Spironolactone for Acne User Reviews (Page 4)

• EmR...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2014

"I'm 42 and began taking spironolactone and using Differin for adult acne about a year ago. It took almost 8 months to really make a huge difference, but I could see some changes in the inflammation and severity of my acne after about four months. My acne was worse along the jawline and under my jaw and usually manifested as deep, sore nodules that never really came to a head. I still get some breakouts, but the pimples are much smaller and more on the surface, and almost none of them are on my jawline. They also heal much more quickly. The only negative side effects I've had are increased urination and weight gain. I've put on almost fifteen pounds over the last year, mostly in the belly, hips, and thighs."

• Ano...
• October 1, 2013

"I am a physician and tried really everything on my acne, which has lasted now for 24 years. It started during puberty and has been hormonal since then. I have been put on anti-androgen medication once, which was quite bad considering me being a very young woman. But since then, nothing helped. Spironolactone was well known to me as a diuretic, but not as an acne medication (off-label use). But I gave it a try, was quite concerned about the potassium retention, but what do I have to say: acne is almost gone, no water retention before my menstrual bleeding (always gained about 2-3 kg) and something I would not have thought: no further cramps in my legs, which sometimes woke me up at night. I am very happy about taking spironolactone."

• Mir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2014

"Spironolactone cured my acne! I started getting pretty severe acne this year, and after trying minocycline and doxycycline, which did not work for me, my dermatologist recommended spironolactone. After just three weeks, my acne started to calm down, and I am currently nearing my second month of spironolactone, and my face is acne-free. Although I have oily skin, spironolactone really dried up my face and lips, so I have to moisturize constantly throughout the day. This medicine took some time to see drastic improvements, but it is definitely worth the try!"

• Sha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2020

"This medication, spironolactone, is amazing for hormonal acne. Stick with it-first three months my skin was worse, especially around my lips. Gradually got better starting month 4. But 6 months in, my skin is amazing. Only side effect is less body hair. I did have to pee extra the first couple of months. Now I don’t notice any side effects except less body hair, which I love."

• Anonymous
• May 10, 2009

"Spironolactone has been a miracle drug for me. I've suffered from acne since the age of 11. I've tried every pill and cream that my parents could afford. Nothing has ever fully worked because my acne is hormone-related. If it did help, my face would be red, peel, and break out again once I discontinued the product. A friend introduced me to spironolactone, and my life has never been the same. It took a good 4 months for me to see even a slight difference. But 1.5 years later, my face is clear and has been ever since. I would highly recommend spironolactone. Just be patient for the first 3-4 months, but you will see results."

• cal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 8, 2015

"Months 3-5 were very difficult for me. I had been very optimistic after reading reviews, and I wanted a quick fix after trying everything else. Sometimes my acne seemed even worse than before I started treatment. Thankfully, I didn't give up, and it seemed like one day, overnight, my face stopped producing acne!! I guess that it just took 6 months for my hormones to adjust to treatment and balance out. But my skin has never looked better in my whole life, and I am so grateful and thankful for this medication and that I stuck with it! I don't wake up anymore expecting to see a new cyst on my face, I can just live my life not worrying about my skin anymore! Took 6 months, but it's the only thing that has worked, and my skin is CLEAR for the 1st time!"

• RPh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2016

"After turning 30, I started getting severe, red, painful cysts along my jawline, cheeks, and forehead. They would last forever and would not go down with any topical treatments. I had my androgen levels checked, and they were 3x the normal limit. Around this time, I was also having trouble maintaining my weight (5'4'', around 120 lb), my skin became really oily, and I felt fatigued all the time. I'm very active and eat very healthy, so something was going on. I started spironolactone 25 mg - 2 tablets twice daily (three times daily around the time of my cycle), and it's as if I am a new person. The initial breakouts took about 3 months to completely go away, but now I have energy, no weight issues, and no acne!"

• tha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2013

"Love this stuff. Miraculous. I am 50 years old and have suffered with cystic acne since age 36. Nothing helped, and it left my once nice skin discolored and scarred. I saw 'the best' dermatologists in Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York, spent a fortune, and nothing helped. Finally, I met a dermatologist from a small town completely by chance, and he urged me to try spironolactone. Within one month, my skin was clear and still is. One caveat: when I first started taking it, I was dizzy and nauseated, so I stopped taking it. The doctor told me to try again with half the dosage, and it worked like a charm."

• The...
• September 12, 2015

"Like many of the women posting here, I have used almost every prescription and non-prescription acne treatment over the last 15 years. I was prescribed spironolactone, 50 mg a day at the end of April 2015. The first 3 months were horrendous. My cheeks and sometimes forehead broke out so badly, and the pimples lasted for weeks or months and left red scars. I was so depressed, I came on these sites for answers. I found hope when others stated that it took a while to start working. I was noticing a decrease in the amount of oil my skin produced. I can honestly say that as of today, 9/12/15, my skin is amazing. I have a few light red scars, but other than that, my skin feels amazing, no pimples, very little oil. I hope it stays this way!"

