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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4
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3
9.8%
2
4.6%
1
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March 6, 2011

Pros:

Clear up my cystic painful acne in 3 weeks!!!!! Crazy!!!

Cons:

Nasal congestion, feel my body dry, inside out. Drink lots of water help.

I am happy again! I feel like a new person, It's really miracle drug for me.some people take 3 months, I was lucky, it took 3weeks, to really clear up. My only problem now it's dry skin, I gotta find best facial moisturizer. And also my Derm prescribe me aczone. And also I am taking Ortho Trycylne. Please be patient n good luck!,. Believe in.
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March 3, 2011

Pros:

WORKS!

Cons:

Seem to be more tired, a little irritable

This is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I am a 34 year old female and have had mild to moderate acne since I was a teenager. The last 2 years it seemed to get much worse and I was constantly in the Derms office trying to stop the breakouts before I had any scarring. I didn't want to go on Birth Control, so he prescribed several different antibiotics that seemed to either not work at all or just barely make a difference. I wil say that it took about 2-3 months to see the full affect, but I have been on it now for 4 months and it has literally worked wonders on my skin. I think all women with hormonal acne should give this a try for a few months. My skin is completely clear and very soft now, for the first time in the last 15 years. It doesn't seem to matter what facial cleanser I use or what moisturizer, my skin reacts well now to whatever I try where as before it was so, so sensitive. Give it a try, it might be the lifesaver you are looking for!
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March 3, 2011

Pros:

cheap
easy to take
minimal side effects
worked somewhat

Cons:

minty taste

It helped get rid of some of my acne and prevented new flare ups, but wasn't a cure-all. Absolutely worth a try though, very cheap and no side effects for me.
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February 24, 2011

Pros:

Did nothing

Cons:

None

Didn't work for me
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February 17, 2011

Pros:

Works fast
Easy to swallow
Cheap

Cons:

Heard it causes tumors in lab rats
The "Possible" side effects
Doctors visit

I am using this medication with Retin A .025 gel. My doctor gave me a low dosage of 20 mg vs 50 to 100mg. He told me since I was a petite woman that I didn't need more than that. At first I was concerned that the dosage was too low, but it actually worked for me. I don't know if it's the combination of the two products or if it's actually this product alone that cleared me up. I have NO SIDE EFFECTS! :) I saw results in 3 days!!!
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February 17, 2011

Pros:

Cheap, Effective, Awesome!

Cons:

It is a diuretic, so you will need to drink more water. This also means you may get headaches, and there are other side effects. May be hard to get a doctor to prescribe it to you.

This should only be prescribed by a doctor. You have to take it every day and wait a few weeks for results but they do come. For me, it was spironolactone with Loestrin birth control that did the trick, since my acne is primarily horomone-related (I break out about once a month for a week or so... hmmmm). This pill is prescribed for blood pressure and hirsutism (overly-hairyness in women!) so you may get some odd looks from doctors and pharms who don't know that it also treats acne. The doctor who prescribed it to me several years ago said this: it somehow counteracts the spike in testosterone which causes women to break out along their cheek and jawline before their menstrual cycle, that it effects potassium levels so you really don't need to take extra postassium when you're on it, that it is ESSENTIAL to drink more water when you take it and finally it does not need to be taken forever - after a few months you wont' need to take it anymore, at least for a while (I took it for a few months and was clear and didn't get it prescribed again for 2 years). You shouldn't drink on it and it may worsen acne very briefly when you first take it. That's pretty much everything you need to know!
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February 12, 2011

Pros:

Completely clears acne
Reduces oil
CHEAP

Cons:

Hardly any...dehydrates me quite a bit

DO IT. I am now 4 months in and my skin is 100% clear. I recommend to anyone, especially for women over the age of 20, when acne is caused solely by hormones. This stuff is cheap and it is pretty much a miracle cure. I love it! Don't put it off and ask for it from your doc and stop wasting tons of $ on soaps and creams that don't work (like I did)
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February 9, 2011

Pros:

Too early to tell

Cons:

I was having stomach pain when I was taking two at a time each day (50 mg) however I started taking one pill in the morning and one at night and I havent had the stomach pain since.

My doctor suggested this medication because I have very oily skin and cystic acne. I have been on it for about 3 weeks but I havent noticed any changes yet. My skin is still oily and I still have some cysts. Does anyone recall how long it took for this medication to work?
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January 28, 2011

Pros:

Clears hormonal acne
BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Makes body hair finer
Easy to take
Works well with birth control
You begin to drink a lot of water

Cons:

Side effects: excessive peeing, lightheaded/dizzyness, HEADACHES, tiredness/low energy
Worry about the black box warning
Worry about potassium levels increasing
You need to drink a lot of water

I have had acne since hitting puberty and last year (at age 22) I realized it was only getting worse. I don't get many pimples at one time, but the ones I got were ALWAYS deep and sore, but not to the point of being cysts. I take extremely good care of my skin but no matter what I would have 3-5 or more breakouts per week, especially if my stress levels were high. The pimples would stay "active" for about a week at which point the only way to make them go away or stop hurting was to release the plugged nastiness. After, they would dry out and scab over but the scabs and marks would last for weeks or even months no matter what treatment I used. Even when I was having a "clear" day my skin looked broke out because of the marks. When I began dating my current boyfriend I became even more conscious of my acne and decided I had to try something. I experimented with several different birth controls but none made a difference. Finally I went to a new dermatologist with pretty low hopes (I hadn't had good experiences in the past). I researched different medications on the net and went to her with a list of things I wanted to try. She listened carefully and agreed with the medications I asked for, one being Spiro (started at 50mg/day) and the other a mild retin-a topical (Ziana). The first few weeks the side effects were AWFUL (listed above) but my body adjusted and they completely subsided after a couple months. I'd say at about 3 months my skin was 90% clear. The Ziana was fading what marks I had left and my skin was looking amazing for the first time in my life! I went in for a checkup and the doc said since I'd adjusted so well she would bump me up to 100mg/day. That was about 7 months ago. My skin has been 100% CLEAR since I got bumped up...it's AMAZING!!!! I feel so confident and pretty now :) This drug will not be a miracle for everyone and it does have its downsides, but if you can keep faith and find the right doctor, you may have the miraculous results th
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January 26, 2011

Pros:

Effective

Cons:

Could raise potassium levels

My skin is clearing up! Nothing else worked. I have not really noticed any side effects because I get thirsty a lot and pee a lot anyway. I have not gone in for blood tests to see if it has affected my potassium levels. Hopefully everything will be normal so I can keep taking this amazing medicine! My skin feels smoother than it has in years! Not only did it begin to heal but a lot of the inflammation went down pretty quickly. Yay!
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