Hi! Spiro can really mess with your cycle at first, so I wouldn't worry too much because it's common. It's probably having more of an effect on you because you've never taken any kind of hormonal treatment before. Plus, the stress of dealing with this breakout AND starting school is probably also having an effect. The birth control should help with this once your body gets used to it.

I know that spiro can take longer than most treatments to start working. Some people have said they didn't see improvement until 6 months in. The birth control pill typically takes 3-4 months to start seeing improvement. Also, some people that don't have success on spiro or the BCP alone have had a lot of success taking them together. So, there is definitely hope! Hang in there - I'm sure things will start turn around. 

Also, you are not conceited by any means. What you are feeling is normal and you shouldn't feel guilty for it. I know how difficult it is to deal with a sudden, bad breakout when you are used to having normal, worry-free skin - especially when you are older and past the "teen acne phase". It can totally wreak havoc on a person's confidence, mood and self-esteem & can cause their personality to change drastically. So you are not alone and you are not going crazy! I'm sorry that this is happening to you right as you are trying to adjust to college life - I know that only makes it that much harder. Things will get better! Waiting is the worst, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Give it a few more months, like you said, and if you don't see any improvement then there is always accutane to fall back on (it's not that scary, I promise - I have taken it myself). Good luck  

Okay, for my sake of my own documentation and your curioristy:

Went to the derm today and finally decided to go on Accutane.

Tomorrow I'm getting blood work done which for me is by far the scariest part of this all, I have this massive fear of needles for no apparent reason but they've scared me to the bone ever since I was little and tomorrow will be my first blood test. I hate how many hoops we have to jump through to even get started.

Sidenote: all of this also is concerning because it just means it's all that more strong of a drug.. worries me a little to think of future side effects after this marinates needs my liver for 5 or 6 months...

5 months of mederate-increasingly severe cystic hormonal acne and spirolatone did absolutely nothing at all to help. I was really optimistic because I had been researching spirothroughout and during my time on it and saw almost no negative reviews. It seemed to work for just about everyone, but I guess not me. I even took 150 every day for the last 3 months.I don't know why, I don't consider myself to have drastically severe skin it's just moderate-severe and figured it would work but unfortunately the only improvement I saw was that I could go a couple of days without washing my hair and it still wouldn't be greasy (however I never had that oily of skin to begin with).

I've now been on Lloryna for one month exact, annnnd nothing has changed. I think things may have even been getting worse. It's crazy how emotionally distressing all this is, sometimes I swear I might be actually depressed. I miss my old self and how confident and proud of myself I was, all I want to do now is cry and hide. Sounds pathetic but I'm pretty sure anyone with acne knows the feeling....

And for you do, I'm right here with ya.

30 days and I'll be on accutane for most likely 5-6 months, which means by the time I'm 19 I'll be myself again but for now I'm just going to have to finish out an entire second semester for school ashamed and self conscious and avoiding my friends because I dontwant them to see me.

To others who who are going through the same emotional and even physical pain of severe acne, I sympathize with you and support you and I want you to know I feel the same as you do. I will always hold a special place in my heart for those who are suffering from this, now and in the future. This is such a sad time in mylife it won't beeasy to forget.

Personally, it's come down to cost VS benefit. What do I have to lose if I'm pretty darn sure this is rock bottom? I look forward to the day I can wash my jawline withoutcringing in pain and not start crying before school when I'm trying to put on make up. Until then.

14 hours ago, Nicool98 said:

Okay, for my sake of my own documentation and your curioristy:

Went to the derm today and finally decided to go on Accutane.

Tomorrow I'm getting blood work done which for me is by far the scariest part of this all, I have this massive fear of needles for no apparent reason but they've scared me to the bone ever since I was little and tomorrow will be my first blood test. I hate how many hoops we have to jump through to even get started.

Sidenote: all of this also is concerning because it just means it's all that more strong of a drug.. worries me a little to think of future side effects after this marinates needs my liver for 5 or 6 months...

5 months of mederate-increasingly severe cystic hormonal acne and spirolatone did absolutely nothing at all to help. I was really optimistic because I had been researching spirothroughout and during my time on it and saw almost no negative reviews. It seemed to work for just about everyone, but I guess not me. I even took 150 every day for the last 3 months.I don't know why, I don't consider myself to have drastically severe skin it's just moderate-severe and figured it would work but unfortunately the only improvement I saw was that I could go a couple of days without washing my hair and it still wouldn't be greasy (however I never had that oily of skin to begin with).

I've now been on Lloryna for one month exact, annnnd nothing has changed. I think things may have even been getting worse. It's crazy how emotionally distressing all this is, sometimes I swear I might be actually depressed. I miss my old self and how confident and proud of myself I was, all I want to do now is cry and hide. Sounds pathetic but I'm pretty sure anyone with acne knows the feeling....

And for you do, I'm right here with ya.

30 days and I'll be on accutane for most likely 5-6 months, which means by the time I'm 19 I'll be myself again but for now I'm just going to have to finish out an entire second semester for school ashamed and self conscious and avoiding my friends because I dontwant them to see me.

