No keep it till atleast 6 months, this treatment takes a long time to work. Iv seen people where it's taken them 8 months to see a improvement, but it was well worth the wait

Thank you! I will continue to take it. I just need someone to tell me to keep going because I really do feel like giving up. I see ur on it too so good luck with the med. Acne is a terrible condition to have; it really destroys our self-esteem!

My endo says it can take 6-9 months to work. I once saw a poster who said it took 11 months.

Hello everyone! I just wanted to add to my post! Like I mentioned, I am taking spiro 100 mg with no improvement but on top of that, I have been very anxious (do not usually struggle with this much anxiety), my period is coming a week early for the past almost 2 months on the 100 mg (so 21 day cycle) and I usually have a very regular period (always have 28 day cycle), and the worst side effect is my hair is thinning on the crown. So I am going back to 50 mg because on that I didn't have any of these side effects. Plus, before I even went on spiro at all, I got my hormones tested and everything was normal. My testosterone was a 35 on a scale of 8-48. Its a little up there but not really and I don't suffer with hair loss ever, weight gain (i actually have a difficult time gaining weight), hairiness, voice deepening, irregular periods, etc. I have none of these problems and never had. My endo and gyno said that I do not have PCOS. I just struggle with hormonal acne that is triggered by normal hormone fluctuations. Plus, my thyroid hormones give me acne flare ups when my TSH numbers aren't doing well and then my endo increases the dose so there goes an acne flare up again. Anyway, my point is if your testosterone levels are normal like mine and your on 100 mg or more, it can do more harm than good!!! So test your hormones before going on a high dose of spiro. I am starting 50 mg again today and I know that it wasn't helping my acne at all but I was only on it for 3 months before I asked my derm to give me 100 mg. I am just going to take 50 mg consistently for at least 6 more months and see what happens.

More Info about me:

I'm 5'4 and 110 lbs

Acne severity: Moderate (I just have it around my mouth and forehead. I never had it on my cheeks; knock on wood)

Diagnosis: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (2005 diagnosed)

Meds: Synthroid, Aldactone

*sorry for the rant about myself and my experience with spiro but I just want to let other women on this forum know to be careful with dosage on this med and get your hormones checked before you go on it. if your hormones are normal then the 100 mg might (I say MIGHT) make your testosterone levels get really low and that's where all these side effects come in so 50 mg might be enough for you and especially if your petite like me as well than def. 100 mg might be too much!!!! Take care everyone!

My doctor says spiro isn't an instant gratification drug. It requires patience because you're dealing with hormones. For me, I started seeing small results within a few weeks and now at five weeks, it's getting better. I'm still not 100% clear and I'll probably need another couple of months until that happens but I'm optimistic. I'm on 100 mg/day and I haven't experienced any serious side effects yet. (just the usual: peeing more often)

My acne isn't too severe; it's somewhat moderate so that's probably why I'm seeing results quicker. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my cycle isn't going to be too out of whack.

Don't give up! Clear skin is on the way.

I just started sprinolactone today. I'm on 25mg twice a day. Worried about an initial breakout, I am on minocycline as well. Hopefully that will ease an initial breakout. If sprinolactone blocks androgens, why would it even cause an intital breakout?

I agree if you are petite or a smaller build then don't take more than u need. I am 5'4 and about 105 pounds and 50 mg was just right for me, anymore than that I've ended up with other weird reactions like hives on my hand so I'm sticking to 50 mg which is showing imprvements. I did read somewhere that spiro dose is weight related. I think so many ppl just up their dose as they want faster results but it doesn't work better that way x

I just started sprinolactone today. I'm on 25mg twice a day. Worried about an initial breakout, I am on minocycline as well. Hopefully that will ease an initial breakout. If sprinolactone blocks androgens, why would it even cause an intital breakout?

I totally agree - it makes no sense for this medication to cause an initial breakout.

I've asked derma and several nurse practitioners and they all say that sprinolactone should not cause an initial breakout. I'm wondering if those who did have a breakout when they started, started using a topical at the same time?? Maybe even a birth control pill?? My derm did prescribe me epiduo as well, but I'm waiting to start that.

