HISTORY:
Ok so I'm a 20 years old girl.
I have always have problem with my hormone (damn PCOS and my thyroid!), I hardly have peroids. My skin was horrible: oily skin, bad acne on face and body.
I've try numerous meds including antibiotics to some success but acne still came back and my skin was still oily as hell. Topical treatment did very little for my skin.
Spironolactone changed my life:
Let me tell ya, about six months ago I was still miserable by acne. I fell into deep depression and never go out of my house. It was just really horrible, I have no hope or whatsoever. That's when i decide to try spironolactone. To be honest I was very skeptical because I've try many things before and failed. They don't require prescriptions where I live so I just bought some spironolactone tablets and took it. I started with the small dose first (50mg) then gradually go higher until I reached 200mg (To be honest i was desperate and anxious so I up the dose pretty quickly in about 2 weeks). In the first month I didn't really see any differences on my skin although I noticed I shed some pounds because spironolactone is a diuretic. In the second month I noticed my skin became less oily, thus I have less clogged pores. The wonderful effects of spiro continued to become more and more apparent the the next months and at the end of the 3rd month I had AWESOME skin: both my face and my body were 50% less oily and hardly had any clogged pores and acne.
This is the 6th month on my spironolactone journey and I have to tell you 6 months ago I could never imagine my skin can look like they do today. The wonderful thing is after 2-3 months, I can eat whatever I want and still have clear skin (you guys should still eat junk in moderation though). My depression also become better, I go out more, I love myself more and for the first time in a really long time, I have some hope about my future.
In addition, if you guys have those little bumps full of white pus, you should consider taking itraconazole or some other antifungals, it works wonderfully for m;º¹.
I also use chemical peel (AHA, TCA, JESSNER's) to remove hyperpigmentation. After a few strong peel like TCA and Jessner's, you will notice big differences.
SO that's it. I take 200mg spironolactone everyday, 1 pill of itraconazole every 3 days or so (antifungals can be harmfull for liver so I try to take a very small dose), exfoliate with various peel and apply Differin every night and I saw results in 2 months. Remember that topical treatment is just complementary, spironolactone is the most important thing that will cure your acne. After 6 months, my skin looks nearly flawless. Now all I have to take care of is my body hyperpigmentation. After your skin is clear, you have to continue to take spironolactone or your acne will come back again. I read that many people take it for a long time with no problems.
Spironolactone can only work on women so if you are a man don't take it.
Here are the before and after pictures:
DON'T GIVE UP!!!!
I've tried spironolactone (25m; low dose) and couldn't tolerate 50mg because my blood pressure was getting really low. Right now I am not taking any prescription meds because I have tried anything and everything in my 20s to cure myself of acne and bacne, and now things are catching up as I get older.
For you young folks out there, keep in mind of your long term health as you experiment with new meds. Make sure you talk to your doctor to really know the long-term side effects of the drug you are taking. I wish I was more aware of the side effects and the risks you are taking (short term and long terms) when I was younger. In my 20s, I was so desperate for clear skin that I was bold enough to try everything (and my doctor happily complied and prescribed whatever I suggest to him). Some of the meds actually gave me bad side effects that wasn't apparent (as they were asymptomatic) until I got a thorough health check up in my 30s. There are side effects that your doctors cannot see without imaging studies, blood tests, etc. So be very informed of the risks you are taking when you take prescription medication, especially if you are taking them for long term.
sigh
Your skin looks gorgeous! Did you experience any negative side effects? My skin is clear except for a hormonal breakout the week before my period, so I don't know if it's worth looking into, especially since I usually have severe reactions to medication. It may be worth the risk though if I could have skin like yours! It's radiant!
Just started on 50mg once a day, two days ago! My acne is pretty damn bad and I want to up my dose but I'm unsure as to how much to up it or if I should just leave it at the 50mg and wait it out...?
Also concerned about using it all up if I up the dose and not being able to get a refill!
Just started on 50mg once a day, two days ago! My acne is pretty damn bad and I want to up my dose but I'm unsure as to how much to up it or if I should just leave it at the 50mg and wait it out...?
Also concerned about using it all up if I up the dose and not being able to get a refill!
I'd just wait it out. Especially if you've only been on it for 2 days. I cleared on only 25mg after 6 months.
