Antiandrogen
Acne.org’s Real World Take
“Spiro” has been shown to work in a real and noticeable way most of the time. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution.
Antiandrogen
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Spironolactone? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 13, 2016
Spiro for past 3 years - different dosages - different manufacturer
Hi everyone, I never thought I'd be writing on one of these but I understand the emotional and physical anxiety that comes with hormonal acne.
I am about to turn 20 but have been on Spiro since I was 17. I've never had cystic acne, but I've had relentless hormonal acne that has taken a tole on my confidence.
I started on 50 mg (17 years old) and it took 6 months to be clear. Yes, you initially break out and I broke out around my first prom (lots and lots of years). But it is worth it - I had amazing skin all my senior year.
Last December (19 years old) I was incredibly stressed out with a new college and all the stresses that come with that and started to have mini break outs on my chin. I upped my dosage to 100 mg which immediately cleared me up in a month. My skin had never been better.
This June, my pharmacy changed manufacturers without telling me (Amneal to some generic drug) and I broke out once again around my chin. I was devastated. I didn't know why or how this had happened so I upped my dosage once again to 150 mg. I have been on this new dosage for about a month and a week ago, I switched pharmacies so I'm back on the old manufacturer (Amneal). I'm incredibly impatient and dramatic so I know my problem is no where near as severe as people with cystic acne. However, I have been completely clear and there is nothing quite like it. The only issues I've noticed from the increased dosage is dry skin. I take 50 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night so I'm not tired during the day. The dry skin is a bitch but I'm trying to figure out a moisturizing routine and I'm sure it will fade in a couple months. So far, I have discoloration and maybe 1 - 2 whiteheads. I will keep everyone updated. To those who are starting out or struggling: I love you all and know that you are not alone. Love yourself with or without the acne, and I know that is so easy to say - but nothing is worth getting depressed over. Sending my love and good vibes to you all!
KkLJ
August 16, 2016
Hey, very interesting to hear about your journey. I am in a similar situation. I've been taking Spironolactone for about 3 months now. I started out with 50 then went to 100 and now I'm on 150mg. I've heard it takes about three months to work, but unfortunately, for me, I haven't seen much of an improvement, and the improvement I have seen I think is due to the doxycyclin I'm taking, which I hate taking because it gives me horrible sunburns. You said it took 6 whole months to improve? I'm starting to wonder if this drug will even work at all since it's been 3 months. And also what's the pharmacy issue? I've never heard of issue with different manufacturers.
tams2016
September 15, 2016
I just starting using spiro three weeks ago. So far I haven't seen any changes, but after reading your review I feel very hopeful. Rome wasn't built in a day, my skin won't just magically clear up. Patience is not my virtue. Thanks for the reassurance :)
mojo530
October 12, 2016
UPDATE: NO MORE ACNE! Once I changed back to my old manufacturer (Amneal) my skin was clear. The only issue now is that I am SO DRY. I do think it is because I am on a higher dosage and I'm in a cold/dry climate. It's just infuriating that there's one issue after the other. Has anyone else experienced dry skin on Spiro and how long that takes to go away? Hoping my body gets used to it and I can stop freaking out about flaking and expensive moisturizers.
GracieM
January 29, 2017
Was the other manufacturer sun pharma with bigger pills?
August 9, 2016
A LITERAL CURE WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS.
I've had mild/severe acne ever since I hit puberty. I've tried EVERYTHING other than accutane and really didn't want to go down that road. The pill Brenda helped clear me somewhat but I had to stop taking it because it was aggravating my depression. As soon as I stopped taking it my depression went away and my acne came back in full force. I came across Spironolactone and really wanted to try it. Within a month of taking it my skin was already starting to clear. I've been taking it for over 4 months now and my skin has never looked so good. My skin is also visibly less oily. The best thing about this pill is that I haven't had ANY side effects... i'm taking 50mg. I do need to go to the toilet a little bit more than usual but for clear skin it's a small price to pay!
September 1, 2016
Are you able to drink alcohol on spiro? I just started and am nervous about having anything
August 27, 2017
About drinking alcohol on it. I'm taking 25mg twice a day, for about a month now. I do not recommend drinking alcohol while on it. It makes me nauseous to have half of a beer (which I still do, so hard not to!). It makes you feel kinda off while you're drinking and the next morning I feel slightly hungover even with that tiny amount of beer. It's most likely because of the extra dehydration it causes. I drink over a gallon of water a day.
