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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Abbey

January 4, 2009

Pros:

I've been using Spiro for 2 months now and I'm happy with the results. I have no breakouts and have had zero side effects of taking the medication.

Cons:

period still arrives at the same time each month, but it's alot lighter.

I'm 30 yrs old and I was getting the hormonal breakouts as soon as my period was to arrive each month, other than that, I never broke out, so I went on Spiro and it stopped the monthly breakouts. I'm only on 50mg a day but it works for me. My dermatologist also prescribed Differin and I used it for a few days at the beginning but it was too drying and I've never used it since. I go back to the Derma in a month for a check in and I'll be curious to see if I continue on this or just use it less, like the two weeks before I get my period.

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Shannon

January 4, 2009

Pros:

Less facial oil, more even skin tone, smaller blemishes.

Cons:

feel tired, flu like symptoms, Very low blood pressure, headaches

I have been on spiro for two months now and I have noticed my skin is in better shape.The biggest difference I notice is that my skin feels cleaner, not dripping with oil. As far as the acne after two months I am still breaking out. The pimples are just smaller and less cystic.I still feel very sluggish on this med, the side effects have not gone away. My blood pressure has gotten as low as 110/54 but I have not gotten dizzy yet. I just feel so tired and have muscle aches. I am on 100 mg a day (all at once) and will not consider any higher. I hope that in 2 more months things will improve more. So far I am not disappointed with the results, just a little impatient.

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mandi

December 22, 2008

Pros:

cleared up my acne after 2 months

Cons:

i have to pee soooo much now, lol and i get dizzy if i get up too fast, not sure is that has to do with the low blood pressure the pills can cause.

highly recommend if acne is more of a hormonal issue than a hygiene issue. i've been to so many different dermatologists and they all tried to treat my acne with washes and masks...but FINALLY i have a doctor who realized that my acne was being caused by my hormones. 6 years of disappointment, but now i'm actually starting to see results, uhhhhhmazing :)

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December 17, 2008

Pros:

Works well, no sick-like side effects....took about 2 months to work but now is awesome.

Cons:

My potassium level went up too much and I had to cut back on the dose. Kind of scared of what will happen when I stop taking it.

I've been using spironolactone for about 8 months. My face is 100x clearer. It wasn't awful to begin with but I felt like a 24 year old with 15 year old teen skin. Creams really don't have an effect other than making my face extremely dry. My derm started me on 25mg, and over time we bumped up to 150mg. At that time my birth control was Yaz. My regular doctor was concerned about my potassium levels because both of those medications raise them---so she switched my BC--I was not going to give up clear skin. My derm now put me at 200mg, the highest dose she prescribes, and then had me go get my potassium levels checked again. It was 5.0, the high end of normal range. I eat a lot of healthy food like fish and bananas, both of which are high in potassium. It would be kind of hard for me to avoid high potassium foods, so we switched back to 150 and they're normal again.

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Jen

December 16, 2008

Pros:

Breakouts on my chin and cysts along jawline have cleared up 99%. Skin is much less oily. I now only get one or two breakouts a month, it used to be almost every day I'd have a new one and several a day during my period.

Cons:

I get dizzy if I stand up too quicky. Wake up thirsty in the middle of the night sometimes. Breast tenderness the first month or so. It also seems that menstrual cramps have gotten a little bit worse, but nothing that Pamprin can't fix.

Read about spiro on the internet and asked my derm if he would prescribe it. He had no problem doing so, along with Duac for the non-hormonal breakouts. He prescribed 100 mg a day (in the a.m.), but recently I've switched it to 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night so I don't get so dizzy from lower blood pressure. I also notice that I'm a little bit dizzier after I run. I've been on spiro for 7 weeks now and I can see a HUGE improvement.

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MommyMo

November 30, 2008

Pros:

It has been almost a month and I've seen a big difference in my acne. My doctor put me on Spironolactone for facial hair on my chin and in my lip area. While researching it, I read that it helps with acne, too. It works for both. I'm thrilled!

Cons:

So far, I'm just noticing that I have to pee more often.

I'm thrilled that it is addressing both of the problems that I've had with my face- the acne and the facial hair.

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November 24, 2008

Pros:

Soft, smooth skin, no breakouts!

I have been on spironolactone for about 4 years. It has kept my mild acne under control. I am 27 and I feel great about my skin, finally. I wish I had known about this years ago. I am on a small dosage and have not had any side effects. I follow the instructions for the drug and eat well, and feel totally normal. Just keep trying something until it works for you.

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Shannon

November 23, 2008

Pros:

decrease in oil, cysts are smaller( less fluid in them) More manageable.

Cons:

Since I have increased the dose, severe muscle aches, sluggish ,tired , cold all the time. Flu like feeling.

I started on 50 mg a day, felt ok, Didnt notice any real increase in urination.Only noticed slight oil decrease, had the same amount of usual break outs but they were smaller less fluid filled and inflamed. After two weeks upped the dose to 50 mg 2x a day , very tired, back of my neck muscles really ache, have a hard time doing my normal activites. Thought i may have a had a heart palpitation a few times, but it went away. As far as my face its been about a week on the higher dose and i did notice the stubborn deep cysts that have hid under the skin around my jaw line for months are drying up. My face looks paler which causes the old red scars to become more noticable.I still have a few new break outs but they go away quickly and are smaller but they are more painful. The oil is still decreasing which is good. So far i feel positive about spiro, Cant wait for my body to adjust to this new dose so that i feel better. Oh and i really cant say as of yet that i had an initial break out .

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Oliver H.

November 10, 2008

Pros:

My skin is now a good balance between dry and oily. Not too oily, yet not too dry. I have noticed that my hair doesn't get as greasy either (what a blessing)! For the most part, my skin is now fairly clear.

Cons:

frequent urination, very low blood pressure

I am 21 and have been taking this for about five months. I didn't see real improvements until about 3-4 months. So be patient!!! I'm only on 50mg twice a day, and maybe if the dosage was increased I'd see an even bigger improvement, but this medicine has decreased my blood pressure significantly, so I'm a little apprehensive on upping the dosage quite yet. I do believe I have seen an improvement on the overall feel and look of my skin though.

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jackie

November 1, 2008

Pros:

Worked after the first month 100mg a day but the 2nd month broke out terribly. It seems to work but maybe this 2nd moth my hormones are adjusting but I am going to stick with it.

Cons:

2nd month bad breakout, irregular period and extremely dry mouth and lips.

I believe it is going to work and hopefully right now it is just the side effect of getting worse before it gets better. I am also on YAZ birth control. This will be my third month I will give an update at the end of the month.

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