I’ve been on spiro for almost 6 weeks. The texture of my skin has improved but i’m still breaking out every day. My chin is covered with cysts which i’m confused about because i’ve never had issues with acne on my chin. I have many white heads also on my cheeks. I just feel really disheartened and not sure if any one else has experienced the same. I’m trying to give it more time but I don’t know how much longer to wait. 

Brief background: I started getting painful hormonal acne when I was about 18/19. Had minor acne before that. It got pretty bad and caused what would now be considered pretty minor scarring (that does make me self conscious), thanks to retin-A. I finally went to a dermatologist, who prescribed antibiotics and retin-A. These took months to work but they cleared my skin and the retin-A helped minimize the scars over a period of two years. I started Apri birth control and stopped the other prescriptions and my skin stayed completely clear, but the pill also way lowered my sex drive. 

 

Last year, after I turned 28, my new doc changed my OCP from Apri to a lower estrogen pill. After another 6-8 months, my skin started getting more blackheads and small spots. Manageable but annoying. Finally, during lockdown, especially with increased mask usage and the heat/humidity of summer, my jawline started getting constant large painful spots. I immediately asked for spironolactone, which I hadn’t used before but had heard about. Started with 25mg, then bumped up to 25 mg x2 a day after a couple weeks. Stopped getting large painful spots after about 3 weeks. Largely cleared up after 3 months but still have some spots here and there. Slightly worse around period/withdrawal bleed, and have to be careful with my skincare. But mostly I’m just so happy my skin is basically ok now. I asked to be upped to 100mg a day and have only been on that dose less than a week so I’ll see if it helps even more over time. On all the doses, I’ve had minimal if any side effects. Maybe using the bathroom more, but even that isn’t that noticeable or problematic. 



I definitely recommended giving this a shot, it can make a substantial difference even if it doesn’t make your skin absolutely perfect. It also comes with minimal health risks, unless you’re a man or worried about the effects on hormones. 

I am so pleased with the results of this medication. I was actually prescribed this about two years ago but stopped after two weeks because I found the medication made me super lethargic the first time (100 mg). I think the issue is it was too high to start out on. 

I recently went back on this in September because my jaw acne was getting bad again. I have tried everything under the sun over the years (been dealing with acne on and off for 14+ years), and I had never given this a good go. I've tried diet changes (cutting dairy did NOTHING for me; cutting sugar didn't help much, I've tried retin a which works awesome for surface whiteheads! and I still use it 2x a week; I've tried antibiotics, creams, birth control etc....). My friend was on spiro and raved about it, so I tried it. I'm nearing two months and I am so pleased with my skin. I used to have OILY OILY skin, like blotting 4x a day type, and always shiny. Hated it. Since taking this, I blot about 1x a day which is amazing. My skin is smooth and very soft. I have 1 active bump right now, the rest of my skin is clear. Working on clearing the hyperpigmentation up after the last breakout in August/September. Wow, this stuffs amazing for those of us who have acne along the jaw/cheek area. I never thought I had hormonal acne because I never broke out around that "time" of month, I just broke out consistently. However, it was in the area of the beard. I've always suspected I may have PCOS though because I do have some dark hairs that pop out on my chin and around my nipples actually, and occasionally I can feel pain during ovulation. Anyways, I'm still not diagnosed, but the fact that this medication is really helping says something about acne being related to my hormones. I was very hesitant to go on this because it does make me nervous to "play" with hormones. But for crying out loud, I'm so tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. Acne has really affected my confidence over the years and more importantly, its caused scarring that I will never ben able to fully treat. For this reason alone, I think it's import to have it under control because scarring is not easily fixed. 

I started at 50mg for the first week, and I've been on 75mg since September. Next week is 2 months on this stuff. I would say I cleared up by week 5/6. My acne didn't get "worse"/ no purge, but it kind of stayed the same for the first month. I am so happy with this. I still get tiny pimples on my upper neck sometimes, so I have been thinking about going up to 100mg. This makes me pee more, but 75mg is not super high. When I originally went on 100mg the headaches were pretty bad and I felt tired all the time. This dose, I feel pretty normal, occasional headaches I guess. I was tired for the first 3 weeks but its gotten much better over time. 

