Let me begin by saying I joined this website solely to review this medicine and to offer my humble opinion on it... I really hope this helps someone out. After turning 22, I started getting persistent cystic acne primarily on my chin, jawline, and neck. I would get 2 new pimples about everyday, and I would dread getting up in the morning and seeing what surfaced over night. After reading reviews on this product, I decided to take action and ask for a prescription. About the 1st month in, I was still breaking out... I was on 50 mg a day. I asked to be bumped up to 100 mg, and about 2 weeks after doing so, I saw results. I have been on this pill since late Feb 2011 and now get only 1 or 2 pimples a MONTH, around "that time of the month". It does take a little over 2 months to see results, & I did get impatient and fed-up with the initial breakout that lastes about 4-5 weeks. The IB I had caused small bumps in areas of my face I never got before... I still got a few cysts but they were smaller and went away more quickly. But after 2 months and after increasing my dose to 100mg, the results were nothing short of amazing. Before Spiro, I would have to wash my hair at the VERY least once a day, and I would always carry concealer in my pocket to cover up the newest zit of the day. Now, I am almost oil free on my face and scalp and I have not had any breakouts or cysts on my face, especially not on my chin and jawline. If you are female, your skin is resistant to topicals and antibiotics, and you break out especially in "cycles", please give this a try. It takes at LEAST 2 months to see effects, so please be patient. I am a very, very impatient person, but if I stuck it out, I have confidence you can too :) I am taking it with Ortho-Tri Cyclen and I got on Bactrim to help with the IB. It's best to take w/ a BCP because it can cause irregular periods. Also, drink lots of water, have patience, & think good thoughts. This stuff works! Good luck to you all. Thanks for read

I am 40 years old and have had moderate (but persistent) acne since puberty. I was on antibiotics off and on for years. My face would break out before that time of month and then take a couple weeks to clear up and I'd have only a few days of clearer skin before the whole cycle started over again. When surveys ask, "How many days a month do you have blemishes?" I thought it was a joke. For me it would have been better to ask, "How many days a month do you NOT have blemishes?" Answer: Not many! I became an expert in concealing blemishes. Within 2 days of starting to take 50mg of Spironolactone a day, my skin cleared up 95% !!! I hate to think of all the money I've spent over the years on cleansers, lotions, medications, dermatologist appts, etc.--but no more !!! I'm just glad that I won't be wasting any more money on products that don't work for me. In addition to the 50mg per day of Spironolactone, my dermatologist also prescribed Aczone (which I had never heard of), Retin-A, SkinCeuticals Clarifying Cleanser and SkinCeuticals Daily Moisturizer. The cleanser has a pleasant, light scent and is not too drying and the moisturizer is not too heavy (most of my life I have not needed to use any moisturizer). I also use Olay Complete Defense UV protection for my face--I use it every day to prevent sun damage. It does not make my face feel oily. Am also using GLO minerals foundation and their redness reducing powder (I bought these at my dermatologist). The redness reducing powder has a yellow tint and does a great job of covering redness so you don't need to use a heavy layer of foundation. I have used many birth control pills over the years and I recently switched to Jolessa (generic Seasonale). I have had migraine headaches since the 3rd grade. Since I have switched to this pill, I have had only 1 headache in 2 months! For me, amazing! Thanks to everyone who commented on this website! I had never heard of spiron

