I never feel the need to write reviews but after dealing with acne I feel I must. I am 20 yrs old and never really had acne until I was about 18. This past year it got worse. My jawline and cheeks were constantly broken out. After seeing three dermatologists over the years NOTHING worked until my latest one. Blood work showed my testosterone levels were high (even though I am a girl) and that was most likely the cause of my acne. She prescribed me solodyn 12 weeks ago and I began the spironolactone 3 weeks later. My face was still breaking out up until about last week. I do have to say the breakouts have not been as bad but I was losing hope of ever getting clear skin. The two prescriptions I believe are working really well together. I am very impatient and it was hard for me to accept that "it gets worse before it gets better." Trust me, it sucks. But honestly stick with it! Waiting three months is nothing compared to never having a clear face. I am finally seeing results after 12 weeks and am glad I did not give up. On 55 mg of solodyn once a day and 50 mg of spironolactone twice a day (total= 100 mg of spiro total) and am a 124 lb girl. No horrible side effects. Coming from the most impatient person ever, stay patient!

I have been on 100 mg of spiro for maybe 3 months now in addition to Tazorac. The initial breakout for me was awful and lasted maybe 2 months or so. By the 3rd month my skin started clearing up more but then my dermatologist stupidly forgot to refill my prescription (despite me contacting him dozens of times to renew it). Anyway, I was off spiro for maybe 2 weeks and my skin got extremely bad, even worse than before I started spiro. I am back on now and I think I am going through an initial breakout again but I am hoping my skin clears up faster than the first time I started this med. The fact that I was only off this med for maybe 2 weeks and my skin got so bad worries me because I am afraid I will develop a dependency on this medication, which will be a problem in the future when I decide to have children. My biggest problem with this medication is that my skin is so dry! I don't know how I can get my skin to not be so dry. I have been using CeraVe Hyrdrating cleanser, Garnier Cleansing Oil for very dry skin, and CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizer and somehow my skin is STILL incredibly dry. During the day I also wear a BB Cream on top of the CeraVe PM but my skin is still dry within an hour. I have no idea how to help this so if anyone has any recommendations for cleansers, moisturizers, BB Creams, or Foundations I would be so grateful!!!

I am 31 and have been trying and failing acne treatment since age 12. I have been on everything... accutane, antibiotics, birth control as method for acne control, every single topical agent out there (Ziana working the best, Epiduo coming in second), and all with very little success. Finally I had a doctor prescribe me Spironolactone. I saw improvement in the first 30 days at 100mg, more than other oral prescriptions, but not a complete cure. After giving the drug some time to work, the doc raised my prescription to 150mg. In 2 weeks I was practically clear- having one zit that popped up while PMSing. It's been amazing. Now it's been a month since the increased dosage and my skin looks really good. I have some scars/small bumps that hung around but they are fading very quickly. I am using Epiduo topically a few days a week as that reduces dark spots wonderfully. When I use it more than 3 days a week my skin gets too dry.

I began taking spironolactone about 3 years ago after a course of Accutane that produced only temporary results. I took 50 and then 100 mgs a day and it did wonders! Over the course of about 6 months, I had gone from 4-6 cystic pimples to completely clear skin. My dark marks had faded and I was able to live life like a normal human being for the first time in my life. I ran errands, went to the gym, and hung out with my boyfriend all without a stitch of makeup-- something I never believed would be possible for me after suffering from moderate-severe acne for 10 years. I decided in May of last year to go off the medication. I incorrectly thought that maybe my hormones had leveled out by 26 years old and that didn't have to take the spiro anymore. Life was great for 6 months after going off spiro but then I began to break out again. I wouldn't say worse than before, but about the same as before spiro. I began taking the med again last December and after almost 3 months my skin has definitely improved but I still have at least 2 cysts and a gaggle of little pimples at any given time. Of course there are a ton of new scars that will take forever to heal. I'm hoping that spironolactone will again work for me and I can feel human again. It's really depressing to feel like you always have to hide. Summary: In terms of it's effectiveness, I give spironolactone a RESOUNDING 5 stars. This stuff really really worked for me! For those of us with hormonal acne who do not want to use (or re-use) Accutane, it might be the only option- and thank god it's a good one. The only reason why I subtracted a star is because it's not a long term solution. One day I hope to become pregnant and I will have to stop using the drug. I wonder if it's worth it to use a drug as a band-aid, or if I should be investing my time in longer-term solutions that I can utilize indefinitely? Maybe it's worth it to do a second course of Accutane if it means curing my acne for good. For now, I will stick with the spiro and hope that my hormones level out on their own.

