Acne.org Products
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
December 27, 2012
Cons:
Takes a bit of time to work - but really no out standings cons.
For women with hormonal acne, spiro can really be a miracle drug! I struggled for years with moderate cystic acne (often around the mouth/chin) and after using this for several months I no longer get those deep, painful, scarring pimples. If I do get a blemish, it honestly heals within a day or two and is never deep beneath the skin. I have used EVERYTHING except accutane (it was going to be a last resort if this didn't work out) - spiro is WORTH the try.
October 12, 2012
Pros:
Clears skin
Less oily
Eliminates cystic acne
Cons:
Period every two weeks
weight gain
tender breasts
emotional
The bottom line is despite the side effects, this medicine works. Do not give up hope if your acne is hormonal. It took a few months of working my way up to the highest dose of 200 mg. I take 100 mg at lunch and 100mg at dinner. I did not experience a true clearing, and almost stopped the pills I was so frustrated, until I upped my dosage to 200 mg. But, that's when I began having a 7 day period every two weeks and gaining weight despite not changing my eating habits. I put on about 10 pounds, my boobs got about two sizes bigger. However, my skin is amazing so I hired a trainer and am working hard to get that ten pounds off. I would recommend this to someone despite the side effects. I do notice if I miss a dose, which recently happened when I ran out of the presciption for a day, that I get a small breakout or one or two pimples.
September 26, 2012
Pros:
-works well for cystic acne
-less oily face and hair
-clears pretty quickly
Cons:
-extreme hair fall
I am 20 years old and have had somewhat severe acne since I was 13 or 14, it consistently got worse and I started trying topical treatments like Proactiv, epiduo, differin, and little face washes from the drug store. Nothing worked well so I decided to try a dermatologist. I tried birth control but didn't see much of a difference after a few months, then I tried antibiotics which seemed to work for about a month and then just stopped working. I researched like crazy and read reviews and doctor websites about Spiro and thought it would be perfect. I have been on Spiro for about 7 months and within the first month my face and hair was less oily (which I loved!), I lost a bit of water weight (but it does balance out later so you don't actually lose weight), and my face was already getting better. By month 4 there was an extreme difference! But now at the 7th month I am still getting little pimples frequently, although my cystic acne is basically extinct! I didn't get an extreme initial breakout that a lot of people said happens. A weird side effect I had was not getting my period for about 5 months, it came back but it was pretty weird. I LOVE that this medication has made my face and hair less oily, it's nice to not worry about re-applying powder to make my face not look greasy halfway through my day. But I have noticed that while I have been on this medication, I have had significantly more hair fall. They say it's normal to lose about 100 strands a day but I must be losing about 400 or so a day. My shower is clogged every day and my hair seems a bit thinner. I have heard Spiro is supposed to make hair grow but that definitely isn't the case with me. I will be talking to a doctor soon to see if I can fix that but still take the Spiro. Bottom line, this works different for different people, but I would recommend this medication to anyone who has tried lots of acne products with no luck.
June 22, 2012
Pros:
Really helped with cystic acne,
Skin less oily
Cons:
Huge breakouts the first 6 weeks. Developed white bumps on skin, had to watch the potassium intake (bananas, tomatoes,potatoes), periods became longer and more frequent( like..every other week), headaches if you don't drink enough water continuously, which in turn sends you to the bathroom ALOT! A little pricey depending on insurance.
I'm a 40 year old woman who has struggled with cystic acne periodically over the years. Mostly on the chin area. My dermatologist hailed this as the wonder drug I would never want to stop taking. Well, it did help after about 6 weeks BUT for me... having to eliminate healthy foods I love, drinking water like a camel and the almost constant periods were not worth the clear skin. Since I've stopped taking the drug I have eliminated sugar and dairy and my skin has been behaving beautifully. The white bumps went away and the headaches have stopped. I just feel better not taking medication. If I had really severe acne I would probably have stuck with it but I would urge people to address their diet first and possibly scale their skin care regime down to basics.
I currently use Purpose skin wash and Clinique dramatically different gel 2x a day.
April 10, 2012
Pros:
Clears Acne
Less Oily
Cons:
None thus far
This medications has worked wonders for me. I am 37 yrs old and have struggled with acne since my teenage years. Have, as so many others, tried so many different cleansers,treatments and medications. Nothing worked until this. I have been taking for about 6 months now and my skin looks better than it ever has.
