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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Dani

September 27, 2011

Pros:

-is a great option for women
-clears skin quickly
-helps with other hyper-androgenic issues (facial hair (gets rid of it), head hair loss (help your hair grow back), oily skin, body hair (reduces body hair growth)
-works long term
-

Cons:

-dry mouth/chronic thirst
-having to have potassium levels checked every 3 months
-having to take an oral birthcontrol at the same time (you cannot get pregnant while on Spirnolactone/Aldactone)

I've tried every prescription for my skin in the 20+ years that i've dealt with hormonal acne which causes cysts and chronic break outs. Though I had always been told my skin would improve with age - it hasn't and has only gotten worse. Oilier, more prone to cystic acne. This drug is only for use in Women. In men it reduces the production of testosterone, which would cause them to become feminized (grow breasts, lose their sex drive) I also began experiencing severe hair loss 2 years ago. It was initially attributed to having just given birth to my daughter, but the shedding never stopped and finally, I went an saw my dermatologist. I had good success on Accutane many years ago, but unfortunately had to go off when I wanted to conceive. The dryness associated with Accutane was also a problem. I was forever flaking and my hair and nails became very brittle. This go-around, she recommended the Spirnolactone to help with the hairloss as well as with the acne. I started with 25mg 1x a day - and then after 1 week went up to 50mg 1x a day, up to 100mg 1x a day in the mornings. Within 3 days of being on the 50mg dose, my skin was no longer oily (I was having to wash my hair daily because it was so greasy) and my existing breakouts were clearing quickly. I am thirsty though. Very thirsty - which just forces me to drink more water- which is beneficial for my health anyway. I am also on Marvelon as a birthcontrol method which is helping my skin in conjunction. I've lost about 5lbs from all of the peeing i've been doing - my derm explained that the Spirnolactone's diuretic effect counteracts the water retention properties of hormonal birthcontrol - so you don't need to worry about weight gain. I am really happy I went on this med and if my daughter's ever have acne like this, I will not hesitate to have them take it.

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Sarah from Ca

September 10, 2011

Pros:

This product has cleared my acne in conjunction with 2 topicals... need I say more.

Cons:

Pee more frequently
Potassium checks every 3-5 months

This product worked wonders for my hormonal acne (chin and jaw line). The doctor knew the minute he saw my face I had adult hormonal acne. I originally took 50mg then was increased to 100mg, which is why they had to begin testing my potassium. It took 3-4 months and slowly but surely worked. I did use it in conjunction with Ziana at night and Clyndamycin during the day. I was also given two chemical peels in the beginning, which my insurance covered (yours might too!). This type of treatment will only work for specific types of acne but I had to share my results for those of you that have hormonal acne. I strongly encourage you to try it! Be patient and take it EXACTLY as recommended. That is the key to any treatment.

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Lizzy

September 8, 2011

Pros:

-totally got rid of my cystic hormonal acne within the first week
-makes my skin less oily
-reduces hair growth, as it's an androgen blocker
-reduces bloating as it's also a dieuretic
-cheap as h e l l with insurance

Cons:

-minor breakout within the first week, primarily whiteheads and nothing that isn't easily dealt with
-HORRIBLE aches, pains and nausea the very first day I took it; after that initial night though I was fine
-makes you have to pee a bit more frequently
-can't take anti inflammatories or eat high amounts of potassium

I got on Spiro after my derm got tired of seeing me twice a month for cortisone injections into these massive, seemingly endless cysts that would pop up around my lip and jawlines regardless of my cycle. What would happen is that I'd get small white heads that, within a week, would turn into big monstrous creatures that wouldn't pop. Those whiteheads totally disappeared within the first week of using Spiro, and in turn so did the cysts! The general state of my skin's improved within the two weeks I've been on it too - I'd get lots of random innocuous little bumps on the lower half of my face that would just annoy me whenever I felt how uneven my skin is, and those are gone. I'm also a ridiculously hairy mofo and the androgen blocking abilities that Spiro has is very slowly thinning my facial hair growth (thank the lord) Spiro's great, despite all of the silly things you can't do (eat tons of bananas or take Aspirin), I'm so glad I found it.

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hat80

September 8, 2011

Pros:

- Cleared up cystic acne!!!
- Small, easy to take pill
- Inexpensive with insurance
- No side effects (so far)

Cons:

None yet...

I've had mild to moderate acne since I was a teen. I began birth control and ProActiv in my early 20s and stop doing both when I turned 30. Within the past year (I'm now 31), my acne got consistently worse - especially with cystic acne, the scars from which would not fade for months. I tried every OTC treatment/cleanser you can imagine to no avail. After reading about Spironolactone, I thought it was exactly what I needed. My dermatologist said Spiro was her "last resort" so she prescribed Doxycycline and Differin. My gynecologist prescribed Spiro and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (which I decided not to take). So here's my routine: - AM: take Doxy and 50mg of Spiro, wash with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, apply Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer, and I use Mary Kay TimeWise Matte Foundation (great make-up!! I'm always nervous to try new make-up but this is oil-free and works wonderfully!!) - PM: take Doxy and 50mg of Spiro, wash with Neutrogena, use ProActiv toner, apply Differin, and use ProActiv Refining Mask for spot treatment (clears up any small blemishes overnight!) I'm so incredibly happy to say that after 5 weeks of this routine, I am about 95% clear!!! Before this routine, I had about 5 large cystic spots that would just not heal. Slowly, my face began clearing and I haven't had one cyst or large pimple since. The extremely small ones I do get seem to clear very quickly. I know my results may not be typical and it may take several weeks longer for others to see results but my advice is to at least try it if advised by your doctor. It can change your life...it's amazing how your skin can affect the way you live it :) Good luck!

