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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May 23, 2012

Pros:

Weight Loss (Not major - Small Amount)

Cons:

My face has gotten worse

I'm so sad :-( I read so many reviews about how life changing this drug is. I'm 38 and have been dealing with acne since my 20s. I took Acutane and it worked like a charm. But my moodiness was bad, so I didn't want to go that way again. I am taking 100mg per day of Spiro right now. My derm increased slowly from 25mg. It's been 2 months and my face looks the worst it ever has! I am going back to the derm next week, and am happy to see that some people have a stronger dosage than 100mg. I am hoping that she will increase mine. I am beyond the point of not wanting to leave the house. Everyone notices it. I can see them staring at the acne, not me, you know? I really want the acne gone but don't think this is going to do it for me. I will definitely update if signs improve. Very sad day :-(
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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.
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May 11, 2012

Pros:

-LESS OILY SKIN/HAIR
-STOPPED PAINFUL CYSTS IN THEIR TRACKS AFTER A 2 WEEKS.
-FEELING SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF!
- WAY LESS MAKEUP

Cons:

MORE TRIPS TO THE BATHROOM BUT I DONT REALLY MIND THAT TO HAVE THIS ACNE FREE FACE!!!

I'v struggled with acne since i was 12... It really has taken a toll on my confidence. I always felt like i had this permanent ugly mask on, it really sucked to feel so disgusting & having no control over it. I have been on accutane, doxy, mino, bactrim, proactiv, acanya, atralin, ETC ETC ETCCC!! drank tons of water, ate healthy great hygiene bla bla bla NOTHING worked like spironolactone. accutane helped for about 2 years when i was 19 then boom full blown acne came back at 21. it was so bad. so embarrassing, even to show my dermatologist i even seen in her face she knew it was so bad... she would do chemical peels and stick me with those needles to try to get it to go down & THEN i broke down in tears. --i know things can be ALOT worse-- you must always remind yourself that!!!!! but emotionally & physically i was hurting. it took over my life. i am a young happy outgoing girl with pretty friends and a handsome boyfriend, & it doesn't bother them at all but it kills me to be seen with acne all over my face i just wanted to hide from everyone. I even became petrified of little kids because they would always ask what it was. just always felt like a freak show deep down but did a great job acting like it didnt take over my life and like didnt become obsessed with it and trying to cover it 24-7. and then i was like enough is enough. i refuse to let this friggin acne win and take away my social life and my confidence and my beauty and everything else i read acne.org reviews almost everyday hoping to find some help. AND I DIDDDDD!! I went to a new derm & he prescribed me it on the spot, 100 mgs a day. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WROTE ABOUT SPIRO!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! I felt so helpless in my world full of friends & family with normal skin! i'm so thankful for this website & everyone else like me... ***GIRLS DONT GO ON ACCUTANE GO ON SPIRO!!!! PLEASE!!!!! TRUST ME.*** & accutane can cause women to be
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May 4, 2012

Pros:

Enough to turn your life around -

Significantly less oil buildup
Exceptionally clear skin
Faster healing time if a breakout does occur
Increased confidence
Use less makeup
Inexpensive prescription

Cons:

One might say the frequent bathroom trips, which sometimes occur late at night but I will sacrifice my sleep for clear skin.

Whenever my dosage was increased I felt slightly nauseous the first day or two, but it went away.

Initial breakouts when first taking the medication or an increased dosage. This typically goes away after a couple weeks.

I can say without hesitation that I truly had one of the worst cases of acne imaginable. I struggled for 10+ years and now at age 26, my former life of being depressed about my acne is moving farther into the past. I want to give hope to those out there that feel embarrassed, ugly, depressed, insecure, anti-social, etc. I have felt all of these emotions and it is brutal. Before taking Spiro, I wore makeup 24/7 and even slept in it if I stayed over at a friend's house so they never saw how truly bad my acne was. I was terrified of any person I ran into; I thought they would just stare at my ugly skin. I started seeing a derm many years ago and I have been on every acne med under the sun ' Differin, Proactiv, Tazorac, Retin-A and nearly 3 rounds of Accutane. No dice. Around age 22, literally overnight my entire chin and jaw were covered in little zits. After that, I was living in 'Cyst City'. They hurt, they're big and take weeks to heal (unless you get the injections). One day I was visiting my derm and had 15 cysts on my face. Right then I burst into tears and told her how frustrated I was. That day she prescribed me Spironolactone I started on a dose of 75mg, then 150. You break out a lot at first but after a few weeks, it gets better. Finally, she upped me to 200mg. Holy. Cow. The cysts and pimples vanished and I barely had any shine on my face. Since taking Spiro, I've maybe had 5 breakouts total, compared to the dozens before. If I forget to take it a couple days in a row, it results in one tiny breakout. Once I'm back on track, it's gone within 2 days. I remember when my derm told me to look up Spiro reviews. After reading well over 25, I was sold. I went into it knowing that it would get worse before it got better. I can honestly say that Spiro changed my life. My skin is always clear and I'm so confident! If I haven't said it enough, Spironolactone can put an end to acne. No one should feel the overwhelmingly negative
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May 2, 2012

