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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October 6, 2017
Miracle Drug!
I can't believe it is finally time for me to write a positive review on this site. I've been following acne.org for years because I used to suffer from severe acne. I would have a new pimple everyday. I starte taking 100 mg/day of Spironolactone a few years ago and it significantly helped my acne. However, I should add that it does take MONTHS to kick in and you WILL have an initial breakout. When I first started, i had an initial breakout that led to my skin looking the worst it had ever looked. I was dating a guy at the time who literally told me "I can't be with you because you need to take care of yourself." However, after about 3 months, it did start to clear up a lot. It was never perfect though. It was hard for me to find a derm that would increase my dose to 200 mg/day even though I knew I needed it for clear skin. Finally, I saw an OB GYN this February and she put me on 200 mg/day. My skin cleared up INSTANTLY and has stayed that way since!! I can't believe it!! I used to have over 20 pimples on my face at a time and now (from the time I was 12 until 23). Now, I freak out even if I get one pimple!! I never thought I'd see the day! Moral of the story -- go on spironolactone and be patient because it will work. Also, depending on the severity of your skin, try getting on a higher dose because it make a dramatic difference!
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tennis123
June 12, 2018
How old are you? Do you take BCP? I just went up to 200mg. Still frustrated!
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October 5, 2017
Miracle Drug for Female Acne - Amazing Results
I never write reviews and have been thinking about it for a long time as I've had amazing success so here it is! A little background: I am a 24 year old female and did not really struggle with acne in my teen years. When I was 22 I got off my oral birth control after being on it for 8 years. Within months my skin developed terrible and painful acne around my chin, cheeks and soemtomes jawline. I eat very healthy, work out daily, kept clean pillow cases - nothing worked. I was put on a 50mg dose of Spiro (way too low for my case) and did not see improvement much. 3 months later I was put on 100mg dose and saw about 70% improvement. 3 month later I was requested to go to 150mg. Within about 2 months I was completely clear. I have now slowly gone back down to 100mg and my results are still the same . In all, it took 8 months to reach 100% clear but I feel as if it would have been much quicker if I had stared at the 100mg dose. PLEASE NOTE: I also began using topical Adapalene Gel when I started Spiro which has likely contributed significantly my skin's recovery in combination with Spiro. Adapalene is a Vitamin A derivative (as Accutane is) and repairs your skin cells at an accelerated rate. Here is my current regime and I have been clear for about 8 months: Morning: - Gentle cleanser (I use Cetaphil) -Light face lotion ( I use Aveeno or Olay) - 50 mg of Spiro Night: - More intense cleanser ( I use Panoxyl 10% benzoyl peroxide) - Light face lotion - Adapalene Gel .1% thin layer - 50mg of Spiro
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September 28, 2017
After 11 years, I've finally found my cure!
28 year old, female. I suffered from acne from the age of 15 and tried everything but nothing touched it. My acne would be mainly on my lower half of my face/jawline and it would be bright red painful cysts and spots. 2 years ago I started taking Spiro as a last attempt to clear my skin before my wedding day and I was amazed when it worked. It also worked fast and within the first few weeks I had no new spots forming. I am still taking it now and have completely clear skin which is less greasy. I recently took a few weeks break to see if I still needed it and my acne came straight back so I will be still taking it for a while yet. I am taking 50mg a day and have no bad side effects Definitely worth a try!
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September 9, 2017
Self-esteem saver.
I take no other medications. And I frankly despise Big Pharma and taking medicine, period. But I caved after 11 years of chronic acne that NEVER dissipated. Only time it did (temporarily) was after going to the tanning bed daily, which obviously causes cancer, so it didn't last for me personally. Acne has always killed my self-esteem and I have never been able to target what the hell is wrong with my hormones/body/skin. Nothing helped -- literally tried nearly everything other than Acutane, which I couldn't give in to due to the horrendous side effects. But this stuff -- total lifesaver. No side effects whatsoever, that I'm aware of. Completely clear skin after 4-5 months of daily use (particularly my face --- just glows now). I have nothing bad to say so far. I suggest everyone suffering from chronic/hormonal acne give it a shot. Totally changed the way I feel about myself. Can't complain about that.
