne which has severly damaged my self esteem. My point is that I have NO REASON to be depressed. It doesn't run in my family. My Psych had me on CRAZY anti-psychotics & anti-depressants and were all trying to tell me I had a Chemical Imbalance and would be like this forever. I was on Psych meds for 1.5 years with ZERO improvement. If anything I was getting worse because I saw no hope. I sat in my house for over a year in bed crying every day. How did this become my life????

 

Fast Forward to Spring 2012..... I decided to back off the Spiro becuase I always had a feeling it was causing some of this. I dropped down to 50mg and even 25mg at times. And POOF... Overnight..... I was back to the old me. Happy, Energetic, Social, Singing, Dancing all over the place with Joy. I weaned off my antidepressants and told my Psych I didn't need her anymore. She wants me to report Spironolactone to the FDA with this story.

 

But 3 months on the lower dose my Cystic Acne has come back with a vegence. So I upped my dose of Spiro. My Fiance & Family thinks I'm crazy for wanting to go back to the depressed, anxious person but they don't understand. I CAN'T LIVE with a face full of cysts. So now I'm having all the same issues. It's not as bad becuase I know it's the spiro so mentally I can deal with it better. I know it's not forever. I'm determined to find another solution. And problem is the Spiro ISN'T working this time around anyway. I don't know why. Maybe it's my Cortisol??

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/23/2012 2:28 pm

I know alot about spiro. Ive done over a year of extensive research on it, as well as everything involved with the endocrine system. Your lucky you didnt gain weight on it like i did. You absolutely do not need psych meds. Its the spiro that destroyed you. I was having constant panic attacks when on 100 mg. Even when i dropped to 25 mg i felt like death. It took my life away from me. Had to drop out of school because i was too emotional, cant work, bf is tired of me (he takes care of me too.) He was carting me back and forth to doctors and hospitals because i was going out of my mind. For me to even think about re trying spiro for a third time is outrageous, considering what it did to me. People at school made nasty comments about my face all the time. even my teacher. How dare they comment on something they know nothing about? Ive suffered my entire life with this garbage and im 23. Have your cortisol levels checked. Either order a saliva test or go to an endo and they will test you. My story stumps EVERYBODY. Doctors, family, friends. Absolutely nobody knows why spiro did what it did. So i left the research to myself. Your story is exactly the same as mine. I am really depressed about my face, but do i want to go back to being wheeled in the hospital because im having a panic attack and i feel like im going to die? No thanks. Ill think twice before i put myself in danger again.

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/24/2012 4:13 pm

I'm so sorry your going thru all of this. But it is kinda nice to FINALLY see that someone is having the same side effect as me. I am 100% positive it's the Spiro that caused my anxiety/depression. Not a doubt in my mind.

 

I'm a little luckier than you becuase when I went down to 50mg I felt great. Probably not as great as I would completely off of it though. That is my goal. I want to get my hormones striaghten out and get off the Spiro forever.

 

What suppliments do you take?

Have you ever done accutane?

Did you ever take BCP?

And just curious how was your Estrogen & Progesteron levels?

Becuase I have estrogen dominance due to 13 years straight on bcp.

 

My Dr just put me on Saw Palmetto, Vitex, Vit A, Zinc. I see her again in a cpl weeks and plan on talking to her about all of this and I'll request we recheck my blood & check the cortisol.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/24/2012 4:48 pm

Everybody seems to be luckier then me..50 mg is all i need and id be perfectly clear..im not taking any supplements. But i know for a fact im suffering from adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism. My doctor considers my lab test for my thyroid "normal" but i beg to differ, because i have every single symptom in the book. I have to order all my hormones like cortisol and thyroid from offshore pharmacies because im sick of arguing with incompetent doctors. Same goes for my estrogen and progesterone. My doctor claimed i had estrogen dominance, another said both est and progst were low, another claimed progst was too high. So i give up. Nobody knows what theyre doing.

 

Ive been on accutane 4 times and it destroyed me too. Rage, anxiety, panic. The whole nine yards. I will never touch that drug ever again. Never tried bcp because ive heard too many horror stories. Im 23 and i feel like im 60, i dont want to make myself feel any worse. I hear bcp make you go insane!

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/24/2012 5:15 pm

Ugh this sucks! I agree that Dr's are frusterating. I feel like they just push meds on you to hurry the visit along and get u outa there. AND they get kick backs from med companys. Mostly the Topical companies I think. And me and you both know that Topicals don't touch our kind of acne. grrrrrr

 

Wow accutane 4 times. Yuck! I did it once and it sucked and then my acne came back so I feel like it was for nothing.

