While I was recovering from anorexia nervosa, I developed moderate cystic acne on my cheeks and chin. It was painful and humiliating; it only drove my already introverted self to stay in and hide away from the world. I felt like a monster and I avoided looking at myself in the mirror for weeks at a time. About 7 months ago I started taking spironolactone, 100mg'probably the best decision ever. Not gonna lie though, the first three months were hell. I got an initial breakout that was pretty brutal, and I was chronically fatigued for those months. Also, I would get my period twice a month. But all of those negative symptoms dissipated as time went on. I began seeing real results around the 5th month. The key with spiro is BE PATIENT! It took a while but the results are so worth it that i would do it again in a heartbeat. My skin is smooth and completely clear (although i do get a random little spot rarely..gone very fast) and so is this acne on my back! It feels so good to wash my face and just feel'nothing. No pain, just smooth skin, everywhere. The only thing I dislike about this medicine is that it is just a temporary fix. If you stop taking it for a couple of weeks you will break out again.. but if you are desperate for hope and change like I was then I say go for it! Tips: Drink a lot more water than you're used to. this medication will make you thirsty. If you are drinking alcohol make sure to drink EXTRA water because Spiro is a diuretic and it has the potential to dehydrate you. Sleep at least 8 hours a day. seriously. You will become a zombie for 3 months if you don't.

I've had acne my whole life and when I hit my late 20's it got bad, cystic acne bad. Spironolactone is the ONLY thing that has ever kept me clear long term. I also don't eat junk food or eat wheat, gluten and really any kind of grain which I know helps. I waited until enough time has passed that I could be 100% totally sure this works before I wrote a review and now I can positively say it works. I've been completely clear for 8 months now. However, I've been on it for about 1.5 years. It took 8 months, almost 9 for it to really work so if you get on it you might have to be patient. But once you get clear all the waiting is worth it and you won't care, you'll just be happy it worked. I'm so glad I tried this before accutane. Highly recommend it. I take 150mg/day, but originally started out at 75mg and after crying in my Dr's office about my skin, I got her to up my scrip to 150mg. I probably wasn't on the full dose of 150mg until about 3 months in.

So far, I've been clearing up in only 2 weeks. I've had a minor breakout on my forehead, but reading others reviews I assume that's normal. Maybe it's "fighting" my acne. I'm excited to see what happens! I'm taking 50mg daily. I'll update weekly and let you know!!! Week 3- Breaking out even more. Cystic acne popping up. Going to start taking 100mg per day. Crossing my fingers!! Week 4- Face really clearing up! Remaining acne is drying out. Just keeping moisturized seems to be helping! Week 6- Breaking out off and on, but stopped washing my face so much (down to once at night) and it's helping! I'm not having irregular periods like everyone else either.

I got painful cystic acne in my late 20's spent a year or two trying a variety of topical prescription medications as well as antibiotics. I was at my breaking point when my dermatologist suggested I take 50mg of spironolactone daily. I wasn't getting results so without consulting him I increased to 100mg daily. Changed my life! I went from a face Full of painful cycstic acne to currently averaging 2-4 blemishes a month. I have thus told my doctor I'm taking 100 mg daily he said that's fine but don't increase the dose anymore. If you are a women over 25 I Highly recommend you give it a try.

Did not have any effect on acne, caused extreme dryness/thirst, low blood pressure, and weight gain. Avoid, avoid!

I really just want to speak to those of you who have suffered like me from acne. There is nothing I have wanted more than clear skin the past 5 years, and I've never gotten it. I wouldn't go out or just keep my face hidden or cover my acne with my hands always. I'm outgoing, but a hermit when I'm breaking out terribly, even though I almost always was. I have done it ALL ladies and gents! Accutane for a year'yes longer than usual, that worked but it came back 6 months later almost as bad. I went to UPenn and they told me my options were 1. Accutane again (huge hassle with government protection but still worth the clearer skin nonetheless) 2. Birth control targeted to reduce acne, which i was already on 3. Spiro, which was supposed to reduce my apparently high testosterone levels as a woman. I tried it and 2/3 months later it REALLY worked. IT WORKED! And it continues to!! Please, please if you are like me and your skin controls you and upsets you, TRY IT!! And good luck:)

