Newbie here....I have posted replies in several threads and thought I would start a new thread on Spironolactone. I have been taking this medication for 2 months and at times wanted to give up due to the headaches, many trips to the bathroom and still breaking out. I am glad I stuck with it because my skin is finally clear and glowing! You need to find a good doctor that will listen to you and not throw products at you for your acne. Hormonal acne really can not be treated by antibiotics or creams, you need to put the brakes on testosterone. I can recommed a good book The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman by Geoffrey Redmond. He has a chapter that is wonderful about homonal acne and Spiro. It may be worth looking into if you have battled acne and nothing has worked.

I started taking Spiro 50mg twice a day a week and a half ago, and I have not seen any improvement, in fact, I am getting more cysts and my face is oiler, and my hair is getting rough. Did you experience worsening period during the first two months before it started to get better? Thanks.

I have posted in the recent past about my success with spiro. I am a 31 year old female and have had moderate acne for about 8 years or so. I desperately tried almost every pill, cream and "magic cure" out there (Except Accutane). Anyway I did some research online and decided to ask my primary doctor to let me try spiro. Well long story short I started on 25 mg a day, 8 months ago and saw some improvement after about 2 weeks. Then she bumped my dosage up to 50 mg a day and I saw a little more improvement. And now I am up to 100 mg a day and my skin is great. I can actually leave the house without makeup on if I want and not worry. I still have some spots left over from old acne, but hopefully those will fade in time. But to me it's a dream compared to the painful cysts I would get before. I will get an occassional "little" blemish around my period, but I can handle that no problem. Oh and I also have not had any side effects on this med. Well at least I don't think my side effects are from spiro. I also started taking an anti-anxiety medication around the same time and I have some sexual side effects, but I really don't think it's the spiro. I feel like I am living now...no more panic attacks and no more acne. I am able to go out and enjoy fun stuff with my kids and Hubby and I love it!

Mommaoftwinsplus1

I have posted in the recent past about my success with spiro. I am a 31 year old female and have had moderate acne for about 8 years or so. I desperately tried almost every pill, cream and "magic cure" out there (Except Accutane). Anyway I did some research online and decided to ask my primary doctor to let me try spiro. Well long story short I started on 25 mg a day, 8 months ago and saw some improvement after about 2 weeks. Then she bumped my dosage up to 50 mg a day and I saw a little more improvement. And now I am up to 100 mg a day and my skin is great. I can actually leave the house without makeup on if I want and not worry. I still have some spots left over from old acne, but hopefully those will fade in time. But to me it's a dream compared to the painful cysts I would get before. I will get an occassional "little" blemish around my period, but I can handle that no problem. Oh and I also have not had any side effects on this med. Well at least I don't think my side effects are from spiro. I also started taking an anti-anxiety medication around the same time and I have some sexual side effects, but I really don't think it's the spiro. I feel like I am living now...no more panic attacks and no more acne. I am able to go out and enjoy fun stuff with my kids and Hubby and I love it!

Mommaoftwinsplus1

Mommaoftwinsplus1,

Can I ask you if you have a history with panic attacks? I do I have hadthem since 9th grade. They come and go, like I can go a year without having one then all of a sudden get one. They were at there worst in 9th and 10th grade. And i've only had some after that. Did you experience aniexty when taking spiro. The reason I am asking is be/c the first day (today is going to be my third day when I take it in a hour) I had an aniexty attack. Ok, but this is all I am taking... at 11am I took sprio 100mgs and 2 predinose 10mgs, then at 2pm i took doxy 100mgs then at 6pm i had to take yasmin. Before I took the yasmin I had to call the dr. at target (where I got the pills) be/c I was afraid to take the bc pill be/c i was afraid to get aother aniexty attack. He said that it proably was the preidonse be/c I was n it for a week then didn't have it one day then took 2. He said I am going to still have a couple rough days with the aniexty. But I was thinking that be/c of what the side effects are on spiro... weakness, tiredness, tingling of the arms, fast or slow heartbeat. These effects are how I feel when I am having an aniexty attack so if I get these sysptoms then I already think I am having an attack so it just drags it out. When did you start taking your pills for aniexty? I was on pills in 9th and 1th grade but then went off be/c I was afraid of having to be on them for them rest of my life. I did have some aniexty yesterday but i just tried to keep myself busy. I really feel the spiro is what I need I am going to try and fight this. If I can ask what kind of aniexty med you are on then maybe I can get on it too?