 

23... your so young still. I am 36 and been dealing with this since I was 12. I did do BCP for 13 years and was pretty much clear. But the side effects suck. Weight gain was the biggest one. And yes emotional side effects too. But for me it was NOTHING like the spiro. I was super happy thru my 20's. The at 30 I went of bcp and my acne came rushing back. I honestly blame bcp for my hormones being out of whack. So I don't think you should take them either. It will mess u up more cuz they give your body synthetic progesterone so your body stops making it. And that leads to Estrogen Dominance. Sux!

 

Can I ask where is your acne primarily? Cysts? All over or just jaw/chin?

 

Have you tried Saw Palmetto or Vitex? And are your periods normal?

 

Have you ever had any Laser/Light treatments?

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/24/2012 11:15 pm

Yeah im not messing with synthetic hormones..ive heard enough to know its not good for you. My acne is mild/moderate, face in general is just so red with alot of small inflamed pimples and some with pus(gross, i know.) thankfully, i dont have cysts. Ive never had that type of acne before. Its just very red, very inflamed. Spiro took all the redness away and cleared up all the oil and every breakout. I looked like a porcelain doll. I felt gorgeous..bought some saw palmetto and tried it for like 2 weeks and got discouuraged and stopped. I feel like its too weak compared to spiro, you know?

 

 

 

My periods before spiro were wacked out. After taking spiro all my severe cramps/pain dissapeared and my flow became so light. It is still light even to this day, without taking it. It actually HELPED my periods. Usually it makes womens cycles irregular. I have been considering light treatments actually.

 

Btw im an esthetician too (:

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/25/2012 9:35 am

Oh cool abt u being and Esthetician. At least you know that your trained how to properly take care of skin.

 

You really should look into Vitex. Just because it really helps with normalizing your periods by regulating your hormones which in turn can help your skin. Thing is with these herbs you have to give them time. Like 3-6 months. Yes the Saw Palmetto is much weaker than Spiro. My Dr said nothing is going to work like the Spiro.

 

Also check out Zinc. Becuase it's said to calm down inflammation.

 

I'm paying out of pocket to see this Natropath. But she is worth it becuase she knows so much. She said to do one thing at a time just so you know if something is giving you side effects you will know which one it is. Two weeks is good enough to have bad reactions.

 

AND.... There is a new Laser/Light called Acleara Ance Clearing System. You really should check it out. It's only been out less than a year. It works great for comedones & pustualr acne. Most PPO insurance covers it too. (at least here in Cali) Not sure where you are. But my sister's friend works for the Company who makes the machines and said it really works. At a derm's here it is $150 per treatment with/out insurance.

 

Also PhotoDynamic Therapy is said to work very well too. But I've heard the results aren't permanent. But if your against meds and can afford it maybe worth doing and then if you have to do Touch Up treatments then why not. This one is not covered by insurance for acne and is more expensive. I've been quoted $450 - $850 per treatment. Nuts!

 

Also.... what products do you use? What is your skin type? Do you use a Vit A product like Tazorac, Retin A, or Atralyn?

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/25/2012 10:25 am

Haha i know when i saw that you were a medical estheician i was like awesome! Im actually wanting to move out to cali because here in cleveland business is limited and where you are theres like a spa on every corner. Whats it like living out there working in the esthetics field? If you dont mind me asking (: my skin type changed after accutane. I used to be severely oily but after being on tane so many times it permanently changed my skin to normal/oily. Still get alittle shine but nothing like before. How do i know if im estrogen dominant? Maybe i should get all of my hormones retested again. That laser you mentioned, the new one sounds amazing! I have amazing insurance so if i could get covered i would do it immediately! Yeah lasers like isolaz and fraxel or so expensive its absurd. I wouldnt mind going for maintenance treatments as long as i knew it was keeping my skin clear! :D

 

Only products i use right now are very simple. Cetaphil cleanser and vanicream because its formulated without chemicals like formaldahyde. I used to be really into high end brands like phytomer, eminence, yonka, guinot, and decleor but those kinds of things only work if you allready have beautiful skin. Id use those products when i was on spiro just to give myself a healthy glow

 

Ive used retinols but they burn the hell out of my face. Only time theyve ever worked is just to maintain the clear skin i had on spiro. Id use ziana gel and it would just help shed dead skin cells and increase cell turnover. I used it more as an antiaging product rather then an acne fighting product.

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/25/2012 10:28 pm

Well I've been a Medical Assistant for like 18 years. I got out of the biz for a while but then about 4 years ago I started working at a Medical Spa in Las Vegas. My boss trained me how to do laser and I got certified. So I was a Laser Tech. It was AWESOME! We did anti-aging lasers & hair removal. No Acne lasers.