I'd just wait it out. Especially if you've only been on it for 2 days. I cleared on only 25mg after 6 months.
I only ask bc I'm tall (5'10") and a little heavier than I want to be (170lbs) and I'm assuming a smaller dose works better for smaller girls (aka the 5'3" 105lbs ones) so, yeah. That's why I was wondering if a higher dose would be better, since it goes without saying I want these bumps/scars GONE asap!!
But that's excellent you cleared up!! How bad was ur acne, if you don't mind me asking, and when did you actually start seeing results? Thanks in advance <3
I'd just wait it out. Especially if you've only been on it for 2 days. I cleared on only 25mg after 6 months.
I only ask bc I'm tall (5'10") and a little heavier than I want to be (170lbs) and I'm assuming a smaller dose works better for smaller girls (aka the 5'3" 105lbs ones) so, yeah. That's why I was wondering if a higher dose would be better, since it goes without saying I want these bumps/scars GONE asap!!
But that's excellent you cleared up!! How bad was ur acne, if you don't mind me asking, and when did you actually start seeing results? Thanks in advance <3
I'm 5'6" and about 120 lbs. I think 50 mg is a great place to start and if after a few months you're not seeing the results you'd like then I'd up the dose. The results I got were really gradual, and I remember in the first few months I didn't notice a huge difference. Then around the 6 month mark I noticed my oily skin was gone and I was no longer breaking out at all. I would say my acne was moderate and persistent. I had lots of clogs and regular whiteheads. Cysts were less common, but they were still a regular occurrence on my face. Unfortunately, I can no longer take spiro because of side effects I got (fatigue, dry mouth, hair loss). I'm not a typical case, though, and most people who use spiro only have mild side effects such as more frequent urination.
I'd just wait it out. Especially if you've only been on it for 2 days. I cleared on only 25mg after 6 months.
I only ask bc I'm tall (5'10") and a little heavier than I want to be (170lbs) and I'm assuming a smaller dose works better for smaller girls (aka the 5'3" 105lbs ones) so, yeah. That's why I was wondering if a higher dose would be better, since it goes without saying I want these bumps/scars GONE asap!!
But that's excellent you cleared up!! How bad was ur acne, if you don't mind me asking, and when did you actually start seeing results? Thanks in advance <3
I'm 5'6" and about 120 lbs. I think 50 mg is a great place to start and if after a few months you're not seeing the results you'd like then I'd up the dose. The results I got were really gradual, and I remember in the first few months I didn't notice a huge difference. Then around the 6 month mark I noticed my oily skin was gone and I was no longer breaking out at all. I would say my acne was moderate and persistent. I had lots of clogs and regular whiteheads. Cysts were less common, but they were still a regular occurrence on my face. Unfortunately, I can no longer take spiro because of side effects I got (fatigue, dry mouth, hair loss). I'm not a typical case, though, and most people who use spiro only have mild side effects such as more frequent urination.
Thank you for your response (: I will stick it out for at least 3 months at this dose before I up it to 75 or 100mgs.
That's really unfortunate you experienced those side effects, when did you start noticing them? When did the hair loss start? (Such a scary thought, my heart goes out to you that you had to go through it!!)
I'd just wait it out. Especially if you've only been on it for 2 days. I cleared on only 25mg after 6 months.
I only ask bc I'm tall (5'10") and a little heavier than I want to be (170lbs) and I'm assuming a smaller dose works better for smaller girls (aka the 5'3" 105lbs ones) so, yeah. That's why I was wondering if a higher dose would be better, since it goes without saying I want these bumps/scars GONE asap!!
But that's excellent you cleared up!! How bad was ur acne, if you don't mind me asking, and when did you actually start seeing results? Thanks in advance <3
I'm 5'6" and about 120 lbs. I think 50 mg is a great place to start and if after a few months you're not seeing the results you'd like then I'd up the dose. The results I got were really gradual, and I remember in the first few months I didn't notice a huge difference. Then around the 6 month mark I noticed my oily skin was gone and I was no longer breaking out at all. I would say my acne was moderate and persistent. I had lots of clogs and regular whiteheads. Cysts were less common, but they were still a regular occurrence on my face. Unfortunately, I can no longer take spiro because of side effects I got (fatigue, dry mouth, hair loss). I'm not a typical case, though, and most people who use spiro only have mild side effects such as more frequent urination.
