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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November 30, 2009

Pros:

wow, it does work! wow, no more cysts from chocolate and eggs, no bumps from sugar. it's awesome for that! skin is soooo clearing up after a week or two of constant use. the redness is down, yay! relief of edema, legs are slimmer

Cons:

not without weird side effects.
and hoping i won't get any permanent effects

I'm only taking 25 mg, and I'm only taking spironolactone after careful consideration and research (and some faith!! yikes!), and I'm super sensitive and careful, and wrote down these side effects: -light headed, spacy, somehow, i don't feel as smart... like I'll misspell things, which usually I'm not really prone to doing -throat feels painful, like i have a cold. this is weird, but with continuous usage, is less noticeable - CAN ANYONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THE QUALITY OF MY TEETH HAS DETERIORATED SUDDENLY? They're thinner, browner, and i swear, usually my teeth are strong and sparkling (I eat all organic, take the best supplements i can afford right now, like raw-food multis), but since i've been taking this, I've noticed this. No changes to my diet, really. - of course I get tired, but some days it seems to energize me!
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November 15, 2009

Pros:

Cleared up my skin utterly and completely after 17 years of consistent chin and jaw acne.

Cons:

It took time. 7 months of it before the true turnaround. But it's oh-so worth it.

This changed my life. For a more in depth look at Spironolactone, check out my blog I've kept whilst taking it for the past 9 months on the blog forum. But some tips: 1. Be persistent. And I mean PERSISTENT. It might take weeks. It might take months. Lots of them. 2. Take it with the pill, it works better that way. 3. Don't stop your topicals right away.Oh - and I didn't get an initial breakout, just strange ones along with the usual ones. Don't be afraid.
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November 8, 2009

Pros:

Never had acne before children. After 35 stopped taking birth control (but not planning for any more children). Then started getting acne. Spiro cleared my skin, reduced facial hair, really started seeing a significant difference in skin

Cons:

Itchy skin, rash/hives, slight headaches

Began taking 100mg for 1 month and then began feeling significant symptoms
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November 6, 2009

Pros:

Worked extremely well, however NOT WORTH the heart palpatations!!

Cons:

VERY BAD HEART PALPITATIONS after 2 months...very scary i thought my heart was going to stop and it did several times and i stopped taking. Took a 25mg pill 1 time a week later to make sure and same thing started happening. PLEASE WATCH YOUR HEART!

Not worth the risk, but did work very well the first two months before the side effects started...
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November 3, 2009

Pros:

My acne cleared up.

Cons:

When got off Yaz I had a period for two and a half weeks for three months in a row.

My acne cleared up. I have very little scaring. My face has remained clear. I'm off the Yaz now and just on the spironolactone
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October 25, 2009

Pros:

Spironolactone stopped my hormonal eruptions and really
worked better than any oral medicine I have ever tried. Currently using Jan Marini Transitions topically the same concept but topical.

Cons:

After 6 months I started experiencing severe muscle weakness, heavy leg syndrome, tingling in feet and muscle spasms all over.. I had to stop using it after 6 months.

I think Spironolactone is great solution for hormomal acne. The only problem is too many side effects and risks taking it orally. Jan Marini's Transitions topical lotion does a good job without the risks and side effects.. If interested in contacting me about my experience contact [link removed] The only problem is transitions costs $80.00.
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October 18, 2009

Pros:

Cystic Acne - cured! Took 1 month to see clear skin. Less oil, hair less oily, no pimples, skin texture is much better and I feel happier!

Cons:

Irregular periods for the first 2 months, extra thirsty, pee a bit more than usual but its worth it!

Try it - its the best thing I have ever used. I will never come off it. The pros outweigh the cons by a mile!!! I wish I could tell everyone who has acne to give it a shot. Good luck!
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October 16, 2009

Pros:

Clears skin without the concomitant drynessand irritation of other acne remedies.

Cons:

My skin got worse before improvement was noted. Patience is needed since in my case I took the drug for nearly one month before improvement was observed.

I am taking the other aldosterone antagonist, epelerenone. My endocrinologist prescribed epelerenone since he believes it is better tolerated than spiranolactone. I am 56 and recently broke out with acne. In prior years Yasmin was all that was required to control my acne. HRT was administered (only .0375 estrodial patch 1x/wkly). I was not prepared for skin eruptions at this age. The estrogen producing machinery falls flat at menopause. Correspondingly, androgen levels remain high. This apparently is why some post menopausal women may experience acne in later years. I recommend epelerenone or spiranolactone for this skin disorder since as previously noted no other treatment may be effective.
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October 7, 2009

Pros:

Completely cahnged my life! The best...

Cons:

not much that I contribute to the medication, and nothing that I could imagine stopping the medication for.

I have posted a couple times of this product. I did a lot of research on the medication and read many of these posts before I begged my derm to prescribe this to me. I had about two to three large cystic acne at any given time but I only broke out around my mouth on my chin. I was in pain and I was depressed, literally I would not go to class, parties, even work sometimes becasue of my acne. This medication helped me get my life back. I started at 100mg buth got increased to 200mg quite fast. I have been on the 200mg for about two years. My advice is to really push your derm to prescribe this to you. I knew I wanted to take this and I had done alot of research and was pretty sure that it would work for me. She said that we sould try it and since then we have never looked back! Good Luck
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September 30, 2009

Pros:

cleared up my cystic acne, pores are smaller, skin feels great at age 40 - - first time since I was a teenager

Cons:

hair is so dry now - had to cut a lot of it off.

Started at 50 mg/day then increased to 100 mg/day to perfect it. Dropped back to 50 mg/day to see if hair isn't so dry. I really like the effects, except for the very dry hair. At first, was fatigued, but took it at night and it helps me fall asleep.
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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.
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Be sure to:

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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:

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