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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October 4, 2010

Pros:

-to be determined

Cons:

-the awful minty taste
-breaking out more

Ive just started this medication 2 weeks ago, and since being on it, Ive actually started to break out more and get those "acne scar pock marks"!!! I am so stressed and upset over this and wanting to quit, but Im only into week 2. My derm. has asked me to be on it for 3 months until my next follow up with him. I know this will take time, but so far the initial result is making my skin worse than it was before. Ive always heard/read that when your on acne medication, your skin could potentially get worse in the first stage but gets better later on. I just have to be patient about it I guess. Has anyone had the same effects like I have? HELP!!!
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July 11, 2010

Pros:

Less oily skin

Cons:

my cystic acne came back :(

I went to my dermatologist because my skin was too oily and rosac was not doing anything to prevent that. I got on spiro (50mg per day) and not my chin acne is going crazy. I hadn't had a cystic pimple in a long long time. I don't know what to do. Will this go away if I keep on using it, or will they just keep on comming?
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February 18, 2010

Pros:

Larger breasts, no significant side effects, relatively cheap & easy compared to other acne meds

Cons:

Doesn't work for me, some fatigue

I'm apparently one of the unlucky few that this med does nothing for. It hasn't made my acne worse; it just hasn't done anything at all. I have not experienced any drying up of my greasy, oily skin at all. I was so disappointed - I was so looking forward to that aspect if nothing else! I might as well take sugar pills for all the good it's done. I've taken 100 mg daily religiously for 7 months so it's not as if I haven't given it a good try. I still recommend it to others because I haven't experienced any significant side effects from it (except for some fatigue, which I can get from any drug), and it seems to work so well for so many. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. It's on to Accutane (again) for me. I hope you have better luck.
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December 2, 2009

Pros:

turned aggressive hormonal acne mild

Cons:

upset stomach, dehydration, menstrual problems, depression, dangerously low blood pressure.

I took Spirono for a full year. It did not completely eliminate my hormonal acne but it did make it much milder. Now that I am off it and I can tell you this treatment was not worth it emotionally. I did not full realize until I got off it how much it was affecting my mood. It literally made completely a-motivated and depressed for a year, I feel so much better being free from it now. A few spots on my face are not worth losing the motivation to be happy. Also: it is a blood pressure medication and it superficially dropped my blood pressure so low that I was in a dangerous situation when I needed to be treated for another illness. BOTTOM LINE : NOT WORTH IT!
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November 12, 2009

Pros:

Can't really say that I personally found any. I don't want to discourage you from taking this drug though if you truly do have hormonal acne. It seems to work exceptionally well for those that do.

Cons:

The following things happened to me (this may not happen to you). These things occured about 3 months into taking the drug: Hair thinning, complete loss of appetite, inability to sleep through the night, absentmindedness, horrible depression

First off I do not want to discourage anyone from trying this medicine if they do ACTUALLY have hormonal acne. As it turns out, I probably do not. To make a long story short.....when Solodyn stopped working for me my derm added 50mg Spiro into the mix because he said that I must have hormonal acne because of the location of the acne (lower face, jaw line, chin, etc....) He never drew blood to test my hormone levels or provided me any info on it. He just sent me on my way. My being naive and trusting my doctor went and got the scrip filled. Well for the first month the drug had no effect on my mild/mod acne whatsoever. My derm upped the dosage to 100 mg and the second and third month passed with no "miracles" as I had suspected. What did happen around month 3 are all of the "cons" that I listed above. I went to my gyno today who took me off both the Solodyn and the Spiro. My basic message here is that you should be tested for hormone issues prior to trying this drug.
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August 20, 2009

Pros:

May have lost some water weight.

Cons:

Has not cleared my skin at all. Possible headaches. Dry mouth.

Does not work for me. Have been on 100 mg/day for almost 2 months.
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June 16, 2009

Pros:

Nothing.

Cons:

Gave me hives, had an allergic reaction to it, couldn't walk uphill without feeling like passing out.

Didn't take it long enough to see results.
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May 4, 2009

Pros:

idk think there were any??

Cons:

heart pounding, trouble breathing, couldn't sleep at night, and head aches that were horrible!

This medication may work for some people, but as for me it was awful and felt like it could have been life threatening if I didn't stop taking it. I first had horrible head aches so then I took it at night because I thought that would help with the head aches and then my heart started pounding just to get up and walk around the house. I had trouble breathing and if I got up to quick I would get a bit dizzy or light headed. Just thought I would let you all know some possible side affects before taking this medication.
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March 2, 2009

Pros:

Can control hormones that cause acne.

Cons:

Weakness, dizziness, fatigue, cancer, and possible tumors.

Please, please, please don't take this medication. I know we all want a magical cure for our acne, even at the expense of a few side effects, but this medication is DANGEROUS. It's been "black boxed" by the FDA, which is the most severe warning the FDA can issue a drug (short of pulling it off the shelves). Yes, Accutane also has the dreaded black box warning, but that's because of the risk of depression / birth defects. Spironolactone not only can cause severe depression, but has BEEN PROVEN to cause tumors in laboratory rats. This medication works a little bit like birth control pills - once you're on them for acne, you cannot get off without having the acne return. Do you really want to be dizzy, tired, depressed, and risk tumors and cancer for the rest of your life? Who cares if you have great skin if you're on death's door? I wish my doctor had told me all of this before I took this crap. I now have a stomach ulcer that my GI doctor contributes to spiro.
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February 18, 2009

Pros:

I don't know yet

Cons:

Still breaking out, losing hope, more tired than usual, unmotivated, have been struggling with my daily run since taking this medication

My skin has not even begun to clear. I am about ready to quit this medication. In addition to dealing with my disgusting skin, my running has greatly suffered since starting this medication. I can't even run 2 miles anymore (use to running 6 daily) without feeling like I am going to die. I become extremely light headed and wheez which is something I never had a problem with before. Has anyone else had similar side effects and will it pass? I am also on doxycycline, birth control, and retin-a. If you can offer any info from your own experience, please email me at kristif79@[link removed]. Thanks.
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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:

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