Growing up I did not have major break outs. I did suffer from awful periods which then lead me to be on birth control from 14-21 with absolutely no issues. I used othro tri lo and it was great for me. Never had breakouts, normal periods and even helped maintain my weight. I got married at 22 and right away we wanted to TTC. After a year of struggling TTC both me and my husband were tested and it was determined my husband could not have children. I have not been on birth control since, im now 29 and have again struggled with the awful periods and now get these deep down cystic acne. By no means it Is awful but I always have atleast one on my chin and cheek. I always struggle with super oily skin and scalp. I wash my hair at night and by morning im already having to use a dry shampoo. Within the past year are so my face has gotten so hairy. I literally have to use a little razor and shave my face every couple of days and have these these course black hairs that im plucking out seriously every morning. I would prefer not to go back on birthcontrol just due to the fact that my husband cant have kids and I don't want to prevent a some miracle happening (weird I know, as well as I know you should not be on spiro when pregnant). A couple of years ago I was put on minocycline and that did not work for me, took it a couple of months but stopped due to almost feeling like I was drunk, could not concentrate and had bad anxiety. Have also tried aczone but did not find that it really did anything for the cystic acne just the occasional pimple. I have been tested for thyroid issues and those have came back normal. I am going to the derm in 2 weeks and think I want to bring up spiro. I definitely feel like my issues are hormonal. Anyone with similar issues have success? I do worry about potential weight gain as I struggle with my weight as it is, 175lbs and 5'5.

I used to take TriNessa (norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol tablets) for a very long time, until I realized it was giving me cystic acne during certain weeks of the month, there'd also been a week, when I felt absolutely miserable, so sad for no reason, I'd just start crying and wouldn't be able to stop. I never drew a connection betw. those symptoms and TriNessa. I went to a different obgyn, she told me, it must be because TriNessa has different level of hormones for each week of the month - so I'd experience all those crazy fluctuations all the time. She prescribed me Microgestin 1/20 tabs 21 green, which has 3 weeks worth of, so to say, the same level of hormones. The cystic acne hasn't really bothered me since, mood swings've been better, but I didn't stop breaking out every month, which is driving me crazy. I went to a dermatologist. She prescribed me Aczone 5% gel 90gm as topical and Spironolactone 100mg a day. She told me to try Spironolactone for a couple of months to see, if it works and if it doesn't, she said there were other pills she could give me. I've been taking Spironolactone 100mg for 2 months already. It doesn't seem to do anything at all!! It's very frustrating! I'm thinking, I need to go back to the dr. and try different meds. Btw, I don't feel any side effects from Spironolactone whatsoever. But it doesn't seem to do any good either. Maybe I should double my dose, I've read that u can take up to 200mg or maybe I should switch b. control again. I don't know what to do.. And the truth is, all the doctors I've ever seen don't know either!! They just offer me meds to try from their list and see how I feel. That's exactly what they say! Aczone 5% gel was $60 with my insurance and I can't say it worked wonders for me. I also tried Epiduo (adapalene and benzoyl peroxide) gel 0.1%/ 2.5% - another prescription topical. It's pretty good at drying up zits, but not the answer. I also went to an endocrinologist and had my hormone level checked, it's totally normal! I'm 27 now

Hello Everyone, I started Spiro three months ago, prescribed by my dermatologist for androgentic alopecia. I'm 59 years of age and had been losing my hair for four years with an accelerations when I had my last period at age 56. All of my bald spots have filled in or are beginning to fill in, with very grey hair and I don't care. I began dying my hair when I was 28 when grey first appeared. I am so thankful to have signs of hair growing and the fact that it's grey is insignificant. However, what I am nost surprised to see is that once again, I my face is once again showing its dewy side. The last time I glowed naturally this way, I was still having my menstraul cycles. My complexion is awesome and a very pleasant side affect of taking spiro.

