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.

Its completely worth it!!! Im a senior in High School and i"ve had acne for a year now. my acne is hormonal, so id have clear skin for awhile, then when I got my period each month my acne would be terrible!!!!! Red blotches, white heads, black heads, cysts, you name it..what is even worse is that I have a twin sister whose skin is completely clear, all the time....not so good for my self confidence! I tried a million things it seems, including DDF scrub( which only worked momentarily for me, but if you have light acne i think this would be a good option) tanning, the pill (which actually made my acne worse!!!!!!! ) creams, scrubs. Its all been very expensive, and nothing has ever worked long term. What im using now is Spiro ( I take it in the morning) along with a thing layer of Tretinoin cream at night. SO FAR SO GOOD!!!!!! Be sure to wear sunscreen with Tretinoin!!!! I use neutrogena sport face that wont clog pores. its so nice to find a product that actually is working, i'll update this in a month or so....hopefully i'll be 100% clear!!

A year ago I had cystic acne around my mouth and chin. As many know, cystic acne does not respond to topical treatment 9 out of 10 times. (I would actually say 10 out of 10). Initially i thought it was my diet, so I cut out all carbs, sugars, dairy, etc. hoping that it would change something. I juiced every day, drank nothing but water, and still nothing changed. It got to the worst it has ever been last July. My entire skin broke out in a way that was unimaginable and quite frankly unbearable. My self esteem was so low and I spent months depressed and avoiding social interaction. I ended up diagnosing myself with PCOS after hours of research. I figured out that acne resulting from PCOS is due to increased androgen (testosterone) production and insulin resistance. Basically, sugar and testosterone together can lead to the perfect environment for acne to thrive. I went to my derm and OBGYN and found that indeed my testosterone was high. and my derm wanted to put me on accutane; but after doing research myself I realized that accutane does not target hormonal acne. Therefore I thought Spiro would be best, and he agreed after I asked his opinion at my next appointment. I was on 50mg a day at first but after a week or so decided to bump it up to 100 myself. It has worked miracles for me and I havent really noticed an negative side effects at all. Ive been on it for almost a year and have no complaints. I am beyond grateful for it. I have found that taking supplemental ZInc 30mg a day as well helps (read more for yourself. works like an antibiotic). Also, mainting blood sugar is so important in order to make sure you dont experience spikes throughout the day. I eat a lot of high protein food and do not eat any breads, pasta or things containing flour. NO sodas, sweets, or dairy really. Mostly salads and lean meat. Ill have a cookie every now and then though ONLY after Ive eaten a high protein meal so that it isnt the first thing to hit my stomach. Hope this helps! [link removed] <---- great info about acne and PCOS as well as other hormonal issues

I'm really hoping it works! I've been on Accutane, but that was 5 years ago. Since then, my skin never came back to what it used to be. For 4 years i had pretty flawless skin, but this last year i had a hard time trying to fix my skin. So here i am, still trying to fix it . Let's see if it works! Keep in mind i have fair to medium skin, with yellow undertones and it used to be SUPER (cant stress this enough) oily skin, but thanks to Accutane i have combination skin now. IM SORRY ABOUT MY ENGLISH, IM FROM BRAZIL :) ***WEEK 1: breaking out a little more than usual; no noticeable reduction in oiliness; pimples healing INSANELY fast even though i get new ones almost everyday; terrible headache in the first day (so i don't even know if it was because of spiro) ***WEEK 2 (PMS week): at the beginning of this week i was breaking out like crazy but in the last 4 days i got only one small pimple; NOTICEABLE reduction in oiliness; pimples healing reeeally fast; terrible stomachache yesterday ***WEEK 3: skin was doing GREAT at the beggining of this week, but 3 days ago i started breaking out again, it's not a huge breakout though; NOTICEABLE reduction in oiliness; pimples healing fast; my period didn't come this month ***WEEK 4: skin was doing GREAT but today i got a new pimple, a big one, but it is smaller than the huge cysts i was getting before i started Spiro; noticeable reduction in oiliness; pimples healing fast ***WEEK 5: skin healing from horrible breakout i had this last weekend (maybe beacause i upped my dose to 150mg); noticeable reduction in oiliness; pimples healing fast ***WEEK 6 (PMS week): skin is doing GREAT, it feels like it was purging and now there is nothing more to come out; INCREDIBLE reduction in oiliness; pimples healing fast ***WEEK 7: skin was almost flawless in the beginning of this week but since yesterday i got 2 pimples (one medium and one small); incredible reduction in oiliness; pimples healing fast ***WEEK 8: awesome skin!!! NO new pimples this week (since i haven't reached the 3 months mark, there's a chance i break out again though); oiliness is GONE; pimples healing fast ***WEEK 9: FLAWLESS skin ( better than when i was on Accutane!!!!!!!!!); oiliness is gone; can't tell if pimples are healing fast because i haven't got any new pimple this 2 last weeks ***WEEK 10 (PMS week): Awesome skin (no new pimples at all); oiliness is ok (maybe beacause is pms week); once again cant tell if pimples are healing fast because I haven't got any new pimples this last 3 weeks ***WEEK 11: after weeks without having any pimples i got a little one yesterday but it's already clearing up (but this was one of the most stressful weeks of my life, so keep that in mind); pimple is healing pretty fast; terrible stomachache (but i also think is stress related) ***WEEK 12: got a new pimple this week, but its a little one; oiliness reduced; pimples healing pretty fast