I have never written a review before but I thought that since I spent endless nights on this site reading reviews to gain insight into treating my acne, I should really reciprocate the favour. I think one thing that all acne sufferers share in common (apart from our acne of course :p) is the abundant amount of research we do in order to become experts on the condition, and the different treatment options. Im sure everyone currently reading this review has desperately been trying to look for a solution, and has probably scrolled through hundreds of different reviews. I think it is extremely valuable to educate ourselves in this manner. However, what we all also realize is that not all acne is the same, and what works well for one person might not work well for someone else. That being said, I want to share my personal story. If you see any resemblance in our history, then I really urge you to try this medication. If not, then I cannot attest to whether it will work for you like it did for me, but I still believe it is worth the try. I am currently 22 years old. Since I was 13, I have suffered from mild to moderate acne. However I want to stress that it was VERY mild when I was in high school. I was prescribed Yaz in the11th grade by my dermatologist, and I really didn't even realize how well it worked for me until later on. I remember that I would still have the minor breakouts (which were a big deal to me at the time), but this consisted of about 5 small pimples MAX on my face. I was on Yaz for about 3 years. In the summer after my first year of university, I decided to stop taking the pill. The first couple of months which followed, everything pretty much remained the same. Still the occasional breakout, nothing drastic. However, about a year later I noticed that my skin was breaking out more than usual. I thought it was just due to a faulty skincare regimen (forgetting to wash my face at night etc.), so I decided to make another trip to the dermatologist, who prescribed me some topical creams (Benzaclyn, Differin). As with every topical cream I've ever used, I regularly applied it for about the first 3 weeks, until I reached a point where I became too lazy and then stopped applying it altogether (I have so many of them which are 3/4 full at my house). The creams just didn't seem to be doing much at all except drying out my face. Let me stop here to give my opinion on the prescription of topical creams for the treatment of acne. I do believe that they are an important part of an acne regimen but they are NOT going to treat the acne. Most acne is due to internal factors, and though the creams are effective at fighting surface bacteria/reducing comedone formation, they SHOULD NOT be used as a first treatment option for more severe cases. In fact, I think they should be prescribed after the inflammatory acne has been cleared, to help with further prevention and maintenance of the CLEARED skin (at least that's how I am currently using them). But anyways, fast forward a couple of more months and my acne is still progressively getting worse. My dermatologist then decided to go down another route and try antibiotics. I started doing my research at this point, and it became very apparent to me that my skin was getting worse after I stopped taking Yaz. I asked to be put on birth control, but my current dermatologist told me she didn't prescribe hormonal therapies (which I find absolutely hilarious seeing as most acne IS HORMONAL). However, the doxycycline seemed to also due to trick. My skin cleared up completely (even within the first two weeks), and I thought I had found my fix. I took doxy for about 6 months with great results and then I started to develop resistance. Slowly it stopped working, and it didn't take long before my acne came back, and this time waaaay worse than before. Around June of last year, I was getting tons of pimples, mostly on the sides of my face, my chin and jawline, and it was the worse its been my whole life. At this point I was starting to get desperate. I decided to change my dermatologist, and get another opinion. This dermatologist chose to go another route, the $$$$$$$$$$ route. She claimed that my acne could be completely treated through a series of blue light treatments and chemical peels. Her reviews looked promising, and I was getting desperate at this point, so I decided to give it a go. This was one of the worst decisions i have EVER made. The TCA peel not only irritated my inflamed acne, but completely burned my skin. I was left with huge scabs around my mouth and chin, which was probably due to improper application. DO NOT agree to these treatments with active acne, because I promise you, it will only irritate it further. Like topical creams, these work best on clear skin (minus the blue light which just does nothing in general). After the traumatic peel experience, I had lost all hope. My acne was progressively getting worse, my self esteem was awful. I hated going out, I refused to be seen without makeup on. I also tried to do some natural therapies (vitamin B5, zinc, honey mask etc), all with no hope. Finally, i decided I would once again go search for a new dermatologist. She looked at my face and gave me two options: spironolactone and accutane. She told me that she was unsure whether my acne was completely hormonal, and was wary of whether spiro would even work for me, that I would probably have way better results with accutane, but the side effects were way more intense. I was really desperate at this point, so I was deffinetly considering Accutane, but something inside me told me to just try spiro as a last result, especially because I believe my acne was hormonally based. I didn't really notice much of an "initial breakout" with spiro, but then again my skin was so bad at this point that I may have not even noticed a difference if it was getting worse. About one month in, my skin started to clear drastically. Two months in, it was even more clear. I am not just finished my third month, and I don't have a single pimple on my face. I don't remember the last time my skin has looked this great, and I am so excited for the results to come as I heard it only gets better. If you think your acne has a hormonal basis, please stop wasting your time like I did and ask your derm about this medication. It really has been a miracle, which is the only reason I am actually writing this review.

I cannot recommend Spiro enough. I have adult onset (age 22) cystic acne that came out of nowhere and only got worse as I got older. No topical would touch it. Along with the acne came some mild hirsutism and terrible mood swings. Even though my hormone panel came out normal, I have a sensitivity to testosterone. I probably read every review for this drug on this site (thanks, everyone!!!) before going to the dermatologist and asking for this drug. I am so, so glad that I did. Within a 6 month period, I went from a few new cysts daily to nothing. Nada. I haven't had a cyst for 2 MONTHS! Also, I don't have to wax my upper lip anymore, and I shave my legs once every 3 days instead of daily. I didn't have the initial terrible breakout, but I started at a 50mg dose and upped it to 100mg after 2 months. This drug does lower blood pressure, so I take it at night and it helps me to fall asleep. Drink lots of water, and yes, you will be thirsty. Think of it as flushing your system. To get rid of the blackheads, whiteheads, and acne scarring, I am using Tazorac. Spiro dries out my skin, so I make sure to use a heavy moisturizer an hour or so before I use the Tazorac. Using these in combination has given me nearly flawless skin, and I've been using the Tazorac for less than a month. I am sorry for the long review, but I just want you to know that this medication has absolutely changed my life. I am confident, and I feel beautiful for the first time in years. I spend so much less time worrying about what I look like and putting on makeup. I don't even use a foundation or powder anymore. I think of all the money I've spent on facials, topicals, supplements, and holistic treatments over the past few years, and all it costs me now is $8.00 a month. (And yes, this is a $4.00 generic that they carry at Target.) What seemed like a terrible nightmare is actually over, and I hope that this drug works miracles for you like it has for me.