Hello..Meow doldol...I just posted a reply to another thread on Spiro. My acne did get worse the first month on Spiro, but stick with it because I am clear now - no more acne. I started Spiro in March, acne got a little worse, but in May and June started to see great improvement and no more oil. Now in July my skin is glowing and clear. Good luck.

Hello - Mommaoftwinsplus1 -- I enjoyed reading your posts and would say we have similar "acne" history. I battled forever with acne and Sprio is the only medication that has helped. I can also leave the house with no makeup on --that is how clear my face is and Spiro does give a beautiful glow to your skin. One thing you mentioned about the anti-anxiety med--everytime I go to my dr she asks if there has been a change in my sex drive because Spiro does have this effect since it blocks testosterone. Believe it or not women need testosterone for our sex drive. May want to tell your dr.

Kathleen and LisaMarie,
Mommaoftwins here...sorry it's taken a while for me to get back to you. I had panic attacks before starting the spiro, so I know that it wasn't the medication that brought it on. I am on Lexapro and feel great. Although I do have some problems with a decreased sex drive. I have been blaming it on my Lexapro but who knows it could be the spiro. I have never heard that spiro can cause that.

My panic attacks started about a year ago. And I have been on medication for them for about 5 months or so. At first when I started getting attacks I would look up my symptoms on the internet and freak myself out. I was having similiar symtpoms to heart attack symptoms. Dizzy, lightheaded, shortness of breath, unable to concentrate or focus. Just really not feeling right. Well my doctor said it's probably anxiety. So after 2 weeks into the medication I felt great.

So the anxirty medication along with the spiro have really changed my life. I can enjoy spending time with friends and family. Anyway I know this is an acne board, so sorry about going on and on about my anxiety.

Mommaoftwinsplus1

I think your posts are very helpful. Acne causes stress and stress causes acne.

I'm waitng on new insurance to kick in. I'm deffinatly going to ask about spiro!

Hi, Kathleen0604, thanks for much for your reply. This is my second week and I got a new huge cyst on my chin, and its discouraging, but I will stick to it for a couple of months. Thanks, again for sharing your experience!

meow doldol....please dont give up...the first month was hard for me too. I used Aqua Glycolic cleanser which helped with clearing my face until the Spiro kicked in. Have you noticed yet that your face is less oily? I think my face was totally oil free after the first month, but like I said it took 3/4 months for my face to be totally clear!! Seems like 100mg is what works for me...I go back to my dr tomorrow and she said that if all is good, she will write Rx for another year for the 100mg. Looking back I feel like the time went fast and it was all worth it, but I know in the beginning when you are still breaking out each day seems like forever. Hang in there..you will post in October your success story on Spiro!!!:)

I have been on spiro for 10 days lol I am counting the days anyway and my acne is at it's worst I have never had acne this bad before. I was wondering if this happened to anyone else? If there is an intial breakout?

I have been on spiro for 10 days lol I am counting the days anyway and my acne is at it's worst I have never had acne this bad before. I was wondering if this happened to anyone else? If there is an intial breakout?


I was told by the dermo that there is no inital breakout. Maybe it varies though. Did they test u for high androgens or do u have any signs of hirsutism? I'm sure your Dr. will tell u to give it some time or bump up your mgs. I do remember though that it took about 3 months to help me, so dont stress if you arent seeing results yet.

I was told by the dermo that there is no inital breakout. Maybe it varies though. Did they test u for high androgens or do u have any signs of hirsutism? I'm sure your Dr. will tell u to give it some time or bump up your mgs. I do remember though that it took about 3 months to help me, so dont stress if you arent seeing results yet.

No they didn't test me for anything we really think my acne is hornmonal. I am on 100mgs spiro per day for acne.

I did have an initial breakout period on Spiro, my acne did get worse the first month. I have been on Spiro for 4 months and my face is clear!! I noticed improvement by the second month. This med is slow working, so you should see improvement by the 2nd or 3rd month. Don't give up, it does take awile for your body to adjust to the Spiro, but it has been a miracle for me.

Kathleen can I ask you what birth control pill you are taking if any? I have just started taking yasmin (about 3 weeks in now). Do you think this is a good bc pill to be on?

Yasmin is one of the best bc pills, in my opinion. Bc pills do help a lot with acne and when you add a testosterone blocker (Spiro) it should completely clear your acne.

