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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Jack M.9

June 13, 2012

Pros:

Clear skin, more confidence

Cons:

none

I started taking spiro at the end of january/beginning of february. My dermatologist started me at 100 mg a day (50 in the am and 50 at night). She also had me start off with an antibiotic that I am weaning off of, down to once every other day. My skin is finally clear, maybe one pimple every month that goes away quikcly. I definitely think that the antibiotic helped with the initial break out that many people get and helped my skin at first, because it can take up to four months for spiro to really kick in. I started the antibiotic at 2x a day and am now down to once every other day without an issue. I think the spiro has been in my system long enough to do its job, so I will be off the antibiotics all together very soon. My skin has never looked this good, I have no problem being seen without make up and the woman that threaded my eyebrows the other day told me that I had beautiful skin, thats something that never happened before!

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Eeek a mouse

June 1, 2012

Pros:

No more oily skin, no more pimples and breakouts. My skin cleared up, didn't take long to start working. Inexpensive.

Cons:

None

I had tried everything, nothing worked for me, the doctor thought spiro would wrk for me. After taking this medication for about 4 days I saw a huge difference. I've been on it for almost 2 yrs. my skin is totally clear and not oily.

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Dee

May 12, 2012

Pros:

Breakouts cleared up 99%.
Face used to be oily/dry...now it is perfectly in between.
Periods became more predictable.

Cons:

Slight headache during use at first. Breakout was VERY bad after I first started medication...and with each initial dosage increase, but wait it out. It will clear.

This medication was and is life-changing for me. My dermatologist was treating my acne with antiobiotics and creams for 2 years, and there was never any relief. It was horrifically embarrassing. I know this sounds dramatic, but I was even embarrassed to go to school functions for my kids, and for their friends to see my face. I had heard them say things to my daughter about what my skin looked like. I switched dermatologists, and she started treating me with hormonal therapy. I am 35 years old, and it has made it so I can leave the house without makeup. If I use makeup, it is simply for accentuating my features now....NOT for covering massive amounts of pimples and cysts and scars. I used to want to stay home instead of going to work and out to run errands because my acne was so severe. I am still elated, and it's been a year. Simply fantastic. Worth trying, and I hope it works for you. Started with 25 mg, and now take 100 mg per day.

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AMAROSE

May 11, 2012

Pros:

-LESS OILY SKIN/HAIR
-STOPPED PAINFUL CYSTS IN THEIR TRACKS AFTER A 2 WEEKS.
-FEELING SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF!
- WAY LESS MAKEUP

Cons:

MORE TRIPS TO THE BATHROOM BUT I DONT REALLY MIND THAT TO HAVE THIS ACNE FREE FACE!!!

I'v struggled with acne since i was 12... It really has taken a toll on my confidence. I always felt like i had this permanent ugly mask on, it really sucked to feel so disgusting & having no control over it. I have been on accutane, doxy, mino, bactrim, proactiv, acanya, atralin, ETC ETC ETCCC!! drank tons of water, ate healthy great hygiene bla bla bla NOTHING worked like spironolactone. accutane helped for about 2 years when i was 19 then boom full blown acne came back at 21. it was so bad. so embarrassing, even to show my dermatologist i even seen in her face she knew it was so bad... she would do chemical peels and stick me with those needles to try to get it to go down & THEN i broke down in tears. --i know things can be ALOT worse-- you must always remind yourself that!!!!! but emotionally & physically i was hurting. it took over my life. i am a young happy outgoing girl with pretty friends and a handsome boyfriend, & it doesn't bother them at all but it kills me to be seen with acne all over my face i just wanted to hide from everyone. I even became petrified of little kids because they would always ask what it was. just always felt like a freak show deep down but did a great job acting like it didnt take over my life and like didnt become obsessed with it and trying to cover it 24-7. and then i was like enough is enough. i refuse to let this friggin acne win and take away my social life and my confidence and my beauty and everything else i read acne.org reviews almost everyday hoping to find some help. AND I DIDDDDD!! I went to a new derm & he prescribed me it on the spot, 100 mgs a day. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WROTE ABOUT SPIRO!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! I felt so helpless in my world full of friends & family with normal skin! i'm so thankful for this website & everyone else like me... ***GIRLS DONT GO ON ACCUTANE GO ON SPIRO!!!! PLEASE!!!!! TRUST ME.*** & accutane can cause women to be

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Christina

May 4, 2012

Pros:

Enough to turn your life around -

Significantly less oil buildup
Exceptionally clear skin
Faster healing time if a breakout does occur
Increased confidence
Use less makeup
Inexpensive prescription

Cons:

One might say the frequent bathroom trips, which sometimes occur late at night but I will sacrifice my sleep for clear skin.

