In the 22yrs I've suffered from acne, none of the 9 dermatologists I've seen over the years have ever suggested that I try spironolactone. I'm 35 now, & after trying everything under & including the sun....Clearasil, Oxy, Stridex, nail polish remover when I was a teenager(!), Holy water, oral antibiotics (minocin, doxycycline, tetractycline), topical lotions (clinda, erythromycin, retin-a, microretin-a, benzac?, etc...), & 3 courses of Accutane (which cleared my acne & made my skin beautiful for a few months-but the acne always returned), I finally came across an article about spironolactone for acne & read many posts about it on this Health Boards site. My 20+ yr quest for clear skin brought me to the dermatologist's office once again, this time to request Spironolactone. My doctor was reluctant to prescribe it & recommended that I try a "great new topical" called Duac (I've been using it for a month now & would honestly report that Pro-activ had a better effect on my skin...less irritating). She finally did prescribe the Spironolactone, and after 1 month of treatment I have really noticed a decrease in the oiliness & tiny pimples along my hair & jaw-lines. I do need to drink more water & use lotion for dry skin, & I take the dose (100mg) at night so I don't feel the effects of a slight lowering of my blood pressure which is caused by the spironolactone(a diuretic). I do feel angry that it has taken so long to find a drug that would really help my acne because acne has had such a negative effect on my self-esteem & confidence. I always felt my acne was due to a hormone imbalance, but I trusted that the doctors I've seen always had my best interests at heart & were prescribing medications that would target the CAUSE of my acne. It really makes me wonder why it's so difficult for dermatologists to figure out the cause of a patient's acne. I know acne treatment generates millions of dollars in profits for doctors & pharmaceutical companies.....maybe that's why they're not wanting to use the spironolactone right away for those of us whose acne is caused by a hormonal imbalance(spironolactone is relatively cheap). There seems to be a lot of malpractice going on in the dermatology world!
[SIZE=3]As a side note, the Pro-activ system was the best over-the-counter treatment I've tried, & the Accutane did clear & improve the texture of my skin, but neither treatment lasted after I stopped using them. (The effects of accutane lasted about 6 months each time). I've also had good results treating cysts & really inflamed pimples with a homemade crushed aspirin scrub(better than & less expensive than the steroid injections one doctor used to give me)!
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