Sadly, I did have an initial breakout 2 weeks after starting 50 mg and I don't take birth control pills (or any other kind of hormonal contraceptive) nor do I put any topicals on my face or take an antibiotic. I have tried the topicals and antibiotics and topicals burned my thin pale sensitive skin and antibiotics cleared my face for the most part but when I came off them, I broke out really bad again! I suggest people stay on the spiro and don't add a antibiotic because even when you clear up and your taking sprio for months and months, when you come off the antibiotic, you will breakout again and the spiro wont save you from that. Happened to me with birth control pills. then after a few weeks or months, the breakout from stopping the antibiotic will go away and you will clear, that is if the spiro or BC pills ever worked to clear you in the 1st place!! So either go through a possible initial breakout now for a bit or clear with the antibiotic/spiro within a month or 2 and then breakout after stopping the antibiotic and still taking the spiro. you cant be on antibiotics for too long cuz they will mess with your digestive tract and cause other problems down the road! Just saying this sad news from experience to let you all know! Antibiotics are a quick fix that end up screwing you over sooner or later!

Sumisee: how long did your initial breakout last when starting the Sprio?

Also, I am on minocycline. I do agree that the acne come back once you stop the antibiotic. My derm says no. But I totally think it does.

I was hoping that once the Sprio kicks in and the antibiotics wear off, that would stop the breakouts from occurring. I'm not even sure the minocycline is working anyone. I've been on it for four months or so. And was it a couple times in the past.

How long was the breakout after you stopped the antibiotics? I never know how long mine would be since I've been going on and off them for awhile now. Which is why I am not tryin the Sprio

JennaBean,

I am sad to say that I am still breaking out on the spiro (still have the IB) and I have been on it for 4.5 months. I still dnt see any improvement but people say to wait 6-9 months for things to clear. I was on 50 mg of spiro the first 3 months then 100 mg for 1.5 months and yesterday started taking 50 mg again because of the side effects from the 100 mg. I moved up then back down so maybe that's why im still breaking out. now Im going to stay on 50 mg for a few more months to see if I have the slightest bit of improvement or else its back to horrible BC pills!! I was on antibiotics when I started BC pills because of the intial breakout and it stopped it from occurring but about 7 months on the pill, I quit the antibiotic cuz I thought it was the pill clearing me and I broke out bad for like 2-3 months and then cleared cus of staying on the bc pill. If I were you, I would just stop the minocycline and take the spiro. Best of luck to you! Derms seem to never give me accurate information regarding initial breakouts on starting/ withdrawing medications; I just learn from experience.

Sumisee,

What does your derm say about not having any improvement since being on the sprino? I've heard at 3 months it should be working. Maybe your acne isn't hormonal? Have you had your levels checked?

Can I ask what some of the side effects are that you've (anyone) has been experiencing on 100mg? (I ask because last year I experienced some weird side effects that my docs said they never heard of... but I'm fairly sure Spiro had a role in it.) My doc said 100mg is when women start seeing a real difference, but I would consider dropping to 50mg as maintenance. So far, I'm on my second week of 100mg and knock-on-wood, I haven't noticed any weird side effects.

In theory, I would agree about the IB - it shouldn't happen because this medication blocks the actual hormone that causes it. However, I think everyone is different and hormones can have a reaction or an adjustment period. Or, maybe it's just that the acne hasn't improved yet (I think that's my case).

JennaBean,

My derm says that I have to be patient and give it atleast 6 mnths to see some improvement so im waiting a few months especially since I just went back down to 50 mg. My acne is not severe, its moderate and I kknow that its hormonal cus birthcontrol pills cleared me 90-95%. I got like 2 pimples a month on the pill, my skin was actually like a normal person's skin it was great but I had to come off plus I gained 20lbs on it. I was 110 and I got to 130 which for me is not acceptable. I dnt gain weight easily at all but the pill made me inflate; thnk god the weight dropped w/in a month of quiting that sh**! I had my hormones tested and everything was fine and I have always had regular periods. I don't have PCOS and my testosterone total was a 35 on a scale from 8-48 so it was fine. I am just sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and that's why I break out, especially before my period it turns cystic! I was on 2 rounds of Accutane already so I refuse to go on it for the 3rd time with the acne just returning. since bc pills helped my derm thought spiro would be great w/out the weight gain issue and other medical problems. thank god I have not gained weight with spiro so I will continue a little longer.

