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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August 12, 2010

Pros:

cleared acne by 90%
hair is less oily and stronger
less facial hair (moustache)
increase in breast size
no or little bloating at time of month
skin is not oily anymore

Cons:

some side effects which seem to straighten out after getting used to it: majorly heavy/watery period - spiro is a diruetic (makes you lose water), frequent periods (every 10 days), dizzy, dehydrated, have to pee more often, panicky/tingly feeling probably from the dizziness and dehydration

my side effects were so severe at first i stopped taking spiro. i was on 50 2x daily. i then went back on and started at a lower dose (50 1x daily) and the side effects pretty much went away aside from a very watery period (sorry for the detail)! it did take over 2 months to see results for my acne, but they are incredible with it mostly gone! last month i didn't even get any pimples during PMS and now/sometimes i have a few small ones here and there but have upped my dose to 75 to see if that will take care of the last strays. i am also on ACZONE topical cream which stops any acne i do get from becoming inflammed, cyst-like, etc. overall, this is a great pill if your acne is hormonal. mine was hormonal and covered my jaw-line and upper neck (beard area on a man). it was so awful (cysts that would last months) and i had tried just about everything else to no avail. i was so affected by it i became like a hermit, not wanting to show my face anywhere since i even had a hard time covering it with makeup. this prescription has changed my life!
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July 30, 2010

Pros:

Effective when nothing else worked

Cons:

Frequent trips to the bathroom

I have experienced moderate acne since age 10. At age 23, my acne got HORRIBLE. (Children began to point at my face -- that's how bad.) All topical treatments failed; antibiotics failed; and Accutane made it *worse* (I had to go on a steroid to reduce that inflammation!). I'd just about lost hope when an alternate dermatologist recommended combining 100mg of Spironolactone with a light dose of antibiotic. The pairing worked! Now I take 50mg Spironolactone per day (no antibiotic anymore) and only experience a few blemishes at a time. Whew! There are some mild side effects: it makes me suddenly hungry within 2 hours of taking it, and I pee more frequently than my grandma. But all things considered, it is a welcome tradeoff. Such a relief.
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July 28, 2010

Pros:

- gets ride of acne

Cons:

- the side affects were something I had to deal with tremendously.
- fatigue
- extreme tiredness
- racy heart beat

Spironolactone helped me so much in reducing my acne. I never had severe acne problems during my adolescence days, but this year (3rd year in college) I started breaking out like I have never seen in my life. Spiro did not make my acne disappear overnight. It took me a span of two to three weeks for me to notice how my face was no longer flooded with new pimples, while the old ones were going down. Yes, spiro helped me so much in calming down my acne and I am so thankful for that. However, the side affects were... in other words, extremely difficult to deal with. The side affects of fatigue and tiredness hit me so hard since DAY ONE and hasn't changed since (and I've been only taking 25-50mg). The fatigue feeling is almost to the point of anxiety. I recently stopped taking spiro (after 1 1/2 months) last week because I felt that I was going to faint. Spiro sometimes (and by sometimes I mean most of the time) makes my heart beat so fast to the point that it makes my whole body jittery. Even when I got a good nights sleep, i would take 2-3 hour naps (and even so, it makes me feel that I just pulled an all nighter). The other day when I took spiro, I ended up taking a nap on the living room floor because I was THAT TIRED to even go upstairs into my bedroom. just sayin' The only reason why I sucked it up was because spiro DID help my acne. However, let me emphasize how difficult it was to even maintain my daily tasks (going to class, focusing, trying not to fall asleep, or trying to sleep with my heart beating so fast- not fun) So if you try Spiro and the side effects are nothing how I described, I'm so happy for you. But if you're like me, beware. Here are some before & after pictures. You can see how different my skin looks (despite the different lighting in each pics). Now it's only the acne scars that are left. BEFORE [link removed]
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July 7, 2010

Pros:

less oil, less cystic acne, smoother face.

Cons:

Very hard on your stomach, potassium is now high. Always thirsty no matter how much I drink.

This really works when nothing else would . I use to get big cystic acne that swelled and throbbed with pain and took forever to clear up. I have been on 100 mgs for 1.5 years however I watched my potassium slowly creep up on my blood tests. When I was at 4.7 my doctor put me down to 75 mgs and my face started to break out again, not as bad as before spiro but I am not clear anymore. Too much potassium can damage the heart so unfortunately if I can not maintain my clear face on a lower dosage I will have to go off this. My advice start out low and see if you can maintain a clear face at 50mg.
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July 5, 2010

Pros:

Has reduced my late adult acne to almost nothing, when nothing else worked. It wasn't bad but would flare up from time to time and what woman in her 50s wants to deal with acne? It has also generally made my skin smoother. My hair is less oily (but not overly dry) and requires less freqent washing. Best skin I've had in years

Cons:

It is a diuretic so you need to be really careful about getting plenty of fluids. The potassium test didn't bother me - I only had to get it when dose was increased. I started at 25mg then moved within a few weeks to 50. Saw a lot of imporvement for a couple months and then a plateau. Doctor upped to does to 100mg again significant additional improvement. ALthough I still get minor flare ups when I am very stressed they are just that - MINOR

