Acne.org Products
Antiandrogen
Acne.org’s Real World Take
“Spiro” has been shown to work in a real and noticeable way most of the time. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution.
Antiandrogen
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Spironolactone? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
April 22, 2009
Cons:
it's a diuretic or water pill
Listen up folks! You want to hear a fairy tale ending? Here it goes.
Started in August 08 - went through an adjustment period. Virtually clear by October. Want to talk perfect skin? No pimples today, glowing, clear rosy beautiful skin by April. Want to know more secrets? Drink water, exercise, Retin-A micro sparingly, Glycolic face wash 2x a day, Duac on problem areas. Double up on your medication a week before your period and during. Good luck and hit me up for any questions.
July 19, 2016
Extremely High DHEA-S, No PCOS
I take 50mg a day. Sometimes when I'm starting to break out a little, I take 100mg. (My Dermatologist has approved this) Not to sound too dramatic, but spironolactone has changed my life. It has cleared 95% of my breakouts. Even though my acne has never been cystic, it is very severe. I would get tiny pustules all over my body which looked like folliculitis. Even my stomach had acne!! Everyone thought I had PCOS until an ultrasound proved them wrong. For some reason my adrenal glands produce over twice the limit of DHEA-S and this is what causes my acne. If you're in the same boat as me, spironolactone is worth a shot. I'm on Yaz as well, and I dread the day when I have to go off these meds.
January 18, 2017
First of all, I apologize for my English which is not very good because I am French. I am 23 years old, I have been taking the Jasmine pill for 5 years and I have never had acne in my teens. My dermatologist has prescribed spironolactone because Doxiciline didn’t work My dermatologist made me do a biopsy (thinking that it could be a mushroom of the repeated use of cortisone cream) which demonstrated the absence of fungi. I also did a hormonal blood test showing no abnormality either ... My acne covered my face, forehead and cheeks with a grainy set, buttons bigger than others not piercing and an oily layer. This doctor prescribed Spironolactone in addition to Jasmine pill to control androgens. After 5 weeks at 100mg and two weeks at 150mg no results. My skin is always covered with this grainy layer with pimples at the bottom of the cheeks and in the middle of the forehead. Always this rough coat and those bigger buttons on the forehead and lower cheeks. And still as many tears every day for two months now ... Do you think this is normal that after 6 weeks under Spironolactone there are no results?
January 23, 2015
Miracle pill!
As a teenager I had issues where I needed to be put on birth control, which in turn cleared up my mild acne. The birth control worked for a few years, then at 22 my acne went crazy. It was worse than I had ever had it before. It mainly consisted of painful cysts that stuck around for weeks. After trying topical medications and different face wash regimens, along with new birth control, I still had no luck. I was starting to have other symptoms that I attributed to having a hormonal imbalance, and it was then that I decided to see a hormone specialist. The dr. prescribed me 100mg spironolactone daily and a low dose birth control. This was in April of 2014. I will admit that the initial breakout with this medication was severe and difficult to deal with. It left me in tears and I almost quit taking it. I am so glad that I stuck with it. After being on spiro for a few months I already saw amazing results. It took about 6 months or so to see the full results, and since then my skin has been 100% clear, and I don't have to worry about waking up with new acne on my face. I still have some dark spots and scars, but through exfoliation even those are starting to fade. I am so thankful for this drug!
January 17, 2015
Seems like a Miracle Pill for Acne
I've been taking Spiro for about a year and a half now. Before I started, I had mild-moderate acne. But it was embarrassing, because I would get big pustules or cysts sometimes and NOTHING was working. I finally went to a derm who I knew prescribed Spiro and she gave it to me right away. I started off on 50 mg, then increased to 100. It took maybe 2 months to kick in and then I was completely clear. I didn't get a single zit for a YEAR. That's amazing if you're an acne sufferer like me. I recently stopped taking it just to 'experiment' because I thought maybe I had just grown out of my acne by now. But my skin's been breaking out, so I guess it really was the Spiro working. I've started taking it again and am hoping it will work just as well. If you're a female and have tried nearly everything, I highly recommend Spiro. It's also decreased my oil production in my skin so I am not having to constantly blot my face.
January 29, 2013
Pros:
- Completely cleared my hormonal acne. NO more red painful cysts on my chin and jaw that last for 2 weeks at a time.
- Balance in hormones seemed to positively affect more than just my acne (overall mood, for example).
Cons:
- Terrible initial breakout
- Took a solid 4 months to start working consistently
- Had to lower my dosage on my own. Started with 50 mg/day then after 2 months my doctor bumped me to 100 mg/day but it really lowered my blood pressure and made me feel strange so I went back to 50 mg and have loved it! I'm 5'2, 105 lbs so I'm sure that's why I need a low dosage but thought I'd include this info!