Pros:

-cleared most of chest and back acne after a few months
-cleared cystic acne
-reduces oiliness & pores

Cons:

-bad initial break out on face
-getting a heavy period every 2 weeks!!
-my side aches all the time(I only have one ovary, since it is on overdrive now it hurts constantly)
-dehydration and headaches

I am a 42 year old female who has been taking spiro for almost 6 months now. I started on 50mg and quickly worked my way up to 100mg. Oiliness improved almost immediately, but conversely I felt dry all the time and used in conjunction with Epiduo I wanted to claw holes in my skin from the itchiness(I found that I could only spot treat in certain areas with Epiduo). After 4 months my back and chest scalp and neck were almost completely clear and I was no longer getting cysts along my chin and jawline. However, I started having a period every 2 weeks about 2 months into the med. and I felt like I was being kicked in the ovary(I had one removed a few years ago, so this one ovary is doing all the work).... my breasts were tender & sore all the time as well. The derm lowered my dose a month ago to 50mg to try to counteract side effects(I tried BC pills, but started throwing up from them 9 days in). As soon as the dose went down, I started breaking out on my neck, shoulders and jawline again and the oiliness increased. The lowered dose has not decreased the side effects either... I am still getting a period every 2 weeks :( The worst part is that because it is hormonal acne, now I am breaking out every time I get a period which is WAY more often than before. I think if you can take BC pills to control the periods that this medication is good. It was effective at the 100mg dose for me, but not nearly as much at the 50mg dose. I am going back to derm tomorrow to see how we will proceed.
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April 27, 2012

Pros:

Practically oil free
Clears acne and prevents it

Cons:

Frequent urination
Lightheaded/dizzy if not taken with food

I am 35 and have PCOS. I was taking metformin before this alone and that helped control some of the hormones my ovaries were producing, which in turn alleviated some of the side effects of PCOS. It wasn't until my doctor added Spiro though that I really noticed the difference in acne and much to my surprise the oiliness of my skin and hair pretty much diminished. I had to carry oil blotter sheets everywhere with me. I haven't had to use those since using Spiro. I've been on it for 2 years now. It did take about 6 months for the acne to clear which was primarily on my chin and jawline. I'd get a few cystic around my period before Spiro. Not one since Spiro and to add to that no more periods because I recently had a total hysterectomy with ovaries intact so I still have to take metformin and Spiro for PCOS. However I saw an immediate effect on the oiliness of my skin and hair. Seriously, within a few days the excess oil my body produced was pretty much gone. Another positive side effect is that my hair after shaving comes back blonde and much softer. Not coarse and darker. I very rarely will get a pimple and lots of times if I just use E.L.F's zit zapper ($1) at most Targets and then their mineral blemish kit that has sulfur in it for ($5) at Target or ($8) on their website. It never fully develops and goes away within a few days. I was also a picker so that always lent it's way to more issues. DON'T PICK! Lol! It's a hard habit to break and I'm so happy it's broken now. I highly recommend Spiro if you are comfortable with the negative side effects in the pamphlet it comes with. Also please, please make sure you have your potassium levels checked every 3 months. Spiro does increase potassium. I had to cut my dose from 200 mg a day to 100 mg a day. That amount is still perfect for myself. You will have to watch your potassium intake while on Spiro. Also to help with discoloration I had after everything cleared up I used scar zone with green tea and SPF. It
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April 27, 2012

Pros:

-skin is clear
- 1 or 2 pimples only around time of month
-noticed less body hair
-less bloated
-skin less oily

Cons:

-VERY thirsty when first began medication
-frequent bathroom visits
-should avoid foods with potassium
-blood tests
-possibly carcinogenic?

