Acne.org Products
Antiandrogen
Acne.org’s Real World Take
“Spiro” has been shown to work in a real and noticeable way most of the time. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution.
Antiandrogen
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Spironolactone? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 8, 2009
Cons:
I didn't notice any cons until I was off of it. My period took two weeks to finish that first month I was off the medicine.
I am back on it because the acne came back with a vengeance. A new Dr. started at the practice I was going to and did not believe in prescribing this medicine and she took me off. I just started back on it with a new Dr. and hope I get the same results as before, I just hate that I have to start all over again. Good luck to you all.
June 25, 2009
Pros:
Cleared my skin for awhile, but after about a year my acne has come back!
Cons:
Frequent urination, lowers blood pressure, increased fatigue, lowers energy level, need to drink plenty of fluids when on this drug!
I have been on this drug for quite awhile, and at first I was very pleased with the results. The acne has come back full force again, though, in all the same areas. I'm hoping that increasing my dosage will help. I'm on 50mg twice a day.
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!
June 10, 2009
Pros:
fewer cysts, shorter duration of break outs, smoother skin, mild weight loss, less mood irritability, increased sex drive
Cons:
occasional light-headedness
If you are in your late 30's and suffering form hormonal fluctuations, then this medication is for you. Not only has it helped me with the acne, but I also experience less premenstrual irritability. My sex drive has increased since I started this med. Perhaps this is due to increased self-esteem now that my skin is clearer and I've lost a few pounds. I love this medication!
April 30, 2009
Pros:
none of as yet, maybe slightly less oily skin
Cons:
Increased periods which is a major pain (2 a month), takes a while to work.
hi I previously sent a post but as I have been only on the medication a month, I cant really see how effective it is yet, as from all the other posts it seems it takes 2-3 months to work, HOWEVER I have been having increased periods which not alot of girls have mentioned in the cons, except April in Houston who since starting has had 2 periods a mth, well thats like me, I started spiro just after my regular period, and was surprised when just 2 wks later I got another, I put it down to a blip in my system but then another 2 weeks on, I got another period, in the 12 years I have been menstruating I have never had 2 in a month (I would be more likely to skip the occasional month although rarely) I called my endocronologist and he said this is NOT normal, and I am really finding it an inconvenience, but I so wanted to give the spiro a chance!! The endocron was not helpful about staying on or off it...has any other women suffered this problem & if so did it stop after a while? or is it me
April 17, 2009
Pros:
MUCH clearer skin... less oil!!! beautiful results
Cons:
some dryness, irregular periods, fatigue, drink lots of water ladies!!
i started spiro about 6 months ago, and although it took a few months to clear everything up, i've loved the skin results... HOWEVER, as soon as i started this medication (100mg), i have been getting my period twice a month! it's awful. i never had any problems before and i really hoped it would balance itself out, but it's not happenin... just visited my derm this week, and she recommended adding BCP. little wary of this... i've been reading soo many reviews that seem to show TONS MORE problems than having acne itself! don't know what to do! anyone have any input?
April 13, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up my moderate acne; plumped my face a bit, almost as if I were using cosmetic injectable line-fillers. Also increased breast size, if that's a plus for you (I'm enjoying being one cup up).
Cons:
Decreased stamina and endurance for exercise. Breast tenderness at first, as they grow like magic!
I would strongly recommend this drug for perimenopausal women in their 40s like me. My acne started late in life and was linked to hormonal changes; this drug addressed the root cause and has worked very well for me on a low dosage (50mg/day). It also "refreshes" the face generally -- as I noted above, it can help counteract the facial gauntness that comes in the 40s. The main drawback is that I poop out halfway through my usual exercise routine. I am starting to rebuild stamina in this area, but it was notable.
April 8, 2009
Pros:
It works!
Cheap.
Side effects aren't awful.
Cons:
It does seem to impact exercise performance. I don't experience the tiredness per se if I take it during the day. But I have noticed that I don't have the endurance and "oomph" that I normally have with my cardio and lifting workout.
I have a pituitary tumor that hinders the production of my estrogen, progesterone & thyroid hormones, but for some reason has my DHEA at a very high level. My doc prescribed 50 mg/day of spiro to reduce the androgens associated with the high DHEA. (But I upped the dosage to 75 based on what I read here.) My skin definitely got worse when I first started taking it. But I don't know whether my low estrogen levels and other hormone replacement therapy had anything to do with that. Then about 2-1/2 weeks into taking Spiro, my skin dramatically began to clear up. The red "angry" skin went away, the cystic pimples along my chin & jaw went away, my skin became softer & the pimples I had cleared up much faster. I'm still getting an occasional cyst & I'm contemplating upping my dosage to 100 or 150/day but I'm afraid I'll have to go through another bad breakout. Does anyone know if that's how this works?
March 28, 2009
Pros:
Some improvement.
Cons:
More periods.
I've been on spiro for almost 6 months and even though I see 'some' improvements I am not as happy as everybody else on here. I have been on 100mg/day since day one. Had a severe initial breakout (I looked like I had chickenpox all over my body: face, neck, shoulders, back, you name it). After about 1.5 months I noticed a big improvement but I started having my period every other week, each lasting for 7 days. This means I am on my period roughly 14 days out of a month, which causes breakouts constantly (mainly the 'before period' breakouts). They are all over my face and sometimes my shoulders. Am I the only one with not so happy results? I would hate to increase the dosage because then I would probably have my period for a full month every month, and I don't want to be on the pill. HELP! Any suggestion would be helpful!
March 12, 2009
Pros:
WOW! Cleared my skin in one week; only costs $10 for a month supply with insurance; works fast; small pill. Never bloated, lost 5 pounds, still waiting and hoping for bigger boobs :)
Cons:
Not much at all! A little bit of initital breakout, but not much more than normal, and they are not cystic and they go away in a day. Makes me VERY sleepy. I've been going to bed at 9:30 every night, I pee a bit more each day. Blood tests/potasium
I recommend that you take this pill at bedtime so you aren't extra sleepy during the day.
After reading all of the reviews on here, I went back to my dermatologist and requested this medication. He was relectant and tried to get me to use Accutane. I am 32 and have had porcelain-perfect skin my entire life, all through puberty until I was in my late 20's and then I started to get acne. This year the acne started to become cystic and started to scar. I'm getting married now in 7 months and decided to try a few more things before I gave up. He had put me on antibiotics which made me get chronic yeast infections (that was fun), then he gave me a topical which did absolutely nothing. I knew my acne was hormonal since i'd never had a pimple in my life until I hit the "baby-making-years." This is, like everyone says, a miracle drug! The only major side effect so far is fatigue; I am very, very sleepy at night, but taking it at bedtime does help a bit. This is amazing!
Pros:
This product is great, I was on it for about 7 months and by 5 months my acne cleared up totally. I did notice that when antibiotics were added it really help clear up my skin.