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
August 1, 2009
Cons:
None so far
I wrote a week ago about how great this makes me feel,just after a few days,well, I feel even better! The dark circles are disappearing from under my eyes, I'm capable of about twice as much activity as I was before, (despite catching a slight cold!). My bones have shifted and done a weird " snap crackle & pop" thing, and I'm now standing much straighter, I feel I must've been twisted like a corkscrew. My bad knee has gone from swollen and inflamed, with that nice crunchy sound while it bends, to almost normal. It now bears my weight. Yii-haaw !!! I've had no ill effects and this is pretty good seeing as I really didn't think that this would work for me. I have a history with most meds of having all the bad effects, and few of the good ones. Not this time! I'm amazed at how too much aldosterone has evidently had all these bad effects on my health, and how just this pill has made a huge difference. My allergies and intolerances have reduced by lots. I'll post again. in a week.
July 27, 2009
Pros:
Prevents hormonal acne around the chin. Decreases appetite.
Cons:
Increases frequency of periods. Some dizziness. Sore, dry eyes.
I love what this does for my skin. It is the ONLY medication that has had a significant, continuous impact on my acne. I am 34 and have had breakouts since I was about 11. I have taken spiro (100mg/day) off and on over the past 5 years outside of times I have been pregnant or breastfeeding with my 2 children. My biggest problem now is that I am getting my period about every two weeks!! I have about 6-7 days of bleeding and then about a week before the next one hits. As you might imagine, this is NOT ideal. Has anyone else had this problem? Does adding birth control pills help? I do not want to give up this miracle for my face, but I can't imagine going on like this either.
June 11, 2009
Pros:
Acne disappeared!!!
Cons:
Going to the bathroom a little too often.
I am 23 years old and I have had acne since I was 13 years old. Finally finally I found something that cured my acne. I also use the benzoyl peroxide 10% and tretinoin cream .05% and have been using this for a really long time, but until I tried spironalactone my cystic acne went away. Now my problem is I have deep pitted scars! Hopefully I can find something to minimize my scarring. If you live near the Milwaukee area and you had deep pitted scars and you found someone great who reduced the scars PLEASE let me know!
May 20, 2009
Pros:
Easy to take, no upset stomach, no side effects, works great!
Cons:
None
I am 30 years old and have fought the acne battle since I was 12. I have used everything from Retin-A to antibiotics and while some things worked for awhile, they were all battling what was there, not keeping the blemishes from ever appearing. I knew I had hormonal breakouts b/c I was previously on Ortho Tri-Cylen and that was the only time my skin was clear. I don't want take the pill, however, so my derm. recommended Sprionolactone and it has worked since day one, with no side effects.
May 3, 2009
Pros:
Took a good 6 months to really work but now I have great skin
Cons:
Bad initial breakout - sleepy and had to go to the bathroom lots during the first 2 weeks
Sprio has worked great for me but you have to have patience!! I broke out badly a couple of summers ago even though I was using BCP and RetinA for a few years. Intially Sprio made my acne so much worse, I wanted to cry. After a month I went back to my Dermo and she put me on Bactrim to help with the IB. I saw improvement in about a month and after about 10 weeks I was clear (was and still am using BCP and RetinA), I started at 100mg and have stayed in this dosage. After about 6 months I dosed down on the Bactrim and stopped it completely a few months later. Now I never break out, My skin is the best it has ever been. The key is patience and working with your derm to be at a high enough doseage for Spiro to be effective. If you aren't seeing any improvment after 3 months, ask to bump it up. I'm so glad that I pushed through the first 3 months and stuck with thisl.
April 18, 2009
Pros:
Clears acne beautifully, inexpensive, few side effects.
Cons:
Fatigue and dizziness associated with lowering of blood pressure, only works while taking the pills.
I am 22 and have struggled with moderate/severe acne since 12 years old. I took a course of Accutane which permanently cleared my back acne, but it returned on my face. A second course of accutane cleared me for a while, but again the acne returned. After trying everything I turned to hormonal treatment at 19. I started Yasmin 28 (different from Yaz!) and after six months my acne was reduced about 60%. It regulated my breakouts to the point where I would be perfectly clear for the first two weeks of the pack and break out moderately for the week of PMS and the week of my period. Seeing such a strong hormonal link, I asked my derm for spironolactone and he prescribed 100mg a day (50mg taken twice a day). It took two months to fully kick in, but I made it through my last period with 100% clarity. This combination (both yasmin and spiro) has been my miracle. Please don't give up...if you're at the end of your rope give this regimen a try. Hormones are often the culprit!
March 5, 2009
Pros:
Less Oily Skin!!! Improves texture of my skin. Increase Self-Confidence!!!! ;)...It's a Miracle!!!!! ;)
Cons:
Makes you sleepy when you first start taking it but I'm on my third week and I seem to be adjusting to medication. Same with urinating!!! Don't let side effects deter you from staying on med!!!! Keep with it!!!! The benefits sooo outweigh the costs!
I have battled with Acne for years and have tried everything under the sun. Acne has severely affected my self-esteem and confidence. I was finally was fed up from all the failed meds and went to my dermatologist and asked to be put on Accutance. I was cautious to go on this Accutance because of the possible severe side effects. But my derm said she thought that my acne was hormonal and suggested Spironolacton. I was curious if it would work because I thought Acctunane would be my saving grace. My derm put me on 100mg a day. As with any acne med things get worse before they get better. I am now on my third week and already see great results. I have always had extremely oily skin and it has greatly reduced. I have read reviews and people say you have to wait months to see full results and if I'm seeing these kind of results the first 3 weeks, the sky is the limit! If you suffer from Acne and haven't found relief for the problem this is your more than likely your solution.
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.
February 11, 2009
Pros:
Generic version is cheap (at least, it is with insurance), possible increase in breast size, lowers blood pressure
Cons:
Dizziness, vertigo, overdrying of skin, stomach upset, fatigue
I was not connecting my fatigue and concentration problems with this medication until I started reading these reviews. I was on 50mg qd for 2.5 months and have been on 75mg qd up til now. Today, my dermatologist suggested upping the dose to 100mg qd and so I will begin that tonight. I also use Retin-A Micro and Azelex.
About 6 weeks into treatment I started experiencing constant, mild vertigo which subsided after a couple weeks.
I experience dehydration from time to time--easily remedied.
I have experienced an overall decrease in cystic acne, which I used to get frequently mostly along my brow ridge, mouth and chin. However, the rest of my acne has not appeared to subside significantly. I currently have 21 pimples, one of which is cystic, and 8 areas of previous inflammation that are nearing the end of healing. My skin is also dry overall with some flaking.
I will stick with it for a for a few more months but it's difficult to feel like the medication I'm on isn't doing e
February 9, 2009
Pros:
Since it's a diuretic it helps you lose water weight, good appetite suppressant, and less oily skin.
Cons:
I felt dizzy most of the time, dry mouth, I couldn't concentrate in class because it messes up your concentration and memory. I felt extremely tired all the time.
I don't recommend Spiro, it's not a good medication my acne was getting better, but when I started taking it I broke out like crazy. I had a lot of fatigue because it causes sleeplessness, so in the night you don't sleep and during the day you feel super tired. Makes it hard to get through classes if you're in college where you need the most concentration/memorization.
Pros:
Better all round health, skin clearing