I can say without hesitation that I truly had one of the worst cases of acne imaginable. I struggled for 10+ years and now at age 26, my former life of being depressed about my acne is moving farther into the past. I want to give hope to those out there that feel embarrassed, ugly, depressed, insecure, anti-social, etc. I have felt all of these emotions and it is brutal. Before taking Spiro, I wore makeup 24/7 and even slept in it if I stayed over at a friend's house so they never saw how truly bad my acne was. I was terrified of any person I ran into; I thought they would just stare at my ugly skin. I started seeing a derm many years ago and I have been on every acne med under the sun ' Differin, Proactiv, Tazorac, Retin-A and nearly 3 rounds of Accutane. No dice. Around age 22, literally overnight my entire chin and jaw were covered in little zits. After that, I was living in 'Cyst City'. They hurt, they're big and take weeks to heal (unless you get the injections). One day I was visiting my derm and had 15 cysts on my face. Right then I burst into tears and told her how frustrated I was. That day she prescribed me Spironolactone I started on a dose of 75mg, then 150. You break out a lot at first but after a few weeks, it gets better. Finally, she upped me to 200mg. Holy. Cow. The cysts and pimples vanished and I barely had any shine on my face. Since taking Spiro, I've maybe had 5 breakouts total, compared to the dozens before. If I forget to take it a couple days in a row, it results in one tiny breakout. Once I'm back on track, it's gone within 2 days. I remember when my derm told me to look up Spiro reviews. After reading well over 25, I was sold. I went into it knowing that it would get worse before it got better. I can honestly say that Spiro changed my life. My skin is always clear and I'm so confident! If I haven't said it enough, Spironolactone can put an end to acne. No one should feel the overwhelmingly negative

I started taking 50mg of Spiro 3 months ago. I'm now into my second month of 100mg. My breasts are sore all the time, don't seem any larger though. My period is lighter, but lasts 7-9 days now when it used to be 4-5. My skin is finally clearing up and I have only had a few along my jawline but nothing unmanagable like before I started this medication. I am now experiencing vaginal dryness that just started and that's annoying. It's never been an issue before but now sex causes some discomfort. I'm 37 and very sexually active with my husband. Thank goodness for KY jelly and LOTS of foreplay. I didn't notice a difference in my skin until I started taking 100mg. With 50 mg I was still breaking out almost as badly as before I started taking it. I don't take BC with it, just Spiro alone. If you suffer from hormonal acne, give this a try. It takes a long time to start working for most. For me it's taken 5 months to start noticing a difference. I guess the cons are worth the clear skin so I will keep taking it. I still break out before my period, it's not a miracle drug and you won't wake up looking like a supermodel, but it does help. Please don't write a review after taking this RX for a week. It takes far longer than that to see good results. I had a bad breakout after 2 months in places I usually don't break out like on my cheeks and forehead. I haven't experienced any nausea or felt light headed or any bad symptoms like some. Just sore boobs and an eternal period! Oh and feeling like there's a cotton gin in my vagina. But my skin is clear!

To describe it, I would say that I woke up one day in my mid-30's and after looking in the mirror, said, "What the heck has happened to my face?" We're talking cysts, pimples on my nose, hair from here to kingdom come, grease like a bucket of chicken....I had always had a small breakout here and there, but not anything that couldn't be controlled or covered up. But this was out of control! By late last year, I had tried Pro-active (worked for a bit, slightly), SA, BP, Ortho-Lo, Ortho-Tri, and finally the dermatologist. He wanted to put me on antibiotics after I had to have treatment for cysts the size of Mars. I asked him for Spiro. He said my acne wasn't hormonal. I no longer see that dermatologist. A trip to my gynecologist resulted in a scrip for Ortho-Cyclen (monophasic) that I take DAILY (keeps my hormones at the same level - WONDERFUL) and 50mg. of Spiro. Even though my hormone levels were 'normal' in the testosterone department, I had an abnormal reaction to the testosterone in my skin. Let me tell you, within THREE weeks, my skin had improved immensly. I am now on 100 mgs. of Spiro and the OT. No more oily skin, no more pimples on my nose. I may get one or two teeny-tiny pimples on my chin every now and again, but they dry up and go away in about a day when I use Clindagel on them. I am floored by how well my body received this medicine. I am praying this new health care system that has just been passed won't take it away from me! It has given me my life and my confidence back!