Whenever my dosage was increased I felt slightly nauseous the first day or two, but it went away.

Initial breakouts when first taking the medication or an increased dosage. This typically goes away after a couple weeks.

I can say without hesitation that I truly had one of the worst cases of acne imaginable. I struggled for 10+ years and now at age 26, my former life of being depressed about my acne is moving farther into the past. I want to give hope to those out there that feel embarrassed, ugly, depressed, insecure, anti-social, etc. I have felt all of these emotions and it is brutal. Before taking Spiro, I wore makeup 24/7 and even slept in it if I stayed over at a friend's house so they never saw how truly bad my acne was. I was terrified of any person I ran into; I thought they would just stare at my ugly skin. I started seeing a derm many years ago and I have been on every acne med under the sun ' Differin, Proactiv, Tazorac, Retin-A and nearly 3 rounds of Accutane. No dice. Around age 22, literally overnight my entire chin and jaw were covered in little zits. After that, I was living in 'Cyst City'. They hurt, they're big and take weeks to heal (unless you get the injections). One day I was visiting my derm and had 15 cysts on my face. Right then I burst into tears and told her how frustrated I was. That day she prescribed me Spironolactone I started on a dose of 75mg, then 150. You break out a lot at first but after a few weeks, it gets better. Finally, she upped me to 200mg. Holy. Cow. The cysts and pimples vanished and I barely had any shine on my face. Since taking Spiro, I've maybe had 5 breakouts total, compared to the dozens before. If I forget to take it a couple days in a row, it results in one tiny breakout. Once I'm back on track, it's gone within 2 days. I remember when my derm told me to look up Spiro reviews. After reading well over 25, I was sold. I went into it knowing that it would get worse before it got better. I can honestly say that Spiro changed my life. My skin is always clear and I'm so confident! If I haven't said it enough, Spironolactone can put an end to acne. No one should feel the overwhelmingly negative

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April 27, 2012

Pros:

Practically oil free
Clears acne and prevents it

Cons:

Frequent urination
Lightheaded/dizzy if not taken with food

I am 35 and have PCOS. I was taking metformin before this alone and that helped control some of the hormones my ovaries were producing, which in turn alleviated some of the side effects of PCOS. It wasn't until my doctor added Spiro though that I really noticed the difference in acne and much to my surprise the oiliness of my skin and hair pretty much diminished. I had to carry oil blotter sheets everywhere with me. I haven't had to use those since using Spiro. I've been on it for 2 years now. It did take about 6 months for the acne to clear which was primarily on my chin and jawline. I'd get a few cystic around my period before Spiro. Not one since Spiro and to add to that no more periods because I recently had a total hysterectomy with ovaries intact so I still have to take metformin and Spiro for PCOS. However I saw an immediate effect on the oiliness of my skin and hair. Seriously, within a few days the excess oil my body produced was pretty much gone. Another positive side effect is that my hair after shaving comes back blonde and much softer. Not coarse and darker. I very rarely will get a pimple and lots of times if I just use E.L.F's zit zapper ($1) at most Targets and then their mineral blemish kit that has sulfur in it for ($5) at Target or ($8) on their website. It never fully develops and goes away within a few days. I was also a picker so that always lent it's way to more issues. DON'T PICK! Lol! It's a hard habit to break and I'm so happy it's broken now. I highly recommend Spiro if you are comfortable with the negative side effects in the pamphlet it comes with. Also please, please make sure you have your potassium levels checked every 3 months. Spiro does increase potassium. I had to cut my dose from 200 mg a day to 100 mg a day. That amount is still perfect for myself. You will have to watch your potassium intake while on Spiro. Also to help with discoloration I had after everything cleared up I used scar zone with green tea and SPF. It

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Ashley

April 27, 2012

Pros:

-skin is clear
- 1 or 2 pimples only around time of month
-noticed less body hair
-less bloated
-skin less oily

Cons:

-VERY thirsty when first began medication
-frequent bathroom visits
-should avoid foods with potassium
-blood tests
-possibly carcinogenic?

