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Spiro Initial Breakout

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(@alijean)

Posted : 08/01/2013 5:39 pm

 

Hi there!

This is my first time posting on this site, so I will give you a little history about me. I am 19, and have been suffering from moderate/severe acne for four years. I've tried all the antibiotics and creams and what not with little to no success. I also went on a round of accutane that did not work whatsoever.

So anyways, about three weeks ago I started taking spironolactone, and the initial breakout is HORRIFIC! From reading on this forum I know that an IB on spiro is not uncommon, so I am trying my best to keep a positive attitude. The breakout itself though is very different from what I am used to getting. It started off as a ton of whiteheads, and over the last few days these bumps have been appearing all over my forehead. and i'm talking covering the entire thing. some of them come to small heads but most of them are staying under the skin, and they HURT, and don't seem to be getting any better.

I guess my question is, has this kind of breakout happened to anyone else? and, IBs are kind of depressing things, so success stories or words of encouragement would be totally appreciated too (:

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(@maskedone)

Posted : 08/02/2013 7:38 am

Yes. I've had this, but I think mine was due to stopping BCP. Are you on antibiotics? Many of us are on antibiotics with Spiro, especially in the beginning. It helps suppress the IB by killing the bacteria. The other issue, as many have noted on the boards, is Spiro takes awhile to work, and many seem to have improvement once they are taking 100mg/day. It's very difficult to deal with and I'm sorry you're suffering. I am too. It's not fun at all :(

I would definitely see if you could go on a short-term course of antibiotics (doxy or Keflex) to kill the bacteria until the Spiro starts to kick in.

Additionally, I would look into getting cortisone injections the pimple that are under the skin. If they hurt to touch or feel hard, those suckers are bad news. They scar and can take months to heal. My derm has said the best option is to get the injection. It's so far beneath the skin, no topical will get to it. (This is also why an antibiotic is good because it will kill bacteria from the cyst :) ). I've asked multiple times is it safe to get so many injections (I've had to go every day or every other day :( , and if the doc knows what he/she is doing, it is very safe.

I hope this helps, and know that you not alone.

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(@alijean)

Posted : 08/02/2013 11:50 am

Thank you so much for your response! Just hearing that someone else is going through it definitely helps. I will check with my derm about the antibiotics, thats a good idea. I've had cysts before, and these bumps under my skin feel different, they are smaller than my cysts usually are. will injections still help if they aren't cystic?

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(@maskedone)

Posted : 08/02/2013 12:16 pm

Hmm, I'm not 100% sure, but I've had a few of what you described as well. I've gone to the derm to get injections for the cysts, and point them out. She has felt them and said, "Yep, we'll get those too." :) You can check out some my posts too. I think it's the one about Spiro Frustrations in this section. You will definitely see you're not the only one!

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(@alijean)

Posted : 08/02/2013 4:15 pm

I will definitely go talk to my derm about that! I'm so sorry that your having to deal with this too, I really appreciate your help though!!! :)

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(@bodysnxtcher)

Posted : 08/03/2013 11:48 am

I've been taking 100mg for a little over a week now, and before then i was on 25mg for a month. i'm going through the same thing, the initial breakout is pretty bad, i noticed on the 25mg i broke out in whiteheads, and now on the 100mgs its all just cystic. so youre definitely not alone! yes it's awful but just think of how wonderful your clear skin will feel once you're done with the IB... i always read reviews and stuff and 99.9% of people always say it is completely worth the bad breakout, and it will probably only last from 1-4 months. i'd rather suffer that and know my skin will eventually clear up, than to give up and try something else. hang in there buddy :)

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(@alijean)

Posted : 08/03/2013 12:09 pm

I completely agree! as bad as this is, I know that it will be worth it in a few months! thanks for your positivity (: and good luck with the spiro!

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(@pinkpugsy)

Posted : 08/04/2013 10:37 pm

Ugh, ok, I can't even believe I'm doing this but here is some proof that you should have hope!!

post-95919-0-45813500-1375673636_thumb.j

post-95919-0-27874400-1375673639_thumb.j

post-95919-0-19685900-1375673641_thumb.j

post-95919-0-21362200-1375673643_thumb.j

post-95919-0-93208700-1375673645_thumb.j

post-95919-0-41011800-1375673648_thumb.j

The first two pictures are from my IB. The second two show me with makeup at work on as I was starting to really clear up this week. The last two are me tonight without foundation- no pimples, just redness! It took 11 1/2 weeks to really kick in, but it was so worth it!!