I wish I had heard of this stuff years ago. I'm 23 years old and started getting cystic acne my freshman year of college. I'd tried every topical and antibiotic on the market just short of accutane which I could never quite bring myself to take. I had some short lived success with Solodyn and was clear for about a year (best year EVER) but this past March, the acne returned with a vengeance. After trying homemade "natural" remedies all summer (FYI, the egg mask was the worst thing to ever happen to my face), I finally went back to the derm. At this point I was almost ready to ask for accutane, I was that desperate. My derm suggested I try Spiro first and holy cow, SO THANKFUL that I did. My skin has not looked this great in I don't even know how long. Don't get me wrong, I've been on it for about 4 months now. I didn't see improvement until about month 3 and the first two months included some of the worst breakouts I've ever had in my life. This drug is NOT an instant fix, I hate seeing reviews that say "OMG MY SEVERE ACNE WAS GONE IN FOUR DAYS." If that's even true, fantastic, that's really exciting for you but that's not the way it goes 99% of the time! I used to read reviews here daily just to keep myself motivated and seeing stuff like that made me wonder why it was taking so long to work for me. Patience is key with spironolactone. In addition to my new, gloriously smooth complexion, Spiro has also helped me shed a few unwanted lbs of water weight (hello, flat, unbloated stomach!) and reduced body hair growth tremendously. The peach fuzz along my jaw is thinning out, I only have to tweeze my eyebrows once every two weeks, and my leg hair takes like three weeks to reach the length it used to reach in a week. I could not be more thankful for Spiro. I'm so excited to have my life back, just in time for the new year!! Last year was awful and I know a large portion of it was tied to my acne. So ready to move on!

Sorry this will be long bc when I was really suffering it was reading these reviews that kept me going. I had acne since my teen yrs, but it never impacted my social life. In Dec 2010 it got REALLY bad, like horrendous. One day I counted about 40-45 on my face, even with foundation on I felt like a monster. I wasn't going out, I was crying all the time. I was paranoid about daytime lighting, store lighting (fluorescent lighting & bright pot lights should be outlawed). I called in sick to work, I skipped school, cancelled events...acne was CONSUMING all my thoughts. I went to my doc in Dec & did a blood test, somehow my hormone levels came out "normal" yet my doc still prescribed me spiro. She prescribed me 25 mgs a day but I convinced her to give me 50 mg a day. And eventually it started to work! 30 days in- I had moments where I thought it was getting better (would last a day or 2 max) & then I'd be back to feeling atrocious and getting new pimples. 60 days in- would still get a LOTof new ones but they were a tiny bit smaller (I made a skin log and it shows i had 6 active on my left cheek and 2 active on my right cheek and oodles of scars of course) 90 days in- maybe will have one (max two) at a time and it will go away pretty quickly. So I'm not completely cured yet, but I really do feel it's a step in the right direction of course! I still have gross scarring but I'm feeling a lot better and can start making social plans! I wanted to say... through this I was so embarrassed. But then I told my friends, bf, and fam what was going on (even the ones w fab perfect skin).. & I must say, it really helped me. They comforted me, and I felt better knowing they knew I wasn't bailing on stuff bc I was being rude or anti-social, but bc I psychologically couldn't take that hit on my self-esteem. I'll update again at the 4 month mark and if anyone has any questions feel free to send me a message directly! I pray for everyone, every

Bottom line.. I was skeptical of taking spiro but I was at my witts end. I had done body cleansing, I changed my diet to take out all refined food and oil (except extra virgin coconut oil) On this diet I lost 10 lbs. I am 5 9' and NOW I weigh 122.. so I was at 112 trying to get my acne to go away..so imagine that.. Now I was taking all kinds of vitamins with the diet like handfuls..And all the while my acne got worse and worse in the course of months I mean huge painful cysts that I never had before. When I went to primary care Dr. I was convinced I had a food allergy and asked her to test me. She suggested spiro and I thought about it for a week before I agreed. I have been waiting to review this product for 3 months and 2 weeks. But I read all of these reviews daily when I first started it, and man did they keep me going.. I had a terrible Initial breakout like 6 large cysts at once and then more in a few days.. and then a month in I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to so I was upped from 50mg to 100mg.. soon my oily skin disappeared. and then my oily hair too!! And then things just got better and better SLOWLY.. but the overall quality of my skin became soft and smooth now!! uggh its fantastic!! I waited this long because I was still having some breakouts until a few weeks ago and today I got my period on schedule but You can't tell by my face!!! this is amazing.. If you are thinking about trying this and you are an adult DO IT!!! Its easy cheap and there are few side effects once you are used to it.. And my skin looks better than before I began having bad acne 4 years ago!! I have my life back and my confidence and I spend soo soo much less time on my face.. THIS IS AWSOME!!!