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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Natasha

January 5, 2009

Pros:

It works. Cheap even if you don't have insurance.

Cons:

Acts as a diuretic so you pee a lot more. Dehydration if you don't drink enough water. Must be careful about potassium intake. Can mess with your cycle or completely regulate it depending on the person

I've been on spiro for a year and a half now, started on 50mg/day and ramped up to 100mg/day after 2 weeks and have been on that dose since. My acne definitely got 80-90% better, but I went without having my period for 9 months (no, not pregnant lol). Since I started getting it again, I now get it every 15 days, it's lighter flow but it's odd (I'm still shedding old lining so it's very dark 'blood' [according to my GYN it's old uterine lining that had built up] mixed with the normal menses). However, I have moderate PCOS that's getting worse with time so that's more than likely the cause of the menstrual issues...but because of the timing, spiro indeed did stop my period for those 9 months. Also, if you drink more than once a week I don't recommend spiro. I'm not a regular drinker, maybe 2x a month, and when I do I'll have 3 glasses of water for every drink I have, and it's never more than 2 alcoholic bevs but I still notice a significant drying of my facial skin for a few days

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Abbey

January 4, 2009

Pros:

I've been using Spiro for 2 months now and I'm happy with the results. I have no breakouts and have had zero side effects of taking the medication.

Cons:

period still arrives at the same time each month, but it's alot lighter.

I'm 30 yrs old and I was getting the hormonal breakouts as soon as my period was to arrive each month, other than that, I never broke out, so I went on Spiro and it stopped the monthly breakouts. I'm only on 50mg a day but it works for me. My dermatologist also prescribed Differin and I used it for a few days at the beginning but it was too drying and I've never used it since. I go back to the Derma in a month for a check in and I'll be curious to see if I continue on this or just use it less, like the two weeks before I get my period.

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Shannon

January 4, 2009

Pros:

Less facial oil, more even skin tone, smaller blemishes.

Cons:

feel tired, flu like symptoms, Very low blood pressure, headaches

I have been on spiro for two months now and I have noticed my skin is in better shape.The biggest difference I notice is that my skin feels cleaner, not dripping with oil. As far as the acne after two months I am still breaking out. The pimples are just smaller and less cystic.I still feel very sluggish on this med, the side effects have not gone away. My blood pressure has gotten as low as 110/54 but I have not gotten dizzy yet. I just feel so tired and have muscle aches. I am on 100 mg a day (all at once) and will not consider any higher. I hope that in 2 more months things will improve more. So far I am not disappointed with the results, just a little impatient.

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Laura

January 3, 2009

Pros:

After 2 months skin is not breaking out with deep painful cysts. I've still had a few pimples but they are not as deep and do not hurt at all. My skin is starting to heal and I am much less oily.

Cons:

I've had some headaches and body aches and I'm tired all the time.

This has worked although my hormonal tests came back normal. I was convinced still that it is hormonal related since I had never had acne before this and they came at the same time of the month. I researched it on here and asked my gyne to prescribe it. I think my hormones fluctuate a great deal so it may not show up at certain times of the month in a blood test. Nonetheless, this has worked well for me. I was on Yaz and it helped for 9 mos. but then stopped working. I am willing to keep trying despite the aches and pains because it is working. My hope is any side effects will subside after time.

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Claire

January 2, 2009

Pros:

Skin less greasy, weight loss

Cons:

Slight dizziness

Firstly please ignore any comments from people who have only used this product for a couple of weeks and are claiming miracle results. It will take at least 3 months to start working and in the meantime you will more than likely get the most horrific breakout you have ever had. At about 3 months my skin became less greasy and my acne started to improve once I had increased my dose from 100mg to 200mg a day. I read that you needed to drink lots of water while taking this and this has contributed to my significant weight loss, which is a nice bonus. At about 6 months my skin was pretty good, but unfortunately every few weeks I still get a bad outbreak, so Spiro has not been the ultimate cure for me. The only major side effect I get is slight dizziness, which is annoying but tolerable. It's been 9 months now and I'm will keep on going with it. If you've tried everything you should definitely try this, it's always worth a shot and the side effects aren't bad.

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Natalie B.1

January 1, 2009

Pros:

After 3 months has cleared my acne completely. I am 48 years old and have had cystic acne since my teens. My skin has never looked this good. I did not get these results with Accutane or any other treatment and I've tried them all.

Cons:

I need 150 mg to maintain results; worried about long-term side effects of this dose. Also periods are more frequent ( but much lighter so not much of a problem for me )

If you suspect your acne is hormone based this is worth a shot. Do not expect instant results though - give it at least 2 months.

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Natalie Mitchell

December 27, 2008

Pros:

clears skin, easy to take, makes hair less oily, lost weight, worked after a month of taking.

Cons:

- can't drink more than one alcoholic drink with this or get very dehydrated
- I think it makes me slightly drowsy

I have tried everything including accutane, tetracycline, allesse, diane, blue light therapy, levulan, and in 10 years this is the only thing which has worked. I had a blood test before i took this drug. I would suggest getting a blood test to see if your androgen levels are high before taking this drug to ensure it will work. This drug treats the cause of acne rather than the symptoms which things like accutane don't do.

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mandi

December 22, 2008

Pros:

cleared up my acne after 2 months

Cons:

i have to pee soooo much now, lol and i get dizzy if i get up too fast, not sure is that has to do with the low blood pressure the pills can cause.

highly recommend if acne is more of a hormonal issue than a hygiene issue. i've been to so many different dermatologists and they all tried to treat my acne with washes and masks...but FINALLY i have a doctor who realized that my acne was being caused by my hormones. 6 years of disappointment, but now i'm actually starting to see results, uhhhhhmazing :)

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HMM

December 20, 2008

Pros:

The Spironolactone worked. As simply as that. I finally belong to a group of people who say something FINALLY worked for them!

Cons:

I'm uneasy about taking medication.

I am 33. I have tried every single over the counter product. I've changed my diet, I have been going to various dermatologists for over 10 years. Even as I was preparing a year ahead of time for my wedding, my medications (minocycline, clenia, benzoyl peroxide 9% and cortisone pills 3 days before the wedding) were only able to mask my condition. I've always thought, why me? Why doesn't anything work? I've dried my skin out, irritated it, all for nothing to work. I've even tried Differin, which has helped only 40-50%. Finally my dermatologist (after a year) puts me on Spiro. I have taken 12 pills (50 mg). My acne is rapidly clearing, and I have noticed 0 side effects. Finally, I don't need to constantly worry about my skin. I've fought over 15 years-- and finally a little pill does the trick. I have spend thousands of dollars over the years, all in vain. If nothing has worked for you so far, why don't you ask your dermatologist to start Spiro at a low-dose?

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December 17, 2008

Pros:

Works well, no sick-like side effects....took about 2 months to work but now is awesome.

Cons:

My potassium level went up too much and I had to cut back on the dose. Kind of scared of what will happen when I stop taking it.

I've been using spironolactone for about 8 months. My face is 100x clearer. It wasn't awful to begin with but I felt like a 24 year old with 15 year old teen skin. Creams really don't have an effect other than making my face extremely dry. My derm started me on 25mg, and over time we bumped up to 150mg. At that time my birth control was Yaz. My regular doctor was concerned about my potassium levels because both of those medications raise them---so she switched my BC--I was not going to give up clear skin. My derm now put me at 200mg, the highest dose she prescribes, and then had me go get my potassium levels checked again. It was 5.0, the high end of normal range. I eat a lot of healthy food like fish and bananas, both of which are high in potassium. It would be kind of hard for me to avoid high potassium foods, so we switched back to 150 and they're normal again.

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