Hello, I began using spiro 100 mg in January after BC was not being as effective controlling my cystic acne as it used to be. I had already read about spiro and was interested in the drug before I went to see my doctor and was happy to hear that is what she recommended. My regimen now included Beyaz BC, Spiro 100 mg daily, Cetaphil wash and moisturizer (twice a day), and Aczone Gel (twice a day). After about 5 days of taking Spiro i broke out with a couple of cystic horrors which took forever to heal but after that I did not get any new ones for that first month. I also had an irregular period that lasted for about two weeks, went away, then came back for a week. The doctor said that it could happen and it would be regulated after the first month, especially since I was on BC. After visiting my doctor, who was not happy with my results because I was getting tiny white heads here and there that I wasn't getting before, I was upped to 200 mg a day. At 200 mg, I broke out with 3 huge cystics around my chin area (which is where I always get them) at first. I did not get any big breakouts for two months after that and the small white heads disappeared, however, after a month, I broke out again with two big cystics so my doctor and I decided that I would go on Accutane for 6 months since this wasn't the solution I was looking for. Some other side effects that I experienced are heavy hair loss. My hair thinned so much while I was taking Spiro. I also notice that my breasts were really tender at first and got fuller as I continued to take the medication. I also could go about 4 days without washing my hair without it getting oily. Other than that as I mentioned, irregular (but light) periods at first. I would say that I would def go back on Spiro at a low dose to prevent all the hair loss if the Accutane doesn't work out but I am crossing my fingers that it will! I do believe that spiro greatly helped me control my acne, just didn't eliminate it completely...who knows if it would have if I had stayed on it for longer. This medication def takes a lot of patience that at 26, I just don't have anymore of when it comes to acne! Hope this helps. Lisa

I had developed horrible cystic acne when I decided to stop taking birth control pills b/c of the horrible side effects that I had including hair loss, depression, acne, weight fluctuations, and breast reduction, facial hair. I went on Spiro in July of 2012 at 50mg 1xd and my acne actually got worse. A month later in August 2012 my derm put me on 100mg 1xd and after a few months my acne and other post birth control symptoms got better. By March of 2013 my acne was completely clear and my skin was better than it ever was, I also saw a reduction on my facial and body hair. I was having normal periods every month and the other side effects like dry mouth were east to deal with. By April I had noticed that I gained a lot of weight. Atleast 10lbs. So I was determined to loose the weight. I ate healthier even turning to a gluten free diet and was trying to walk and stay active but I could not even budge the weight. I would loose a few pounds and then a few days later I would gain it all back. Id never gained some much weight in my stomach, butt and legs. It was horrible. So in June my derm bumped me down to 75mg but I haven't lost a pound. This month August I'm going to see if she'll bump me down to 50mg since my skin is holding up and my weight isn't going down. I am hoping I can get on a lower dosage that seems to work for my acne and also will allow me to loose some of this weight. Has anyone had a similar problem and if so what did you do? My email is koconnell.lbpl@[link removed]

just started and i see a major turn around i must be patient my DR. told me this will take time she has put me on a antibiotic for the mean time im not sure if it is this pill or the antibiotic but it seems to show

I've been on Spiro for 10 weeks and it has absolutely contributed to my recent breakthrough in my skin. The first 4-6 weeks were torture, my breakouts were mostly inflamed pustules on my chin/jaw and within 2 weeks it moved my cheeks. Finally after 10 weeks im noticing that I'm breaking out less and less and my skins is mostly smooth to the touch. BE PATIENT, please ladies stick it out. I read other reviews on acne.org during bad breakout days to keep my spirits up.

I had a hard time finding a review that seemed to cover all the bases when I was debating going back on spironolactone. So here is my review.. I hope to help someone looking for answerers. So Last summer starting at the end of August I was prescribed Spironolactone, doxycycline, and epiduo gel. I didn't use the gel much but I took the pills everyday like I was prescribed. 75 MG of spironolactone a day and 100 MG of doxycycline. My acne just got a lot worse and I had it in places where I never really broke out (which seems to be pretty common) the breakouts were near my jaw, chin, cheeks, and neck. Which seemed strange because those areas are a popular area for hormonal acne. (and hormonal acne is what spiro is suppose to help with). Nonetheless it made mine worse. I was on it for a month or two..I'm not sure exactly how long it was, at the time the pimply days just seemed like forever but now looking back I think it was less than two months. Anyways, I stopped taking it because I thought it just wasn't the pill for me. While I was off the medication my initial breakout that I got from spiro went away but my skin was still not the clear skin I was seeking out in the first place. In February, after reading MANY reviews that mentioned an initial breakout I decided I would give it another try. So its been roughly 1.5 months and my skin had improved a lot. Within the first 3 weeks I may have experienced a small initial breakout but nothing like the first time. I still had slightly irritated skin within that time as well. However my skin is glowing now. I still have a few pimples but nothing like before and I am still in the beginning phase so I know I will still see improvement. I am also on tretinoin cream as well. I should also mention I am not taking the doxy.. I just don't feel I needed it and plus now I have a backup when a UTI hits me hard. ANYWAYS. Spironolactone works, maybe not for everyone but for many it does. If you look through the revi