Yasmin is one of the best bc pills, in my opinion. Bc pills do help a lot with acne and when you add a testosterone blocker (Spiro) it should completely clear your acne.

Thank you Kathleen that makes me feel alot better. It's only the third week i've been on yasmin and I was hoping it wasn't the cause of my face breaking out even more.

is spiro only for women? or can men take it too?

Can you go on Spiro at any age? Should I ask my derm. for it or my primary care physician? I am 22 and up until the age of 20 I never had any problems with my skin and I decided to go off my bc pill to lose some weight (Alesse at the time) well after about 2-3 months I developed mild to moderate acne. So I tried Yasmin and my derm. gave my Doxy at the same time. Well I have been clear for 2 years now. I am going off the doxy because of constant yeast infections. It's been about a little over a week and so far so good. But if I do break out I want to try the Spiro. Hopefully just the Yasmin will do the trick! What do you think?

Can you go on Spiro at any age? Should I ask my derm. for it or my primary care physician? I am 22 and up until the age of 20 I never had any problems with my skin and I decided to go off my bc pill to lose some weight (Alesse at the time) well after about 2-3 months I developed mild to moderate acne. So I tried Yasmin and my derm. gave my Doxy at the same time. Well I have been clear for 2 years now. I am going off the doxy because of constant yeast infections. It's been about a little over a week and so far so good. But if I do break out I want to try the Spiro. Hopefully just the Yasmin will do the trick! What do you think?

OMG!!! I really wish I could sue alesse!!!! I never really had bad skin til I started taking alesse, about 2 and a half months and my skin started breaking out!! So I am on doxy (over 4 weeks and 3 weeks for the yasmin). How long did it take you to see results? Be/c seriously I am getting so worried! My worse is getting worse everyday. I can't even believe it! I have bumps all over my face except for my forehead. This is ruining so face. Did you have an intial breakout?

Oh and it would probably be a good idea if you wanted to start taking spiro now be/c it takes 2 to 4 months to kick in. I am also taking that now. It's only been 11 days for me though. So it will be awhile till I see resuts for that :(

Results from Yasmin or Doxy? Well I can't really tell you which one worked for me cause I started them at the exact same time. Like I said my skin was clear when I took Alesse for two years but the weight gain was terrible. About 30lbs.! No weight gain on Yasmin at all though. What you are experiencing right now is the intial breakout. Yeah I had it too everything comes to the surface at once. It's crazy and miserable but then it will all fade away and your skin will clear. Too many people freak out and give up that is why it Doxy doesn't work for them. I am hoping since I weaned myself off of the Doxy real slow that I will be ok stopping it. I might ask for spiro next time I go to the doctor. Oh are you using any topicals?

The derm gave me klaron. I use that (a lotion) after I wash my face with clean and clear continuous control acne wash. How long till you saw results from the doxy?

Results from Yasmin or Doxy? Well I can't really tell you which one worked for me cause I started them at the exact same time. Like I said my skin was clear when I took Alesse for two years but the weight gain was terrible. About 30lbs.! No weight gain on Yasmin at all though. What you are experiencing right now is the intial breakout. Yeah I had it too everything comes to the surface at once. It's crazy and miserable but then it will all fade away and your skin will clear. Too many people freak out and give up that is why it Doxy doesn't work for them. I am hoping since I weaned myself off of the Doxy real slow that I will be ok stopping it. I might ask for spiro next time I go to the doctor. Oh are you using any topicals?


So which is causing the initial breakout in your opinion? Do you mean both? I am wondering how long to give Doryx before one thinks it's doing nothing. It's been 11 weeeks. DD started Yasmin approx the same time. She is on her second pack. It seems like one side of her face is better now and one side is not so great. I am hoping the combo of spiro and Yasmin works for her also as I would like her off of antibiotics for everything except pneumonia or something life threatening. I was reading recently that 50 years ago they always prescribed a probiotic with an antibiotic to preserve the intestinal flora. I am amazed that she's never had a yeast infection. It's something to think about anyway. They really aren't good for ya.

Well I started differin, klaron, doxy, and yasmin all at the same time. I think the initial breakout was from all of them combined. They say that differin really brings alot of whiteheads to the surface before it starts working and I had alot of those. My acne was never severe though only mild to moderate. I really don't know exactly what caused my intial breakout but I do know that your derm. should have told you there would be an initial breakout on doxy. 11 weeks you say? hmmm. Have you not noticed any improvement? I would go back to the derm. if you see no improvement in the next 2-3 weeks. It only took 1month and about 2-3 weeks before I noticed improvements. But everyone is different don't give up!