UPDATE 1 YEAR on SPIRO******

I wanted to do a quick update. This is still the best stuff I've taken for my acne. Anything topical never truly "treated" the issue, I find taken something internally does the trick. This has reduced my jaw and cheek acne by 90 percent. I still get a couple here or there when very stressed but that's life. far better than before. I take 50mg a day, enough to keep things under control but skin is still a bit oily. The higher you go the less oil you will get. Problem I found on this med, is if I go above 50mg my anxiety can be out of control. When I started taken this med I noticed increased anxiety, heart flutters and general butterflies for minor things. This definitely worsened which is why I have to remain at 50mg. It still aggravates my anxiety and depression but I am going on an anti depressant to counter those because I can't go back to having a full face of acne (that's a whole other depression in itself). I will say, this medication DRASTICALLY reduces my appetite due to increased anxiety, so I can go a whole day with only one meal sometimes. This isn't good as I am already underweight for an adult. hence keeping a low dose. would be awesome for someone looking to lose pounds though! I dont drink near enough water on this, not healthy, make sure you do and I think because its a diuretic not drinking enough water can really create an electrolyte imbalance. make sure you drink gatorades and stuff at the gym to keep those balanced while on this. 

I would give 5 stars, but I have just entered the "clearing" phase, so I want to make sure this continues and I will update later. I am 27 years old and started getting pretty bad hormonal acne two years ago on my jawline, neck, chest, and back. Jawline and back being the worst areas. I haven't been on birth control for years so it has nothing to do with this. I would get moderate cysts (I've never had super severe acne), but they were deep enough to stay a week or so, and leave a scar behind. I haven't felt confident enough to wear a low cut shirt or tank top in years, and I always have to wear makeup with the exception of one week after my period when I seem more clear on my face. 

I started Spironalactone 50mg (25 am and 25pm) a little over two months ago. I will say I was one of the unlucky people who had a dramatic initial breakout. I got about 10 hard cysts on my neck in places I have never gotten them before, and they stayed there for about 3 weeks. Nothing helped I tried tons of spot treatments. My chest and back also got worse. I have a new guy I'm seeing and I was so embarrassed to be around him. I was so discouraged by this initial breakout and it felt like it was going to last forever. Because I wasn't seeing improvement, I asked for a topical and I was put on Aczone. This seemed to dry out newer smaller pimples, but not the cystic ones. I also just started curology in order to simplify my skincare. Surprisingly since starting curology my skin has improved leaps and bounds and it did not make me break out. My cysts are 90% gone and I have only been on it a week. The struggle is knowing whether this was just convenient timing and the Spiro is starting to work, or if the curology has accelerated the process. Either way, I am going to stick to this regimen because my skin is GLOWING and I am finally at a place where I don't need to wear makeup. I still don't have a fully clear back or chest, but it's getting there. I was told to use Zinc soap to help with this and I've noticed a difference since using this as well. I ONLY use this on my body.

Anyway my point is that as difficult as it was to push through the initial breakout, I now see why everyone says to be patient. I am well on my way to perfect skin- I can tell. I am starting 75mg tomorrow and will let you know how i progress. Please don't give up! I am rooting for all of us to get our confidence back. No side effects besides frequent urination and some bowel issues the first week. Feel a little more tired, but it's manageable. 

I have struggled with moderate acne both on my face and my back since I was about 13, and I'm now 19. I started spironolactone 2.5 weeks ago, and I take 50 mg every night. I've rated it 3 stars because I have no side effects but I also haven't noticed much of a difference in acne.

Week 1: I noticed a decrease in oil production at the end of week 1. I haven't noticed serious side effects, but there were a few days when I felt anxiety which resolved as soon as I drank more water and electrolytes. 