To others who who are going through the same emotional and even physical pain of severe acne, I sympathize with you and support you and I want you to know I feel the same as you do. I will always hold a special place in my heart for those who are suffering from this, now and in the future. This is such a sad time in mylife it won't beeasy to forget.

Personally, it's come down to cost VS benefit. What do I have to lose if I'm pretty darn sure this is rock bottom? I look forward to the day I can wash my jawline withoutcringing in pain and not start crying before school when I'm trying to put on make up. Until then.

Hey, I'd just like to extend my best wishes and sympathy for you on your journey. I also had a bad experience on Spiro and I think it's because I'm one of the unlucky few that it created a hormone imbalance in vs. acting like it's supposed to, for whatever reason, which is why people shouldn't be afraid to try it but should get a hormone panel run first [wish I'd done that]. Now I have an ugly comedonal rash worse on my right cheek andon my chin, it gave me a terrible jawline breakout for the first time like it did to you,it screwed up my forehead, AND made my back break out. In less than four weeks, at 50mg/day. LOL...I can't seem to catch a break either. You are not alone in feeling this way.

When do you start Accutane, btw? Just make sure to have some good organic lip balm at hand, and maybe some eyedrops. I've never taken it, though I'm interested in it, but a bit afraid of the joint pain SE since I'm prone to a bad back.

Anyway, I think I have a clue to fixing youracne puzzle. You didn't fare well on Spiro, and it's an aggressive anti-androgen. Well, Loryna, Yaz and Yasmin are also all aggressive anti-androgens, and contain the SAME ingredient as Spiro in a slightly different form [it's in the type of Progestin in thosepills]. I'd highly recommend switching from Loryna to something like Ortho Cyclen, or Ortho Tri Cyclen if you do better on tri-phasics [personally I don't since they can worsen mood swings and I'm Bipolar 3, so it's a bad idea...just a heads up. And maybe a monophasic like Ortho Cyclen would work better for you too since Accutane can cause depression]. Ortho Cyclen is one of the best ones for acne besides the anti-androgens like Yaz/Yasmin.The Progestin in it is extremely low androgenic.

I hope this helps you. Keep fighting!There's a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it now. It's terrible being an adult with acne, but we're not the only ones. Also, when you switch BCPs, make sure to give it at least like 2 period cycles to smooth over. I hope Sprintec, the generic for Ortho Cyclen, helps me -- especially with the lovely comedonal rash the Spiro pills gave me. I'm supposed to start tomorrow.

On 12/2/2016 at 2:03 PM, cloudydreamer said:

Hey, I'd just like to extend my best wishes and sympathy for you on your journey. I also had a bad experience on Spiro and I think it's because I'm one of the unlucky few that it created a hormone imbalance in vs. acting like it's supposed to, for whatever reason, which is why people shouldn't be afraid to try it but should get a hormone panel run first [wish I'd done that]. Now I have an ugly comedonal rash worse on my right cheek andon my chin, it gave me a terrible jawline breakout for the first time like it did to you,it screwed up my forehead, AND made my back break out. In less than four weeks, at 50mg/day. LOL...I can't seem to catch a break either. You are not alone in feeling this way.

When do you start Accutane, btw? Just make sure to have some good organic lip balm at hand, and maybe some eyedrops. I've never taken it, though I'm interested in it, but a bit afraid of the joint pain SE since I'm prone to a bad back.

Anyway, I think I have a clue to fixing youracne puzzle. You didn't fare well on Spiro, and it's an aggressive anti-androgen. Well, Loryna, Yaz and Yasmin are also all aggressive anti-androgens, and contain the SAME ingredient as Spiro in a slightly different form [it's in the type of Progestin in thosepills]. I'd highly recommend switching from Loryna to something like Ortho Cyclen, or Ortho Tri Cyclen if you do better on tri-phasics [personally I don't since they can worsen mood swings and I'm Bipolar 3, so it's a bad idea...just a heads up. And maybe a monophasic like Ortho Cyclen would work better for you too since Accutane can cause depression]. Ortho Cyclen is one of the best ones for acne besides the anti-androgens like Yaz/Yasmin.The Progestin in it is extremely low androgenic.

I hope this helps you. Keep fighting!There's a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it now. It's terrible being an adult with acne, but we're not the only ones. Also, when you switch BCPs, make sure to give it at least like 2 period cycles to smooth over. I hope Sprintec, the generic for Ortho Cyclen, helps me -- especially with the lovely comedonal rash the Spiro pills gave me. I'm supposed to start tomorrow.

 

I absolutely look into that, thank you for your support. Good to know I'm not alone. Xoxo

8 hours ago, Nicool98 said:

I absolutely look into that, thank you for your support. Good to know I'm not alone. Xoxo

You're very welcome. I'm on my 8th pill of Sprintec; the IB/purge has not been pretty, all the comedones caused by Spiro are being pushed out of my skin (though I think PIH is most likely. Ugh...but I'm hoping to get a peel soon). But even stubborn hormonal comedones I've had by the right corner of my mouth for months are starting to go away, which is a good sign that the pill is actually fixing something, not making it worse like Spiro. I hate looking like this too but at least there is hope. I think it's going to take me 3-4 packs to get totally clear, I'll take Accutane if need be but I'm really hoping I don't have to tbh...Maybe Sprintec would work for you if you're anything like me.