I used this for about a year in 2009-2010, and again from Nov 2012 until yesterday (March 30, 2013) when I began Accutane. It helped decrease, although not completely clear, my acne in 2009-10 - my acne was light for about three years, and became more severe in May 2012, leading me to start the process of Accutane. In my experience: if you have light to moderate acne and no nodules, this will help you. I took 50mg 2x per day.

I'm 27 and started having acne at the age of 12; since then I have tried almost everything except for Accutane (Retin-A, topical and oral antibiotics, birth control and every possible OTC product you can think of). I have been on Ortho Tricyclen low for about 5 years and while at the beginning it kept my acne under control it stopped fully working after a couple of years. So I went to see my dermatologist who prescribed Spironolactone in addition to the BCP. It took a couple of months to work but the results were phenomenal! My acne completely disappeared and my skin was not oily at all. Last month, however, I stopped the birth control to give a break to my system and I have been noticing that my skin has gotten more oily than usual and I am also breaking out a bit more. If anyone has any experience using spironolactone alone without birth control, or after stopping birth control, it would be great if you could share your experience too!

This medication worked moderately well, but I had to take an antidepressant with it (Zoloft). I have hormonal acne, and I have tried everything: accutane, all topicals, all antibiotics, fish oils, probiotics, and even levulinic acid. I am a pharmacist, so I am constantly trying to find new cures for my acne. Aside from accutane, spironolactone has worked the best for a prescription drug, decreasing my acne by about 50%. But I am now taking saw palmetto and it has done wonders in just 3 days.

So like many I have been through the Acne roller coaster since teenage years. Done all the pills including accutane which worked but then came back, all the creams etc. I work with a dermo who was keeping at bay with chemichal peels and dermabrasion rotations, and daily pads with glycolic and lactic acid. Then i got a severe cystic break out on jaw line that i couldn't manage and went to doc and said: go nuclear on me. Give me something strong. So he have me this pill 2x day 100 mg which is a lot. But based on what i have read, anything less doesn't do much or creates a huge break out first. He did NOT tell me how seriuos this pill is for Potatssium count, liver, dehydration , dizzy etc. Did all that research on my own. Its really one step down from Accutane so should not be taken lightly. Anyways, he also gave me an antibotic , a lactic acid cleanser and a super expensive sulfur cream for night. I will say, my skin looks amazing. I have been using it for a little over a week and its completely clear minus a few mini break outs, nothing major. The side effects do concern me, as well as the dosage, so i will not do this permanently. but if for example you have an event, like a wedding, trip etc this will clear your skin in a week. At least it did for me along with the other things. You must drink a lot of water and as always...don't pick!

So like many I have been through the Acne roller coaster since teenage years. Done all the pills including accutane which worked but then came back, all the creams etc. I work with a dermo who was keeping at bay with chemichal peels and dermabrasion rotations, and daily pads with glycolic and lactic acid. Then i got a severe cystic break out on jaw line that i couldn't manage and went to doc and said: go nuclear on me. Give me something strong. So he have me this pill 2x day 100 mg which is a lot. But based on what i have read, anything less doesn't do much or creates a huge break out first. He did NOT tell me how seriuos this pill is for Potatssium count, liver, dehydration , dizzy etc. Did all that research on my own. Its really one step down from Accutane so should not be taken lightly. Anyways, he also gave me an antibotic , a lactic acid cleanser and a super expensive sulfur cream for night. I will say, my skin looks amazing. I have been using it for a little over a week and its completely clear minus a few mini break outs, nothing major. The side effects do concern me, as well as the dosage, so i will not do this permanently. but if for example you have an event, like a wedding, trip etc this will clear your skin in a week. At least it did for me along with the other things. You must drink a lot of water and as always...don't pick!