February 7, 2012
Pros:
clears skin
Cons:
need to urinate more frequently
I am 30 years old and have dealt with acne since my preteen years It seems that I've used every prescription and drugstore remedy out there. (Retin A, accutane, oral and topical antibiotics, proactiv etc.) Since completeing a few ( yes 3) rounds of Accutane in my early twenties, my acne did lessen greatly, but it always came back. I was still consistently dealing with light to moderate (got worse when I became pregnant) acne. Because of pregnancies and breastfeeding I had to use only very gentle safe things to treat my acne for the last few years. I'm now safe point (safe-in that I'm not planning to get pregnant for awhile and I'm done nursing) in my life so I made a trip to the dermatologist to revamp my regime. I started taking Spironolactone 50 mg twice a day, Differin and Aczone. I am also on a low dose birthcontrol pill. I use CeraVe foaming face wash and olay sensitive skin complete face lotion. (I mix the lotion with Neutrogena healthy skin foundation). This has completely cleared up my skin! I can't say for certain which drug really worked the magic, or if it's in the power of 3, but I am finally zit free! (I saw great improvements within the first couple of months.) It's getting to be close to a year of this routine.
December 21, 2011
Pros:
-Cleared up majority of my acne in Only 11 DAYS!
-Pills are small and easy to swallow.
-Hair became A LOT less oily.
Cons:
-Urinate more frequently.
-Minor hives on body that come and go.
I've been on Spironolactone for exactly 17 days (2 weeks, 3 days) and WOW I am amazed at how fast this product cleared up my skin. So, the first week I took 50 MG a day. Which really didn't do much for my skin, and actually made it break out more. I was disappointed. Then, the second week, I switched to 75 MG a day, and WOW it worked wonders! My acne decreased significantly within 3 days after switching from 50 MG to 75 MG. I only break out on my cheeks, my left side cleared up completely already. I have like a couple little pimples on my right side, but no big deal. I am honestly so happy that this product has worked so wonderful so far. Hope this continues then eventually clears up everything. BUT. During the ending of my 2nd week, I started to develop very small hives on my body that would appear, then disappear every day. I googled it, and site said it's a very serious allergic reaction. This may sound bad, but I really don't care, I'm still going to continue to take it. Because the impact this pill has had on my mood and self-confidence, it's worth it. Note, I'm a 20-year-old female, and I've tried EVERYTHING. Even Accutane right before taking Spironolactone (but I was on a VERY low dose, so that was probably why it wasn't effective.) Retin-A, over the counter creams, Minocycline, Doxicycline, BP, EVERYTHING! Please give this a try. I was skeptical at first because it statistics show it only works fo about 65 % of females with hormonal acne, and it would take up to 4 months to see results. Well I saw results on my 11th day. Please give this a try :)
November 1, 2011
Pros:
It has given my that best results out of everything I've tried (including Accutane, which did nothing for me!) for my severe, adult onset, cystic acne.
If you are insured, it is very affordable.
Cons:
I am on a very high dose (100 mg twice a day), and if I do not take this medication immediately after dinner, and at least several hours before bed, I wake up in the early morning hours nauseus and dry heaving (it's happened about half a dozen times in the three months I've been on it). The feeling is quite analgous to morning sickness.
Like all other medications, Spiro is no miracle drug, but has helped my severe acne better than anything else. When my derm first prescribed this medication, she put me on 50mg a day, and I had no results. She then raised my dose to 100mg a day. Still, no results. She then referred me an endocrinologist, who promptly sent me to the lab for a battery of blood and urine tests. Results? All normal. Despite these lab results, he raised my dose of Spiro to 100mg twice a day, and I am finally starting to see results. My skin is far from perfect, but has significantly improved. Other Rx's that I currently taking/using: Bactermin (oral antibiotic); Veltin (topical antibiotic/retinoid hybrid); Benzaclyne (topical antibiotic); Prascion (sulfur based antimicrobial face wash) Other products I use: Alyria 10% glycolic toner; YuBe moisturizer (sold at Sephora). The combination of these two products prevents my skin from becoming dry/flaky/irritable despite the plethora of topicals that I use every day.
April 23, 2011
Pros:
Weight loss (possibly from diuretic effect of med).
Cons:
Side effects included dizziness, excessive thirst, irregular periods, and sensitivity to caffeine. Don't take this med if you have low blood pressure already.
I've been on this med exactly 3 months now, and my skin is worse than ever, with cysts along my jawline and around my ears. My dose has been low--50 mg--because of side effects (most notably dizziness due to low blood pressure). Med may be more effective for those who can take higher dose.
April 16, 2011
Hey guys, I'm 23 and was prescribed this med by my doctor back in january. I have had ups and down with my skin since my teenage years, but its never been this severe. I just past the 3 month mark, and although my acne has gotten slightly better, it still makes me sick to my stomach on a daily basis. I don't know if I've become obsessed with it, or if it really is as bad as I think.I have had flawless skin before, so I know it's not better. Anyways, I was just wondering if it took anyone more than 3 months to get this "beautiful" skin I keep reading about. I'm just getting really discouraged and I don't know if I should give up on this medication or not.
Pros:
Affordable and No Side effects!