I am amazed by my experience with spiro. I have tried so many topicals, antibiotics, levulan, blue light, etc., and my acne either always came back, or never went away to begin with. It was so frustrating. I never tried Accutane because I was sure I'd be one of the people who immediately starts breaking out again right after they get off the medication. I started spiro 2.5 months ago, and it was the best decision of my entire life. It decreases oil production, and gets rid of cystic acne. Be aware: I experienced a very severe initial breakout, and now suffer from hyperpigmentation from it. Like, 25 active zits on my face. Some cystic, some not. My face had never looked so bad. Full disclosure: I gave up on doxycycline around the same time, because it was doing nothing for me, so that could have contributed to the bad breakout as well. I haven't had any breakout at all in almost a month, and I haven't had cystic acne for six weeks or so. Please give this medicine time to work. I say this from tons of experience...I gave a lot of medicine "time to work," and it never did. But, for me, this was different. That is because I have hormonal acne. But I never noticed it getting worse around my period, so don't let that fool you by thinking if your acne doesn't get worse around your period, it's not a hormonal issue. I was diagnosed with PCOS, but my doctor said even those without diagnosed PCOS can benefit from spiro by regulating hormones because it's not so much about how elevated one hormone is, but about the ratio of one to the other. Give it time to work, and take 100 mgs or more. I started out on 50 mgs for the first three weeks or so and I felt like nothing was happening in terms of oil production or breakouts. Dr. upped it to 100 mgs and I saw all the difference in the world. I used to be so skeptical of reviews here and elsewhere because I just knew nothing had ever worked for me. I finally found what works for me, though, and I hope this will work for you too. Get a blood workup to see how your hormones are. That will tell you whether or not this medicine should be right for you or not. Good luck! Forgot to add: I also use Ziana at night. I believe this also plays a role in me not breaking out anymore. Drying, though. Use moisturizer!

I have been on Spiro for just under 4 months. Good luck prying this stuff out of my cold, dead hands. I am a 39 year old female and have had acne since the age of 12. My major problems areas have been my jawline, hairline, neck, chest, back, shoulders and arms. I have been able to keep it somewhat under control with topical treatments over the years having the most luck with BP. Last winter something changed though and I started experiencing new kinds of acne, most noticably constant breakouts at my hairline, horrible neck and chest breakouts, and miliary breakouts that I'd never had before. Also my acne was starting to get more cyst-like...definitely went from minor to relatively severe over this time. This also coincided with irregular and painful periods. Suspecting PCOS I was put on 100 mg Spiro a day. I experienced a severe breakout in week two. I won't lie, it sucked. Oh yeah, and my breasts were pretty sore for about a week or so. However I started noticing a few things during the first month: much less oil (I have never gone a single day without showering because my hair and skin were so oily....now I can go 2 days without washing my hair...and can skip a day of showering without feeling gross), skin is much smoother, pimples are becoming less severe (instead of cyst-like, they are more normal and quicker to resolve), chest, back, arms and hairline cleared within 1-2 months. I used to have combo skin with oily parts and dry parts...now my skin is totally even, and I can quickly apply powder foundation without flakes and oily marks. Third month I was bumped up to 150 mg per day and I would say this is when my neck and jaw made the most improvement. I have not had an active zit for several days (never had I had a day without something somewhere). But all of the sudden my whole life changed. I can wear whatever clothes I want. I had no clothing that didn't cover my shoulders, chest and back completely. I went shopping the other day and was able to try on any thing I saw. Not to sound superficial but for someone like me that is a huge, huge deal. I wore a bathing suit in public for the first time in 2 decades this last Friday. This is a diuretic so I was thirsty and peeing alot the first few weeks. This passed and I don't notice it now. I have irregular periods but some of this may be due to the PCOS and I will be starting BC soon to try to regulate. Seriously I don't care though....clear skin is soooo worth it. You have to give it time to work though...don't pussy out after the first breakout. UPDATE: 01/19/14 I just wanted to give an update since it's been a while since my review. After experiencing several months of bi-weekly periods, I went on the birth contol Yasmin. This has totally regulated my periods. I don't get pimples anymore....haven't for 3 months +. I backed down from 150mg per day to 100mg per day a couple weeks ago with no ill effects. The effect this medication has had on my life is nothing short of a miracle for me. Trust me, if you have hormonal acne and you don't give this medication a chance, then your acne must not be that bad. I would have been happy with 50% improvement, but the results have been nothing short of astounding.

After my dermatologist suggested trying Spiro, I remember reading these reviews on here and feeling SO hopeful. I was praying that I was one of the lucky few who saw immediate results. Well, unfortunately... I wasn't. The medication took a couple months to really kick in. It didn't really make my skin any worse, though, which I am grateful for. I've been on it for 5 months, and I've noticed the most difference in the past 2. I'm currently taking 150mg (1 pill in the morning, 2 at night). A couple months in, my dermatologist also prescribed doxycycline to help clear me up quicker. I'm also using aczone topical gel and birth control pills. Before I started spiro, I had just experienced my worst breakout in over 5 years. I wish I could attach pictures to this comment, because the difference between the before and after is unbelievable. I currently have one small pimple on my cheek that is healing, even though I'm due to get my period in just a few days. My face feels super smooth (best feeling ever). I'm dealing with a some post-acne pigmentation, but I will take that over painful zits any day. I plan to start incorporating some AHA products into my routine, and possibly some chemical peels. I am just so happy that my skin is finally clearing up, and I just pray that it lasts. I dread the day when I have to stop taking this stuff!

After taking only two doses of this medicine i ended up int he hospital with a "burnt" esophagus (easiest way to put it). After loads of iv's and injected pain medicines I could not eat real foods for almost a month without pain. Almost a year later and I still haven't taken even an advil due to how scared I am of it coming back again. Took a z-pack 8 months ago and it all came back, my doctor said it will take very very long to go away. Never got to see skin change.