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:
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May 31, 2018
I HAVE FOUND MY SOLUTION
Hello, so I have been using acne.org products for a couple years, loved them, the do help, but it's expensive and time consuming, don't want to buy regular and travel size etc. My mom had deep, deep acne as a kid and still has scars at 53 as we know cystic acne can be genetic My acne is mostly on my chin, cheeks, near mouth, on neck, and back indicating a HORMONAL link. I get deep ones on my neck and cheeks especially I tried to balance my hormones to combat it and eat little dairy to help that as well. I exercise and carry a massive 64 oz water bottle that i go through 2-3 times a day every day. I get 6-10 hours of sleep every night usually around 7. Never sleep with makeup on, always go through my elaborate skin care regimen (mostly acne.org stuff besides cleanser, and also use glossier aha+ solution.) And have little stress in my life that's unman aged, I meditate, have a good attitude, and rarely have to face anything too terrible so that's not it. So I'm doing all the things you're supposed to...... I tried Skin care exposed acne.org many generic drug store products (cetophyl, nutragena, Clearasil, etc.) ACNE LASERS (do not recomend, it actually got worse, and I'm not sure why. I did over 10 treatments I believe because my boyfriend wanted to help me conquer this he paid for it so I'm not certain, but it was very painful, expensive, and ineffeftic sadly.) Trtroin cream and gel Many cycles of antibiotics (doxy) Llysiene DIM (did help a lot but didn't fully clear, best thing I've found besides spironolactone though, but more expensive.) Etc. (We've all tried lots of things, you get it, but I thought it might be relevant for people trying to figure out what they should try first or what might work for them based on our possible similarities) Important part: My roommate had really bad, scattered, cystic acne and one day it really started clearing up I asked what she had been doing and she said her doctor prescribed spironolactone. I asked my doctor to do the same, she was all for it. I take 50 mg The first month was really bad, I broke out REALLY hard. But I had seen all the positive reviews and photos that said this would happen and to stick it out, so I did. Month 2.5 I was so happy with my skin, it's SO SOFT and clear. It's incredible to be able to touch my neck and face without tons of textures. My skin did peel really badly around month 1.5-3 so be prepared. It was annoying, but worth it. MONTH 3 I HAVE ZERO active pimples and some red spots that are still healing (I did kind of keep picking throughout the months but I think I will break that as I have nothing left to pick) My makeup goes on incredilbly, I am so, so, so grateful. I was so close to trying accutane but have been putting it off as a last resort because of the side effects. Now I'm free. I sent my doc a thank you card I'm so happy. Please, if you know anyone with hormonal ance, tell them about it, or try it yourself. With my very basic, terrible insurance it's FREE I don't pay a dime for it which is just yet another amazing perk I have before and after pics that are incredible, but it won't let me post them, so if you want to see e-mail me at [Redacted] and I'd be more than happy to share. I want other people to be able to find their solution too.
jmedge
August 25, 2018
Wow! reading your experience really cheered me up ...I'm six weeks in now taking 100mg a day of Spiro and I have been breaking out in these cystic nodules and whole heads in a U pattern around my chin and up both cheeks...I really do hope that this is just things getting worse before getting better...what did you use to cleanse and moisturize while going through your first months of therapy...thank you for sharing!
April 29, 2018
Better than OCP
I have been on 150mg Spironolactone for 6 months. I'm 27 and I have had mild-moderate acne on only my face for my entire adult life, it's very much hormonal and my face/hair has always been oily. Multiple doctors tried to sell me on accutane and I refused for years. I have tried everything you can think of, I'm currently on spironolactone, hormonal birth control pills, and use aczone. . . my skin looks the best it has in years. I also moved from Florida to the PNW and this helped my skin because I spend less time in the sun, sweaty and hot. I mostly am just tired of having elaborate facial routines and ruining my clothes/towels/sheets with acne products/bleaching. I have always drank lots of water, exercise every day, eat pretty good and wear sunscreen every day (I'm incredibly fair skinned). I honestly think this pretty good and I prefer Spironolactone every day to hormonal birth control for helping clear up my skin.
April 28, 2018
Spironolactone can take away your dermal (lip) filler on your face! Manufacturer of the pill matters!
So my face cleared in a month on pills manufactured by Activas, but my pharmacy changed the manufacturer to Julibant and my face was horrible for 2 months straight. I didn't put two and two together until two days ago and I picked up refills by the manufacturer Amneal (I think they just bought Activas out) and my face is noticeably clearing up and i feel so much dryness. If you've been taking the pill for 2 months and your face hasn't cleared up pay attention to the manufacturer!! It makes a difference. I keep the dosage as 50mg bcs the side effect on 100mg is so much that it takes away the dermal fillers on my face. My body shrinks, too and my butt got flat.