This product solved the problem for me. My skin is softer and prettier and virtually no zits. Ir also reduced those annoying little hairs that can grow on your chin and turn into zits. If you are careful about staying hydrated and getting electrolytes checked this is a great product. I did have some mild dizziness at first but that went away quickly . No other negatives. I used it with the topical ZIana which is a retinoid.
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July 4, 2010

Pros:

Cheap, effective on hormonal acne, minimal side effects (for me)

Cons:

Potassium levels can change so you have to get checked

This drug worked on my hormonal acne (I'm 26F). It took about four months to see a real change, but it does seem to work. I'm 99.9% clear now with this and the addition of antibiotics and Finacea. I haven't felt much of the side effects that happen on this drug. I was worried about feeling lethargic but I barely notice a change in my energy levels. I do hate getting blood taken though, and you have to get regular tests for K levels.
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July 2, 2010

Pros:

Decreased oil on face and back
Acne not as severe

Cons:

Can raise blood potassium levels

I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and at my wits end with trying what seemed like every prescription treatment for acne. I finally went to my OB/Gyn and was diagnosed with PCOS, which can have a major effect on acne production. I've only been on this for two weeks, but i can already see a difference in the size of my acne and less oil production on my face and back. I am also using Minocycline 50mg twice daily, as well as chemical peels every three weeks, so that may play a factor in the reduced and less severe acne. I plan on staying on Spironolactone unless I experience any major side effects.
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June 11, 2010

Pros:

Prevented cystic acne, reduced facial/body oil by about 50%, improved overall acne and hormonal breakouts, cheap!

Cons:

Needed to use with birth control to get results, irregular periods, minor irregular heart beat

I have extremely oily skin and hormonal acne on my chin area, and I originally went to my derm to see if I could get on Accutane (mostly to try to control all the excess oil), but she said that it would be too harsh for my already sensitive skin and recommended Spironolactone, and I'm so glad she did! I started on 50mg a day and saw a pretty good decrease in hormonal cystic acne, but little decrease in oil. We bumped it up to 100mg a day after two months and I started taking it with birth control pills (Ortho-tri cyclen Lo) and I saw a huge difference! My cystic acne is completely gone, I only have a few small pimples that easily heal within a week, and the combination of Spiro and birth control pills has decreased my oil production by probably about 50%! I still have a lot of excess oil, but all of you with crazy oily skin will agree that any decrease is well worth the effort! My skin is looking the best it has since before puberty, and a big part of that is the Spiro. If it helps, I now use this combination of products to help with the acne, oil, and redness: Finacea gel OC 8 (non-prescription oil control gel) Spironolactone 100mg Ortho-tri cyclen Lo Try Spiro, it is soooooo worth it!
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June 6, 2010

Pros:

gets rid of hormonal acne which is probably the most frustrating to have.

Cons:

A lot of side effects, none of them really bothered me except for the fact that I am constantly thirsty but I find it to be a good thing since I used to be really bad about getting enough liquids.

I still havent seen the full effects of the medication yet. I am on 50mg a day and have been on it for about 7 weeks. I had a horrible breakout less than a week into the treatment, really painful cysts. It was probably one of the worst breakout I've ever experienced. I didnt want to leave the house, slowly it cleared up but then about 5 weeks into the treatment I had another big breakout, not quite as bad, but enough to discourage me. That breakout finally cleared up but I am left with two little breakouts that are fairly new. They arent cysts which I am very thankful for. My doctor told me id notice dramatic results by the third month, but I think I may need a higher dose. However my skin has improved quite a bit since those big breakouts. I'm not giving up yet, and I am confident that eventually this will work. This medication is different for everyone, just stick with it, nothing happens fast when it comes to acne.
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May 27, 2010

Pros:

Clearer and less oily skin.

Cons:

Thirsty more often, need to drink more water to keep hydrated. Frequent urination.

A complete life saver for me. I had pretty bad acne all over my face, some on my arms and back as well. Nothing would work and I tried just about everything. Now my face is almost completely clear and the other affected areas are improving as well, just not as quickly as the face. I don't have to worry about the shiny, oily makeup face anymore. I still have to wear foundation to cover the scars but that's no problem as I would wear it regardless. I started off taking one 100 mg pill a day and ordered them online from InHouse Pharmacy. I stayed on the 100 mg for three weeks and was not satisfied, I was still breaking out but not as badly. So I upped it to 200 mg on the fourth week (I'm going on the 5th week now) and it has worked wonders. Even skipping a day of my usual facial cleansing and gel routine didn't cause me to break out terribly like it usually would. I'm still hoping for it to help reduce the unwanted hair so I'll write another review later with an update. I'm also hoping for the increase in breast size lol. I'm expecting this to only increase in its effectiveness as time goes on so I'm thinking (hopefully) it'll be totally clear everywhere by next month. I had initially tried birth control (ortho tri-cyclen lo) but that only made my acne incredibly worse. So I got off that and started solely taking Spiro.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
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Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
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