Spironolactone

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Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present...

Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both males and females that lead to more acne, and spironolactone helps reduce androgens.

It is usually taken once or twice a day, around the same time(s), preferably with a meal.

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lindsay

January 15, 2007

Pros:

Cons:

i read that it has carcinogenic properties in lab rats. i don't care. living with acne for 12 years would make anyone take that chance.

i have suffered from acne since i was in grade school. i am now 25. my mother is taking it for her adult acne and suggested it for me. i take 100mg a day and i noticed results as soon as a few days into it. my skin was so oily and congested, covered in zits. now, my skin has the perfect amount of oil and i harldy ever break out on my face. my chest and back have always been covered with zits. now i don't have a single one!!!!! i can wear tank tops and love to show off my skin.i actually have people complementing me on my skin! thank you god!!

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Cat

January 15, 2007

Pros:

Definitely works. Also one of the side effects happened to be breast enlargement, which is something I didn't expect but am very happy about!

Cons:

Can be expensive if you don't have insurance. A 100 mg twice a day costs about $20 for a week's supply. Also try not to take later at night because I found it kept me up at night.

I'm 34 and went to a dermatologist to have a beta peel done to kill the bacteria in my skin and to eliminate scarring caused by my acne. While I was there I mentioned I never had acne as a teenager, but when I entered my 30's my skin broke out horribly. I tried everything from minocycline to Retin A. As soon as I started taking the spiro the itchiness and red bumps that start beneath the skin surface as the acne begins- it all went away. Within a couple of days I really could feel a difference. After two weeks, my face has completely cleared up and now all I have to do is wait for the scars to go away. Today was the first day I was able to walk around without makeup on- in five years. One of the tell-tale signs of acne caused by hormones is it developing on your cheeks and jawline and neck. My acne has completely resolved and I don't have those bumps that develop deep under the skin and hurt. Highly recommend this because nothing else worked!!

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Sarah

January 8, 2007

Pros:

Saw results almost after only a few days of taking Spiro. After almost three months of use, the results have been dramatic. I can't ever remember a time my face was this perfectly clear.

Cons:

The only side effect I experienced was irregular menstrual cycles for the first month and slight dizziness shortly after taking it. Also, the cost for me was pricey, but only because I don't have insurance. If you do have insurance, it's cheap.

I have had mild acne since I was 12 years old, but it was never as bad as it became last summer. All of a sudden out of nowhere, I broke out severely. At my worst I had at least 20 pustules on my face. I tried EVERY topical gel, and minocycline/doxycycline. NOTHING WORKED. After going to a new dermatologist I was desperate to find a solution. I was certain my problem was hormonal, not bacterial. He prescribed me 100mg of Spiro (2 50mg pills per day) in conjunction with .005% Tazorac gel. Within a week, I noticed that fewer breakouts had popped up. After a month I was only getting about one or two per week. And now, after almost three months of use the only breakouts I ever get are around my period, and even then they are TINY and managable. If you have tried everything for your acne and NOTHING has worked, urge your derm to prescribe you Spiro. I pray this continues to work for me. So far the results speak for themselves.

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January 4, 2007

Pros:

no severe side effects, quite effective in conjunction with Tazorac

Cons:

some bleeding b/w periods, no irregular periods as of yet; no really expensive but a significant expense to add per month for ME

Great product and only a few things to watch: no pregnancy while on it and get K levels checked

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Stephanoe

January 2, 2007

Pros:

I had vuvular follicultis and nothing was working. I was on minycycline for a year and it helped, but then it stopped working. Spirinolactone seemed to do what nothing else could do for me.

I took two doses of Accutane and started bleeding from my bladder. I now have Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic inflammation/injury to my bladder. The doc prescribed Spirinolactone (I don't know why she didn't do that first) and have had good success. I took it for approximately two years, then the follicultis subsided. When I feel it coming back, I start the Spirinolactone again and it goes away. I do not have to take the meds every single day.

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Alexis

January 1, 2007

Pros:

Really works to prevent cystic acne. Amazing stuff!

Cons:

Diuretic effect. Lethargy on higher doses - 200 mg.

I suffered with extremely oily skin, clogged pores, and cyctic acne from ages 15 to 40. I had tried Acutane, as well as every prescription acne treatment available, to no avail. At age 40, I finally resolved to end this problem once and for all. I read about Spironolactone and how it works to reduce oil production and acne. I started on 200 mg. My skin became completely clear for the first time, and stayed that way. After two years, I had cut down to 100 mg which worked fine, but then I quit taking it to see whether I would still get acne, and it came right back. I continue now at 100mg. I also recommend switching to pure glycerine soap rather than harsh acne soaps - as it turned out, the harsh acne products, and even regular soaps, were irritating my skin, making it red and flakey. This simple switch helped a great deal. I also did a glycolic peel at the time I first started taking the Spironolactone, and my pores have been clear ever since. I wish I had discovered this sooner.

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Anonymous female

December 27, 2006

I'm 42, all of a sudden I was having cyst acne due to hormonal changes. My doctor prescribed Antibiotics and Retin A micro, it did nothing and the Retin A was too harsh. I started taking spironolactone and haven't had a single break out since. Also, with the hormonal change came water weight gain and the spironolactone helped with that as well. I love it!

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sofia

December 18, 2006

Pros:

I have been on spiro for 2 years 100mg a day and i love it, i had tried minocycline which helped but the side effects made me stop.You have to take it for about 3 months to see a difference. My skin has cleared and my self confidence is up.

Cons:

Bleeding btw periods sometimes.

While spiro may not cure my acne 100% it makes it easier to live with it, my skin looks so much better and i am not as depressed as i used to be. I get a few breakouts here and there but its not the severe kind that lasts for days. For those that are scared to take it, i would encourage you to get a prescription and try it for at least 3 months and see if it works.I take it with food in the morning and i honestly dont feel any side effect the rest of the day. I have been on minocycline, doxycycline, differin and retin-a and this beats them all hands down. Remember to drink alot of water and avoid foods high in pottasium.

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purereviewer9

December 15, 2006

I was on this for more than a year to help my hairloss-- little did I know it was actually preventing me from getting the bad cysts I used to get before I went on accutane. When mr Dr. took me off of it we were both surprised that my skin totally changed texture and I started getting horrible cysts after a few months. Now my Dr. put me on it again and I'm hoping it does the same magic as it was doing before.

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smt

December 1, 2006

I am 43 and have tried everything under the sun for my acne and very oily skin. The BC pill helped and I stayed on that for years but it gave me migranes. So when i had to get off of them, my skin became more oiler than ever. The acne was bad to. My skin tone is a reddish tint so it never really looked clear. The oil just makes it look worse, so to make a long story short after trying everything else, my dermatologist suggested that we try this, 25mg twice a day and it seems to be a wonder drug. Its been 2 1/2 mos. My skin is ALOT less oily and the acne has cleared. I noticed a real difference after 1 mos. I love this medicine. By all means try this small dose. It does work. Drink lots of water. I have also started using a primer before i apply my foundation and that makes my skin look smoother.

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