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TaylorRae
September 20, 2017
Did you experience any "gets worse before it gets better" I have been taking mine for 3 months next week and I'm having a horrifying breakout.
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August 15, 2017
Spiro Week Three 100 MG
I know it's too early to review, but I'm 19, I took Accutane in 2014 and stayed clear till 2017. I tried stopping my birth control for two months which was the big culprit. I started again in July. I'm taking 100 MG a day of Spiro and have been since July 21st. It's been about 3 weeks. It's pretty moderate and has gotten much worse on my cheeks and jaw line I since I started. My forehead acne is basically gone by using clindamyacin gel. I am feeling very insecure because it seems worse than when I started. My cheeks have so many deep bumps and scars and redness. I feel like I need to cake on foundation which I haven't had to for a couple years. I feel very sad about this. I could use some positive motivation. When will it start to get better? I know it takes time but it's so depressing to deal with it again. Update- Just Finished Month 2- 60 Days In- My face still looks bad. :( I have tons of small bumps on my forehead and like 3 big pimples on both cheeks. I am so discouraged. I am so impatient. Anyone else experience this? Any tips? I started Ortho Tri Cyclen to hopefully speed up the process because this birth control pill helps acne compared to my previous one. I am still on 100 MG. I am tired of seeing so much acne everytime I look in the wrong lighting. :/ --MissNotSoOptimistic
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Michigan88
August 16, 2017
I understand the frustration. But I would encourage you to continue as long as you aren't experiencing any significant side effects. It took 6 months of taking 100mg for me to see results. At 4-5 months I remember feeling defeated, convinced there was no hope of positive results. Stick with it!!
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TRDMeister18
September 6, 2017
It has also been 3 weeks since I've been on Spiro and I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I feel like my acne has gotten worse on my chin and jaw line as well. Thankfully the acne goes away after a few days but leaves me ugly scars. I am also taking 100MG a day taking (2) 50MG pills in the morning and one in the evening. Haven't experienced any side effects so I will just stick with it! Posts like the one posted by Michigan88 is what keeps my hopes up LOL. I am willing to wait 6 months as long as the results are great!
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July 26, 2017
Has anyone experienced an IB?
I have only been taking spiron for about 2-3 weeks and I am experiencing a pretty interesting breakout. They are deep underneath the skin & I'm noticing a lot of comedone acne which I didn't have much of before either. Could it be that the medication is purging the skin? Im just wondering if it "gets worse before it gets better" and if anyone with more experience with this medicine can vouch for that.
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prettypinkbows
August 7, 2017
I started spiro a week ago and I am a experiencing similar outbreak (little-closed comedones and cystic acne coming to the surface). A lot of reviews I've read said an initial breakout should be expected but doesn't always happen. Some people don't see improvements until 3-5 months. We just have to wait it out!
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HasiE82
November 21, 2017
I was wondering if you're still on Spiro and if so, did it start working for you? I've been on it since Oct. 3rd (started on 150mg on the 2nd week) and my face is breaking out terribly. I've yet to see any improvements.
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July 25, 2017
Already seeing improvements after a month
My dermatologist started me off with 25mg of the Spironolactone, and this was along the time-frame of me starting my birth control as well (Sprintec). I have PCOS and tend to have painful cystic acne on my jawline and cheeks. I clean my face twice a day, do spot treatments with benzoyl peroxide, or lavender oil. I exfoliate twice a week. I make sure to change out my pillow cases after 2 or 3 days. I feel like Spironolactone kind of boosts the process of clearing your skin. Already I can tell my skin is improving. The pimples I do get are not as painful, and clear up after a couple of days. I am now on 50mg after my 1 month check up. Drinking LOTS of water is imperative! Soon, I will just need to worry about clearing up my scars. I'm surprised that is coming up sooner that expected! I love this product. My goal is to not have to wear makeup someday :)
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Angel177
September 5, 2017
Hello, I'm about to start 25mg of Spironolactone today and I'm anxious about the side effects. Are you still taking it today? If so, have you experienced side effects and how is your acne?