 

Then I got engaged and my Fiance lives in Newport Beach CA so I moved. The problem is that you have to be an RN to operate a laser. So I couldn't work out here. So I got my Esthetician License so I can at least continue to do Microderm, peels ect. Medical Facials which I was already doing all this stuff in Vegas anyways.... I just needed the license to be able to work out here. I just got out of school so I'm taking a lil break then gonna look for a job. Like I said.... my fiance takes care of me so working for me is optional. I want to but it's gotta be the perfect schedule and place.

 

And yes.... there are jobs everywhere down here. Med Spa's, Dermatologist offices, a TON of Plastic surgeon's and they all have medical estheticians. Then of course all the regular spas too in all the hotels & resorts. Ton's of waxing studios too.

 

I honestly would be surprised if your estrogen dominant since you've never done BCP. Your so young so I'd find it hard to believe that would have that. But who the heck knows.... hormones are so weird. Yea you should get it all checked again. Thing is that day to day hormones change. So it's super hard to get an accurate reading. I just know that Vitex is used to regulate women with abnormal cycles and pms. And getting all that normalized can help skin from what I have read.

 

Yea retinols can be harsh. I can use them but like 1-2x a week max. And I peel and get all red. I use Cetephel too when I'm on the retinol.

 

I really like glycolic & salicylic. When I'm not on a retinol I use Vivite Line. It's a medical grade line made by Allergan (the co that makes botox). It's more of an anti-aging line BUT their cleanser has glycolic & salicylic so it's good for acne too I think. But I'm combating acne & aging cuz I'm 36! grrrrr! Annoying!! lol

 

I really think that Laser sounds interesting. My sisters friend says it's the first laser that can actually penetrate deep enough to the root of the sebaceous gland and kills the p acne bacteria too.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/26/2012 2:57 am

Im upset because i cant find a laser clinic that offers the acleara i searched online for 3 damn hours. Closest place apparently is toledo and thats a two hour drive..i mean i live by cleveland theres got to be a place around here somewhere!! Idk where to look anymore :(

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/26/2012 9:22 am

I know.... cuz it's really new. My sisters friend Rep's for that company and said that very few Dr's have splurged to spend the money on the machine yet. It will happen. Those machine are just very expensive so it takes time to convince Dr's that they gotta add them to thier practice.

 

My sister was also telling me about a newer topical called Acanya Gel. I guess it's Clindamycin & Benzoyl Peroxide mixed together. I don't tolerate Benzoyl Peroxide very well so I haven't tried it. But she said she's been using it and really likes it. It's from the same company that makes Atrylin which I have been using. That is Trentinoin & Hylauronic Acid. I like it much better than Tazorac that I had been using. Less drying due to the Hylauronic Acid I think.

 

BUT..... I wanted to ask U abt Ziana. Cuz I do tolerate Trentinoin and I think I need an antibiotic. U said you use this? Do U like it?

 

The reason I think I need an antibiotic is because Since I've been having TERRIBLE breakouts the past few months.... i begged my Dr for one. She put me on Mondox (doxycyclin) and I don't want to jinx myself but my skin seems to be clearing! I haven't had a new cyst in a few days. It's been 6 days on the Mondox.

 

Do You ever take antibiotics? I know they are bad but sometime I think they are needed if you think it's an infection spreading under your skin.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/26/2012 3:17 pm

I cant tell you how depressed i am right now. I emailed palomar and nobody in ohio has bought the laser yet. When she said to check back in a few months, my face fell. I thought it was going to be my saving grace and that id never have to turn to toxic spiro ever again. Now ive realized spiro is all i have and im stuck with it and it brings tears to my eyes because it ruined my life and turned me into a different person. But i have nothing else. I cant stand walking around, looking like this. Im almost considering going to the laser clinic that has acleara thats like, 2 hours away from me and just driving out there to do it. Id do anything to stay away from spiro, i finally feel happy and calm after stopping it. I dont want to loose that allover again. I was thinking of trying B5 as a last resort. Have you heard of it? I feel like its bogus, but im desperate to try anything before going to spiro again. Ziana is great. The clindamycin in it will really heal your skin. Its a gel so it goes on smooth and dries quickly. Its not irritating at all, and the tube is big so it lasts. Definately get it. I was on antibiotics for a year straight because thr spiro was giving me constant bladder infections so im done with that.