Week 2: My acne improved at the beginning of Week 2, but it worsened slightly at the end of week 2. I've seen an improvement of acne along my jawline, but I still get some small bumps on my cheeks (not full cysts though). Back acne has improved slightly and the frequency of new cysts has decreased a little.

Week 3: I'm now about halfway through week 3. I noticed some small bumps on my chest and stomach that are not itchy like hives, but they have a red appearance similar to hives. I don't know if these are related to the medication or if they're due to a new allergy. If they don't resolve soon, I'm going to see my derm again. My derm also recommended moving up to 100mg after two weeks, but I've stayed at 50 mg because I'm a little concerned about new side effects. My acne has improved slightly, but I still have new pimples. My hair is noticeably less oily.

End of week 3: The weird red bumps on my chest and stomach have diminished but they are still noticeable. The acne on my face has definitely improved but the past breakouts are still healing. The acne on my back has improved somewhat but I'm still getting some new pimples. I'll update the rating at the end of 4 weeks. I'm also going to call my derm to see whether I should still move up to 100 mg, but I'm optimistic that staying on 50 mg will help since I'm beginning to see an improvement.

End of Week 4: I have noticed an improvement in my back acne, but it is not clear yet. I'm not sure what the red bumps were, but those disappeared. I tried going up to 100mg (50mg in AM and PM) and noticed severe side effects, such as numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. I'm back to 50 mg in the PM now. Can't yet tell if my face has improved much.

I will update as I go along.

I'm 44 and have suffered from cystic acne on and off for the last 10 years.  I've been on all the different antibiotics but all stop working after around 6 months.  I've also been on all of the topicals. Epiduo being the most effective but still not preventing the cystic acne in the first place.

End of week 1 - 2 x 50mg per day.  My skin is noticeably less oily. No new acne, existing acne little difference, some small acne which was already under the skin coming up but no more than usual.  Days 5-7 terrible terrible diarrhea.  I have had to reduce to 2 x 25mg per day as I have been unable to leave the house and am in the bathroom every other hour including throughout the night.  No other side affects.  Am hoping the reduction in dosage will make it more tolerable.

End of week 2 - reducing the dosage thankfully sorted the diarrhea problem!  Since dropping from 100 to 50mg per day I have noticed a slight increase in oil in my skin again, and the acne which was already under the skin is still coming out. I have a few new ones, but its the week before my period so its hard to tell if this would have happened anyway - at the minute I wouldn't say I have had a Spiro related outbreak.  

End of week 3 - increased dosage to 75mg per day due to oil increase when dropped from 100 to 50.  Seem to be able to cope with this, with occasional but controllable bowel issues (tmi!). Skin looks good.  No new breakouts so far. No weight loss.  Boobs same size.  Potentially a little bit of weight gain but hard to tell as we are all housebound due to COVID19 lockdown so not getting any exercise.  We will see.  No emotional changes.

End of week 4 - still on 75mg, stomach issues under control. Skin generally quite good though have had a couple of new cystics.  No weight loss.  Boobs tender but same size, very minor weight gain but could be to do with social isolation. No emotional changes. All in all pleased with results so far.  Certainly not "clear" yet but seems to be making a difference, skin definitely less oily and its good not to be on antibiotics having been on them for years.  Unless anything drastic changes I will report back after month 2.

End of week 8 - very much the same as week 4. No further stomach issues, skin is generally good - I had an outbreak of 3 cystics on my jawline around week 6 which I was a bit disheartened about as it was the first real set back, but they didn't seem to last as long as normal, they are now pretty much gone with some minor colouration all that is left. They weren't as painful or as "angry" as usual so I'm seeing this as a good sign.  Boobs still tender, have gained a few pounds but have also eaten a lot of cakes.  I know that 3 months is when most people see the most benefits so I'm holding on in there.  Am due the results of my first set of bloods next week so I will update again then. No problems with periods or mood swings etc. Am hoping the weight gain is more about the cakes than the pills.