July 19, 2016
Extremely High DHEA-S, No PCOS
I take 50mg a day. Sometimes when I'm starting to break out a little, I take 100mg. (My Dermatologist has approved this) Not to sound too dramatic, but spironolactone has changed my life. It has cleared 95% of my breakouts. Even though my acne has never been cystic, it is very severe. I would get tiny pustules all over my body which looked like folliculitis. Even my stomach had acne!! Everyone thought I had PCOS until an ultrasound proved them wrong. For some reason my adrenal glands produce over twice the limit of DHEA-S and this is what causes my acne. If you're in the same boat as me, spironolactone is worth a shot. I'm on Yaz as well, and I dread the day when I have to go off these meds.
January 18, 2017
First of all, I apologize for my English which is not very good because I am French. I am 23 years old, I have been taking the Jasmine pill for 5 years and I have never had acne in my teens. My dermatologist has prescribed spironolactone because Doxiciline didn’t work My dermatologist made me do a biopsy (thinking that it could be a mushroom of the repeated use of cortisone cream) which demonstrated the absence of fungi. I also did a hormonal blood test showing no abnormality either ... My acne covered my face, forehead and cheeks with a grainy set, buttons bigger than others not piercing and an oily layer. This doctor prescribed Spironolactone in addition to Jasmine pill to control androgens. After 5 weeks at 100mg and two weeks at 150mg no results. My skin is always covered with this grainy layer with pimples at the bottom of the cheeks and in the middle of the forehead. Always this rough coat and those bigger buttons on the forehead and lower cheeks. And still as many tears every day for two months now ... Do you think this is normal that after 6 weeks under Spironolactone there are no results?
July 13, 2016
Works good BUT....
I was on spiro for about a year last year and then a few months again this year. The first time I took it I was soo happy and amazed. I cleared up all of my big pimples on my cheeks and forehead and the only side effect I noticed was that the first few weeks I felt kind of light headed but that went away. However, I also experienced some really bad dry mouth which started to really bug me (still not 100% sure it was from this but I think it was). My other problem was that it did not clear up the tiny forehead bumps I got all over my forehead. Those never went away with this medicine for me. So I stopped taking it due to the dry mouth and forehead bumps and wanting to be "all natural" and not take any medications. My face broke out some more so I took it again for a few months but then stopped taking it again for all the same original reasons. Moral of the story: It works great but if you dont want to have to take a pill forever or deal with any possible side effects then try something else! Also- like other reviewers, i also lost about 5 or so lbs while on it because it makes your body release all of its water so you lose water weight and look a lot less bloated which was a plus
July 11, 2016
Wish I was pleased as everybody else...
I have extremely oily skin with mild-to-moderate acne that fluctuates. I was put on Spironolactone to try and help regulate my breakouts and it really only made me break out in places that are considered to be "hormonal breakout areas" like my jawline, neck and shoulders. It helped mildly with the smoothness of my face but I would still get breakouts around my period. Since I stopped taking it, my jaw and neck don't have any breakouts and the condition of my face remains as it was. I haven't seen enough of a miracle with this product that would make me keep using it.
July 8, 2016
Almost three weeks in
I am 20 years old, have had acne for about 5 years! Pretty deep and painful cysts but also many on the surface that take a few days to go away. I have tried Minocycline, Bactrim, and Trimethoprim. I would say that none of these worked for me, not even before I developed a resistance to the antibiotics.
So my dermatologist prescribed spironolactone! I have been taking 100 mg, once a day, for almost three weeks. He also gave me Epiduo to use as a topical medication. Also would like to mention, I took hormonal BC for about two months which cleared me up. It also made me seriously depressed so I had to switch back to my minipill. (This is how my doctor recommended Spiro to me, because it blocks androgens, which part of what the estrogen in BC does.)
First week: Had a slight headache that I could combat with Advil and lots of water (I still worked a full time job so it wasn't unbearable). I also had about three cysts present themselves BUT they were super easy to cover and are basically gone now. I knew there would be an initial breakout and I am just happy it wasnt worse! I had also used the Epiduo twice that week, so my face was a bit dry, but not anything my moisturizer couldn't fix.