May 29, 2018
Do you find 50 clears you up still? I once was on Spironolactone but went it off it cause it was sucking the fat out of my face and making me look old but I was on 100mg. I don’t It also broke me out the first 4 months. I want to try again out of desperation but don’t want my fillers sucked out!
April 20, 2018
DONT GIVE UP, IT WILL GET BETTER
okay, so this is going to be a fairly long review because i want to give details for anyone feeling discouraged or about to start. I was on birth control for 2 and a half years and i suffered with minor acne prior to going on, like very minimal would get the odd cystic spot but i was in the sun a lot so my spots kept at bay, i went on birth control and my skin cleared up completely, then after 2 and a half years when i was on birth control i started to get minor acne again, so i came off and for a good year my skin was on and off, minor acne, annoying but nothing too crazy! and then all of a sudden BAM it just hit me outta nowhere and i started getting really bad cystic acne all over my chin and they started to move up my face, id get a few on my cheek and a few on my forehead like horrible sore red cystic lumps. and i dont know why i didnt go to the dermo then and there but i tried acupuncture, had an amazing diet already but went all in and tried an alkaline diet and nothing worked. So i went to the dermo and she put me on 100mg of spironolactone a day and told me to apply retin A cream every evening and Zindaclin every morning. First month was horrendous, the retin A cream made my skin purge, i was literally shredding like a snake, so sore and red i cried nearly every day, couldnt wear makeup, didnt leave the house, and the spiro made me exhausted, felt so down and weak and my skin purged so i broke out so badly in cystic spots it was awful. Second month was slow, my spots were at bay, and the side affects lifted after 6 weeks and i felt normal again, but my skin was at a standstill, spots had gone down a hell of a lot and because of the retin a cream my scars started fading and my skin got used to the cream so i stopped shredding hallelujah!! but kept getting the odd breakout and didnt really move. Now i am at the end of my third month and thank god, i have finally only just stopped getting breakouts, my face has cleared up 90% and its happened in the last few weeks really quickly! and the cream has taken the scars away like a dream, i have about 5% of scars left on my face, i feel like a new woman. So girls please stick with it, they say around the 3 month mark youll start seeing a difference, and everyones bodies are different but stick with it because i drove myself mad with reading constant review thinking why isnt my face getting clearer, but one day youll wake up and start noticing a change and itll happen quick!!
May 13, 2018
I’m on spiro right now and your review has given me hope, thank you!
May 14, 2018
What kind of skincare routine did you do while using Spiro?
May 18, 2018
I am so glad your skin has cleared! I am on month 2 of spiro and haven't seen much improvement at all:( I began taking an antibiotic (minocycline) today to help keep my break outs at bay until the spiro really kicks in. im so scared the minocycline will cause another initial breakout, I can't fathom the thought of my skin getting any worse. Thank you for posting this review, im going to give spiro another month or 2 and hope it'll start clearing my skin too
May 29, 2018
I am so glad it has Marina, honestly i know it is hard but you have to persevere! I was told to just stick to Cetaphil morning and night and thats exactly what i have stuck to! which is ideal because i was spending a fortune on skin care products that didnt actually work! cetaphil is so gentle so it has worked perfectly for me! and AVA persevere!!! at month 2 i was still disheartened but one day it just started getting better, i am 4 months into spiro and my skin is so clear .. honestly havent had a breakout for over a month now officially! and i am at my time of the month, i would say it really has taken up until now to work 110% so persevere girlies as you have got this far, dont give up! a little tip too .. i have stopped using foundation on my face every day because apparently it has oil in it that can slow down the process .. now i use bare minerals tinted moisturiser every day and again i have had no spots! Still working on getting rid of some of the dark marks on my face due to the initial breakout but im getting there!! using ketrel for this!
April 18, 2018
Great!