I started my struggle with acne when I was in about 5 grade. First my mom let me try using Acne Free products and ProActiv and of course those did nothing to help my face. So I went to the dermatologists for years and used everything. They started with rosacea medications. Then I moved on to countless pills and topicals throughout middle school, (Monodox, Solodyn, Differin, Epiduo, Acanya, Ziana, etc.). However, I never tried accutane, I have problem with needles and I'm just not willing to do the bloodwork every month. Even though I was rigorously treating my skin, middle school was the most severe time for my acne. Then I moved into high school and got lazy with the medications the doctors had prescribed not really believing anything would work. Then when I turned 15 I was finally able to go on birth control (kariva) to help my skin, and it did help. My skin went from moderately severe, to maybe 1-3 big pimples at a time with a good amount of little things. Finally my junior year the doctor prescribed 50 mg once a day Spironolactone to go along with my BCP. It seemed so simple to her and I have no idea why she didn't prescribe this years ago. After only about 3 months I started to see improvements then, after 7 months all the sudden everything changed. For the first time in 7 years I had basically had no acne. I had some discoloration still and some clogged pores but thats it. These pasts couple months have been great for me... Basically I now only wash my face if im in the shower and I just use a Norwex microfiber facecloth to take off my makeup at night, my skin is perfectly fine with these natural oils. I honestly never thought I'd see the day where I can go out without any makeup on and still feel good about myself, now I do it all the time. I'm going to try using some natural remedies like apple cider vinegar and coconut oil for my less than perfect skin texture and coloring now. Spironolactone was the fix for me and I recommend it to everyone. I know you might be scared off by the side effects listed online but I didn't experience anything. My doctor even said it's fine for me to continue taking NSAIDs for my headaches. Coming from a girl that tried everything, trust me, this stuff works.

This medication saved my self confidence and sanity. I had previously been on Ortho Tri Cyclen for 15 years and had perfect skin. October 2011 I severely fractured my ankle which led to a blood clot in my leg. Due to the clot, I can never take hormonal medications again. So, on top of not walking and worrying about the clot, my face and body decided to explode with acne. I had it all over my cheeks, chin, forehead, neck, chest, back, butt, you name it and it was there. Pretty traumatizing when I never had acne before. I have fair skin that scars very easily, so now as soon as the old zits would leave, i had hyperpigmentation spots on top of new zits. I tried every topical I could think of, and nothing worked. My normally outgoing personality faltered as I was horribly embarassed to be around people and show my face. I felt like I couldn't wear low cut shirts and I didn't want to even leave the house. I cried myself to sleep every night. I finally managed to get into my dermatologist in March 2012. I had read all these reviews about Spiro and prayed that the dr would prescribe it and it would help. He took one look at my face and started me on 50mg daily of Spiro. At first I didn't see any changes, then about three weeks down the line my face and chest got even worse (which I didn't think was possible) then started to clear some. My body acne and chest cleared up at that point. In July, my face broke back out into large cysts. Luckily I went back to the derm a few weeks later and he upped my dose to 100mg daily. My whole face cleared up immediately. It was even a little dry, where I was used to having an oil slick on my face. I still saw improvement the last few months. I get a couple tiny pimples here and there but whatever. I can gladly deal with them! My chest still had a few, and I added in zinc for skin healing and now those are gone. I couldn't be happier and I finally have my life and self confidence back. It's amazing. I hope this helps anyone who thinks

SPIRONOLACTONE HAS WORKED WONDERS FOR ME! Ladies, I cannot stress this enough, SPIRO IS A VERY SLOW-ACTING DRUG! Many women go on spiro, take it for 3 or so months (even up to 6), claim it's not working then switch. IT TAKES LONGER THAN THAT FOR MOST PEOPLE! I have suffered from SEVERE acne since I was 15 and this is the only thing that has cleared me besides accutane which I have taken 3 times (trust me, I have tried everything you can think of at the direction of my derm). If you have tried accutane and the effects haven't been permanent, TRY SPIRONOLACTONE! I have been on it for about a year now and honestly, I can just say that within the past couple months it has totally cleared my skin! BE PATIENT, give it AT THE VERY LEAST 6 MONTHS before deciding there are no effects. For me, it took even longer than this but IT WORKS I promise for severe cystic acne. I also take Microgestin Fe 1/20 birth control pill daily, unsure if this adds to the effect, and treat with Neutrogena On-The-Spot 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream both am/pm. The combo of this has given me perfectly clear skin (thanks to the spiro as I've always done those other things). ALSO IMPORTANT: You MUST take a dosage of 100mg or higher. I know many derms prescribe less, and perhaps that works for minor or moderate acne even, but if you suffer from moderate to severe acne you must take more than 100 mg. My derm has stressed this as well, he starts ANYONE on atleast 100mg even if not severe acne. I take 200mg daily. I have a friend who has only very slight to moderate acne and ALSO takes 200mg daily. We both have clear skin. I have a friend who takes only 100mg daily and still has a few pimples at any given time. Take that as you will. So, in conclusion, SPIRONOLACTONE WORKS. It is very slow-acting, do not give up on it until you have taken it for 6 months or more. Also, you need to take a high dose, 100mg/day or more especially if you have severe a