Hello! So I've never posted before but after being on Spironolactone, I have to share my story. I have had very mild acne since I was a teenager. Pimples on my forehead and chin and around my hairline, but nothing too horrible. To manage it, I used a Clean and Clear Blackhead clearing scrub along with Zap Zit on my hairline and had clear skin from about 17-24. When I was 24, I went on the pill (a generic brand, can't remember) and a month after using the pill my periods became really irregular for the first time in my life and I started to get deep, painful cysts on my chin and back. I'd never experienced this before and thought I wasn't using the right face wash and that my face had changed, so I tried a new face wash and nothing. I continued to to take the pill for six months and started to see inflamed, red cysts on my chin and cheek area and transitioned through MULTIPLE face washes, creams, whatever to try and get back to my normal routine but nothing worked. I was frustrated by my decision to take the pill, as I normally am someone who doesn't like to take any medicine at all, so I got off the pill, convinced it had changed my hormonal levels for the worse. Going off the pill helped a tiny bit for a few months, but the cysts persisted. I tried natural methods, like ACV and coconut oil, but the ACV just caused my skin to become inflamed. The ACV did bring the cysts to a head quicker, but it also seemed to cause them to scar. I would also ingest the ACV and that helped with gut regularity, but nothing on the skin. I had never been to the dermatologist before (never needed to) but in September 2014, 15 months after being on the pill and 9 months of being off the pill and trying natural treatments, I felt I needed to see a doctor. I explained my story to my dermatologist, one of the best dermatologists in Utah, and he said right away that it was hormonal acne. He gave me two options, Accutane or Spironolactone. The effects of Accutane lasted longer, but seemed more dangerous and invasive, so I decided to use Spironolactone. In September 2014, I started at 50 mg/day for 1 week, bumped up to 75/mg for two weeks and by the 4th week was on 100 mg/day, my daily dosage since October 2014-February 2015 (present). I'M SO GLAD I DID! The first month was a little tough, I broke out badly on my cheeks, but after 4 weeks, the cysts on my chin started to clear and by November 2014 I was completely clear, with no new cysts. It took only TWO MONTHS. I am still dealing with the scarring, but even that is fading away over time. I had some minor irregularity in my period (it was shortened by a few days), but now have a normal period every 28 days, with no spotting or bleeding in between (nothing like the irregularity of being on the pill). I also didn't deal with any headaches, thirst or fatigue and visited the bathroom a normal number of times for someone who drinks a lot of water during the day. Now I remove my makeup with Simple makeup remover wipes at night and that is IT (I use liquid Bare Minerals to cover the scarring) and I just wash my face with water in the morning. No face wash needed. I use lavender oil mixed into normal SPF face lotion to wear under my makeup during the day and then use straight avocado oil at night, nothing else. I am so happy with Spironolactone. Though I know that if I go off Spironolactone, the cysts may come back, I'm happy taking the medicine that doesn't alter my hormones in a negative way (like the pill did) and I don't have to use harsh washes on my face. As of February 2015, my routine is now fairly natural and uncomplicated, back to where it used to be. Try Spironolactone, give it time and be gentle with your skin (slowly phase out harsh washes and topicals). Like me, you'll be glad you gave it a try!

I have been on 50mg of Spiro for 9 weeks with some improvement. I have my period every 10 days and refuse to take hormonal birth control to "regulate" my cycle. I also use .05 Tretinoin to topically address the existing acne and hyperpigmentation. I do have true acne scarring as well (depressed marks). I have not lost or gained weight or noticed a diuretic effect from the meds. The only indication that I'm taking it is my crazy irregular periods which I'm not sure how to correct. If any one has any suggestions about this other then bc (I use the copper iud) please share! Good luck everyone!

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