I'm 23 years old, and like just about everyone else on here, I've tried quite literally everything except Accutane to clear up my mild-moderate hormonal and cystic acne. This past July, I had been on Doxycycline for 3 years and it just wasn't as effective as when I started. I'm just now realizing long-term antibiotics are a no-no. So there I was, sitting in my dermatologist's office, crying so hard that snot was pouring out of my nostrils because in my mind, I was out of options (and I was terrified of the potentially permanent side-effects of Accutane). She prescribed me something I'd never heard of before: Aldactone (Spironolactone), 50 mg 1 x day. Skeptical, I left to fill my prescription and read some reviews on here. ...And let me tell you, without the encouragement/motivation to continue with this medication from reading these reviews, I would've stopped a HELL of a long time ago. These reviews really helped me to learn how to tailor a regime that worked best for my specific skin needs. Within 2 weeks of starting on 50 mg I perused some posts on here and decided to up my dosage to 100 mg, add in Yaz, and add in Bactrim (with the consultation of my Dermatologist, of course); Yaz has ~25 mg of Spironolactone in it so they work well together, and Bactrim was only to be taken temporarily to reduce the severity of a potential initial breakout. 2 weeks into starting 100 mg, I had the worst initial breakout of my life. My face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back were covered in hundreds of tiny bumps, as well as larger cysts. It lasted about a month, and I cried almost every day of that month and was a complete shut-in. When I was about to quit (practically every day), I'd come here, read the reviews, and promise myself I'd give it at least 4 months, then go from there. Well, it hasn't been 4 months yet (3.5) and my skin is the clearest its ever been. I'd say it took me about 2.5 months to see significant results. All those hundreds of tiny bumps and dozens of larger cysts are completely gone. My insanely oily skin has been tamed, and my pores appear visibly reduced. Even though it didn't feel like it would ever get better, it has. And even though I didn't think all of that would ever be worth it...it was! So...if anyone's reading this comment, I'd like to say this: If you're at your wit's end but don't want to take Accutane, try this If you're going through a horrible initial breakout, hang in there - it will get better And if you have been on this for a few months and haven't seen results, don't give up!

This product solved the problem for me. My skin is softer and prettier and virtually no zits. Ir also reduced those annoying little hairs that can grow on your chin and turn into zits. If you are careful about staying hydrated and getting electrolytes checked this is a great product. I did have some mild dizziness at first but that went away quickly . No other negatives. I used it with the topical ZIana which is a retinoid.

I've been on this for a couple years and noticed an immediate improvement in my acne. After getting off oral contraceptives, I had the worse breakouts I ever experienced. Spiro cleared my skin beautifully. I started by taking two a day, as my dermatologist recommended. Then once my face cleared up, I started taking only one pill a day and my face stayed clean. Now I'm taking one 25 mg pill every other day. My face has remained clear, and I have effectively minimized my exposure to the drug without compromising my results.

Spironolactone works.Try it, especially if you're at your wits end. It takes a few months to kick in. For me it took about four to five months to work. I did have an initial breakout in the first six weeks, but it slowed down to just a few pimples here and there once it began working. Now, if I get a pimple, it heals in just a few days. Before Spironolactone, I would get several cysts at one time, and they would take weeks to heal... And then leave that horrible hyperpigentation. Now I'm just working on fading those scars!

