Acne.org Products
Antiandrogen
Acne.org’s Real World Take
“Spiro” has been shown to work in a real and noticeable way most of the time. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution.
Antiandrogen
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Spironolactone? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
May 31, 2011
Cons:
None that I know of.
On 50 mg twice a day paired with Cephalexin. Use Aczone a couple times a week. I've had acne for twenty years and have tried everything over the counter and been to the dermatologist countless times. Been loving this routine and have only gotten one zit in the last month. I can finally let people see me without make up and can take pictures at the pool now. It is totally amazing. I hope it keeps working!
November 8, 2009
Pros:
Never had acne before children. After 35 stopped taking birth control (but not planning for any more children). Then started getting acne. Spiro cleared my skin, reduced facial hair, really started seeing a significant difference in skin
Cons:
Itchy skin, rash/hives, slight headaches
Began taking 100mg for 1 month and then began feeling significant symptoms
October 19, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up my acne when nothing else workedl. I am 56 and have suffered with cystic acne for many years. I'm currently on 75 mg. daily and I am very satified with the results. It took several months to kick in. Good luck!
Cons:
none
It's been amazing for me!
October 11, 2009
Pros:
This stuff works! Cleared up my cystic acne in a couple of weeks. Appetite suppressant: after taking it for a couple of months I really lost my appetite and lost several pounds (could also be a con depending on your perspective).
Cons:
Frequent urination, anxiety about using a chronic oral medication for acne that really isn't indicated to treat acne, worry about blood pressure/potassium levels.
I developed adult cystic acne in my mid-thirties. I developed cystic zits that would be huge, red, and would last for weeks, and would scar when they finally resolved. My dermatologist put me on spironolactone and topical Differin and Yaz and I noticed a huge difference after about one month. After taking the medication for two months, I had zero breakouts. I stopped taking the medication for a couple of months because I was afraid of taking a chronic medication for acne, but within 2 months my face was back to bad breakouts. So, I started taking it again last week hoping that my face will clear up again. Having clear skin is more of a priority to me right now than worrying about the side effects of long-term usage.
October 9, 2009
Pros:
works good on cystic acne, reduces oil and skin seems dryer
Cons:
dizziness, frequent urination, a bit of anxiety (didn't notice for awhile), sometime nausea when potassium levels get too high. fear about potassium levels getting too high is annoying.
seems to have worked, yet it took quite awhile (5 months) as i started at a very low dose due to the side effects. was prescribed 100 mg/day, but had to reduce it to just 50 (my primary doc would have preferred 25). i take 50 one day and 100 the next.
September 30, 2009
Pros:
Really helps with my cystic acne
Cons:
Increased urination, always take before 4 pm so you're not up all night
I have been using this for hormonal acne since 2001, I started at 200 mg for the first couple years, it started to work for me right away. I'm now on 100 mg daily and when I don't take it I start to break out. I had visited tons of dermatologists and everything prescribed didn't help, actuallymade it worse. I have ashermans syndrome and haven't had a period since I was 19, so my hormones are pretty much all over the place, this and the proactiv I use are the only things that stop the breakouts.
September 27, 2009
Pros:
Cleared up my painful cystic acne.
Cons:
It made me dizzy and light headed at first. The warning paper said, "This medicine has been shown to cause tumors in lab mice."
It really helped me out a lot and I'm grateful because I was feeling really down before this started helping me. I would say give it a try and see how it works for you.
September 3, 2009
Pros:
Side effects are not too bad; appears to work for many people!; cheap
Cons:
stomach/bowel upset; thirst; leg cramps.
I tried this for 8 months. I began at 50 and soon increased to 100 then 150. I took yasmin as well. I did not work for me, but it did improve my dandruff, body hair etc, and worked slightly on my skin. I am not clear though. I am very disappointed since all the enthusiasm surrounding this drug for acne in adult women (I am 23) made me really feel like it was going to. I am going to try accutane and potentially, a few months after my course, go on spiro again to try and prevent a relapse. Sorely disappointed me but it may very well work for you.
July 27, 2009
Pros:
Cleared my skin up within a few months. A year and a half later, I haven't had a breakout in months :)
Cons:
Side effects when I first started... frequent urination, headache.
This stuff is amazing! Once my body got used to the medicine, it started working amazingly. My skin started to get almost dry so now i only take it once a day and its still working great. My skin feels smooth and my hair is less oily. Finally don't have to shower every day or twice a day.
July 20, 2009
Pros:
Less Oil Production, Weight Loss, and Helped with Migrains
Cons:
Depression, Bad Initial Break Out, and Irregular Periods
I tried spiro for two and half months and just recently had to get off of it due to the emotional upheaval it was causing me to go through. I had three periods in the last month of taking it and was still continueing to get breakout after breakout. I have always had fairly decent skin except for the monthly cysts around my period, but experienced an etreme breakout back in March. I have been seeing a medical eastitician monthly since then and was having success, but was still getting a lot of hormonaly charged breakouts. My doctor put me on spiro because I can not be on birth control, thinking this would help. Maybe the spiro would have eventually helped if it wasn't causing me to be an emotional reck. I have only been off of it for a week and already feel a million times better. Hope that you guys have better luck than I did with this. It is a very serious drug.
Pros:
Only thing that has really worked.