Hello. I have been taking Spironolactone for 5 years. When I was 22, my skin broke out really bad and my skin was always very oily. I was upset and searched the message boards for any solutions. I came across a post from a women who said that Spiro changed her life. I started it, and within a month my skin was no longer oily and everything cleared up. I experienced no side effects whatsoever. I heard that a lot of Derms are reluctant to prescribe this medication simply because it hasn't been used to treat acne for that long. It is normally used for high blood pressure. I did read an article in Allure magazine last month that was written by Katie Rodan (one of the women who invented Proactiv, and is also a derm herself) that she prescribes Spiro on a regular basis for people with hormonal acne. If I run out of the pills or miss a day, I notice my skin getting oily again. It's the strangest thing. I have been taking one 100mg tablet every day for fives years. I also read that Yasmin (the birth control) is made with Spiro, and this is why it helps with acne. I hope this gives some insight! :)

Yasmin has drsp which is a synthetic progestin that differs from other bc pills. The drsp in it is equivalent to a rather low dose of spiro. About 25 mg. Dosage definately does matter with spiro. But for some lucky women, Yasmin is all that they need. You can also take spiro in addition to Yasmin or any other bc pill for an added boost of hormonal control.

skimom,

How is your daughter doing?

skimom,

How is your daughter doing?


She is in the early stages of clearing I would say. It does look better and existing acne looks smaller but there is plenty of scarring. Derm just upped her dosage to 50 mg. plus the Yasmin and he said she looked better. After 6 weeks they will reevaluate and accutane is still an option. I am hoping that things continue to improve and she won't have to go to accutane again. Thank you for asking.

Just a question do you think I could get my primary care physician to prescribe me a low dose of spiro? Or do you think it would be better to try with my derm. My derm. is a male and my primary care physician is a female. I already take Yasmin and it helps but I think a little extra spiro. would keep my totally clear.

Just a question do you think I could get my primary care physician to prescribe me a low dose of spiro? Or do you think it would be better to try with my derm. My derm. is a male and my primary care physician is a female. I already take Yasmin and it helps but I think a little extra spiro. would keep my totally clear.

In the book the hormonally vulnerable woman he said it's sometime easier to get it from your phyician. I tried getting it from my gno but she had no idea about spiro it really i left the office crying to my mom be/c she wouldn't even listen to me. I had to go straight to my derms office (thank goodness) right after that appointment and I talked to him about it and he knew about spiro and said it was no problem. The book says that sometimes you have to find a dr. that will give it to you be/c not alot of them know about spiro. So if one didn't say yes to spiro I would try somewhere else, depending on your help.

In the book the hormonally vulnerable woman he said it's sometime easier to get it from your phyician. I tried getting it from my gno but she had no idea about spiro it really i left the office crying to my mom be/c she wouldn't even listen to me. I had to go straight to my derms office (thank goodness) right after that appointment and I talked to him about it and he knew about spiro and said it was no problem. The book says that sometimes you have to find a dr. that will give it to you be/c not alot of them know about spiro. So if one didn't say yes to spiro I would try somewhere else, depending on your help.


Yeah, I remember in the book that he says that half the battle is finding a sympathetic physicain of some kind. I spent $700 on a private repro. endocrinologist to try and get spiro and then he wouldn't - said he wasn't impressed with it - grrrrrr. Then my HMO derm says, "oh, yes, I use it all the time". Hello? Why didn't he say that before? It's a frustrating business.

I agree with the above posts....you need to find a doctor that will listen and know a little about Spiro for acne. My derm did not want to prescribe it for me, he kept pushing the Minocin, Cleocin T, Retin A and of course the very expensive Photodynamic light thereapy. I did all of these and did have slight improvement but, I never had clear, makeup-free skin. Since I struck out with my derm I went to see my female gyno. Without hesitation she prescribed Spiro even though my testosterone levels were normal, but on the higher side. I walked out of her office feeling like I had control over my skin with that Spiro prescription in my hand!! Just my opinion, I feel that female doctors might sympathize more with female acne than male doctors. Most of my friends have gotten Rx's from female doctors either gyno, endo or primary care dr. It is frustrating trying to find a doctor that will prescribe Spiro because many do not know the use for acne. Be ready to educate the doctors and fight for that RX!!!!:)

Hmmmm ok. Well thanks for the advice everyone. I have an appointment with my primary care physician on Monday so I might just see what she thinks. So far just using the Differin and the Klaron seems to be doing pretty good. So you say Yasmin has 25mg of Spiro. in it? Well that's good since I take that but if I start breaking out again I will look into trying to get a prescription for Spiro. What is the recommended dose? 50mg? 100mg?