Week two: This week the cysts were definetly shrinking and I did not get any new ones. The headaches were completely gone, and I felt like my normal self. Some people claim that this medication makes them sluggish although I don't feel that way at all! In fact I felt pretty good- probably from all the water I was drinking. I used Epiduo three times this week, and I think that it is helping a lot with the small pimples that arise at the surface, I had significantly less than I typically get in a week.
So now I am halfway through week three and I feel good! I don't want to get too optimistic because if this doesnt work it will be more of a bummer, but I have to say I am pretty happy! I have been told it takes about three months so I am going to wait it out.
My acne is relatively mild, so I am very sympathetic to people who really suffer, and I would like to address the people who worry about the IB or other early on side effects:
Three months time is going to pass anyway. Whether you take the medication or not the time will pass, and three months from now, if you hadn't taken the Spiro, you will definetly still have bad acne, but if you do take it, three months from now you could have the beautiful radiant skin that you dream of!
That's what keeps my spirits up. Hope this helped!
(4 stars simply because I am just starting!)
January 29, 2017
Thank you for sharing. Update on your journey please.
July 8, 2016
Tiredness as a Side Effect?
Hi, I'm 21 and just a few months ago had break outs all over my chin and neck. I'm so confused as to why this is happening given that I never struggled with acne to this level before. In high school I had crystal clear skin. Does anyone know why hormones change like this?
Also, I just uped my dosage to 100mg three days ago and have been very sleepy and sluggish. Yesterday I took a three hour nap. I haven't seen much about this side effect and don't know if it will go away or if it's serious. Any feedback would be fantastic!!
July 16, 2016
I feel for you. I'm currently 25 and I started getting really terrible acne when I turned 20. Like you, I had perfect skin all throughout high school. It started out as deep painful cysts on my face and I made the mistake of trying to pop them (trust me, don't) because acne was so new to me. I just wanted them gone. I found a dermatologist who prescribed me a few different types of antibiotics, one which worked well for a few months until I became immune. Birth control made it worse for me and I really didn't want to deal with side effects of accutane so I gave up and tried a holistic approach which included a complicated mix of vitamin supplements morning and night. For a while my acne got better, though it didn’t completely clear up. Then when I was 23 it came back with a vengeance. I began getting cysts on my upper AND lower back, my shoulders, and my hairline. I saw several dermatologists and none of them suggested anything new – until I saw my current dermatologist for the first time and she suggested spironolactone which I had never heard of before. She told me that it appeared as though my acne was caused by a hormonal imbalance. I started taking 200 mg a day for 2 months but stopped because nothing changed other than my periods becoming irregular. Once again, I gave up. A year later I went back to see her out of desperation. She put me back on spiro and told me to give it more time. I'm SO glad that I listened to her advice and gave it more time. I've been on spiro for about a year and a half now and my skin looks just as good as it did in high school. I have to tell you that it takes a while for your body to get used to it but DON’T GIVE UP ON IT! It took 2-3 months before my skin cleared up completely and 4-5 months before my period became regular again. Like some other users I also experienced light-headedness and occasional dizzy spells, but I soon found that dehydration was behind those symptoms. Spiro is a diuretic so it is extremely important to stay hydrated while you’re taking it if you want to avoid symptoms of basic dehydration. I’m not a doctor, but from years of similar personal experience and hours of my own research it sounds to me like your tiredness may be hormone related. Fatigue is a symptom of adrenal imbalance. The adrenal gland is where hormones including testosterone are produced. Since spironolactone is prescribed to counter the overproduction of testosterone (aka the hormone behind your acne) both your tiredness and your acne are probably signs that you’re dealing with a hormonal imbalance. If that is the case then the spironolactone should actually help with both as long as you give it time. I would still tell your doctor about the tiredness next time you see them though, because there’s always the chance that it’s from something totally unrelated. Hope this helps! Good luck!