MaskedOne,

The side effects I experienced were nothing on 50 mg. I literally had no problems with that dose. my period still came as a 28 day cycle, I didn't have hair falling out, I didn't lose weight/or gain, I wasnt severly anxious and panicky, I wasn't dehydrated, ,my blood pressure was the same normal way, nothing happened, although these are side effects people complain about on this drug. the only thing that happened was I got of flare up of cysts on my face. Then I jumped to 100 mg after 3 months and I got severe anxiety/panic attacks/depression everyday, dry lips/extreme thirst, period went to a 21 day cycle, lost a couple of pounds, my hair started falling out and thinned out at the crown, and I would get very dizzy upon standing that would pass after a few minutes though. the worst part was my skin stayed the same and I stayed on 100 mg for 1.5 months but due to the side effects, im taking 50 mg again. Be careful and watch for these side effects. you may not/ hopefully not experience these side effects on any dose of spiro. it depends on the person. the worst was the hair falling out and thinning; that freaked me out! thank god its not shedding a lot anymore and hopefully I can get it thicker again. I wish you the best with this med; hopefully everything turns out well!

*I dnt understand, if bc pills helped my acne a lot than why wouldn't spiro help me? Does anyone know why this happens??? My acne isn't even severe and people with severe acne get clear on 100 mg. 100 mg was too much with side effects so 50 mg should help at least 50% of my acne and if anything i'll go to 75 mg but never 100mg again. I guess spiro only works for people with high testosterone; I really dnt know.

I'm also on spiro and I love it! Works woefully for hormonal acne! Accutane failed me to after 3 months.

Spiro is a mediation you need to be patient with. It can take a long time to do its jobs. Plus it doesn't clear the acne from your face. It will stop acne from forming but you need to treat the acne you currently have with a topical or a antibiotic. I used 100% witch hazel and I still use it and it works great and it's gentle effective and cheap!

You might need a higher dosage I am on 100 and it works great for me but some people need the 200 to get clear and then the back back down on the dosage to the 100 range or even lower. So see if your dosage can be increased. That might just be the issue. But yes hang in there girl, spiro takes a good 6 to 9 months to do its magic, even a year I've seen. But I think you will see improvements soon! Just continue being patient and trust me it will pay off. The results are just like accutane less oil and no acne but none on the nasty side effects! It's a wonderful medication for those of us with hormonal acne!

jus stick with the 50mg, it will work in time x

I never post in these forums, but wanted to come in here to offer some hope to anyone who might need it. I started Spironolactone almost a year ago. I started at 50mg/day. It didn't seem to be doing anything and, after 3 months I went back to my doctor to ask for a higher dose. She bumped me up to 100mg/day and I will never forget she essentially told me that this dosage works for all her patients, and that I better not be the exception. I was certain that I would be the only person that Spiro does not work for, since that's my luck and nothing else has worked in the past. I suffered through worse acne than I'd ever had before over the next several months at 100mg. The only thing that kept me going was coming here to read about everyone else's success with spiro, and the confidence that my doctor seemed to have that this would work. 7 months later of 100mg/day and I can tell you, it truly does work and I am so glad I waited it out! I have never been this clear in my life, and now the only thing I deal with is acne scarring and the occasional tiny pimple on my chin right before that time of the month.

Don't give up on spiro, what the others have said about it is true: it takes a long time, but it is so worth it to stick with it.

I never post in these forums, but wanted to come in here to offer some hope to anyone who might need it. I started Spironolactone almost a year ago. I started at 50mg/day. It didn't seem to be doing anything and, after 3 months I went back to my doctor to ask for a higher dose. She bumped me up to 100mg/day and I will never forget she essentially told me that this dosage works for all her patients, and that I better not be the exception. I was certain that I would be the only person that Spiro does not work for, since that's my luck and nothing else has worked in the past. I suffered through worse acne than I'd ever had before over the next several months at 100mg. The only thing that kept me going was coming here to read about everyone else's success with spiro, and the confidence that my doctor seemed to have that this would work. 7 months later of 100mg/day and I can tell you, it truly does work and I am so glad I waited it out! I have never been this clear in my life, and now the only thing I deal with is acne scarring and the occasional tiny pimple on my chin right before that time of the month.

Don't give up on spiro, what the others have said about it is true: it takes a long time, but it is so worth it to stick with it.

