Good luck! I also only break out around my chin. I've been on Spiro 100mg for 5 months along with minocycline 50mg. The mino helped right away, and I've been mostly clear from it, but as for the Spiro I don't know since I'm still on the mino. I am not less oily though so I doubt it's working. My doctor says it can take 6-9 months. Some people it works right away - seems it can take anywhere from a month to a year (longest I ever read). So my advice is to just get ready to hang on for the long haul.

Here is a picture of what my face looks like Day 19

Day 21

I have been having a really bad day. I thought my acne was starting to clear up, but all of a sudden I have about 5 new cysts forming on my chin and a huge cyst under my nose. The redness has been horrible the past couple of days. I can't believe how awful my skin looks. Not only is it hideous, but it also hurts. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want anyone to see me, even my own family. Before this horrible acne I thought I was a pretty decent looking girl, but now I can't stand looking in the mirror. I hate when my boyfriend comes over because I am so nervous about him seeing my acne. Also it is so painful to kiss him because his face rubs against the cysts on my chin and around my mouth. I am on the verge of tears right now. I have been dealing with this for so long. I just want things to get better. I hate leaving my house, and I am becoming very depressed. I really wish this medicine would work faster. I am so miserable. I am normally a very happy outgoing person, but I have become depressed and a recluse. I pray everyday that God would heal my skin. I will insert a picture but it looks a million times more red in person.

As far as the spironolactone is concerned I am about to increase my dosage to 50 mg tomorrow because it has been 3 weeks. I just wish this medicine would work faster. And if this medicine doesn't end up working for me the only thing I have left to try is Accutane. I have tried EVERYTHING else.

Day 26

Still no improvement . My face is pretty much the same as it was on day 21. I have had to meet a bunch of new people because my sister's wedding is soon, and I am so embarrassed about my skin. I can tell they are looking at the open sores and scabs all over my face. I just want to hide in a hole. I went on the river yesterday with a huge group of people and couldn't stop thinking about how terrible my acne looked. I want my life back.

Anyways, I normally can't tolerate minocycline, but I am so fed up with this acne that I started it yesterday. So far I haven't had any stomach problems. I hope that the spiro plus the minocycline will help with this acne. The doctor said it was ok to take the medicines together.

My period arrived on time two days ago, and I haven't had any spotting with this medicine. The dizziness has also gone away which is good.

I leave for Destin, Florida in 3 weeks for my sister's wedding. I really really really want to be somewhat clear for that trip. We will be at the beach for a week. I just want to enjoy my vacation. I am almost dreading it right now Please pray for me.

Will check back soon.

Good luck hunny. Keep your head up and remember that spiro isn't a quick fix at all. It takes months to really show its improvements somewhere between 3-9 months is where most women notice a huge differnce. So I think you are expecting results alittle quick. Keep in mind that hormones take time to correct themselves it's not a fast thing. So give the medication time to work, hopefully the antibiotics help get u clear in the mean time though. Maybe take those until you're certain that the spiro is working. Once you notice a huge oil differnce is usually a good sign.

Trust me also when I say that your thinking about your acne way more than what other people are. If they notice it I'd be suprised if they think it's a big deal. If you exude confidiance they won't even notice a thing. No one cares about your acne but you and hopefully your dermatologist. Everyone will be there to have a fun time not to look and whisper about how bad your complexion is. This is your sisters wedding have fun and enjoy celebrating her special day with her! This only will happen once so be there and be happy! Don't let acne win another battle with you and kick you down! Show your acne who's boss and go out and say screw it I don't care about my acne right now. Because you are out to have fun. I see people with severe acne holding hands with the boy or girl friends and walking with groups of friends no one is treating the person with acne any different. Society isnt a cruel as you think. Hang in there!! Keep updating though! Things will start to get better soon. There's a light at the end of your tunnel.

Day 33

I went to the dermatologist today for a check up, and he recommended that I add a topical treatment since I had to stop using the metrogel. Apparently you aren't supposed to use metrogel for a long time. So I got samples of Epiduo and Aczone. He told me to try the epiduo first and if it is too drying to try the aczone. My skin is about the same as it was last week. I have a mixture of hyperpigmentation, scabs, open sores, whiteheads and deep cysts forming.

I am making a vow to stop touching my face unless I am washing it. And I will only wear makeup for special occasions. It is time to stop messing with my acne because I feel like it would have been gone a long time ago if I could just stop picking at it and let it breathe.

I leave for the beach in two weeks for my sister's wedding, and I know it is impossible to be clear by then I just hope my face will start to heal a little. I am trying to have a positive outlook on everything. My family and my boyfriend love me no matter what is on my face. I have my health, and I get to go on vacation with my loved ones and watch my sister get married

Oh, also I have been on the minocycline for one week, and I have only had one bad stomach ache with it so far. I really hope all these medications work eventually because the doctor said he would recommend Accutane if it doesn't. I REALLY don't want to go on Accutane. I already have a lot of health problems (factor v leiden, terrible allergies, scoliosis etc.) so I think it would be a terrible idea to take it. The dermatologist took pictures of my acne today at the appointment (which was kinda awkward lol) and told me to come back in 6 weeks to track my progress.

I will check back in soon (hopefully with some good news)

Day 39

Something is definitely helping my acne. The only thing is that I don't know what exactly. Maybe it's a combination of everything. I think the spironolactone is starting to balance my hormones, the epiduo is drying up the surface pimples, the antibiotics are helping prevent new acne from forming, and the fact that I finally stopped picking is keeping the acne from spreading.

The only thing that is driving me crazy is that my skin is extremely dry. I found that I can only use the epiduo every other day or my skin feels and looks like it has a bad sunburn. I am definitely peeling from the epiduo, but it seems like my acne is going away I will insert a picture (sorry about the disgusting looking flakes).