The results of this process are SO WORTH the long wait and initial break outs. I haven't had a single cyst in 2 ish months (I've been on the medication for almost 5 months) and when I do get a regular pimple, it's painless and extremely tiny. I have not noticed any side effects, other than the initial breakout, but I am also on a low dosage - which I recommend. If your confidence has been suffering from hormonal acne, TRY THIS ASAP!
September 25, 2012
Pros:
-No breakouts almost immediately upon starting the drug
-Skin looked almost completely flawless
-Very safe drug in that it has been on the market for many years
Cons:
-Broke out into hives due to an allergic reaction :(
So, I had read tons of great reviews raving about this drug and asked my dermatologist to put me on it. Almost as soon as I started it - I was in love with it. My face looked fantastic and I didn't have a single breakout. I was on the drug though for a little over a week when I had an allergic reaction and broke out into severe hives. I'm pretty upset. The one thing that I have finally found that really, really works for cystic acne and has almost no side effects to taking it and I can't because I'm allergic. I talked with a pharmacist today and he said there is nothing else out on the market like it, so I'm pretty much back to square one. I take perfect care of my skin, I wash my sheets and towels regularly, I keep my hair out of my face, I've been on birth control for 6 years, I've changed my diet and eating habits, I take vitamins and supplements, I exercise regularly and still battle cystic, hormonal acne. I was really happy to have found spironolactone, since I knew that there was nothing I could do on the outside to change how my face looked and it was just an internal issue. If I wasn't allergic to this medication, I would have stayed on it for as long as possible. PLEASE- If you have acne, try this drug! It seems to have worked wonders for tons of other other, but for me I just can't stay on it due to allergies (just my luck). I've turned to chemical peels now and recently just had a Vi Peel done for the first time to help with acne scarring and pigmentation. Did not hurt one bit and actually was not bad at all! I am going for another one in a few weeks and I am hoping that 3-4 more Vi Peels and regular facials will keep my skin in check. If anyone else had an allergic reaction to Spironolactone, but knows of something else I could take that would help - please let me know. I have struggled with acne for over 12 years and it's reached the point where it just brings me down no matter how hard I try not to let it.
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.
April 26, 2011
Pros:
Clear skin
Reduced oil production
Cons:
Menstrual irregularities
Mild dizziness at first
My dermatologist prescribed spironolactone a little over a year ago, along with clindamycin, Acanya, and Differin. I went off the clindamycin without problem. I can skip the Acanya and Differin without a huge breakout. But I CAN'T skip the spironolactone! This small, minty, wonderful pill has done a fantastic job clearing my skin and reducing oil production. The key is to be consistent and patient. You won't see results overnight! I started at 100 mg, but my dermatologist reduced my dosage to 50 mg in hope my period would stop coming every 15-20 days. The lower dose still keeps my skin clear, and my periods are a little bit more regular. They still aren't nearly as regular as they were before spironolactone, but I feel it's a small price to pay for clear, smooth skin.
March 6, 2011
Pros:
Clear up my cystic painful acne in 3 weeks!!!!! Crazy!!!
Cons:
Nasal congestion, feel my body dry, inside out. Drink lots of water help.
I am happy again! I feel like a new person,
It's really miracle drug for me.some people take 3 months, I was lucky, it took 3weeks, to really clear up. My only problem now it's dry skin, I gotta find best facial moisturizer. And also my Derm prescribe me aczone. And also I am taking Ortho Trycylne. Please be patient n good luck!,. Believe in.
November 9, 2009
Pros:
It has jerked me out of a deep depression. I went from sitting on the couch all day, to never sitting down at all. I feel elation again, and I never thought I would ever be happy.
Cons:
I haven't had any yet, just that if I don't take the meds on time, I get a little down in the dumps. My acne is much WORSE right now, and quite a bit worse than normal. I am waiting for it to turn around.
My doc said that this was a diuretic that would help my facial hair growth and acne on my face and scalp. I had no idea that I would feel so great. I mean it. I told my doc that I couldn't hardly move my legs during the day. After 2 days on spironolactone, I had the energy to go walking in the park, then get my heart rate up, raking leaves for 3 hours. I'm afraid now that I'm going to overdo it, and have muscle problems going from complete inactivity to lots of moving. So far, I am so ecstatic about the emotional effects, and I am TERRIFIED that the energy will somehow fade away or just disappear. I am so happy now. My breasts feel a little swollen, and I do not detect any increased urination at all. I wake up alert, and go to sleep alert, but sleep all night. The pills taste like there is mint in them. I don't know if they did that on purpose, but it's pretty pronounced flavor.
Pros:
Clears up acne in months!