Thank you so much - you have no idea. I am 6.5 months on 100mg a day and honestly, I am still oily. I have been told it can take 9 months to work so I'm trying so hard not to give up hope. When you say 7 months, did you START seeing improvements then or did you reach your final clearance at that point? And it was 7 months after starting the 100mg, not including the time you spent on the 50mg?

I never post in these forums, but wanted to come in here to offer some hope to anyone who might need it. I started Spironolactone almost a year ago. I started at 50mg/day. It didn't seem to be doing anything and, after 3 months I went back to my doctor to ask for a higher dose. She bumped me up to 100mg/day and I will never forget she essentially told me that this dosage works for all her patients, and that I better not be the exception. I was certain that I would be the only person that Spiro does not work for, since that's my luck and nothing else has worked in the past. I suffered through worse acne than I'd ever had before over the next several months at 100mg. The only thing that kept me going was coming here to read about everyone else's success with spiro, and the confidence that my doctor seemed to have that this would work. 7 months later of 100mg/day and I can tell you, it truly does work and I am so glad I waited it out! I have never been this clear in my life, and now the only thing I deal with is acne scarring and the occasional tiny pimple on my chin right before that time of the month.

Don't give up on spiro, what the others have said about it is true: it takes a long time, but it is so worth it to stick with it.

Thank you so much - you have no idea. I am 6.5 months on 100mg a day and honestly, I am still oily. I have been told it can take 9 months to work so I'm trying so hard not to give up hope. When you say 7 months, did you START seeing improvements then or did you reach your final clearance at that point? And it was 7 months after starting the 100mg, not including the time you spent on the 50mg?

I'm glad my post was somewhat helpful to you, michi31! I don't even count the time I spent at 50mg/day because everything was exactly the same for my skin at that dosage. I moved up to 100mg/day and my skin freaked out for probably a good 6 months until I started seeing improvement in the 7th month. The way it worked for me, it was like my skin freaked out and then all of sudden the next month(month 7 at 100mg/day) it was basically clear (i had one or two small and short lived pimples right before my period). The only gradual improvement I noticed was less oily skin around month 6, but I still had breakouts. I think it can definitely take even longer for some people. So it's been a total of 10 months on Spiro for me, but I don't even count 3 of those months, since nothing got worse or better over that time. I also use topical tazorac, which really didn't help that much before when my skin was terrible, but now it seems to be helping with fading scars.

That's so great! What did your derm say about your 6 month breakout? Any explanation? It is just so weird that people break out worse at first..

txcutiepie03,

Thank you for telling me your experience! Because of you saying that, I will def. stick with it for more months because your story sounds like mine! I am at almost 5 months and have my horrible skin still but I am going to be patient!! I will let everyone know in a few more months how my skin is doing on the spiro! I really really appreciate everyone's responses; they keep me going with this very very slow med.!

michi31,

Lets not give up yet hun! I am in the same boat as you except I'm at 5 months and your at 6.5 months! I have really no improvements and I still have the oily skin too so you're not alone on this!

txcutiepie03,

Thank you for telling me your experience! Because of you saying that, I will def. stick with it for more months because your story sounds like mine! I am at almost 5 months and have my horrible skin still but I am going to be patient!! I will let everyone know in a few more months how my skin is doing on the spiro! I really really appreciate everyone's responses; they keep me going with this very very slow med.!

michi31,

Lets not give up yet hun! I am in the same boat as you except I'm at 5 months and your at 6.5 months! I have really no improvements and I still have the oily skin too so you're not alone on this!

michi31, my doctor did not have an explanation for me, she just gave me the prescription and told me that 100 mg works for all her patients, so I better not be the one it does not work for. Then she told me to double up on my 50 mg until that ran out at which point I began filling my 100mg prescription. I am out of refills next month, so I will go in at that point to share the good news! My only thought about why skin gets worse before it gets better is that your hormones are adjusting to the meds. I will ask her when I go back to see her (at the end of the month) if she has any thoughts about it. I never went back in to see her when my skin was freaking out because I wanted to believe that spiro would work, and I was a little afraid she would take me off of it since it wasn't working.

Sumisee, that's the spirit! Hold on to hope! If I can figure out how to black out my eyes, I will post some inspirational before and after photos here to give you and michi31 more hope. Seriously, these forums were the only thing that gave me hope when my skin was at it's worst!