I have been on Spiro for about 6 weeks now and I noticed an improvement within 2 weeks of use. I was really scared about getting an initial breakout because a lot of people said it happened to them, but thankfully I didn't experience that! Since being on Spiro I've had maybe 3 pimples total appear and they're usually gone in 2 days.. a BIG improvement because I used to constantly have 4 or more pimples on my face at a time that took weeks to go away. I'm excited because I can finally concentrate on getting rid of the scars left from acne past without worrying about any new breakouts to destroy the work I'm doing. LOVE this :)

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Isabella B.36

April 10, 2012

Pros:

Clears Acne
Less Oily

Cons:

None thus far

This medications has worked wonders for me. I am 37 yrs old and have struggled with acne since my teenage years. Have, as so many others, tried so many different cleansers,treatments and medications. Nothing worked until this. I have been taking for about 6 months now and my skin looks better than it ever has.

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Kelly

March 30, 2012

Pros:

-WORKS!
-not Accutane! (seriously this sh*t is scary! It's just a band aid and isn't addressing the real problem! If your skin produces too much oil, its the result of hormones or something else, and shrinking your oil glands doesn't fix the problem!)
-Seriously works! Still can't believe this is my skin! No bumps when I wash! Don't have to wear tons of makeup!

Cons:

-takes a LONG time to work
-takes a long time to get used to side effects such as: peeing a lot, being lightheaded, dehydration (drink lots of water!)
-maybe some cancer risk? (though still better than the long standing effects of Accutane in my opinion)
-kind of expensive (but I have terrible insurance)
-not a cure all, still need to do other things

My story: cystic acne since age 13. On mino/tetra/doxycycline for years, had to get off b/c they were hurting my liver (had bruises on my thighs.) Refused to go on Accutane b/c I wasn't willing to hurt my body that bad to get rid of my acne, even though it was terrible and made me depressed. Finally found spiro. My doc only wanted me to try it for 3 months, but I kept on it. I am taking the highest dose, 200 mg. I saw less oily skin/hair within the first few months, less pimples after 6 months, and now finally a year later I am almost totally clear. If you've tried everything else like I have, try this but give it time! This was definitely the straw the broke the camel's back but it's not the only thing I do to have my skin stay clear. I have a vegan diet (for ethical reasons) and the closer I stay to an all veggie diet (no fruit, grains, etc) the better my skin is. (But make sure to eat nuts/seeds to get your protein). I got an blood food allergy test done by a naturopathic doctor (allergists only do skin tests.) I was allergic to soy, wheat, almonds, and many other foods. I gave up sugar and processed (white) flour. Right after I stopped eating these foods I saw the inflammation in my skin go down. I still got pimples but they weren't as bad and went away more quickly. I was a HUGE popper and now I realize I was just making the problem worse when I did that. I would pop little pimples which would turn them into huge pimples, and a couple times when trying to pop cysts they popped under the skin and it was terrible. Now I don't let myself even look at my face for that long after I get out of the shower b/c I know I will try to clear out my pores and make problems. I only wear mineral makeup. Physician's Formula makes pretty good foundation and powder, but I also use Clinique Advanced Concealer when something is really obvious. I also use Retin-A and Aczone. DON'T GIVE UP! Try lots of things together, it wasn't just one thing that cl

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Desi

March 30, 2012

Pros:

Clears skin
Safe medication
Minimal side effects

Cons:

Feel dehydrated frequently
Takes 2+ months to work

You need to be patient with this medication. I have had horrible acne since I was 14. I went on two cycles of Accutane, that worked but only for a couple years at a time. My dermatologist recommended Spiro and at first I was hesitant. I wanted another cycle of Accutane because it was the only thing that has worked. However, she pushed me to keep trying the Spiro out, it takes a few months to adjust to your body cycles... AND IT WORKED! I keep crossing my fingers that I won't get another big cyst, so far so good. As of now at about 10 weeks, I have clear skin. Mix Spiro with Tazorac and it is helping clear up the scarring, etc. I highly recommend, but please be patient and don't get discouraged!

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