I went to a nurse practioner who ran a women's clinic figuring that was my best bet to get the prescription without wasting time and money. Also, I emailed her first and she said she was familiar and had prescribed that medication for hormone problems and acne.

I was afraid that she would try to give me a low dosage when everyone else had said they didn't see any effect until they took about 200mgs. But she prescribed 200mgs and told me to cut the pills and start out at a lower dosage. I'm dying of thirst from taking just 50-75 mgs.

Note that your hormone levels don't have to currently be high for you to have a problem. Mine wasn't which could be because I'd been taking DHT inhibiting supplements for about a year then and cut back on sugars.

Your hormone receptors in hair and oil follicles could have become extremely sensitive to any amount of DHT available. So even when you inhibit most DHT conversion, you could still have a problem. There are some things that bind to those receptors so that DHT can't. Some flavonoids in Green Tea do that.

mommaoftwinsplus1,

Did you have any acne scars? And if so did spiro help them fade? Did you do anything to make them go away? I really hate to wear makeup except if i'm actually going out, but to go to work or to run errands I don't like to wear it but Ihave really bad acne scars now and don't know how to get rid of them. I am still breaking out it's day 22 on spiro for me. So I know I still need to wait. It is getting better ut slowly! VERY SLOWLY! But I have red marks all over me and am scared to death that I won't beable to get rid of them when I am finally not breaking out. I know that they might fade a little on there own but I want something to speed the process.

If anyone else knows how to get rid of them please let me know. I am going to the derm on Wednesday so I want to maybe give him some ideas on what worked for you guys. Thanks all

To lessen the appearance of your scars, spiro won't work. spiro works on blood levels of hormones- not your skin directly. You'll need a topical - like retin-a, or try a glycolic acid cleanser. good luck!

Thank you peachy. For some reason idk maybe you will understand but my derm doesn't want to give me a topical at all?? i don't understand. He gave me when i first went klaron and bp 10% but i couldn't use the bp so i only used the klaron which to realize much much later that i'm allergic to it. So i 'm not using anything at all now. I called my derm asking him to let me get differin but he said no. A couple years ago with a different derm i used clinda and differin and it completely cleared me i have pics lol. So i do't understand why he won't give me anything be/c all it's don't is giving me horrible scars!!! and what he did give me spiro (day 23) i asked for that be/c of all the research i was doing. But for almost 2 months ive been on doxy and prednisone on and off and nothing is happening with my skiin. The spiro has taked away my oil! which i'm happy about. I'm just soo upset. this is really messing me up mentally. I don't want to leave me house be/c i dont want anyone to see me. This is getting so bad. Sorry i keep going on i'm just soo upset. and right now i mom is making me something to eat something i dont even want but have to eat be/c i cant eat dairy so i can take my stupid doxy and prednisone that aren't helping my face. I can't take this anymore

Why won't your doc give you a topical??? That's absolutely crazy! Do you have active pimples, or just leftover scars? If you have pimples, I can't see why they wouldn't give you Differin or Retin-A. I'd try to see a different doctor if that's possible for you. In the meantime...stick with the doxy, pred, and spiro. I don't know much about pred (other than it's a steroid), but the doxy should kick in soon. When I first started taking antibiotics, it took about 3 months before my skin started to really clear. Are you on birth control? That might help too. Like I said before...Glycolic acid might help your scars. I used to buy a brand called "Aqua Glycolic" at my local Kaiser Permanente pharmacy. You don't need a prescription for it. It's pretty expensive (as far as facewashes go) - about $15 a bottle. I stopped using it when I started Retin-A because the combination would be too harsh on my skin. You could also maybe try one of those oil of olay microdermabrasian and peel kits. I've never tried them, but they might help. Ohh- and as far as eating something to go with your doxy...do you like soymilk? Chocolate Soymilk is super yummy and non-dairy, but there's still protein in it, so it's filling like food.

