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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November 17, 2011

Pros:

Started to work quickly

Cons:

Side Effects not tolerable:
cramping
diarrhea
dizziness
increased aggression
sleeplessness

Not worth it!! And I'm on a small dosage.
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November 4, 2011

Pros:

NONE

Cons:

HORRIBLE CYSTIC ACNE, HAIR LOSS

This drug is absolutely, positively the absolute worse drug i have ever taken. I was completely clear before starting this medicine. Almost immediately I started to breakout in massive cysts. Every two weeks a new one would sprout. I stuck it out for two months, but i just couldn't take it anymore and stopped completely 21 days ago. I am now left with many hyperpigmented areas, a scar, a huge crator, and a hypertropic scar. This drug ruined my skin. I had to give a rating, but i would rate this minus one hundred, its disgusting what it did to my skin.
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September 27, 2011

Pros:

None

Cons:

Very dry skin.
Weight gain.
Dehydration.
No improvement in acne.

This medication caused me to be thristy all the time, I could not drink enough water, and I had to urinate every 30 - 40 minutes. gained 10 pounds, with no change in diet or exercise. This medication did not help my acne at all.
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June 11, 2011

Pros:

Works really quickly

Cons:

Caused melasma, headaches, and fatigue

This medication works really fast, but this medication gave me a tan-stache!!! I'm going back to accutane.
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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.
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March 25, 2011

Pros:

none

Cons:

made acne worse!
mood swings
dehydration

I have been dealing with adult acne since for 10+ years! I have been on accutane, antibiotics, laser treatments, dermabraisions and etc to control my acne. Accutane did wonders but after a year, it came back but not as bad. I didnt want to go back on it because of the side affects. So anyway... I have recently been struggling with moderate acne which becomes worse during the spring and summer months. So after being on 5 different medications since last Sept, I became fed up and decided to go the hormonal route. Well, after the first week I noticed that I was getting acne in places I've never had pimples (forehead, temple, nose, upper lip and chin). Then the usual spots that I normally get acne is on my cheeks and jaw line which exploded with nodule type of acne. I have never seen my skin dry, yet severely clogged in all my life. After 3 weeks, I simply stopped taking it and couldnt bare going in public looking like a pizza. Now I am back on benzaclin, epiduo, and triluma. Its been a week and its starting to control my acne much more than spiro. I guess its not for everyone. Food for thought. I have tried Ortho Tri. in the past which helped manage my acne when I was in my early 20's but after 4 months into it, it started breaking out pretty bad. Much like my experience with Spiro. I also tried Yaz and got the same results. So maybe its just my body that doesnt do well with hormonal treatments. I am glad for those whose body does accept the treatment. Congrats! It just sucked for me.
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February 24, 2011

Pros:

Did nothing

Cons:

None

Didn't work for me
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January 4, 2011

Pros:

Affordable with Insurance

Cons:

Frequent Periods
Temporary Fix

I have tried many creams, lasers, etc. and determined it was a hormone issue and I needed to treat it internally. I HATE taking meds, but I was desperate. They first couple weeks my skin looked great! Then I got an unexpected period along with the usual menstrual breakouts. They barely had time to heal (and leave scars, naturally) before the next period started 2 weeks later. The cycle has been repeating for 3 months now. I had hoped things would settle down but no luck. My derm wants me to take the pill now to counteract the side effects but I refuse. The spiro is messing with my hormones enough (making me act like a crazy person) and I don't want to make it worse. I'm really bummed because I am out of options now...
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May 19, 2010

Pros:

Lost some weight

Cons:

Makes me lightheaded and pee A LOT!

I've used this for about 3-1/2 months now. It kind of sort of cleared my acne. I guess about 50% It did nothing for the acne on my arms and I'm still getting the cystic acne, which sucks. I drink a lot of water with this so of course I have to pee a sh*t ton. Also the lightheartedness is a killer. If I'm bending down to pick something up I get lightheaded. If I'm sitting down and get up I'm lightheaded. Heck if I get out of the car I'm lightheaded. That really sucks! Now on to the important one. Sexual side effects. All the other ones I can handle but me losing my Mojo is not cool! This stuff has made me not horney at all! I know TMI but no other reviews I read said anything about that part ugh. So If you don't care about being horney and lightheaded then this is the stuff for you. As for me I think I'm going to move on from this stuff.
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May 10, 2010

Pros:

Reduces oil; weight loss

Cons:

Initial breakout; side effects

I took Spiro for two weeks (50mg/day for one week; 100mg/day for one week). My acne went from moderate to severe in one week of taking this med, waking up with more inflammed blemishes each morning. My derm took me off of it saying that Sprio should never break you out. This drug did, however, dry my skin up rather quickly so I assume its good for excessively oily skin. Mine wasn't too bad to begin with. My head was constantly itching on this drug and it also made me feel cloudy. I really think this drug is probably the answer for most adults dealing with acne. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. I've been off Sprio for 3 days, and my skin is not breaking out anymore.
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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:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
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