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
July 20, 2011
Cons:
Takes time to work
I hope I get to inspire or help anyone out there dealing with acne for years now. Had acne for 13 loooong years. Tried accutane 5 times but oil and acne would come back 4 months after stopping it. Last year (August) I took spironolactone 50 mg then increased to 75mg then 125 mg. Healing happened on the fourth month. Super Bad breakout before that but just hang on. Had to take it with diane 35 bcp because of irregular menstration. 2 months ago, I was feeling super tired, lightheaded and dizzy and I attributed it to spiro so I decided to stop it first. Two weeks ago my skin was getting oily and pimply again so my derm suggested to try 75mg first. At 75mg I seem to be doing okay and dizziness and weakness is considerably gone. I have yet to see if 75 mg would work as well as when I was on 125mg but so far it seems good. Hope this helps someone...
July 20, 2011
Pros:
-it works!
-acne 99.5% clear
-oily skin gone
Cons:
-takes a LONG time
-could have side effects
I already reviewed this, it was working after a little over 3 months, but my skin was still pretty oily i started on 25 mg, 50 mg, than 75 after 3 months, and it started to work,
now at 5 months i am on 50 mg and my skin is not at ALL oily, its amazing! It is so clear!
but a little dry, so i am going to go back to 25 mg and see if i can't balance it out a bit, but still for now i am just so happy i am not an oily faced freak with giant cystic acne :D but you need a lot of patients with this medicine, so take your time, if your acne is hormonal there is a good chance this will work for you
July 16, 2011
Pros:
Decrease in oil production
Less cysts on chin
Cons:
Don't have any
I'm not getting any of the side-effects other folks are mentioning. I'm 27yrs. old, had acne for the past 10yrs. Been on Accutane 2x, blue light therapy, acne laser surgery & now trying this. Started on100mg. for 1 month. I just got switched to 200mg. at the 6wk. mark. I'm getting cysts on the lower part of my cheeks; I've never had cysts there before, so I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue. I read about a possible initial breakout...maybe that's why this is happening. Overall, my skin is definitely drier than it was before I started this medication. I've been reading that it's taking people at least 3mos. to see improvement, so I guess all I can do is just stick with it. I'm using Ziana twice a day as well.
July 15, 2011
Pros:
-I'm 100% clear!
-Nice minty taste, very easy to swallow
-Before I was totally clear, any pimples I did get cleared up within days rather than weeks
-Very cheap ($5 for a 30 day supply)
-Don't have to feel guilty if I forget to wash my face every now and then
-Don't need to use any other topical treatments
Cons:
-Did take a long time (almost 4 months) but is seriously worth it
-In the first month or so I did find I had to pee very often, but thats is very mild considering the benefits of it
-You have to remember to take it EVERY day
When my dermatologist first suggested I use spiro I was a bit sceptical because I wasn't convinced that my acne was hormonal. It did take a while before I noticed results but after 2.5-3 months I noticed I was getting pimples MUCH less frequently and the ones I did cleared up within days. As of now, almost 4 months into spiro, I havn't had any pimples in weeks (except 1 I got a little over a week ago from not taking my pills everyday as I forgot them when I went on vaca..but its already gone!) I wish I had discovered spiro years ago but am greatful I did and couldn't be happier with the results. I can't remember the last time I felt my skin and it was completly smooth. I would DEFINATLY recomend this to anyone who thinks their acne could be hormonal! Now I just need to fix my PIH and pitted scars and I'll have the skin of my dreams :)
July 13, 2011
Pros:
Perfect, clear skin! No more cysts!
Cheap!
Cons:
Took 5-6 months to work
Works best at 150 mg dose (for me) and in conjunction with monophasic BC.
Must drink plenty of water.
I am SO thankful for this medication!
July 11, 2011
Pros:
beautiful skin
im 19 years old and a junior in college and i have always had a slight case of acne since 8th grade, my parents and i have tried everything from medications to lazer treatments, and we just couldnt find something that gave us the results i wanted. my last resort was either accutane or spiro and i highly recommend no women takes accutane. i started talking spiro in november and immediately after i started it my skin did a 360. I am thrilled with the results and i think you have nothing to lose. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AND THIS ACTUALLY WORKS
July 10, 2011
Pros:
Got rid of 100% of my acne and I have had stubborn acne since I was 12, I'm 20 now.
Cons:
-Vaginal dryness
-Nocturia
-Took almost 5 months to work
Overall, great pill.
Just be sure to get your electrolytes checked to check if your potassium is within normal limits. This pill can increase potassium in the body which can lead to cardiac problems.
July 9, 2011
Pros:
Side effects are minimal
Doesn't cause nausea like other oral medication
Cons:
Takes a long time to work?
Increases thirst, frequent urination
I have been on Spironolactone for about 2 months now and my skin is worse....my breakouts used to be all over my chin and forehead (t-zone), but were small. Now I am getting red cystic acne along my jaw line and neck. The dermatologist increased my dose to 150 mg per day, and that is with an antibiotic. Could someone please let me know if this happened to them? Or if there skin got much worse when they increased dosage? She said if this doesn't work it's going to be accutane, and I want to give it time before I try that. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
July 8, 2011
Pros:
Less hormonal acne
Less oily skin and hair
Cons:
Takes a LONG time to work
Dizziness
Caffeine Sensitivity
Joint/muscle aches
Longer periods
Frequent Urination
Frequent Thirst/dehydration
I was on this drug for about 6 months before I started to see a noticeable difference. I am also prescribed doxycycline and Finicea gel. At about six months I saw a huge difference in my skin. I thought things were fine and I went off this medicine around month nine due to all of the side effects I was having and as a result, I had the worst breakout of my life with in two week of not taking this. Two months later I am back on Spiro and my face is finally starting to clear up some. While it does take a long time for some to start seeing the results it does do a nice job overall decreasing the amount of oil production.
July 8, 2011
Pros:
Don't know yet
Cons:
Initial breakout?
I recently started this medication. Went from 25 mg up to 75 mg where I am currently at now. I have only been on it for three weeks and I am havig the WORST breakout !! Has anyone experienced this ??? Is it normal ? How long does it last? Please give feedback. The derm says to stick it out but this is horrible.
Pros:
Clears up acne and oily skin