Im not sure why your doctor won't give you a topical while on Spiro. Maybe he thinks you will get too dry since the Spiro pretty much stops the oil production. About the scars....microdermabrasion helps, but it can be expensive. Less expesive - Aqua Glycolic cleanser and toner (purchase at drug store), spa grade microdermabrasion crystals (purchase on line) and Olay thermal skin polisher (purchase at drug store). I use all the above and the small scars that I had look much better due to the exfoliation of these products.

When your skin starts to dry and clear, try Silkia camellia oil. It will gradually help your scars. Especially in combination with a home microdermabrasion.

Also, I've heard a few people say the aspirin mask helps scars. which is something you could start now as it will help clear your skin.

I'd been using it for a while now, since some time in March I think. And I recently noticed a deep chicken pox scar on my nose had gotten a lot less noticable. The only explanation I can think of is the aspirin mask. Because I used it on my nose, forehead and upper body, but not on my cheeks where most of my acne scarring is because it irritates my rosecea a bit. And I hadn't been using camellia oil on my nose until this summer as I didn't use to use it in the daytime and sleep with a Breathe right strip on my nose, so couldn't use the oil on my nose at night.

Strong concentrations of salicylic acid are what is in compound W and such things to dissolve warts and calluses. And we don't know how strong a solution of salicylic acid is in aspirin.

I am so mad. Our derm just upped dd's dosage from 25 mgs to 50 mgs. plus the Yasmin, of course. I already thought that was very conservative. The pharmacist refused to fill it and called the doctor to get him to lower it back to 25 mgs.! I know they are just trying to protect but I think they are being too conservative. I went and picked up the prescription and took it to another pharmacy but now my daughter thinks her potassium levels are going to get screwed up. Grrrrrr.

Skimom - Im sorry for all your headaches...I would be really ticked off!!!! I didn't know pharmacist could decide which precriptions to fill. You have had to fight so hard to get your daughter on Spiro and now this. You are a great mom, just hang in there - it will all be worth it once she is totally clear!!

Hi Kathleen - I have seen commercials for this drug store that advertise that they catch drug interactions. she thought that 50 mgs would be too much on top of Yasmin like we didn't know or something. I don't think this is the first time the derm has used spiro so I don't know why he let them over rule him. I'll call him today. I got a different pharmacy to fill it but now my daughter is confused as to the safety of it. I was thinking 50 mg was conservative since alot on this board are at 100 mgs or over. Yes, it will be worth it if she gets clear but so far the derm is still talking accutane and if they keep her dose of spiro too low it may not work.

Skimom- yes 50mg Spiro is very conservative. I did not see my skin start to clear until I was on 75mg and crystal clear on 100mg. Maybe you can call your gyno or find an endo and ask if they have prescribed Spiro for patients. If they have knowledge of Spiro, it may be worth a visit to see about higher dose of Spiro. My experience with my derm, I felt like he knew there was a chance Spiro would clear me up and he would loose my business buying all his products and procedures. My gyno has even prescribed Spiro to older women who do not want to have all the bloating associated with their periods.

So what exactly are the side effects of Spiro.? It doesn't cause weight gain does it?

So what exactly are the side effects of Spiro.? It doesn't cause weight gain does it?
Nope. It does something so that you don't bloat too. Which is soo cool heheh. I heard that some people even lost weight on it be/c one of the side effects is loss of apetitte (sorry spelling).

Skimom- yes 50mg Spiro is very conservative. I did not see my skin start to clear until I was on 75mg and crystal clear on 100mg. Maybe you can call your gyno or find an endo and ask if they have prescribed Spiro for patients. If they have knowledge of Spiro, it may be worth a visit to see about higher dose of Spiro. My experience with my derm, I felt like he knew there was a chance Spiro would clear me up and he would loose my business buying all his products and procedures. My gyno has even prescribed Spiro to older women who do not want to have all the bloating associated with their periods.


I ended up spending about $700 on an endo who did nothing for us. The derm relented today and said it was fine for her to be on 50 mgs. of spiro. Along with the Yasmin that would bring her to 75 mgs. total which I know is the least amount women usually have results with. She is doing better just on what she's been on up till now. We don't get any products or procedures from our derm so that is good. Hmmm the old derm had lots of gadgets and peels and stuff and wouldn't even discuss spiro. Good point.