I have been on Spiro for about 6 weeks now and I noticed an improvement within 2 weeks of use. I was really scared about getting an initial breakout because a lot of people said it happened to them, but thankfully I didn't experience that! Since being on Spiro I've had maybe 3 pimples total appear and they're usually gone in 2 days.. a BIG improvement because I used to constantly have 4 or more pimples on my face at a time that took weeks to go away. I'm excited because I can finally concentrate on getting rid of the scars left from acne past without worrying about any new breakouts to destroy the work I'm doing. LOVE this :)
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April 22, 2012

Pros:

Slight weight loss ( although I didn't have any to lose)
Smooth, soft skin
Does work....BUT takes a very long time
You can use long term

Cons:

Took a full 3 months for bumps to clear
Horrific initial breakout
My hair thinned out initially, but it's really thick again

I started taking Spironolactone almost exactly 3 months ago. I'm 26 years old and have had VERY mild sporadic acne, depending on the time of the month for most of my 20's. Nothing major and very easy to deal with and cover with light make-up. However, right around January I started breaking out more frequently and worse than I was used to. Although still not that bad,It really bothered me, as I am a perfectionist and work in a business where beauty is a must. ;) I went to see my dermatologist hoping he would put me on an antibiotic, since I had used that in my teens and it worked beautifully. However, he really only gave me two options: Accutane or Spironolactone. Not wanting to be on Accutane I started taking Spironolactone in late January with no other prescriptions. The first two weeks, I really saw no real dramatic change for better or worse. BUT, week two hit and I started getting the worst break out of my life. I knew that an initial breakout may happen based on what I read here, so I figured it would be short lived. Sadly, I was wrong. From week 2-8 I experience CONSTANT breakouts that were much worse than what I started with. I was devestated and almost stopped entirely. About my 7th week my dr. Put me on Bactrim in conjunction with Spiro. I was on Spiro for 2 full months before my skin started getting better at all. This last month, leading to my 12th week, the breakouts have gotten MUCH less severe and waaay better to manage. At this point, I really only have a few little bumps left. The moral of the story here is you MUST be patient. I'm still being patient. I read a couple posts below that some of you are breaking out worse....it will pass. You have to keep on. It takes ALOT of time and yes, the breakouts are bad, but I do think it works. I really recommend using it in conjunction with an antibiotic. The only bummer now is that I'm left with a bit of hyper pigments. I'm thinking of trying a che
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April 18, 2012

Pros:

Less oily
I don't know about the acne (too soon to tell)

Cons:

Initial Breakout
Have to pee a lot at first

I've been taking spiro for 19 days and so far I haven't seen any improvements. My acne is actually getting worse, I used to get a few every now and then, nothing major, but they keep popping up and when I think they stop, more come. I'm going crazy, I get that it takes time, but how much longer do I need to put up with this? I'm getting miserable, I don't feel comfortable going out anymore and I hate it. I'm really hoping to see some results in the next 2 weeks. If not, I'm going back to my Doctor. I see all these positive results, but it's hard to keep positive when I look like this.
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April 16, 2012

Pros:

Water weight loss
Acne on back and chest cleared within first 2 weeks

Cons:

Could take months to be effective
Facial acne gets ALOT worse before it gets better

I have suffered from mild acne my entire life but now at the age of 26 it has taken a turn for the worst. I have been on antibiotics, tons of topicals and recently went back on birth control (tri legest-fe) to try to clear my skin, but nothing has worked. I am not sure what exactly caused this change but I noticed the acne on my back and face becoming increasingly worse in August right after I began law school. It was getting so bad that I got a new dermatologist but when he recommended Accutane I immediately turned it down. So, as an alternative I started Spironolactone (50mgs 2x a day) and Aczone in Jan. 2012 and my face immediately got so much worse. It has been really difficult to remain on the Spiro throughout the months watching my face get worse and worse (I cried at least once everyday for 3 months) but reading reviews on a daily basis (no exaggeration) of Spiro's positive outcomes has given me hope that this will eventually work for me too. I went back to the derm two weeks ago (early March) and he decided to double my dosage to 100mg 2x a day and change the topical perscription to Atralin and I have seen huge difference already. What was once clusters of large pimples is now only a handful of isolated pimples and the redness in my skin is lightening up. All in all I cannot say that this medication has "worked" for me YET but as of a few days ago I am beginning to recognize my old face which is something that makes me soooo happy. I hope this contribution will help others the way that reviews have helped me stick with Spiro while watching my skin get increasingly worse. I am giving it at least 6 months in total (by June) to clear me up before considering an alternative and I think everyone struggling w acne the way I have been should give Spiro time before throwing in the towel. I plan to write another review in the upcoming months to report the end results (good or bad).
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website