Thank you for your response (: I will stick it out for at least 3 months at this dose before I up it to 75 or 100mgs.
That's really unfortunate you experienced those side effects, when did you start noticing them? When did the hair loss start? (Such a scary thought, my heart goes out to you that you had to go through it!!)
No problem 
I think three months is a good amount of time to wait before upping your dose.
The side effects I got started appearing after about a month of being on spiro if I can remember correctly. Try not to let them scare you! More than likely you''l be fine on spiro
Congrats that's amazing! So happy for you! I'm on yasmin which is like spiro just contraception based, I also started taking minocycline and isotrex. I just got acne recently and am 20. It's defiantly hormonal due to high levels of androgen but I noticed my skin flares up around summer time. Anyways I hope I have same results. gives me hope. Thx
I have had spots since the age of 15, but 10 years on, I found my skin had become so much worse than it ever had been before. It all got too much this year, when I regularly ended up in tears whilst putting on my make up in the morning - as it was so painful to touch my face, and it just looked so angry and inflamed. I'd constantly be back and forth to the bathroom at work, just to make sure my spots weren't on display - and to also apply pressed-powder to get rid of the constant shine I had, from having such oily skin. I put it down to a stressful job, lack of sleep, a busy lifestyle in London, and not being happy with my life - and that perhaps one day it would get better. I just didn't know what to do...
For years, GP's told me that I would 'grow out of it', and that 'it was my age'. They prescribed me all sorts of creams, and antibiotics, but nothing ever worked. 2 months ago, I was so fed up that I decided to go private. I had an initial appointment with a dermatologist, who said that he could put me on Roaccutane, but he felt that it was more deep-rooted than just being skin deep. He then referred me to an endocrinologist (hormone specialist) - as he suspected that I may have PCOS (polycystic ovaries). The endocrinologist had a look at my face, we had a good chat, and he sent me for blood tests. When these came back, he then referred me to get an ultrasound. During the ultrasound, they discovered that I did in fact have PCOS (harmless cysts on your ovaries, which increase your Androgen levels - male hormones i.e. Testosterone). Some women have a few cysts on each, but if you have 12 or more on each side, you are considered to have PCOS (I had about 18 on each!). The symptoms of this - as well as a number of other things - are oily skin and acne. On communicating with one other, and myself, my Dermatologist and Endocrinologist then decided that the best thing going forward would be to start me off on Spironolactone (to balance the hormones), and Roaccutune a month later - once I'd returned from a holiday in the sun (your skin becomes photosensitive on this drug, so it's not ideal to take it before a holiday) to double whammy it, and sort out the infections in my skin.
I have been taking the Spiro since Saturday, and plan to start the Roaccutane as soon as I return home at the end of this month. I feel as though my skin has slightly improved already - which I know can't be down to the drug this fast - however, I think because I finally see light at the end of the tunnel, I am a lot more relaxed about the situation, and I know that after 10 long years, I have finally discovered what has been wrong with me.
I am writing this, because I know for a fact that I will not be the only one in this situation, and I just wish that I had read something like this many years ago, so that I didn't spend the first half of my twenties going through emotional turmoil because of my skin. It's effected so many more parts of my life then I have ever realised - relationships, sporting activities, holidays, work, friendships - and to know that I am finally on the right path, has been a huge weight off my shoulders.
Good luck.
My BFF and I both had pretty good luck with Spirano. I'm not sure whether or not it conflicted with my BCP (Yaz, which I started a few years later, which has a Spirano-like ingredient in it,) but I started to break through.
I found a thread with a user that had a concern about too high a dose:
This is the How To Take Spirano that the user in the above thread, who was aware of the risk of estrogen dominance and increased cortisol, both acne causes, from Spirano responded with with:
My TCM derm told me to quit it, because she said "It causes acne." Now, I know it worked for my acne for years, so this baffles me. I had a bad incident when I tried juicing, it was a dark green kale blend, and symptoms of hyperkalemia set in, which is fatal.
However, it's a miraculous drug that definitely saved me. It makes you lose weight, and makes your hair grow (in most cases) and can make your boobs bigger (bonus.) I weaning off right now, but am terrified...
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