I am a 27-year-old female that has had issues with adult hormonal acne since I was 22. My skin is a combination of dry and acne prone. My apologies for the lengthy post, but I wanted to include other info that I found to be helpful. It wasn't until September of 2015 that my cystic acne was unmanageable, painful, and damaging to my self esteem in way I have never experienced. The cysts were abundant in number and size, they were large and red, eventually turning to large scabs, covering my cheeks, jawline, and my neck. Makeup was necessary but didn't help cover much of anything except for the redness, which then appeared yellow-ish due to foundation. I am not a makeup savvy gal, so makeup was not really my friend during this time. I became highly anxious when out in public. I was rushing through my errands. I didn't want to be seen or make eye contact. If being a ghost was an option, I would've chosen to be one. Once I discovered that this is a true medical issue that required medical attention, I made an appointment with the dermatologist. I have been to the derm several times before, but I never felt confident about my visits and treatments. Nothing *really* worked. I tried 3 different birth control pills designed to tackle hormonal acne. I became a different person each time and my body didn't feel like it was my own, nor did my mind. I felt neurotic and my body stayed bloated despite my efforts to alleviate that. So while it did help with manage the acne, it created other problems. After the 3rd time being on the pill, I swore it off forever. I tried multiple medicated creams and gels along with antibiotics. I had also been to a few aestheticians, which did help with the appearance, but was not a true fix when the root of the problem lies internally. There was no reason to continue with the chemical peels if it wasn't actually contributing to my "cure". However, my new dermatologist had a different approach. I was involved in the choosing and planning of treatment. She explained and reviewed options with me (yes, she gave me options!) and provided me her professional input for guidance in my decision making. I didn't think that my acne was Accutane worthy, and even if it were, I was very hesitant. After careful consideration, I decided to go with Spironolactone (50mg) taken once daily to and Tretinoin (retin-a) cream at night. I felt SO great about this and eager to start. After the first 6 weeks, I had to have my blood drawn and tested for normal potassium levels. I did notice breast tenderness and light headedness when not taken with food, so beware of that! These symptoms are common as you while find in the other reviews here. In February of 2016, I had a derm appoint for a progress report. At that time, we decided to adjust the Spiro dosage to 100mg taken twice daily plus the Tretinoin cream applied a night. '¨'¨It is now the middle of March and *knock on wood* my skin has radically improved. I rarely ever get breakouts, except for PMS related. Everyone wants quick and perfect results, which might be an impossible achievement. I am very happy with the progress I have seen thus far and am willing to stay on the Spiro train. 3 months for noticeable results, 6 months for desirable results. BE PATIENT AND STICK WITH SPRIO!!! The next phase for me is to heal the discoloration and scarring. I have not noticed a change in mood, but maybe I should ask my S/O for his observation. My menstrual cycle has always been regular on a strict schedule according to my body' natural clock. End of the month for 7 days. Now it's more like, ehhh every 2 to 3 weeks lasting anywhere from 4 or 7 days, but I don't necessarily consider that to be a CON. I just deal with it per usual. I have always drank a lot of water, consequently going #1 pretty frequently. I haven't noticed a change in my restroom habits. OTHER THINGS TO DO TO HELP WITH HORMONAL ACNE '¨Disclaimer: We are all delicate snowflakes and what works for me will most likely not work for anyone else quite the same way. Hopefully you can't get some ideas from this though! '¨'¨I also wanted to mention that I became mildly obsessed with ridding my acne because of the effects it had my self esteem. I would normally consider myself a social person, but became recluse when the acne was at it's worst in September. Because of my obsession, I did countless hours of my own research. Which is how I came to find this website/blog fyi. I read review after review after review. I watched video bloggers that had videos related to adult acne. I read articles written by industry professionals and other blogs. I read product reviews on the internet. I arrived to the conclusion that hormonal acne MUST first be dealt with internally. '¨'¨ After diving into my research, I reflected on my dietary habits. I always made an effort to eat relatively healthy, but zero effort to really say 'no' to sugar, salt, and dairy. It was time for me to use my willpower and commit to sticking to a healthy diet rich in fruits, grains, and vegetables. I had to turn my back on my sweet tooth. No longer could I give into my chocolate, chips, candy, pizza, ice cream, cheese, pretzels, etc. Yes, I do eat these things still, but only on a rare occasion and not in excess. I used to eat an entire tub of chocolate ice cream in a few days time because #yolo. NATURAL PRODUCTS Organic and natural products have lasted the test of time for a reason. If you've never done so, try an experiment in which you DON'T purchase or use products that have unnatural ingredients. If you don't recognize the name of an ingredient, don't buy it. If you don't have a nearby store that offers these options, or maybe they do but they are pricey, try Amazon. You can also make your own products from a few simple ingredients! Remember, just because it's a high-end fancy name brand jar or tube, doesn't mean it works. There are ALWAYS natural inexpensive alternative options (that are usually must cheaper). Other foods/products that help with acne: Citrus fruits Tea tree oil Raw honey Milk High iron foods- mostly anything green (i recommend asparagus, kale, spinach, cucumbers) Apple cider vinegar Cayanne pepper Garlic Jicama Avocado Egg whites Ginger root Jajoba oil Shea butter Coconut oil'¨Rosewater toner'¨Brown sugar (for scrubs) Oatmeal Peppermint essential oil Herbal tea Baking soda Red potato skins Vitamin C products (serum, lotions) Vitamin A products (ditto)'¨ This list is a mix of things that can either be ingested, applied superficially, or maybe both. I found tons of uses for these from kind internet folks (ie.: make facial masks, wash skin, wash hair, skin care regimen, etc.). Youtube and Google has everything. Thanks internet!'¨ CLARISONIC MIA 2 OMG GET ONE. My derm recommended I look into this product. I knew some friends that had one and swore by it. The only thing is, they are costly. I'm the first to admit that I am a girl that balls on a budget and couldn't justify the expense. BUT after Christmas I pulled all of my new and old Sephora gift cards together to buy the $150 item and ended up only spending $40 out of my own pocket to finally have one. I am telling you that Clarisonic WORKS. I use an all natural oil based facial cleanser with it twice daily and I immediately noticed the change my skin. If you are able to afford one, please do yourself a favor and get it. Other similar products from different brands could be just as effective, but I can't vouch for those. Lastly, before buying products online or in-store, I encourage you to read reviews, search for answers to your questions, look on youtube for product reviews before spending your money no matter the cost!