I have had no new pimples forming since my last update and all the ones I have are healing/coming to a head. I really think that the biggest change is that I stopped touching my face unless I was washing it.

I leave for the beach in 1 week for my sister's wedding. Hopefully I can get this peeling under control.

Looking good!! Congratulations! I'm sure your going to look fab for the wedding next week. Big differnce since your last photo.

Day 46

My face is continuing to clear up. I am so happy I don't have any more painful cysts forming, and the whiteheads are drying up! I have pretty bad hyperpigmentation, but I don't even care at this point. I leave tomorrow for the beach. I tend to break out on vacation, so hopefully my face won't freak out. Since I'm going to the beach I have to wear sunscreen. I have yet to find a sunscreen that doesn't sting my face or break me out.

I will update after my trip I will probably start working on clearing up the hyperpigmentation.

Thanks for everyone's support!

Day 75

Sorry I haven't posted in so long! I was in Florida for my sister's wedding, I moved apartments, and I just got back from Virginia to visit my boyfriend's grandma. And I start my senior year of college tomorrow!

As far as my acne goes I no longer have any cysts. It is the best feeling in the world not to constantly feel the huge lumps under my skin and feel like people are staring at them. I have only had a couple of surface pimples and some clogged pores on my chin. One thing I have left to deal with is a lot of hyperpigmentation. I have very pale skin so the red marks are really visible. I will post a picture!

I am still on the same medications as last time I posted. I only use the epiduo about 2-3x a week because it is very drying. I am going to the dermatologist on Friday to see how much longer I need to be on the antibiotics. Also I want to ask him about my hyperpigmentation. I want to get rid of it, but I don't want to risk aggravating my skin and causing the acne to come back.

Wow--your skin looks fantastic! I know it has been more than a year since you have posted, but I have been reading through these boards none-stop lately due to my cystic acne (all along jawline/neck/chin/cheek). I am on day 19 of 50mg Spironolactone(25mg morning/evening). I thought a few days ago it was getting better, but when I washed my face tonight, I was horrified. A new cyst forming by my mouth, and I am getting all these tiny surface-level pimples along my chin and temple. I don't know if it is worth sticking out, or if it is part of the initial break-out. Reading your account has given me some hope, but I still cannot help to feel scared and grotesque.

Hey hun great to see the improvements! Hope you could update us on if you are still on spiro??

2 Years Later

I randomly decided to log on here again to read some of my old posts, and I thought it would be good to do another update. I figured it might help anyone who is taking spironolactone and/or antibiotics.

While taking minocycline, spironolactone and the epiduo, it took about five months for my skin to completely clear up. It was so hard to wait that long but definitely worth it in the end. I started the medicine in June and I completely stopped getting any cysts by November. All I had left was hyperpigmentation, which I was able to fade with regular exfoliation. I like using the Ain't No Misbehavin AHA/BHA cleanser twice a week to exfoliate my skin. I prefer a chemical exfoliator over a physical exfoliator because it is less irritating.

I stopped using the Epiduo in November because my skin was clear and I found the epiduo to be too drying in the cold winter months. I slowly decreased my usage from every other day to once or twice a week until I finally quit using it. That way my skin had time to adjust.

I stopped the minocycline after a year of taking it. Like the Epiduo, I gradually reduced the amount I was taking so that my body could adjust. I went from taking it every day to every other day and then to once a week before I stopped it altogether. Looking back, I think a year on antibiotics is way too long but I was so afraid my acne would come back. However, my acne did not come back so I regret taking it for that long.

I am still on the spironolactone. I increased my dosage to 100 mg and took that for about a year before switching down to 50 mg. I now take 50 mg every day. I haven't had any side effects from taking the drug long term. I can't take birth control pills since I have a blood clotting disorder, so I take spiro as a way to balance my hormones. I plan on taking the spiro until I want to have children. My doctor said that there is no harm in taking the drug long term especially since I am on a low dose.

I still get a few break outs every now and then but the pimples are nothing like the cysts that I had 2 years ago. I am able to leave the house without makeup on and feel confident with my skin. My biggest problem when I had acne was that I loved to go to the lake and the pool with friends but I was so self conscious without makeup on that I didn't want to go anymore. I became very antisocial and I will always remember that time in my life.

Top 10 tips that contributed to my skin clearing up:

1. Find a good dermatologist who is willing to take the time to understand your specific skin and to figure out what is causing your break outs

2. Stick to a skin care routine and keep it simple

3. Quit using overly harsh acne medicine (when I switched to gentler products I saw a huge improvement in my skin)

4. Wash pillow case every other day

5. Keep hair out of face while sleeping

6. Quit picking and touching your skin

7. Only wear makeup for special occasions. (When I do wear makeup I only use bare minerals)

8. Cut out dairy, caffeine and soda (isn't as hard as it sounds)

9. I use a clean wash cloth every time I dry my face

10. Workout to relieve stress

I know these seem like a lot to keep up with, but personally I think it's well worth it.

My current skincare routine:

Morning:

-Cerave Hydrating Cleanser (Target)

-Proactiv Oil-Free Moisturizer Spf 15 (Amazon)

Night:

-Cerave Hydrating Cleanser (If I'm wearing makeup I'll wash twice with the cleanser)

- Proactiv Green tea moisturizer (Amazon)

- Mario Badescu drying cream as a spot treatment (Ulta)

- Dermadoctor Ain't No Misbehavin Cleanser (2-3x a week for exfoliation) (Ulta)

I will post a picture so you can see my skin now. Obviously my skin isn't perfect, but it's a huge improvement. Btw the lighting has changed a bit since I've moved and got a new phone but hopefully you can still tell the difference.

I'm glad you found you're cure hopefully one day I will find mine