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/26/2012 9:39 pm

I cant tell you how depressed i am right now. I emailed palomar and nobody in ohio has bought the laser yet. When she said to check back in a few months, my face fell. I thought it was going to be my saving grace and that id never have to turn to toxic spiro ever again. Now ive realized spiro is all i have and im stuck with it and it brings tears to my eyes because it ruined my life and turned me into a different person. But i have nothing else. I cant stand walking around, looking like this. Im almost considering going to the laser clinic that has acleara thats like, 2 hours away from me and just driving out there to do it. Id do anything to stay away from spiro, i finally feel happy and calm after stopping it. I dont want to loose that allover again. I was thinking of trying B5 as a last resort. Have you heard of it? I feel like its bogus, but im desperate to try anything before going to spiro again. Ziana is great. The clindamycin in it will really heal your skin. Its a gel so it goes on smooth and dries quickly. Its not irritating at all, and the tube is big so it lasts. Definately get it. I was on antibiotics for a year straight because thr spiro was giving me constant bladder infections so im done with that.

 

2 hours is not that long of a drive, I've driven longer than that to see the right doctor :)

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(@crab76)

Posted : 09/26/2012 10:29 pm

Awh I'm so sorry! I totally feel your frusteration. I get so depressed and don't want to leave my house. I feel like my life has been ruined by acne. And then the worst part is the Spiro becuase it kept me so clear BUT it came with a HUGE cost on my happiness. You're like the only person who gets that part of it.

 

And my mom said to me the other day "oh sweetie when your my age it goes away" well she's 61. I don't want to wait til I'm an old lady to finally have clear skin! ugh!!!! sad.png

 

Have you looked into PDT? Photodynamic Therapy? I'm sure they have that were you live cuz it's been out longer. I've seen so many things where people have great results. But I think the results don't last forever and you have to do touch up treatments. I wanna do it! But downtime sucks.

 

And the B-5. Don't get your hopes up. I have always taken a TON of vitamins. I take B-5 but it's not strong enough alone to make a dent in my skin. If the Spiro worked for you then maybe you should try saw palmetto. But you gotta give it several months to kick in. I'm not sure of the exact dose but I think some people have to take a pretty high dose for it to work.

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/27/2012 1:46 pm

For women, saw palmetto dosage should be at least 800mg a day. You will need to start at 300 and work up to that though. Although men see results from straight saw palmetto, most women need a combination of natural anti-androgens, such as saw palmetto + stinging nettle, or saw palmetto + pygeum + stinging nettle + pumpkin seed oil.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/27/2012 3:15 pm

I havent heard of many success stories with saw palmetto. I have an oily face and my hair, jeez, my hair is an oil slick. Even a day after washing it. Especially my scalp. When i was on spiro my scalp was actually dry and my hair had some bounce to it. I miss that. Photodynamic therapy sounds good but i cant afford it at the moment. I wonder if saw palmetto would actually work for me..

 

@greengables, didnt you try saw palmetto with limited results?

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/27/2012 3:30 pm

I havent heard of many success stories with saw palmetto. I have an oily face and my hair, jeez, my hair is an oil slick. Even a day after washing it. Especially my scalp. When i was on spiro my scalp was actually dry and my hair had some bounce to it. I miss that. Photodynamic therapy sounds good but i cant afford it at the moment. I wonder if saw palmetto would actually work for me..

@greengables, didnt you try saw palmetto with limited results?

 

I only took a low dose (around 300mg a day, which is less than 25mg of spiro), because at the time I couldn't find good dosing information. I figured out the dosing after I was already on spiro. Women would need to take upwards of 800mg a day to replicate spiro.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/27/2012 4:43 pm

Are there any certain brands you would recommend?

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/27/2012 5:46 pm

Are there any certain brands you would recommend?

 

LifeExtension Super Saw Palmetto with Beta-Siteserol. Quality brand, still relatively inexpensive, and has 320mg per capsule so you don't need to take as many. Most brands only have 160mg per capsule.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/27/2012 6:15 pm

How long should i take them before quitting?

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/27/2012 6:46 pm

How long should i take them before quitting?

 

Like Spiro, saw palmetto is meant to be taken long-term.

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(@cinnamon_stix)

Posted : 09/27/2012 11:12 pm

Have you by any chance heard of a supplement called clearetto? I saw it here on the org and it seems like it might be the real deal. It has saw P in it.

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/27/2012 11:33 pm

1334547939.jpg

 

I would not recommend it mostly because it contains Saw Palmetto BERRY extract which is not the same thing as STANDARDIZED EXTRACT. They're basically giving you close to none of saw palmetto's power. It's like getting non-concentrated formula.

 

You need standardized extract with 85% or more fatty acids/sterols. That is what studies have been done on. Berry extract by its nature is nowhere near as powerful.

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