I'm an athletic (running, triathlons) 46 y.o. female who has had acne since I was 12. Over the years, the acne has been light to severe, the worst of it during the years I had my children, and over the past 1-2 years, with painful, persistent cysts, as well as black- and whiteheads, on my entire face and my chest and back. I have taken different antibiotics, used many prescribed topical lotions and creams such as clindamycin and Retin A, and bottles and bottles of OTC and natural/homeopathic skin regimens/products (including Dan's Regimen). I also tried diet modification for about 6-9 months (dairy-free and gluten-free, reducing sugar intake). Except for a period of improvement for a week or so after eliminating gluten, I continued to be severely broken out. About 18 months ago, I saw spiro mentioned a lot on Acne.org and other acne forums, so I asked my doctor about it, as she knew how desperate my struggle for clear skin had been for so many years. She put me on a 50 mg dose which I started taking in late June 2011. I didn't see any improvement at first, and then about a month later, I noticed that I broke out less in certain areas, but the acne just exploded on my cheeks and nose, although not in huge pustules. But what was there was still painful, red, and difficult if not impossible to conceal with makeup, and it would scab easily and look awful! I didn't see any real improvement until after my doctor prescribed birth control to make up a difference in the dosage of spiro (she didn't feel comfortable upping the dose), which was added in August. It's now the first of March 2012, and I'm virtually clear. I still get a couple little red bumps, usually on the right cheek, around the menstrual cycle, but they clear pretty quickly over a few days after my period. It's the clearest I've been in many years! And I'm pleased! One caveat to taking spiro is being willing to avoid alcohol. I'd rather have a healthy liver, so

I am writing this review because I read so so many of them over the years trying to find a solution. I appreciated the encouragement and honesty. I am 33 and have suffered from adult onset acne since about age 21. Primarily cysts on the jaw and neckline. Over the years also my cheeks and my chest as well. Blackheads on my nose that never go away. I am a picker, so this worsens everything. I have tried BP, salicylic acid, AHA, BHA, proactive, differin, minocycline, tetracycline, azythromycin (worked until I had a severe allergic reaction on day 5- anaphylactic internal hives),BCP: ortho tri cyclin, yasmin, dermologica skin care lines, skin ceuticals (which I do love and still use, but didn't clear acne), pore strips, a comedone extractor, vegan diet, skin diet, zinc supplements, B vitamins, fasting, juicing, probiotics, microdermabrasion...Nothing worked long term. After having a child 3 years ago I got pretty bad melasma in addition to the acne(that did not clear nor get worse during pregnancy or a year of breastfeeding). My derm wrote me a script for retin A .25. It took about 9 mo. to almost completley clear the melasma. I noticed improvment in my skin tone and texture from the retin A but not too much effect on the acne. I do love and highly recommend Retin- A, I am still using it, still at .25 at night with great results in clarity, tone, and texture. But alas no help with the acne. A little over a month ago I went in for my yearly check up and she prescribed me spironolactone. 50 mg once a day. I take it at night because I read the reviews about sleepiness.Within 5-7 days- COMPLETLEY cleared up my acne. I have had zero side effects and now on it for a full month. I must add that I was coming down with a cold /allergies the day I went to the derm. 2 1/2 weeks later it had not gone away and I went to my pcm- had a sinus infection. She put me on sulfamexthaxalone- an antibiotic for 10 days. I just finished that. My acne had cleared before I started the

This drug has been a miracle for me. I am 47 and always had acne since 12. Birth control years ago helped some but not like this. Also I have taken tetracycline off and on for years. I even tried Solodyn ( bad stuff for me, it's the drug that darkened my teeth). Within weeks of taking spironolactone, my acne cleared from my face and back/shoulders. I had painful hard bumps on the chin. My back & shoulders had so many bumps and marks & I couldn't wear a swimsuit. Not to mention being sore to the touch. Now, for the first time in my life I get compliments on my skin! I am not oily at all & even use a light moisturizer at night. Not sure I would recommend it for someone still able to have children. But my peri menopausal acne was worse than my teenage acne. Now it's gone!