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July 22, 2017
Took about 9 weeks, but worth the wait!
I'll start with my acne regimine. I wash my face twice a day with Cetaphil Acne Prone Skin foam wash, followed by Cetaphil Acne Prone Skin moisturizer. At night I take Spironolactone 100mg, and put a pea-sized amount of tretinoin 0.025% on the affected areas. Some mornings I'll use Dermalogica daily microfoliant to exfoliate, if needed. In the mornings I follow the moisturizer with SunBum zinc based facial sunscreen. The Cetaphil moisturizer does have 30spf sunscreen in it, but it does not contain zinc or titanium, which is incredibly important in protecting skin. Sticking to this routine has given me incredible results. I've struggled with adult acne for about a year and a half. It has always been hormonal acne on my jawline, usually cystic, but some whiteheads on my chin as well. It's taken 9 weeks for me to have smooth skin, but it's definitelty worth the wait! Now that the acne is gone I'm going to be working with the dermatologist to deal with the old acne scars, which have noticeably improved as well. I'm very excited to finally have clear skin again, especially before heading back to college at the end of August. Something else that's helped my acne a lot is switching to only drinking water. It's improved both my moods and my skin. I love spironolactone!
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July 4, 2017
MUST HAVE FOR HORMONAL ACNE
I've only been taking Spiro for 6 months now, but I am loving the results! I started with 50mg, then my doctor bumped me up to 100mg. The side effects were too much for me at 100mg, so I'm now back at 50mg. After about 5 months, I couldn't remember the last time I had a pimple. I love everything it's done for my hormonal acne, oily skin, and oily hair. Unfortunately, I really notice the side effects. Once I started taking it on a full stomach at lunch, most/all the issues went away. I am just now starting to worry about its effects with Alcohol. I decided to go down to 25mg and see if that would help while drinking, but after 4 days I've started to break out again, so back at 50mg!
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Angel177
September 5, 2017
About to start taking 25mg of Spiro. Anxious about the SE. What type if SE did you experience with 25mg? And any improvement while taking 25mg?
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sweet_sunshine
October 29, 2018
Were you noticing side-effects when drinking alcohol?
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June 30, 2017
My saving grace!!
29 y.o. Female with moderate acne since 12 years old. I have tried every over- the- counter creams/ lotions/ gels, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, zinc, homeopathic remedies, antibiotics, proactiv, birth control, retin-a gel, etc. I did not see improvement except with oral antibiotics which are not good to use long terms so I hated that I was even on them for extended periods when I was younger. Finally after some research I discovered spironolactone. I discussed this with my doctor and she prescribed 100 mg/ day. I started out on 50 mg/day 8 months ago and after tolerating it fine jumped up to 100 mg/day. I did not notice any negative side effects, although I will say that I was also on birth control which can help keep women's periods regular when taking spironolactone. I did not notice significant results until about 1-2 months ago. So it has take over 6 months to see results but wow are they there!! I have gone over a month now with clear skin, something that hasn't happened since I was 12 years old. I went from having to wear foundation/make up 24/7 to going out in public with no make up! Any females struggling with acne please give spironolactone a try. And if you don't see results (I saw little before 6 months) stick with it! If you would've told me at 4/5 months that things were gonna improve I wouldn't have believed it. Because I'd felt like if it was going to work it would've already. But at about 6 months it's like a switch flipped and my skin cleared. Stick with it ladies!!
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ashleybauchert
December 11, 2017
Did you purge at all? Or was it just slowwwaa gradual results
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Finding a Doctor

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.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website