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
May 28, 2012
Cons:
Not sure yet, though the birth defects make me nervous for the future
I am 32 years old and have been dealing with acne for 20 years. I have mainly cystic acne but also very oily skin and large pores that are always clogged. I haven't left my house without makeup on for as long as I can remember. In college, my skin was its worst, I spent many days crying and not wanting to leave the house. I worked at a dry cleaners and remember a littlr girl asking her mom what was wrong with my face. It's much more under control now, but I still get cysts especially before my period and I have a lot of scarring. Its awful not being able to let people see your skin when you wake up and have to run to the bathroom to put makeup on. Though, I have become a pro, and a lot of my friends claim to not notice my blemishes. I've tried pretty much everything. Retin-a and antibiotics in high school, accutane in college (worked but came back in a few months), tazorac, more antibiotics, birth control, numerous washes and creams, pro activ, just about every over the counter product and home remedy. Nothing has really worked. I gave up on going to the dermatologist, they never seem to be able to help. They always recommend benzoyl peroxide washes, etc no matter that I tell them they irritate my skin and make it worse. My OBGYN recommended spiro at my annual a few weeks ago when I asked her about it. Been taking it for a month now. Haven't really noticed a difference so far, though I have had a few more cysts on my back, jawline and neck in the past couple of weeks. I'm definitely going to give it some time. We will see.
December 8, 2011
Pros:
Increased Energy
Increased libido
Weight loss
Improved texture of skin
Soft silky hair
Cons:
Some lightheadedness
Some side pain that I will review with my doctor
Initial breakout
I am hoping to submit a review weekly along this treatment as is seems to take a while to work but so far after one week this is what I have. I was started on 100mg tablets twice a day which seems quite a lot more than everyone else here, this morning I scaled it back to 50mg because of some side pain I had last night. So I was prescribed this to help with arm and buttocks acne, I have never had much of a problem with my face except for blackhead and an occasional surface pimple. I also have to note that I have naturally dry skin. Day 1-2 - light nausea after first dose, better after I ate. Some lighteheadedness, immediate increase in energy and mood elevation and yes a lot of peeing. Dropped 2 lbs in these 2 days Days 3-4 - feeling great, peppy and energetic, tried to have a beer, not a good idea it was almost like taking a benadryl and then drinking. By days 3-4, my hair has become smooth, soft and silky shiney. Years of having terrible frizzy funky hair, I can finally wear it down! Dropped another lb in these 2 days Days 5-6 - Day 6 terrible break outs on my body the morning of day 6 but by the time I got home from work, showered and everything, they had dried out. I have noticed that my skin actually feels very soft despite the initial breakout. I have notice a striking improvement in the blackheads and pores around my nose. And yesterday, people actually were telling me I looked really good! For those getting the headaches - drink more water! Like I said last night I was a little disturbed by the pain in my side, but it has gone away and I have lowered my dose. After researching this medication, I am a little scared of some of the side effects that it can have, so I would recommend that anyone considering it really speak with your doctor and weigh your options. Stay tuned for week TWO!
March 3, 2011
Pros:
WORKS!
Cons:
Seem to be more tired, a little irritable
This is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I am a 34 year old female and have had mild to moderate acne since I was a teenager. The last 2 years it seemed to get much worse and I was constantly in the Derms office trying to stop the breakouts before I had any scarring. I didn't want to go on Birth Control, so he prescribed several different antibiotics that seemed to either not work at all or just barely make a difference. I wil say that it took about 2-3 months to see the full affect, but I have been on it now for 4 months and it has literally worked wonders on my skin. I think all women with hormonal acne should give this a try for a few months. My skin is completely clear and very soft now, for the first time in the last 15 years. It doesn't seem to matter what facial cleanser I use or what moisturizer, my skin reacts well now to whatever I try where as before it was so, so sensitive. Give it a try, it might be the lifesaver you are looking for!
November 3, 2009
Pros:
My acne cleared up.
Cons:
When got off Yaz I had a period for two and a half weeks for three months in a row.
My acne cleared up. I have very little scaring. My face has remained clear. I'm off the Yaz now and just on the spironolactone
July 30, 2009
Pros:
Works amazingly well- been on 100 mg once a day for a year, suffered with acne for 12 years, accutane four times, and this is the first thing to clear me. My skin has been prefect since about 3 weeks after I started it- TRY IT! It might work wonders!
Cons:
None for me
It is so inexpensive and works better then anything else!
July 21, 2009
Pros:
Clears skin, and reduces oil production. Weight loss. Encourages you to drink more water. Any spots you do get are much smaller and easier to manage.
Cons:
My GP says I will need blood tests every 3-6 months. Frequent urination.
I haven't had any dizziness/low BP but I'm only on 50mg a day so maybe that's why. My chin/jaw acne has cleared totally, at the time of writing this I haven't had a single cyst since starting Spiro. The rest of my face has always been clear but the difference around my chin is quite amazing. Worth a try if you have chin/jawline acne. Also I have lost about 6 pounds in weight.
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.
May 29, 2009
Pros:
It started working fast - I had one more breakout but everything is clearing up great! Back and face!
Cons:
A LOT of fatigue. I am an avid runner - and there is an extremely visible decline in my stamina and endurance. Overall though, lacks the cons of other treatments. I've had no mood swings or weight gain and haven't even noticed breast tenderness.
This is definitely worth a try if you're at your wits end trying to get your acne to stop appearing.
May 27, 2009
Pros:
cuts down on oiliness, gives skin a clear appearance, cuts down on breakouts
Cons:
feel tired and dizzy if I don't drink enough water. Dries out skin and hair.
I'm a 49 year old who used to have cystic acne long ago which was cleared up with Accutane. I'm taking spiro to try and get rid of excess facial/body hair since it is an anti-androgen. Was hoping it would also enlarge my breasts as I have heard others report. No sign of that yet. I have been taking 50 mg a day for about a month. I was on Yaz for about 2 and a half months and it cleared up my skin, got rid of body hair, and enlarged my breasts, but I couldn't take the side effects - tingling in arms, migraines - scary. So far, spiro has helped the appearance of the skin on my face, but it has dried out the skin elsewhere. I don't yet see any improvement in facial/body hair; in fact, it may have increased it slightly, while the hair on my head seems to be falling out rapidly. I'm trying to hang in there because my doc tells me it takes a few months. I will report back again.
May 1, 2009
Pros:
none yet
Cons:
more periods, dry skin
can somebody pleaseeee tell me how long for spiro to start working? I have been on it for 1 month already, and see no major results. I still brake out especially on jaw line. My skin is dry and flacky.
Pros:
Cheap