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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4
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1
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January 22, 2013

Pros:

Cleared my skin about 97%
Awesome self confidence
Only thing that worked for me

Cons:

Took about 11 months for the full effect
Caused a few initial breakouts which lasted about 3-4 months. & yes, they were cystic

Basically, it works if you have hormonal acne, PCOS, insulin resistance, even slightly elevated testosterone. You just need to be extremely patient. I almost gave up. No joke. I could hardly handle the initial breakouts. I ended up on 200 mg a day, 100mg in the morning and 100mg at night. I know this sounds really high and even other derms I have see say it is too much. Yes, I got that. However, it is the perfect dosage for me (5'10, 130lbs). Drink tons of water! Don't give up!!!!
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January 19, 2013

Pros:

50% Acne Reduction
Decreased Appetite
Larger Breasts

Cons:

Dizziness
Depression

This medication worked moderately well, but I had to take an antidepressant with it (Zoloft). I have hormonal acne, and I have tried everything: accutane, all topicals, all antibiotics, fish oils, probiotics, and even levulinic acid. I am a pharmacist, so I am constantly trying to find new cures for my acne. Aside from accutane, spironolactone has worked the best for a prescription drug, decreasing my acne by about 50%. But I am now taking saw palmetto and it has done wonders in just 3 days.
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January 10, 2013

Pros:

Perfect skin

Cons:

Birth defects

Literally miracle drug for anyone suffering from hormonal acne. I have tried everything from topical to oral and nothing cleared my skin until this medicine. I'm obsessed with it and worried what to do if I plan to have children bc it can cause birth defects.
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January 9, 2013

Pros:

Helps decrease oil production by huge measures.
Decreases bloating and water retention.
Really helps clear skin in those who have hormonal acne.
Inexpensive if you have insurance
Not many severe side effects like drying or long initial breakouts or depression.

Cons:

dizziness &dehydration. Not good if your pregnant or wanting to get pregnant in near future. Causes testosterone lvls to decrease increasing chances of pregnancy but messes w babies hormone development if taken while pregnant. Use trust worthy method of bc while taking
Expensive if you don't have insurance.
Shouldn't take high doses long term
Decrease in acne and oil production will disappear almost immediately after you stop taking it.
Messes w ur cycle& can be bad if stop taking it sudden

Mild acne since my teens. Now 27 moderate-severe after everything Iv taken &applied to my skin. Spiro in combo with retin a &benzaclin made my skin amazingly clear. my skin broke out immediately after i went off. lost job/insurance bc of downsizing. Pharmacy charged $100/mo for this rx. paid $30 w insurance. couldn't afford that plus $180 for retin a $130 for benzaclin a month. Would recommend this to anyone w hormonal acne. See cons for side effects to consider
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January 3, 2013

Pros:

cleared up skin quick with right dosage

Cons:

serious drug with serious side effects. Cramps, diarrhea, a few dizzy spells dehydration so far

So like many I have been through the Acne roller coaster since teenage years. Done all the pills including accutane which worked but then came back, all the creams etc. I work with a dermo who was keeping at bay with chemichal peels and dermabrasion rotations, and daily pads with glycolic and lactic acid. Then i got a severe cystic break out on jaw line that i couldn't manage and went to doc and said: go nuclear on me. Give me something strong. So he have me this pill 2x day 100 mg which is a lot. But based on what i have read, anything less doesn't do much or creates a huge break out first. He did NOT tell me how seriuos this pill is for Potatssium count, liver, dehydration , dizzy etc. Did all that research on my own. Its really one step down from Accutane so should not be taken lightly. Anyways, he also gave me an antibotic , a lactic acid cleanser and a super expensive sulfur cream for night. I will say, my skin looks amazing. I have been using it for a little over a week and its completely clear minus a few mini break outs, nothing major. The side effects do concern me, as well as the dosage, so i will not do this permanently. but if for example you have an event, like a wedding, trip etc this will clear your skin in a week. At least it did for me along with the other things. You must drink a lot of water and as always...don't pick!
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January 3, 2013

Pros:

cleared up skin quick with right dosage

Cons:

serious drug with serious side effects. Cramps, diarrhea, a few dizzy spells dehydration so far