Don't give up girls! If you're like me, Spiro was your last alternative for hormonal acne after 4 rounds of accutane, many antibiotics, topicals,etc. I wanted to quit a million times, but stuck with it. It took a good 3 months of horrible breakouts and oily skin, but I am now clearer than I've ever been except of course those lovely scars. I'm hoping to do a peel for those soon. Any recommendations for peels that really help with the scarring? One more thing, I've quit all the things doctors have given me and just wash with a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil once a day and a scrub called Nia24 once a day. I put pure aloe vera gel on morning and night and it has really calmed everything down and helps with healing. Good luck.

Goldengirl - what is your dosage of spiro? Congrats on finding something that works. DD is just about to finish 3 months on Yasmin and two on a bit of additional spiro. Still breaking out but it does seem a bit better.

Don't give up girls! If you're like me, Spiro was your last alternative for hormonal acne after 4 rounds of accutane, many antibiotics, topicals,etc. I wanted to quit a million times, but stuck with it. It took a good 3 months of horrible breakouts and oily skin, but I am now clearer than I've ever been except of course those lovely scars. I'm hoping to do a peel for those soon. Any recommendations for peels that really help with the scarring? One more thing, I've quit all the things doctors have given me and just wash with a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil once a day and a scrub called Nia24 once a day. I put pure aloe vera gel on morning and night and it has really calmed everything down and helps with healing. Good luck.

Have you had any side effects with Spiro? What's your dose? I'm on 200 mg a day and feel SO TIRED! Also, my skin has gotten REALLY dry. So dry that there are flaky patches all over my face. Could this be the Spiro? I also started using Vaniqa once a day around the same time, so maybe it's that.

Peachy....200mg sounds like such a high dose. I know on the 100mg I am on I get tired if I do not drink water every hour or so and a lot of water. Also, with Spiro it does reduce the oil on your face and some girls have gone from oily to dry in a matter of months. You have to use a gentle cleanser and moisturize. Spiro pretty much eliminated the oil on my face, but not to the point of dry and flakey.

I use cetaphil and moisturize everyday, but I'm still dry & flaky. Even before Spiro, my skin was on the dryish side (never oily), so maybe that's contributing as well. i finally decided to quit Spiro. It's been 2 months, and I still haven't adjusted to it. I wish I could stay on it, but I don't think it's worth the side effects. I just don't feel like myself anymore. I'm a nursing student and need lots of energy, and on Spiro, I feel SO tired and lazy all the time :( Good luck to everyone else on it!!!

Is an apt with an endo always so expensive?

I use cetaphil and moisturize everyday, but I'm still dry & flaky. Even before Spiro, my skin was on the dryish side (never oily), so maybe that's contributing as well. i finally decided to quit Spiro. It's been 2 months, and I still haven't adjusted to it. I wish I could stay on it, but I don't think it's worth the side effects. I just don't feel like myself anymore. I'm a nursing student and need lots of energy, and on Spiro, I feel SO tired and lazy all the time :( Good luck to everyone else on it!!!

If you think it helped with the hormones, why don't you try Saw Palmetto or Beta-sisterol, which is the beneficial component in Saw Palmetto and even more potent. They don't have any side effects that I know of.

I was prescribed 200mgs of spiro too, but couldn't stand the dehydration. But I'm doing just as well without it. My skin was already nearly clear from taking Saw Palmetto and 50 mgs of Zinc, plus cutting back on sugars, before starting the spiro. I only wanted to spiro to help with excess body hair.

Now I take beta-sitosterol and just the zinc in my multi, and stick with the diet. In addition to that, I figured out a food trigger, possibly an allergy, and am completely clear now.

If you think it helped with the hormones, why don't you try Saw Palmetto or Beta-sisterol, which is the beneficial component in Saw Palmetto and even more potent. They don't have any side effects that I know of.

I was prescribed 200mgs of spiro too, but couldn't stand the dehydration. But I'm doing just as well without it. My skin was already nearly clear from taking Saw Palmetto and 50 mgs of Zinc, plus cutting back on sugars, before starting the spiro. I only wanted to spiro to help with excess body hair.

Now I take beta-sitosterol and just the zinc in my multi, and stick with the diet. In addition to that, I figured out a food trigger, possibly an allergy, and am completely clear now.

I took saw palmetto and saw no change. So I'm considering Beta-sisterol to get better results. Do you think that taking beta-sisterol gives the same results as taking spiro?

