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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June 9, 2008

Pros:

Elimination of oily skin and scalp, water weight loss, reduction of nightly leg/calf cramps

I am a 31 yr old female that has dealtith acne along my jaw and occasional cystic acne on my cheeks and forehead. By the 2nd day of my 100 mg dose I woke up to find my skin wasn't oily! 3 weeks in, my skin is completly clear, just working to get rid of the exsisting stubborn blackheads on my nose. Also lost 4 lbs likely due to water loss and decreased appetite as I believe it has helped to restore normal potassium serum levels. I also no longer experience painful calf cramps at night, which again can be contributed to normal potassium levels.
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June 5, 2008

Pros:

It really works. My skin is completely clear! The texture is improving every day and the oiliness is no longer a problem.

Cons:

It took 3 months to really start working. My skin almost seemed to get worse before it really started to improve.

This has been a miracle drug for me. I am 37 years old and started to have cystic acne last summer. My skin was always on the oily side but never with the big painful bumps that appear along my cheek and jaw line. I was so depressed because I tried everything over the counter and then prescription antibiotics and topicals. Finally I went to a Dermatology Physician Assistant and she recognized my problem immediately. It was hormonal acne. She prescribed Spironolactone. I started at a very low dose and gradually worked up to my current dose of 100mg twice a day. My advice to everyone who is just starting on Spiro is to be very patient, it takes months for your skin to clear but if you have hormonal acne, it should help.
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June 5, 2008

Pros:

It works!

Cons:

dry skin, some spotting.

I am alergic to BP and my derm prescribed a bunch of things over the years. Nothing worked until Spiro. I am 39 and have been taking it for 18 months. I take 200mg per day which I see is a high dose compared to many reviewers. I do have to moisturize my face more often (I use Clinique oil free moisturizing gel) and my skin has never been so smooth and soft. My back and chest were my worst breakout zones and they are completely clear. I did try to reduce my dosage and my back started to break out again.
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June 2, 2008

Pros:

Cleared up cystic acne by 90% in two months, very few side effects, no irritated, painful skin!

Cons:

Face is still fairly oily, still get clogged pores on nose, periods are 3 weeks apart

I am 37 years old and I've been on Accutane twice. I've been on spiro (100 mg a day) for 2 months and my face is looking better than ever! The only down side is that my periods are three weeks apart now. My derm suggested that I take this with either Yasmin or Yaz BCP to regulate the periods. I may do that.
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May 31, 2008

Pros:

I am 47 and most likely premenopausal.. My skin for the last 1yr has been extremely oily with an increase in break outs..my dermatologist Prescribed Spironaolactone and an Antibotic along with the best soap I have ever used " Linda Sy " the best

Cons:

It is yet another pill to take.

If it works I will stick with it. I am desperate seeking a miricale drug.
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May 29, 2008

Pros:

Cleared acne, drastically reduced oil

Cons:

made me slightly dehydrated.

I have tried everything in the book - Birth Control Pills, antibiotics (for years) and every topical cream out there - this finally did it! It took a good 6 months to completely work, although, I did see great improvement prior to the 6-month market. FANTASTIC!!!!!
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May 29, 2008

Pros:

Hair les oily, face less oily

Cons:

still have not seen any real change in face acne.

I still am having major breakouts around my chin and sides of my mouth. The acne is different than it used to be but I am still waiting for some real change. I am getting a little discouraged. I have been on the medication for almost two months. I am going to the derm in a couple days and am going to ask to increase my dosage. Currently I am taking 100mg a day. I also was thinking of changing my current BC to Yaz since it comtains 25mg in it. I really want this to work out since I do not know how much longer that I can handle this acne. I do not go anywhere or want to meet anyone. I continue to be positive but need some signs of improvement!
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May 26, 2008

Pros:

It works.

Cons:

Frequent urination the first couple of weeks. Takes some time to work. I didn't notice much difference until after a month. I'm scared of the long term side effects and how it might affect pregnancy. Difficult finding a Dr willing to prescribe it

I've tried everything under the sun for acne and I found out that the best treatment is Dan Kern's regime, Ortho Tri Cyclin, and Spironolactone if you have hormonal acne. The combination of these three medications has made me 95-100% clear. My face used to be 30% covered in acne. Dan Kern's regime does a fantastic job on tiny pimples and decreases the overall number of pimples. However, it couldn't completely get rid of my acne problem. Ortho Tri Cyclin has helped tremendously. My friends commented on how my face was getting nicer and nicer. The combination of these two medications left me with pretty manageable acne, but it was still there and I still had pretty persistent acne on my back. After being prescribed sprironolactone, the acne on my back has completely disappeared and the pimples only appear when I'm stressed or eat badly. I've been prescribed 50mg once a day. Give it some time, it didn't work for me until after a month. Good luck :)
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May 24, 2008

Pros:

Less oil

Cons:

Irregular periods

This medication really does work. I am just curious as to what others use to wash their face while taking this medication?
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May 22, 2008

Pros:

Clear Skin!! No More Acne!! No more Oily Skin!! Smooth Skin!!Hairs on body growing slower and less coarser.

Cons:

Slight Dizziness and frequent urination for the first week or two.

I'm a 26 year old female. I've been using Spironolactone 200mg in combination with OrthCyclen(same amount of hormones in every single pill) not OrthoTriCyclen everyday for three weeks. After the first day of using the Spiro I noticed a difference. My skin was less oily. After a week I noticed I had less active pimples and there was a significant reduction in oil. After two and a half weeks no new pimples, skin is super smooth not only on my face but all over body as well. I have clear skin for the first time in like 10 years!! I love this stuff!!
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