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Nicola

September 5, 2011

Pros:

Completely cleared up my acne on chest, forehead and back. I had tried everything and nothing has come as close as this. I was very nervous to take it but I was desperate. Took 2 months to work so be patient, NO side effects at all. Started on 75g and went down to 50mg and it seems to work fine.

Cons:

Watch your potassium intake. Not just bananas - broccoli, tomatoes, tomato paste, nuts, yogurt...worth doing some research on potassium high foods.

Works and well worth watching the diet to be able to wear nice tops without trying to cover up. Unfortunately cost very little in the US but in the UK they don't administer this drug for acne. Have to pay about $200 every six months. Would still pay double this for the effect this has had.

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rkt

July 28, 2011

Pros:

Cleared up the acne I'd been battling for 8 years (it started when I turned 30).
Keeps blood pressure down (mine was borderline, so was a good thing for me)
Protects against hair loss
My forehead is no longer an oil slick, nor my hair

Cons:

None, really. I'm not wild about taking meds in general, but this one is worth it. I did have one massive breakout after I started taking it (though- it was also a hugely stressful time) but it didn't take that long to start working for me.
Must remember to take consistently

Completely cleared up my hormonal acne- topical treatments did nothing.

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atan

July 20, 2011

Pros:

Clears up acne and oily skin

Cons:

Takes time to work

I hope I get to inspire or help anyone out there dealing with acne for years now. Had acne for 13 loooong years. Tried accutane 5 times but oil and acne would come back 4 months after stopping it. Last year (August) I took spironolactone 50 mg then increased to 75mg then 125 mg. Healing happened on the fourth month. Super Bad breakout before that but just hang on. Had to take it with diane 35 bcp because of irregular menstration. 2 months ago, I was feeling super tired, lightheaded and dizzy and I attributed it to spiro so I decided to stop it first. Two weeks ago my skin was getting oily and pimply again so my derm suggested to try 75mg first. At 75mg I seem to be doing okay and dizziness and weakness is considerably gone. I have yet to see if 75 mg would work as well as when I was on 125mg but so far it seems good. Hope this helps someone...

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Jessica

July 20, 2011

Pros:

-it works!
-acne 99.5% clear
-oily skin gone

Cons:

-takes a LONG time
-could have side effects

I already reviewed this, it was working after a little over 3 months, but my skin was still pretty oily i started on 25 mg, 50 mg, than 75 after 3 months, and it started to work, now at 5 months i am on 50 mg and my skin is not at ALL oily, its amazing! It is so clear! but a little dry, so i am going to go back to 25 mg and see if i can't balance it out a bit, but still for now i am just so happy i am not an oily faced freak with giant cystic acne :D but you need a lot of patients with this medicine, so take your time, if your acne is hormonal there is a good chance this will work for you

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20feeling15

July 15, 2011

Pros:

-I'm 100% clear!
-Nice minty taste, very easy to swallow
-Before I was totally clear, any pimples I did get cleared up within days rather than weeks
-Very cheap ($5 for a 30 day supply)
-Don't have to feel guilty if I forget to wash my face every now and then
-Don't need to use any other topical treatments

Cons:

-Did take a long time (almost 4 months) but is seriously worth it
-In the first month or so I did find I had to pee very often, but thats is very mild considering the benefits of it
-You have to remember to take it EVERY day

When my dermatologist first suggested I use spiro I was a bit sceptical because I wasn't convinced that my acne was hormonal. It did take a while before I noticed results but after 2.5-3 months I noticed I was getting pimples MUCH less frequently and the ones I did cleared up within days. As of now, almost 4 months into spiro, I havn't had any pimples in weeks (except 1 I got a little over a week ago from not taking my pills everyday as I forgot them when I went on vaca..but its already gone!) I wish I had discovered spiro years ago but am greatful I did and couldn't be happier with the results. I can't remember the last time I felt my skin and it was completly smooth. I would DEFINATLY recomend this to anyone who thinks their acne could be hormonal! Now I just need to fix my PIH and pitted scars and I'll have the skin of my dreams :)

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christie

July 11, 2011

Pros:

beautiful skin

im 19 years old and a junior in college and i have always had a slight case of acne since 8th grade, my parents and i have tried everything from medications to lazer treatments, and we just couldnt find something that gave us the results i wanted. my last resort was either accutane or spiro and i highly recommend no women takes accutane. i started talking spiro in november and immediately after i started it my skin did a 360. I am thrilled with the results and i think you have nothing to lose. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AND THIS ACTUALLY WORKS

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