June 7, 2016
100 mg is the way to go
100 mg-- was what I needed to clear skin. I would say nothing more or less. Ive tried antibiotics, different birth control, changing my diet, and cutting out dairy-- this works. I'm 23, and I've battled spurts of acne since I was 18. My skin would be very clear for months or years at a time and the all of a sudden breaking out everywhere. I went on Gianvi or Yaz first, which cleared my skin when was 18. When I was 18 after taking prednisone, my skin literally was covered over night. I only took it for about a year and a few months after going off it I noticed mild breakouts that occurred all the time. I went to a dermatologist, and was prescribed spironolactone 100 mg and one month later my skin was crystal clear. I stopped taking it, and didn't experience breakouts for over 2 years. After 2 years of literally perfect skin and no medication, I started breaking out on the lower half of my face. Eventually it was all over the lower half with almost no clear places. I was really upset and depressed and didn't want to see anyone-- it was an awful summer, avoiding people and any type of social interaction. I eventually went to the doctor and got on spiro again-- 100 mg. This time, I did not have the quick results I wanted. A side effect that I have noticed with spiro is a breakout period about one week to 10 days after taking it or upping a dose and ending around 2.5 weeks, my chest (something that doesn't break out) and forehead are covered in rash like acne. It's a week at most, but I guess its just my bodys reaction to the hormones. Ive also lost about 5 lbs every time I go on it. I also got back on gianvi both control. After a little over a month and no results, I went to the derm and he lowered my dose to 50 mg because I had upper cheek breakouts. This was a MAJOR mistake. I should have waited the prescribed 3 months. I tried to wait it out because I was told by numerous terms and on this board, it can take 3-6 moths for hormones to even out. My acne became severe on my upper cheeks only for the next 6 months and I was miserable. Even though my derm, told me to I didn't increase my dosage back to 100 mg, fearing the initial breakout I got every time I tampered with my dosage. My next step was going to be accutane. I spent so much of my day worrying about my skin and putting on makeup. Finally after 7 months on 50 mg and still moderate acne on my cheeks, I increased to 100 mg. Within 2 months, I now have clear skin with an occasional breakout. I think 100 mg and yaz is the best option for most people as well.
May 29, 2016
Discoloration??
31 yo female who has suffered from all types of acne since I can remember. Visited the dermatologist in April and he prescribed Spiro. This is the first I had heard of it so I have done nothing but read reviews since. So far, I have noticed a reduction in oil production but not much in the way of acne reduction. I am still holding onto faith that another month or so and I will see improvement in that regards. However, I have extreme discoloration all over my face now. Has anyone else experienced this? Will it even out? I'm fair skinned but always have a red tint which I associate with the inflammation of my acne. is this part of the healing process? Please....I need answers as not much info on discoloration is available in these threads. Thanks :))
May 31, 2016
Go to [link removed] and get the glyluronic acid or lac-luronic acid to fade marks :)
Spiro takes time, and so does evening of skin tone. But it will all fade over time
May 23, 2016
So happy for this drug
I started breaking out about 2 years ago when I was 22. - i have never had acne before that besides the odd spot. I had moderate cystic acne mostly on the bottom half of my face. Anti-biotics would kinda help but the acne always came back. I tried to fix it with diet, that didn't work and it was honestly no way to live, I was becoming obsessed with food and constricting myself to too much! I went to the dermatologist and he put me on spironolactone. I started on 50 mg a day for 30 days. It helped, but it did not clear it up' (I hear it takes a few months for most people though).
After 30 days my doctor bumped me to 100mg and added a birth control. In my case it is diane-35. My doctor told me that spiro works best to it's full potential when paired with a birth control. This combo did WONDERS for me. I was acne free within 2 weeks. I still get tiny break outs when I am on my period but they are totally manageable and small, I wouldn't have even noticed them back when I had big cysts. Side effects? Yup one major one, but I am not complaining about it. Weight loss! I was 130lbs when I went on this med and I now weigh in at 117lbs! I feel better about my face AND my body.
I sometimes feel my heart beating faster than normal, that is just an indicator that I need to down some H2o and I'm all good. If you are a woman and you think your acne is hormonal ask your doctor about spironolactone and if it's right for you. Most GP's don't really recommend it because I think they are just not knowledgeable on it? That's only my assumption. I was going to the GP for my acne to get antibiotics and they did not recommend sprio to me. Once I went to a skin specialist they recommended spiro right away! Wish I knew about it earlier to save myself 2 years of agony on my face haha. Thanks guys!
September 23, 2016
What type of birth control did you go on? Did you notice a side effect of losing hair?