Spironolactone for Acne

[erehgall]

Spironolactone for acne

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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!
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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)!

[mommaoftwinsplus1]

I have been using spiro for about 3 months now and my skin is great now! I still have the red marks, but they are easily covered with concealer. My derm said that they should fade. I started out on 25 mg a day, which is really low. I saw some improvement. Then my derm put me on 50 mg a day plus a low dose birth control pill and my skin is like 90% better. I am very happy. It is also very cheap. My co-pay is only $10 for a month supply. By the way I am a 30 year old female and had moderate acne. I would get the red painful cysts mostly just around my nose and chin areas. I have also tried many of the pills and creams you listed (not accutane though) and never had much luck. I would really push for the spiro, it may be your answer. Keep us posted...I would love to know if your derm will let you try it!

Good Luck
Mommaoftwinsplus1

[lindamm]

I'm starting Spiro today. I saw a nurse practioner at a women's clinic yesterday and asked about hirsutism. She prescribed 200mg of spiro plus a birth control pill called Zovia. Not the Yasmin or the Diane others have mentioned, but I guess those contain some Spiro and it wouldn't be necessary for me to take both.

I'm 40 and have had acne, grotesquely oily skin and excessive body hair since I was 10. My skin isn't so oily and I don't get acne on my face much anymore. I'm not sure when that happened though. A year ago maybe? I have been taking antiandrogen supplements for about a year I think--Zinc, Saw Palmetto, B6--so that could be the reason. Or age.

I also cut back on the sugar and simple carbs around the First of February when people on this board were discussing digestive cleanses, Candida and what sugar does to hormones. And I just realized yesterday that right now I don't have any kind of inflamed acne for the first time in decades. Just red marks from the last few, blackheads and the ever present melia on my jawline, but even that is reduced. The aspirin mask has helped a lot.

[janetinwestchas]

Linda,

From what you described, it does sound very much like you have hirsutism. YOu need to go to an endocrinologist to get proper/necessary tests done to determine this. Among a few others things, my endo ran testosterone and DHEA Sulfate tests. Both were off the chart and into the male range, despite not looking too terribly bad. I had gone to many derms and regular physicians over the years with this problem, and no one ever took the time to test me for hirsutism. I was on Deltasone for my treatment of hirsutism and was taken off the Deltasone within a year to a year and a half.

[lindamm]

Originally Posted by janetinwestchas

From what you described, it does sound very much like you have hirsutism. YOu need to go to an endocrinologist to get proper/necessary tests done to determine this. Among a few others things, my endo ran testosterone and DHEA Sulfate tests.

Yeah, they are sending blood samples to be tested for testosterone and a full health panel. I don't know if that includes DHEA Sulfate.