EDIT: I am not naked in those! hahaha I just have on a tube dress from VS :)

post-95919-0-45813500-1375673636_thumb.j

post-95919-0-27874400-1375673639_thumb.j

post-95919-0-19685900-1375673641_thumb.j

post-95919-0-21362200-1375673643_thumb.j

post-95919-0-93208700-1375673645_thumb.j

post-95919-0-41011800-1375673648_thumb.j

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(@baybreeze)

Posted : 08/26/2013 8:34 am

Thank you for that post! It was really helpful in seeing how its going to get worse before getting better. I'm 22 and started spirolactone at the beginning of the month when I just had one little breakout on my chin and my derm prescribed me it. She didnt really explain how it was going to make me breakout and its been getting pretty bad. I've never heard of spirolactone before my visit so I'm just nervous it's going to ruin my skin

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(@baybreeze)

Posted : 08/26/2013 10:29 am

Is there a certain cleanser and moisturizer anybody suggests? I'm using cetaphil which I've never used before so idk if its helping at all or if there's anything that can help with the process

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(@user143021)

Posted : 08/26/2013 1:55 pm

Is there a certain cleanser and moisturizer anybody suggests? I'm using cetaphil which I've never used before so idk if its helping at all or if there's anything that can help with the process

I saw your other post in a similar topic as well... You are most likely going through an initial breakout and you just have to try to be patient, unfortunately. My skin got worse before clearing up too. It took 4 months for me to start clearing on spiro and I wasn't completely clear until 6 months. It took 4 months for me to start breaking out again after I quit spiro, too.

CeraVe hydrating skin cleanser is what I used when my skin was still breaking out, and it did a good job while not irritating my skin more. It's completely non-comedogenic and you can buy it at most stores. Hope that helps.

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(@baybreeze)

Posted : 08/26/2013 8:26 pm

Would you suggest any antibiotics? Or is it just having to wait it out

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(@user143021)

Posted : 08/27/2013 12:46 am

Would you suggest any antibiotics? Or is it just having to wait it out

It just depends... if you're acne is completely hormonal, antibiotics probably won't affect it much. If your dermatologist is a good one, they might be able to look at your skin and tell you if it's hormonal or bacterial. If it's a mixture or the latter, antibiotics could help. In my personal experience, antibiotics only cleared minor bacteria-related spots on my back, but didn't touch anything cystic (which was the majority of my problem.)

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(@baybreeze)

Posted : 09/18/2013 9:38 am

So I've now been on spironolactone for almost 2 months now and the worst has gone I think. The only breakout I have is on my right cheek around the cheekbone. Does anybody have any suggestions for treating it? They've been there for almost three weeks now and are very tender and red. I've been very careful with my diet, I've cut out dairy and try to keep a healthy diet of veggies and fruits along with drinking just water. I'm still only using cetaphil because I noticed that salyctic acid was not helping, if anything I had more breakouts while using it. I've also been using a Apple cider vinegar toner diluted with water and a splash of tea tree oil to keep it simple and natural. The toner seems to help with the inflamation a little bit but they just aren't doing anything. Any suggestions will help! I just don't want to do anything to aggictate it more.

Oh and i did try getting an antibiotic which I think woul'dve helped with this but unfortunately my insurance does not cover much of it. The pharmisist told me it would end up being around $300 ...and that was for the genericsaywhat.gif

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(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/18/2013 8:15 pm

So I've now been on spironolactone for almost 2 months now and the worst has gone I think. The only breakout I have is on my right cheek around the cheekbone. Does anybody have any suggestions for treating it? They've been there for almost three weeks now and are very tender and red. I've been very careful with my diet, I've cut out dairy and try to keep a healthy diet of veggies and fruits along with drinking just water. I'm still only using cetaphil because I noticed that salyctic acid was not helping, if anything I had more breakouts while using it. I've also been using a Apple cider vinegar toner diluted with water and a splash of tea tree oil to keep it simple and natural. The toner seems to help with the inflamation a little bit but they just aren't doing anything. Any suggestions will help! I just don't want to do anything to aggictate it more.

Oh and i did try getting an antibiotic which I think woul'dve helped with this but unfortunately my insurance does not cover much of it. The pharmisist told me it would end up being around $300 ...and that was for the genericsaywhat.gif

Cortisone shot from your derm if you can afford it. Just one might only be about $40.

