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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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.
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February 8, 2009

Pros:

Has cleared my acne completely. I used to have very bad cystic acne (the kind that needed a cortisone shot) and this has been my saving grace. I tried accutane and every other oral antibiotic under the sun. This is the only thing that has truly work.

Cons:

I felt sort of nauseous and dizzy the first couple weeks after I would take it. But nothing horrible or anything that lasted all day. I don't have any isses now.

If you have bad acne, the kind that needs an oral medicine, I would definitely reccommend this. I only take 50mg/day. It took longer to really work (about 2 months), but now that it has fully kicked in, it works wonderfully.
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February 7, 2009

Pros:

clears up acne fast. works for back/chest also. minty taste.

Cons:

made my skin kind of dry

i saw results the first week. haven't had any major breakouts since. the pill regulates your hormones/stress (like yaz levels to help get rid of the acne. this is why some people have been experiencing weird mood swings or no sex drive. i take yaz so it hasn't effected me much in that area. no real complaints about this drug.
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February 5, 2009

Pros:

Cleared skin problems on face, neck, and back... Also eliminated oily skin problems

Cons:

Skin continued to break out during the first 6 weeks of taking medicine, but begin to improve afterwards. Within 3 months, my skin completely stopped breaking out. The drug also has a mint flavor, which is a little strange...

I cannot say enough positive things about this drug... I had hormonal acne that came on in my early 20's and have tried Retin A, antiobiotics, Proactiv, etc... Nothing worked. I have been on spiro (50 mg) about a year now, and I rarely EVER get a pimple. In fact, I think the last time I had one was probably 6 months ago, and when I do, they are small and nothing like the breakouts I had before. I also no longer suffer from oily skin, and had previously had problems with this my whole life. I am now only taking this once every 3 days (every other day during the week of my period). The results have been GREAT. I've had 2 friends that have recently started using spiro as well and are very pleased thus far. In addition, my gynocologist told me during my last visit that this drug also helps with bloating. I get so many compliments on my complexion now... I absolutely LOVE this drug.
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February 5, 2009

Pros:

skin less oily

Cons:

pee a lot more

I honestly have NOT noticed that this is clearing up my acne (yet). I have been taking 100mg once a day for about a month and its almost as if my acne is worse. I also use tazorac at night in addition to this which I have also been using for about a month. My skin looks worse than ever! Its flaky, dry, red, and broken out! I hope that this is just the medicine "kickin in" and it gets better soon.... I have heard to give Spiro at least 2 months so I am being patient. I have noticed that my skin is less oily, which is a plus.
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February 2, 2009

Pros:

cleared up my skin. decreases oil. eliminates chest/back acne. helps with female hair loss.

Cons:

um...NO SEX DRIVE. none. whatsoever. indifferent to things. possible concentration/memory difficulty...

okay. so, i've tried EVERYTHING. course of accutane, which worked but the acne returned after 4 years. antibiotics don't work for me. i was on the pill for 9 years but had to quit due to a crazy amount of hair loss. when i went off the pill my skin exploded with zits. i went on spironolactone (aldactone) and right away it started helping with the zits and hair loss. i have been on it for about 9 months at a 125 mg dose. in the last few months i have noticed that i no longer have a sex drive. normally i would want to have sex every day if i could. think about sex a lot. feel very attracted to who i am with. but now it is like i don't even recognize myself. i have no real attraction, and when i do have sex it is almost impossible to have an orgasm (something i NEVER had a problem with). i am at the end of my rope here... i love the effects of this drug on my skin, but not on my sex life. if anyone has experienced this could you please email me at saavy77@[link removed]. i don't know what to do!
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February 1, 2009

Pros:

No horrible side-effects like head aches

Cons:

INITIAL BREAKOUT!!!!

I definitly have hormonal acne. Im 18 now and have been breaking out since I was 11(puberty). I have very fair features like blonde hair and blue eyes and my skin is pretty much translucent lol. My skin is always red if i even touch my face itll turn bright red so imagine having bad acne with skin like mine. Ive been taking spiro for 2 months. I started out on 25mg for 2 weeks and then uped to 50 mg which i still didnt notice any difference. I was then put on 100 mg, about a few days after that increase I broke out worse than i ever thought i could and it was right before this spring semester!! Ive still been breaking out just as bad and had to be put on depression and anxiety medication because of the devestation. I am hoping Im one of the people who r just having an initial break out for the first 3 months on this higher dose but NOTHING has ever worked for me. Ive been on every kind of antibiotic. I want to be able to feel normal w/out makeup i cant take hiding behind it nemore...
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January 31, 2009

Pros:

I take one prescription Tab 50mg once a day. In Jan 2006 I was started on two tabs daily, but my potsassium level rose to 5.0. I was told the maximum safe level is 5.1.

Cons:

I am a guy, aged 64. One year ago I developed a full beard for the first time in my life. My wife says my voice is lower now. In early 2006 I developed tenderness in my breasts which have now become a pair of female type breasts.

Plus side: I had dangerously low potassium levels. I'm OK now. I have to cut back on potassium rich foods. No bananas (my favorite). Negative side: I jiggle when I jog. I use an exercse bra at the gym. I dress and shower at home. I can't take my shirt off in public. I now know what females go thru when growing breasts. They may be "cute" but it hurts! They stopped growing several months ago. I think that were I to wear bras on a regular basis (which I don't)I would need a 40A to 40B. I am 6'4" and my formerly flat chest was 40 inches. Hmm. No, I've never tried to get milk from them nor do I pass myself off as female. I just avoid getting suntans in public.
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January 29, 2009

Pros:

Two days and my forehead, back and chest are already oil free. Usually it's greasy half way through the day.

Cons:

I'm vegetarian, mostly raw food, and eat a lot of potassium rich foods. Scared of high potassium and the predicted initial breakout. Have to pee a bit more, but it's ok.

I feel really good about this product so far. I think I might get lucky and not get the initial break out for two reasons; firstly, I am using proactive and had things pretty well under control that way, I'm taking spiro for my back and chest acne. Secondly, my Doc is really great and actually LISTENS (something that not many Docs do) and prescribed spiro b/c it works a lot like the cyproterone in Diane 35, which worked amazingly well on my skin until I got tired of the inconvenience of a daily pill and went to an IUD and had to stop taking it. I never had an IB with Diane. I'm just worried about the potassium thing, and for some reason the glands in my neck hurt, although that may be unrelated. I also heard that spiro can help with weight loss, which would be an incredible side effect.
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January 29, 2009

Pros:

greatly reduced acne, enlarged breasts

Cons:

extreme thirst and dehydration (more at first then slightly less after getting used to spiro), fatigue for the first few weeks, requires blood test, having to take a pill each day

I started spiro at 50mg/day and slowly increased to 100 at about 5 months into taking it. My acne completely went away at 100, but i felt really "off" all the time so the doc told me to gradually decrease to 50mg. Now, I take Yaz BC with just 25mg of spiro and a year later my face is still almost completely clear. After having tried every topical acne product and being on and off antibiotics for 5 years, Spiro has been the only semi-long term cure for my acne. At first it wasn't a fun experience. I didn't drink enough water which caused extreme dehydration - heart pounding out of my chest and EXTREME fatigue. After forcing myself to drink tons of water the symptoms went away. To me, it's totally worth it.
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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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