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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June 23, 2009

Pros:

NO MORE cystic acne (after 4 months). WAY fewer blackheads (sometimes none) Dramatically reduced oil. Less water retention

Cons:

Initial breakout! totally worth it!

I have tried everything short of acutane. My 18 year old daughter and I started this together. The first few weeks our oil was almost gone. Too weird. I have never seen my pores so small. We were on top of the world. Still, we read the reviews and were waiting for the 3-5 month "initial breakout" Well, it came. No fun. However, it was never worse than my worse breakout. PLEASE stick with it. My daughter wanted to throw it away but I reminded her of all the reviews we have read, After 5 consistant months our skin looks great. We have both increased our dose by 25mg's. (small amount of oil production returning) No longer blotting everytime I look in the mirror. I will only require 1 toilet seat cover in public restrooms. (not one for my face and 1 for my butt) Now if only I can find the perfect acne scar treatment. (the only reason to wear foundation! PS. yes, your boobs will swell a bit.
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June 22, 2009

Pros:

Works well....but seems to be the kind of drug that will take 3-4 months for real results to be seen. I think my new derm underestimated the severity of my acne - prob need more than 25mg.

Cons:

Haven't experienced any side effects so far. But as stated above - don't expect immediate results. Bactim (and obviously Prednisone), in my experience, work the quickest.

I've had severe cystic acne since I was 14 years old & I've been treated with everything under the sun - minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline, prednisone, Yaz, Bactrim, Accutane (3 rounds), and tons of topicals. Even though Accutane cleared up my skin for 6-10 months after I finished a round of it, the acne eventually came back. I'm now 23 and even though cysts appear less often, I experience moderate/severe breakouts every month. I'd say for 2-3 weeks each month, my skin is pretty great, but for at least 1-1.5 week, I can't leave my house because my skin is so bad (embarrassing & extremely depressing). I know what you're prob saying - her acne is completely hormonal & I agree. However, I can't do birth control (experience awful side effects), so 4 weeks ago, my new derm prescribed Spironolactone. One month in and all was well, but recently I've had one of the worst breakouts of my life. I'm going to stick with it, maybe a higher dosage or the addition of an antibiotic would help
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June 22, 2009

Pros:

Clears skin

Cons:

It took a few months to see results

I'm 24 and have PCOS and I LOVE IT!!! I did, however, have to be very patient with it. It took a good 3 months before I even noticed a difference in my skin. But since then my skin has completely cleared up. My breast were a bit tender when I first started using it. I have also lost about 25 lbs but I'm not sure if it's responsible for that or if it's the Yaz I take, or the combination of the two. I no longer feel like a monster and I am glad that I was patient with it. I know it's difficult and depressing but give it some time and you will see results.
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June 21, 2009

Pros:

seems to be helping to minimize the outbreak of cystic acne

Cons:

restlessness at night (waking up a lot), anxiety, minor tightness in chest, dizziness, feelings of confusion and paranoia

I've been taking this for a few weeks and the first thing I noticed was that I would wake up a lot at night. Very restless with racing/repetitive thoughts. I am small (4'11, 85-95 lbs) and i'm taking 50 mg 2x a day. I'm going to cut back to 50 mg once a day or stop taking it all together. I also feel anxious during the day and generally feel like something isn't right. I cry very easily and feel very depressed sometimes. I don't know if the spiro is causing the anxiety and depression (i'm not taking anything else), but it's definitely causing restless sleep. I can fall asleep OK, and i now go to bed very early and get tired very easily at night, but I jsut cant stay asleep. It's very unpleasant. Overall I feel like it has a stimulant like effect, and I don't like that at all. I can't even tolerate caffeine. I may stop this even if it is helping my acne. Other people don't seem to experience these kinds of reactions though, so maybe it would worker better for other people.
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June 20, 2009

Pros:

softer skin, somewhat clearer

Cons:

Dizzy first weak only, an unusual foot cramp, a little soreness to breast. Fatiqued more.

I'm about six weeks into taking this drug. I can cope with the side effects if I will get the results others talk about. I am a 40 year old African American with lots of scars from years of acne. The cyst get fewer the older i get but yet embarassing when they arrive. I have only had one in six weeks. Hope thats a good sign. I simethimes forget to take them on the weekends but I'm getting better. I'm using Retin-A every other night. They say it will help with the dark marks. I can't say i'm overjoyed but i can't say i'm dissapointed yet either. I will check back at 12 weeks.
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June 19, 2009

Pros:

It smelled great (like peppermint) but I didn't notice any miracle effects like I read on here.

Cons:

It gave me headaches, I had to get blood drawn every few months (don't like needles!!), and it made me dizzy a lot.

I read so many wonderful reviews on here about how it clears up acne and facial hair, but it did nothing noticeable for me at all.
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June 16, 2009

Pros:

Nothing.

Cons:

Gave me hives, had an allergic reaction to it, couldn't walk uphill without feeling like passing out.

Didn't take it long enough to see results.
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June 15, 2009

Pros:

Very effective in clearing my moderate, cystic, adult acne.

Cons:

Breast tenderness, fatigue, nausia,constipation,gas,depression

I have taken 50mg daily for almost a year.This medication has completely cleared up my painfull cystic acne (8-10 cysts per month), which has been really wonderfull, but I am so sick of the side effects that I am going to stop taking it. My breasts are so sore all the time. Taking off my bra has brought me to tears at times. I'm tired all the time and feel sad. Possiby because the meds are depleating B vitamins. I have gained 10lbs in the last year, likely because of the depression.It's just not worth it for me.
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June 13, 2009

Pros:

clear skin, less oily, less body hair, bigger boobs, cheap, easy to use

Cons:

have to pee more often

I'm almost 30 and have suffered from acne since 5th grade. I've tried EVERYTHING, including accutane, with little success. When I went on Yasmin birth control a few years ago, my skin cleared up drastically and the little acne I had left I could live with. But a year ago my doctor switched me to the mini-pill because he thought the Yasmin put me at an increased risk for stroke and my acne came back with a vengeance. From this I knew that my acne was hormonal. I started taking fish oil and zinc and saw improvement with fewer blackheads and whiteheads, but still got a lot of cysts, especially in the chin and jaw line areas. After using the spiro for about 2 months, my skin cleared up completely and I am more confident in my looks than I have ever been! Bigger boobs and less body hair have been big bonuses too! If you're a female acne sufferer, use this!
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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!
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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:

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