So like many I have been through the Acne roller coaster since teenage years. Done all the pills including accutane which worked but then came back, all the creams etc. I work with a dermo who was keeping at bay with chemichal peels and dermabrasion rotations, and daily pads with glycolic and lactic acid. Then i got a severe cystic break out on jaw line that i couldn't manage and went to doc and said: go nuclear on me. Give me something strong. So he have me this pill 2x day 100 mg which is a lot. But based on what i have read, anything less doesn't do much or creates a huge break out first. He did NOT tell me how seriuos this pill is for Potatssium count, liver, dehydration , dizzy etc. Did all that research on my own. Its really one step down from Accutane so should not be taken lightly. Anyways, he also gave me an antibotic , a lactic acid cleanser and a super expensive sulfur cream for night. I will say, my skin looks amazing. I have been using it for a little over a week and its completely clear minus a few mini break outs, nothing major. The side effects do concern me, as well as the dosage, so i will not do this permanently. but if for example you have an event, like a wedding, trip etc this will clear your skin in a week. At least it did for me along with the other things. You must drink a lot of water and as always...don't pick!
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December 28, 2012

Pros:

I am 28 years old and I have old and tried every cleaning product/remedy out there even accutane for my cystic acne. Finally my new ob/gyn put me on the pill and Spironolactone. He told me to take them both together and that the Spironolactone was to be taken twice a day (00mg each so 200mg each day) within a month I stopped breaking out on my face. Once in a while I will break out on the back of my head but overall all I can say this was the miracle I been looking!

Cons:

I have 0 cons for this product!

It doesn't hurt to look into it if you have tried everything else, also make sure your doctor knows if you have any other medical problems example like endo or pcos.
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December 27, 2012

Pros:

Affordable and No Side effects!

Cons:

Takes a bit of time to work - but really no out standings cons.

For women with hormonal acne, spiro can really be a miracle drug! I struggled for years with moderate cystic acne (often around the mouth/chin) and after using this for several months I no longer get those deep, painful, scarring pimples. If I do get a blemish, it honestly heals within a day or two and is never deep beneath the skin. I have used EVERYTHING except accutane (it was going to be a last resort if this didn't work out) - spiro is WORTH the try.
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December 23, 2012

Pros:

Completely cleared my facial and body acne
Cheap
Easy to take a pill
No topicals to irritate skin

Cons:

Took a while to work
Have to find the correct dosage
Have to urinate frequently

This medication saved my self confidence and sanity. I had previously been on Ortho Tri Cyclen for 15 years and had perfect skin. October 2011 I severely fractured my ankle which led to a blood clot in my leg. Due to the clot, I can never take hormonal medications again. So, on top of not walking and worrying about the clot, my face and body decided to explode with acne. I had it all over my cheeks, chin, forehead, neck, chest, back, butt, you name it and it was there. Pretty traumatizing when I never had acne before. I have fair skin that scars very easily, so now as soon as the old zits would leave, i had hyperpigmentation spots on top of new zits. I tried every topical I could think of, and nothing worked. My normally outgoing personality faltered as I was horribly embarassed to be around people and show my face. I felt like I couldn't wear low cut shirts and I didn't want to even leave the house. I cried myself to sleep every night. I finally managed to get into my dermatologist in March 2012. I had read all these reviews about Spiro and prayed that the dr would prescribe it and it would help. He took one look at my face and started me on 50mg daily of Spiro. At first I didn't see any changes, then about three weeks down the line my face and chest got even worse (which I didn't think was possible) then started to clear some. My body acne and chest cleared up at that point. In July, my face broke back out into large cysts. Luckily I went back to the derm a few weeks later and he upped my dose to 100mg daily. My whole face cleared up immediately. It was even a little dry, where I was used to having an oil slick on my face. I still saw improvement the last few months. I get a couple tiny pimples here and there but whatever. I can gladly deal with them! My chest still had a few, and I added in zinc for skin healing and now those are gone. I couldn't be happier and I finally have my life and self confidence back. It's amazing. I hope this helps anyone who thinks
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December 23, 2012

Pros:

Really works!
No side effects

Cons:

None so far!

I've been on the med for almost a month and already seeing great results. I've been suffering with hormonal acne the past few years. I break out around my chin and jaw area. I am 26 years old and have tried every medication under the sun. This is the first met I've seen great results with. I had braced myself for the initial break out, but never had one! People have been noticing my skin clearing up and I've been able to wear less make up! As a nurse I recommend this medication.
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