For stubborn zits, I have used 50% lactic acid peels and 20% salicylic acid peels that you can buy for home use. It forces those buggers out. Apply with a q-tip only on the zit and a little bit of area around it, not the whole face.

Real peels do work, unlike all the salicylic acid products you can buy at the drugstore, which are total crap.

You can also pay an esthetician to do a peel for you, but I do them myself because it is much, much cheaper that way. I can buy a bottle that has 15 peels in it for the price of one peel done by an esthetician.

Other option is to ask your derm for a retinoid cream. Just make sure you ask for plain generic tretinoin. There are some retinoids that don't have a generic, so they're super expensive, and others are mixed with benzoyl peroxide now, which I think is an absolute disaster.

By the way, I find that tea tree oil is not very potent. I think it used to be, but after it became popular, a lot of companies started manufacturing it, and it's hard to find a good brand nowadays. You're better off with pure peppermint oil if you want a natural antimicrobial. I would buy from a natural store like Whole Foods, not from a drug store.

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(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 09/18/2013 11:44 pm

Keep up on the spiro. It has been a dream for my skin. I also took accutane and started to break out again three months after my course. I hopped on spiro at the first sign of acne returning and it cleared me right up and continues to keep me clear I've been on for 11 months now and I am just in love with it! You will get back to your clear skin just continue to be patient. Sounds liks youve made it through the worst of the IB be prepared also when and if you increase your doseage you may break out away. I am on 100mg but was still getting white heads here and there so after 5 months on 100 I went to 150 thinking that would stop my little whitehead problem. Man I started breaking out everywhere on my face after that increase. After about 3 days on the 150 I dropped back down too 100mg because I would have way rather had my skin on 100mg. It odd but with this medication there seems to be a sweet spot for everyone. Some on 25mg stay clear other need 200mg if they go any higher or lower their skin freaks out again. It's just so weird normally a higher dosage of something that works would just be better in my opinion. Not the case with this mediation.

 

Also I didn't read through everyone's responses so this may have already been talked about but, Spiro won't actully clear any of your active acne. You still need to use some sort of a topical like BP or SA, I used witch hazel and it worked a charm. But you have to Clear that acne on the skin because spiro won't do that, it only stops new acne from forming. After you clear that remaining acne and it sounds like your medication is really starting to kick in now. I think your going to be golden!

 

Best of luck

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(@baybreeze)

Posted : 09/19/2013 10:49 pm

Keep up on the spiro. It has been a dream for my skin. I also took accutane and started to break out again three months after my course. I hopped on spiro at the first sign of acne returning and it cleared me right up and continues to keep me clear I've been on for 11 months now and I am just in love with it! You will get back to your clear skin just continue to be patient. Sounds liks youve made it through the worst of the IB be prepared also when and if you increase your doseage you may break out away. I am on 100mg but was still getting white heads here and there so after 5 months on 100 I went to 150 thinking that would stop my little whitehead problem. Man I started breaking out everywhere on my face after that increase. After about 3 days on the 150 I dropped back down too 100mg because I would have way rather had my skin on 100mg. It odd but with this medication there seems to be a sweet spot for everyone. Some on 25mg stay clear other need 200mg if they go any higher or lower their skin freaks out again. It's just so weird normally a higher dosage of something that works would just be better in my opinion. Not the case with this mediation.

Also I didn't read through everyone's responses so this may have already been talked about but, Spiro won't actully clear any of your active acne. You still need to use some sort of a topical like BP or SA, I used witch hazel and it worked a charm. But you have to Clear that acne on the skin because spiro won't do that, it only stops new acne from forming. After you clear that remaining acne and it sounds like your medication is really starting to kick in now. I think your going to be golden!

Best of luck

Thank you for that! Yeah I've had this Ib for a couple of weeks now and it seems like when ever a spot goes away another one comes right around the same area. I'm just really tired of having to cover it up. I will try the witch hazel, is that suppose to help clear the breakouts then?

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(@like-moonlight)

Posted : 09/19/2013 11:04 pm

I use it as a toner. But it did help clear my active acne as well. A lot of people love witch hazel its gentle enough but very effective and cheap cheap cheap like .70 for a bottle that has lasted over a year and I will have 2/10 of the bottle left. I use it morning and night and I do not dulite it like some suggest. It's all up to you and your skin though. It is feels to much at full strength then dulite it if not I say go for it. I just put some on a cotton ball and apply it after washing my face with CeraVe and I follow up my regimen with Dans Aha. This regimen for me is just wonderful. My face has not looked this nice in 15 years

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