I have been off this site for awhile since my acne went away. However, I thought it was important to let others know my journey. I only had mild to moderate acne since a teenager up to my adult years. There's was constantly always at least one on my face. During the past few years, I was on yaz birth control and that pretty much helped kept everything under control. I decided to not be on it anymore and that's when my face exploded. I started to have tons of bumps everywhere 4 months after stopping bc. I was horrified. I thought it was just stress, but it was more than that. Everything started to creep up in March and by May I had cystic spot everyday. It was so bad that I kept my head down when talking to people. Then by the second month I decided to go back on bc. As bc took long to start kicking in, I went to a dermatologist and she prescribed me spiro two times a day for 100mg a day. It took at least 3 months to see results. Now it has been 7 months and have zero acne. I know how hard it is but please stick with it. Also, be cautious with your diet. I quit eating dairy and sugar all together. I believe this played a huge factor as well. Feel free to ask any questions!
March 8, 2018
Spironolactone is the BOMB
I've been struggling with inflammatory and cystic acne for well over 30 years and have tried every conceivable treatment, including all the topicals, retinoids, oral contraceptives and various antibiotics, and 4 (yes, FOUR) 20-week rounds of Accutane. I would regularly get kenalog shots for the really deep, painful ones. My acne was NO JOKE and was leaving deep scars. Nothing kept my skin consistently clear until spiro. I take 100mg/day now. If I do no topicals at all and just the spiro, I'll get a bunch of small (non-scarring) pimples, but nothing too crazy. But when I add the Acne.org topical regimen to the spiro, my skin stays 100% clear indefinitely. So this is the routine I've been doing for almost 2 years now and it's been life changing!
February 19, 2018
Spironolactone is the only treatment that worked
I've been taking Spiro for 9 years now and it has been the only thing that has kept my moderate acne away. I never had cystic acne but had many painful pimples and pustules. Prior to Spiro I tried topicals, oral antibiotics, and even Accutane. I tried different things for over a decade and none of it worked. The only acne scars I have, I got while taking Accutane, which made my skin flare up terribly. I was also constantly sick to my stomach the entire month and a half I took Accutane. If you're an adult female and still suffer with acne, please try Spironolactone before resorting to Accutane. The side effects of Spiro are minimal, if any, and it's very effective at combating hormonal acne. I had to ask my dermatologist to prescribe it to me. She didn't believe it would work. Thankfully, she was wrong.
March 9, 2018
April 4, 2018
Hello Silver12 how long did it take for Spirronlactone to take effect on your skin
February 9, 2018
Game Changer for Hormonal Acne
I have tried almost every type of acne treatment there is out there. Spironolactone is the only thing that made a real difference. Not only do I rarely have acne, but when I get a spot it goes away quickly! It's important that your dermatologist starts you off on a low dose. I started with 25 mg. Then went to 25 mg twice a day. Then 50 mg twice a day. You should be drinking a lot of water while on this--I drink like four liters a day.
I personally didn't have any side effects besides having to pee a lot--could just be the water though. Also, you will gain weight easily if you have a high intake of potassium. I also take Junel Fe 1.5/3.0 for both birth control and acne/hormonal control.
Everyone should know that this will make your birth control less effective, so think about using another form of birth control in addition.
April 4, 2018
Hello Silver12 how long did it take for Spirronlactone to take effect on your skin
February 7, 2018
Thankful
I had severe acne since middle school. I would have acne on my face, back, and chest. Senior year of high school, my acne was so embarrassing that I could never leave the house without makeup because I was so scared of what people would think about me. I went to the dermatologist and she prescribed spironolactone 50mg for my skin. I would take one pill in the morning and one at night. I was also prescribed epiduo which is a gel that you rub into your face after you wash it at night. On top of these two medications I would wash my face with benzoyl peroxide 10% with a Clarisonic electric brush. So just a recap I would take my 50mg spironolactone twice a day, wash my face with 10% benzoyl peroxide twice a day, and then rub epiduo gel on my face. Although it took 3 months to see a difference, the wait was worth it. All three of these things have completely cleared up my acne and I feel like I can finally be myself again. I hope this helps.
February 6, 2018
Dont give up!!!
Started getting acne at age 14/15, tried everything (aczone, doxycycline, tazorac, facials, changing pillow cases, cutting out dairy). Even went on Accutane. It got so bad that I stopped going out, would always try to cover my face when talking to people, etc. Finally I broke down to my dermatologist and she prescribed me spironolactone (50/mg). Two, three, four weeks in I didn't notice any improvement but acne also did not get worse like others have mentioned. Finally after 7 weeks its COMPLETELY CLEAR, after a decade of acne. Heres my regimen : wash face nightly with Cetaphil gentle cleanser, take spironolactone, drink tons and tons of water. I do not have any side effects from the medication that I have noticed. Im still dairy free just because I feel better that way! Short story: don't give up, I wanted to quit after 3 weeks but don't. You will get there!