Does this make anyone else extremely itchy? Is this a symptom that will go away with time? My skin itches- then when I scratch it- it welts. Is this something normal to push through- or am I having a bad reaction. It didn’t bother me the first 2 weeks of taking and now for the last week I am super itchy. I’m only taking25 mg. 

I went to my dermatologist for something non-acne related and she noticed I had 1-2 pimples. She asked me if this was typical for me. I told her that I usually only get 1-2 pimples around my cycle and she told me that spironolactone would be perfect for me - that it would clear the hormonal "acne" I was suffering from during my cycle. I don't usually jump on the pharmaceutical bandwagon, but I was getting annoyed at the monthly pimples so I figured I'd give it a shot. I had heard a lot of good things about spiro, and I even have a good friend who has benefited from taking it.

The first two weeks were great. After that, my entire face was breaking out in all kinds of ways. Deep, cystic pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, etc etc. I had acne in places I've never had acne before. It was awful and lasted weeks, if not months after I stopped using the spiro. I had persistent flesh-colored non-poppable bumps covering my entire forehead for a long time after. I also blame the spiro for a few other medical things that happened to me after that. Overall, really regretted trying this. Glad it works for other people, just didn't work for me.

I've been a lurker on this website for many years and I thought I'll share my story in hopes it'll help someone else. I've been struggling with mild to moderate acne since I was 13 and at age 27 it was only getting worse. I've tried all the acne products/medications under the sun except for accutane (a line I refused to cross). I've tried benzyol peroxide, bhas/ahas/chemical peels, retin-a, antibiotics, anti-fungal treatments, laser treatments, natural remedies (spearmint), birth control pills, etc. you name it I probably have tried it. For all of them it always started out promising but after a month my acne came back again as if it became resistant to the treatments. From all that I've tried the only thing that worked long term was birth control pills (YAZ specifically). My skin was clear when under Yaz and I was happy. However, after reading up on all the potential side effects, I stopped taking it  and the acne came back again but much worse than before. 

I started having hundreds of closed comedones all over my face with cystic acne along my chin line. I had so much acne scars and hyperpigmentation from acne that healed and then having new acne that would immediately growing on top of it. For me it wasn't even having clear skin but maintaining what I had without making it worse. 6 months ago I tried zinc pyrithione thinking I may have fungal acne since nothing else seemed to work and I had the worst breakout of my life. My whole face, chin and neck erupted in painful cystic acne, it got so bad that even wearing a turtleneck in the winter was painful. I thought this was it that I would never have normal skin and either have to go back to BCP or live with this terrible acne for the rest of my life. 

That's when I decided to see a dermatologist. I've had rough relationships with dermatologists. All my previous experiences have been doctors telling me to use harsh topicals and antibiotics that never worked for my skin. After spending so much money on worthless prescription medications and topicals, the conclusion they all came to was accutane or BCP. I went to a new dermatologist from a friend's recommendation and I'm so glad I did. She actually listened to my story and recommended I try spironolactone. At that point, I had nothing to lose. I started with 25mg for two months. It did nothing for my acne except my skin became less oily and I had more frequent trips to the bathroom. Then she bumped me up to 50mg for a month. My skin was still not clearing up. I also noticed some dizziness and fatigue. On the fourth month she recommended that I alternate between 50mg and 25mg every other day to ease my dizziness and that was the magic formula. Into the fourth month I noticed my skin started clearing. I had so little confidence with my skin that I didn't even notice the changes until my mom bought it up. Now at the fifth month, I can say that I still have acne but leaps and bounds better than what I started with. I'm 90% clear and seems to be getting better with each day. I still get a few pimples here and there during time of the month but now they disappear within days. I can't even remember the last time my skin has felt so smooth. For all the gals out there who are still struggling and want to throw in the towel, DON'T! Try spironolactone for least 3 months! You may be surprised! 

One other thing I want to end is that throughout this whole journey I noticed that my acne is also triggered by certain food specifically dairy and sugar. After reducing my intake of both I noticed significant clarity in my skin. Good luck gals and message me if you have any questions!