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
February 17, 2011
Cons:
It is a diuretic, so you will need to drink more water. This also means you may get headaches, and there are other side effects. May be hard to get a doctor to prescribe it to you.
This should only be prescribed by a doctor. You have to take it every day and wait a few weeks for results but they do come. For me, it was spironolactone with Loestrin birth control that did the trick, since my acne is primarily horomone-related (I break out about once a month for a week or so... hmmmm). This pill is prescribed for blood pressure and hirsutism (overly-hairyness in women!) so you may get some odd looks from doctors and pharms who don't know that it also treats acne. The doctor who prescribed it to me several years ago said this: it somehow counteracts the spike in testosterone which causes women to break out along their cheek and jawline before their menstrual cycle, that it effects potassium levels so you really don't need to take extra postassium when you're on it, that it is ESSENTIAL to drink more water when you take it and finally it does not need to be taken forever - after a few months you wont' need to take it anymore, at least for a while (I took it for a few months and was clear and didn't get it prescribed again for 2 years). You shouldn't drink on it and it may worsen acne very briefly when you first take it. That's pretty much everything you need to know!
November 16, 2010
Pros:
Clears acne
Lost weight
Inexpensive
Cons:
Mild dehydration (solved by increasing liquid intake)
I have had Acne Conglobata on my back since I was 13 years old and went through two courses of Accutane as a teen. After the acne returned and scarring continued, I thought there was no hope and gave up going to the Dermatologist. When I was 23, I decided my acne was too severe to do nothing, and through extensive research, came across Sprironolactone. It has been a life saver. I have extreme antibiotic allergies which made most acne oral medications impossible for me to take, save Accutane and Spironolactone. Now at 25, and 100mg of Spironolactone a day, I can say I am virtually acne free! Although I do get the occasional flare-up around my period every not and again, they are never the painful, under the skin cysts, that I used to suffer from. I would recommend Spironolactone to anyone who has this type of acne and either tried Accutane with no luck or doesn't want to face the side effects associated with Accutane. I wish I had known about Spironolactone when I was younger. It has worked wonders for me and I feel more confident in my own skin.
August 12, 2010
Pros:
cleared acne by 90%
hair is less oily and stronger
less facial hair (moustache)
increase in breast size
no or little bloating at time of month
skin is not oily anymore
Cons:
some side effects which seem to straighten out after getting used to it: majorly heavy/watery period - spiro is a diruetic (makes you lose water), frequent periods (every 10 days), dizzy, dehydrated, have to pee more often, panicky/tingly feeling probably from the dizziness and dehydration
my side effects were so severe at first i stopped taking spiro. i was on 50 2x daily. i then went back on and started at a lower dose (50 1x daily) and the side effects pretty much went away aside from a very watery period (sorry for the detail)! it did take over 2 months to see results for my acne, but they are incredible with it mostly gone! last month i didn't even get any pimples during PMS and now/sometimes i have a few small ones here and there but have upped my dose to 75 to see if that will take care of the last strays. i am also on ACZONE topical cream which stops any acne i do get from becoming inflammed, cyst-like, etc. overall, this is a great pill if your acne is hormonal. mine was hormonal and covered my jaw-line and upper neck (beard area on a man). it was so awful (cysts that would last months) and i had tried just about everything else to no avail. i was so affected by it i became like a hermit, not wanting to show my face anywhere since i even had a hard time covering it with makeup. this prescription has changed my life!
January 12, 2010
Pros:
-> Smoother skin
-> Amount of (baby) hair on my face has decreased tremendously
-> Decreased pimple size (used to be painful pimples, now the occasional whitehead)
-> No more random flareups around that time of the month.
-> If you have tried a lot of antibiotics but have been unsuccessful in managing your acne, you should definitely try Spiro. It's worth a shot!
Cons:
-> Have to go to the bathroom more often that i used to, but i'll take that any day for clear skin!
-> Increased thirst.
This medication is everything that I could possibly want. I have not encountered any problems with it. No mysterious heart palpitations, nothing. This is perfect. I had moderate acne and would get huge, painful pimples. They were nasty, red, and inflamed; often leaving remnants of red marks behind (which have also faded significantly, but still remain). I have tried numerous other medications, but this is the only one that has proved to be effective. I no longer get ANY pimples. Just a couple small ones on my temple or hairline that quickly go away. The size of my pimples has decreased significantly. My skin is also extremely smooth. This pill can be drying, so make sure to moisturize. I moisturize twice daily with Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion (w/ SPF) (also another product that I highly recommend). I use this pill in conjunction with sodium sulfacetamide lotion (aka Klaron), which is a sulfur based lotion, to dry up any big pimples. I used to use take this with Doryx, too, but I've tried not to take too many meds. I gradually weaned myself off of Doryx and have just stuck with Spiro. So far, so GREAT!!!