Clear skin is priceless. I've spent years and hundredths of dollars trying everything imaginable. My cousin recommended Spironolactone and it cleared up my skin so quickly. I used to wear makeup 24/7 and avoid going out in public. I just went out to the store without makeup and I feel great. This is the only acne treatment that has ever worked for me. It's s a miracle drug!

I've had cystic/pustular acne since I was about 10. I've tried (along with the regimen) a whole slew of pills, creams and medications, everything short of Accutane. This was my last shot before Accutane, which I really didn't want to go on. I am SO glad I found Spiro. It has worked absolute MIRACLES for my skin, which is so incredibly resistant and stubborn to everything else. My dermatologist and I talked about taking it after we realized my testosterone levels were a bit high (I recommend you get those checked out ladies) along with starting Tri-Sprintec, and I've been using it a bit over a month. Usually in any given day I have several nodules and pustules. Today? I have one minor nodule. Two days ago I had absolutely nothing for the first time in so, so long. Now if I could just erase my scars, it would be perfect :) I HIGHLY recommend Spiro to people who are at their wits end and about to jump on Accutane, it's done so, so much for me and I'm incredibly grateful.

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.

it's worth a try.

Bottom line is this medication works if you find the right dosage for your DHT level and do two things. One stick with it. The initial break out most people experience is due to your body reacting to hormonal changes. You're losing testosterone which causes the oil production in your skin. You're body is re-adjusting and it takes time for medication to be properly distributed throughout your body. Once you get clear of that you will see the results. Two, all prescriptions come with side effects. The best way to avoid them is by following the directions properly. Drinking water is essential with this drug. Headaches, joint pain, dizziness, and fatigue are caused by not drinking enough water. Don't take anti-inflammatory medication with this pill. It will damage your liver, bring on more headaches, and cause stomach cramping. Try to avoid caffeine or drink small amounts in the morning before switching over to water. Caffeine dehydrates you which makes you tired. If you're having nausea take the pill with food, a glass of water, and B-complex vitamins. I took Accutane when I was 15 for 9 months. It cleared my skin for 3 months after I quit but it came back. Years later I developed stomach issues which resembled Crohns but it wasn't after many tests. So my Dr. put me on B vitamins DAYS later I felt better and haven't had an episode since. I took Ortho BC pills for 8 years and it helped keep the number of pimples low but I still broke out during my cycle. I quit taking the BC & Spiro last year and lots of my hair fell out. Taking BC pills for a long period of time will cause this side effect so be forewarned. Lots of women go through this and get back on them which just repeats the hair loss cycle. If you quit taking them stay on the Spiro! I didn't and now I'm back on the Spiro to help regrow my hair and clear my skin again. It went crazy 3 months after I quit taking it but my skin is starting to calm, it's less oily than it's ever been and my new hair