I started taking Spiro 50mg twice a day a week and a half ago, and I have not seen any improvement, in fact, I am getting more cysts and my face is oiler, and my hair is getting rough. Did you experience worsening period during the first two months before it started to get better? Thanks.
I have abolutely experienced worsening of my acne oilyness with spiro (started with 50mg in mid deember 06 and upped to 100mg in mid january). No doubts about it! But it did subside and disapeared after 2 months or so. Much much less oily my skin now.

Side effects: had my period twice this in january. Still feeling tired thought...drink lots of water and tried to reduce food high on potassium.
Don't have to urinate that often though...maybe I don't drink that many liquids after all...

I was told by the dermo that there is no inital breakout. Maybe it varies though. Did they test u for high androgens or do u have any signs of hirsutism? I'm sure your Dr. will tell u to give it some time or bump up your mgs. I do remember though that it took about 3 months to help me, so dont stress if you arent seeing results yet.
I can't count the number of posts I have read in different sites about women reporting initial breakout with spiro! YES, it happens!!! It happened to me! It went away quickly enough though, in 3 weeks my skin was less oily and the breakouts slowly disapeared, and now it's clear. Good luck and hang in there all of you with breakouts!

Hi all spiro users,
I am in desperate need of some encouragement!!!! Peachy, LisaMarie, you have heard my story....but I decided to respond to this thread! For those who don't know me, I am on 200 mgs/day and have been for 2 months and 7 days (how sad, I'm actually counting). The reason I'm counting is becacause in some cases it takes like 4/5 months to see clear skin, and well...I'm not seeing it! In fact, I am dangerously close to discontinuing treatment. My acne has gotten worse since I started this medication...and I am just really down in the dumps and not knowing what to do. I am tempted to go back on accutane really, but I know that I will have a breakout with that too. I am just really losing hope.:(

Anyone????Help..... :(

Anyone????Help..... :(


Are you also on a bc pill? I wonder if the spiro is blocking too much androgen? Can that be possible? Could be interfering with your estrogen production. Just guessing. 200 mg is very high. My daughter has gotten good results with Yasmin and just 50 mgs. of spiro. The Yasmine helped by itself the first month and then the doctor added in 25 mgs of spiro the 2nd month and 25 mgs. more the 3rd. It does work for most people so you may want to tweak things a bit.

I thought about that too. I am afraid to change anything though, thinking that if I just hang in there clear skin is just around the corner. Perhaps I will go down to 150 mgs/day??? I'm so confused. Anyone have any insights?????

I thought about that too. I am afraid to change anything though, thinking that if I just hang in there clear skin is just around the corner. Perhaps I will go down to 150 mgs/day??? I'm so confused. Anyone have any insights?????
If your doc prescribed 200 mg, I'm sure he/she probably had a good reason to do so. I would stick with the 200 mg and just try to hang in there for 6 months total. I know that's a very very long time, but I really think it will be worth it in the end. As far as the bcp's, have your doc and you discussed this option? Maybe now would be a good time to get started on one since they generally take a couple months for people to get used to.

I thought about that too. I am afraid to change anything though, thinking that if I just hang in there clear skin is just around the corner. Perhaps I will go down to 150 mgs/day??? I'm so confused. Anyone have any insights?????

I originated this thread in May. Please stick with your current dose, don't give up. My skin showed improvement on 75mg around month three and perfectly clear by month four. I have been on Spiro now for 11 months and all is well -- no more oily face and no more acne. Good luck.

I looked up spiro and there have been studies where this drug may cause cancer. I'm worried about taking spiro because it seems like a long term drug. Does anyone who is taking saw palmetto see a change in their skin? I've taken it but I don't see any changes. My skin still gets oily all over.

I have not posted in awhile-sorry! I am a former acne sufferer and my twins also suffer. One went on her 2nd round of accutane about a yr ago, so far so good! The other went on spiro and had amazing results, just as good as the accutane for her identical twin. Went off of spiro about a month ago & guess what started breaking out again. I will say, that her acne was never quite as severe as her sisters. Anyway, she is back on spiro, will post again when i find out dosage. Also, no good experience with Yasmin, causes a lot of emotional problems. They are both now on another bc ?? will have to post again. What I wonder is how long can you stay on Spiro-forever? Also, have to mention that a male doc filling in for their regular female derm suggested the spiro. Have faith!!