February 12, 2011
Pros:
Completely clears acne
Reduces oil
CHEAP
Cons:
Hardly any...dehydrates me quite a bit
DO IT. I am now 4 months in and my skin is 100% clear. I recommend to anyone, especially for women over the age of 20, when acne is caused solely by hormones. This stuff is cheap and it is pretty much a miracle cure. I love it! Don't put it off and ask for it from your doc and stop wasting tons of $ on soaps and creams that don't work (like I did)
January 28, 2011
Pros:
Clears hormonal acne
BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Makes body hair finer
Easy to take
Works well with birth control
You begin to drink a lot of water
Cons:
Side effects: excessive peeing, lightheaded/dizzyness, HEADACHES, tiredness/low energy
Worry about the black box warning
Worry about potassium levels increasing
You need to drink a lot of water
I have had acne since hitting puberty and last year (at age 22) I realized it was only getting worse. I don't get many pimples at one time, but the ones I got were ALWAYS deep and sore, but not to the point of being cysts. I take extremely good care of my skin but no matter what I would have 3-5 or more breakouts per week, especially if my stress levels were high. The pimples would stay "active" for about a week at which point the only way to make them go away or stop hurting was to release the plugged nastiness. After, they would dry out and scab over but the scabs and marks would last for weeks or even months no matter what treatment I used. Even when I was having a "clear" day my skin looked broke out because of the marks. When I began dating my current boyfriend I became even more conscious of my acne and decided I had to try something. I experimented with several different birth controls but none made a difference. Finally I went to a new dermatologist with pretty low hopes (I hadn't had good experiences in the past). I researched different medications on the net and went to her with a list of things I wanted to try. She listened carefully and agreed with the medications I asked for, one being Spiro (started at 50mg/day) and the other a mild retin-a topical (Ziana). The first few weeks the side effects were AWFUL (listed above) but my body adjusted and they completely subsided after a couple months. I'd say at about 3 months my skin was 90% clear. The Ziana was fading what marks I had left and my skin was looking amazing for the first time in my life! I went in for a checkup and the doc said since I'd adjusted so well she would bump me up to 100mg/day. That was about 7 months ago. My skin has been 100% CLEAR since I got bumped up...it's AMAZING!!!! I feel so confident and pretty now :) This drug will not be a miracle for everyone and it does have its downsides, but if you can keep faith and find the right doctor, you may have the miraculous results th
April 29, 2010
Pros:
* Cleared persistent, severely cystic acne within a month
* I personally experienced no side effects
* It has also regulated my period, which previously would show up several times in a month, or not at all.
* Affordable
* Worked, when nothing else did
Cons:
* Not able to conceive or be pregnant while on it
* Carcinogenicity
I could go on all day about how much I love this medication, but bottom line is this - I have had severe cystic acne for the last 19 years. I have spent almost 100% of those 19 years on different medications, including every antibiotic under the sun, and 3 nine month courses of Accutane (which produced ZERO results other than terrible side effects). Finally, 5 months ago I read about spiro, and asked my derm. She put me on it, and I literally haven't had a single cyst since! I couldn't be happier. I started out at 50mg a day, and after a couple weeks went to my current dosage of 100mg a day. I typically had several extremely large cysts on my face (the type/size that you see pictures of passed around the web, with people commenting on how gross and unbelievable it is). I have SO much confidence, for the first time in my adult life, and it feels great! Also for the first time in my life, I can walk confidently out of the house without wasting an hour of my day on my makeup. I was really beginning to get depressed after the last failed course of Accutane, thinking I'd be stuck with these cysts and related lack of confidence for the rest of my life. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. My only concerns with spiro are:
1. That I'd like to get pregnant in the somewhat near future, and know that I'll need to stop taking it prior to then. From all of the reports that I've read, the acne will return with a vengeance. As vain as it sounds, I want to feel pretty when I'm carrying my child. :)
2. The carcinogenicity. Also along the lines of vanity - I'd be very sad if cancer resulted from someone just wanting clear skin. If you've tried other medications with no luck, and/or have PCOS (as I do), I'd highly recommend you give spiro a try. I wish I had known about it years ago, while I was fighting a discouraging uphill battle with acne.
April 12, 2011
Pros:
consistently keeps skin clear!!
Cons:
none for me
This med. combined with ortho-tri-cyclen was a cure for my acne. I started this med. about 1 year (34 years old) 100 mg.The derma has kept me on this dose. Just saw him last week- he said I looked lovely. I can't express enough my gratitude and confidence in this med. for hormonal acne. :))
March 18, 2011
Pros:
So I have diligently waited to post about Spiro. I started taking 50 mg 2.5 months ago because I still had really oily skin and at least one breakout 1.5 weeks before the old monthly cycle began. It was like hormonal clockwork...and I would dread it! For the first 30 days I saw absolutely no change. NO CHANGE! You'd think after 30 days you would see something...small decrease in oil...anything. But no. This stuff takes at least 2-3 months to work. Now on 75 mg a day - perfect skin.
Cons:
None. I didn't even experience the diuretic effect. The only downside for me is I do notice more cramping / menstrual pains if I up the dosage. I think 75 mg a day is the best does for my body and size (I'm 110 lbs)
It works...just takes a little while. Way better than the pill because it doesn't make you crazy emotional. Its like a little governor on the production of testosterone from your ovaries/pituitary gland.
May 12, 2012
Pros:
Breakouts cleared up 99%.
Face used to be oily/dry...now it is perfectly in between.
Periods became more predictable.
Cons:
Slight headache during use at first. Breakout was VERY bad after I first started medication...and with each initial dosage increase, but wait it out. It will clear.
This medication was and is life-changing for me. My dermatologist was treating my acne with antiobiotics and creams for 2 years, and there was never any relief. It was horrifically embarrassing. I know this sounds dramatic, but I was even embarrassed to go to school functions for my kids, and for their friends to see my face. I had heard them say things to my daughter about what my skin looked like. I switched dermatologists, and she started treating me with hormonal therapy. I am 35 years old, and it has made it so I can leave the house without makeup. If I use makeup, it is simply for accentuating my features now....NOT for covering massive amounts of pimples and cysts and scars. I used to want to stay home instead of going to work and out to run errands because my acne was so severe. I am still elated, and it's been a year. Simply fantastic. Worth trying, and I hope it works for you. Started with 25 mg, and now take 100 mg per day.
Pros:
Cheap, Effective, Awesome!