LOL, this is just way to funny. Years later I discover that the dosage for Spiro is on average is 50 mg to treat hirsuitism and/or acne. Yet I was taking 4x that amount for several years.
I personally consider my acne to be severe because If i stopped treatments (I've always been on some sort of treatment topical or oral), I would have various amounts of scalp acne, neck acne, ear acne, facial acne, body acne, underarm cysts, and sometimes in other places too.
I am capable of getting white heads/sugar pimples, some black heads, regular sized pimples, tiny nodules, and cysts. Not only that my skin loves to hyperpigment so I definately hated having to get the more painful stubborn cysts or nodules because they would leave marks that took 2 - 3x as long to remove (acne is only half the battle).
I've been dealing with some sort of acne for the past 17 years. It's really interesting because I never ran to my dermatologist to get a cyst reduced. I stuck it out the 1 - 3 weeks that they would last. I never did a lot of things some of you did externally, because I knew it was an internal problem. So I guess that's why I'm more knowledable about the whole endocrinological and hormonal testing aspect, but feel completely cluess when you guys talk about peels and lasers, etc ;-)
Although, I've done enough externally, racked up a enough debt on products and supplements, and it never permanently solved anything. To me, it was a complete waste of time, energy, and money and especially HOPE, to do those things, when the acne would keep coming back (anyone else felt that way). So after several attempts I finally got doctors and a great endocrinologist to listen to me.
I went on Birth Control (BC) at age 17. After 3 months, my acne had improved by 50%
I added 200mg of Spironolactone (Spiro) a few months later at age 18. My acne improved by (it's hard to remember) a total of 60% - 80% depending on the season. Meaning w/ the BC & Spiro combo, I would be my clearest (80%) for only 3 months out of the year (summer season).
Several years later, thanks to a minocycline backlash (totally pissed my skin off when I stoped), BC & Spiro weren't as effective. I was only on it for 3 months (it raises your DHT levels, but reduces inflammation) and it managed to give me my clearest skin yet of 98-99% (during the summer) with the other 2 drugs. I stopped out of fear of resistance and yeast infections, etc.
A few months of that h*ll and I cried depression to get off the BC, and with great luck I was referred to my 3rd endocrinologist. Ran practically every test in the book (had to go off of the both meds) and dx me as Insulin Resistant or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and since they both use the same treatments, he put me on Avandia. 2mg of Avandia for a few months wasn't cutting it and so I added back in 150mg of Spiro. Together this combo gave me 70% - 85% clear skin. It still wasnt' enough.
In total I have taken Spiro for 6 years and it in combination with other drugs, has NEVER given me 100% clear skin. You guys are very lucky because it looks like your hormones aren't that imbalanced or that your skin isn't that sensitive to DHT. Even when I changed my diet and dropped the avandia, Spiro plus my customized Diet didn't give me clear skin, but close 99%. Now that I am off of Spiro, I am still 99%, but req. something similar to help with the mild hirsuitsm. That's why I'm playing around with Saw Palmetto (and glutathione) at the moment.
From personal experience, from the testimonies of others, and even medical protocols suggest this, you will always have better luck with a Diet & (minimal dose) Med or/Supplement combo than you will with medications alone. Heck, if you REALLY want it, depending on your health problems, you may able to do it purely through dietary means. It's rare if I hit 100% clear skin, because I don't follow every dietary recommendation that I know I should. Slowly but surely though I am improving my diet (I can see those changes on my face). I know I'll hit that mark just as many others that I've met and worked with on this board have.
If you are going to take drugs you need to make sure that you are getting at least a liver panel done every 2 - 4 months. Spiro has lots of side effects, but it has the least dangerous of side effects compared to Flutamide (more effective). I never experienced anything behind feeling a bit tired (which is why I reduced it), a decrease in sex drive, and freg. peeing (which subsides). Now that I'm taking tons of Saw Palmetto (1620 - 3240mg day), I am not experiencing any of those symptoms (some men do though). It is supposed to be 10% more effective so I will keep you posted!
That's my 2 cents
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