• Swi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2022

"Gained 30 lbs over 6 months. Haven’t lost a pound 2 years later. According to primary care provider, it causes long-term hormonal and metabolic changes. He said dermatologists should reconsider prescribing. Cleared the skin for sure. But you could get fat forever."

• Anonymous
• October 2, 2018

"I had a great experience with spironolactone until my pharmacy changed the pill. I’m not sure what brand I was on before, but I know it had a minty coating and worked really well! I saw complete skin clearing within 3-4 months. Then the pill was changed, and the bottle says “Accord Healthcare,” and the acne has come back, almost worse than before. Really frustrating that different brands of the same drug will cause such drastic changes."

• Bli...
• July 21, 2014

"I wanted to love spironolactone. It cleared up my hormonal acne within a month and never let me down. I thought I had finally found the perfect solution to my problem. But after taking it for about a year, I suddenly gained almost twenty pounds. All of the weight gain was in the thigh and hip areas, places I had not experienced weight gain before. Nothing had changed in my daily routine. I work out almost every day, and a healthy diet is just part of my lifestyle. I visited the doctor a few weeks ago, and she recommended I stop taking it and see what happens. So far, I haven't been able to lose much weight, and my acne is already starting to resurface. I've already tried Accutane once and don't want to do it again."

• MVa...
• October 13, 2019

"Please reconsider before starting this. Helped my acne, side effects are not worth it. I had no idea how lucky I was before taking this, just to feel no pain. Now I am 10 months off of this drug, and I am still in pain every day. Was on it 6 months, 25 mg 2x a day. In Jan, started feeling side effects: brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, loss of libido. Then chest pains/intense anxiety. Asked my doctor if I could quit cold turkey? She said sure. Then...the next two weeks were so bad. Severe anxiety, panic attacks, tremors, shortness of breath, stomach pains, nausea, diarrhea, depression, irregular heartbeat, arm numbness, chest pain, all day every day. Ears ringing, sleep problems. Lost 25 lbs. Horrible. No doctors had any advice, answers, or wanted to help. Ever since then, the symptoms remain but SLOWLY get better over time. Today I am better but still have chest pain, ear ringing, and digestive issues every day. Please do research, know the effects it could have. I would take acne any day over this."

• Boo...
• March 8, 2016

"I'm gonna make this simple. I took spironolactone and lived happily ever after. (God willing) OK, fine, I'll elaborate. -Age: 35. -Chin acne sufferer. -Tried A-Z of meds/birth control pills. -Used Accutane as a teen. Worked until adulthood. -Taking spiro @ 25mg (half of one pill): No initial breakout. No spotting. No period issues. Instant clearing of skin and no joke. -Side effects: I pee a lot...so what? -Not on the bcp with it, just spiro by itself. FYI I took spiro a year ago before for 5 months @ 50mg a day with same great results but stopped because I had intense breast tenderness. Boohoo, I should have just lowered my dosage but I was stupid. -Spiro worked for me, but if it doesn't for you, don't give up."

• Erb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 8, 2015

"I went off birth control after about 10 years, and my skin did not appreciate that! I dealt with the severe jawline/neck acne for a few months until it started affecting my life. I went back on birth control, so I did some research on this medicine and prepared to ask my derm for it; but as soon as he heard my story, he recommended 150 mg of spironolactone. I've been on it for about 4 months, and my skin is amazing. It took about this long to actually see dramatic results, so don't get frustrated! Unfortunately, I had some light superficial scars on my neck and jawline, which was disappointing. I began using some Cosmedix products that I read were successful in reducing acne scars, and indeed they did!"

• TXg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2014

"I have always battled acne my whole life. I've been on spironolactone for 2 months, and I'm seeing great results on my skin. I am concerned that my menstrual cycle just won't stop! I had my normal period, which is 6 days. I went one week without a period and then started again for 11 days, then off for 5 days, and then started again. I'm on day 9 of bleeding. I don't want to take any other meds. Does this get better?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2014

"This really works! I was a little hesitant because it seemed like nothing would clear up my acne. After about 2 weeks, my face was clearing up, and I was no longer getting acne where I usually did (forehead, chin). I had a few weird breakouts near my lip and on my nose, which never used to happen, but they cleared up pretty fast. This combined with scar gel has really improved my face. No side effects that I have noticed."

• The...
• May 31, 2011

"I was prescribed spironolactone from my dermatologist as I was getting acne along with black hairs on my chin and water retention. (75 mg) - I noticed a difference after about a month - 2 months in and my skin hasn't looked this good in about 5 years. My acne was on my forehead, chest, and back. I have added in a benzoyl peroxide body wash, twice a day as well. I was also advised to up my vitamin A for about 3 months as it can be toxic - all these together have worked wonders. I have had NO side effects at all. Watch your potassium and salt intake and don't take ibuprofen either. I printed out a list of potassium-high foods, and you will be surprised how many there are. That's the reason why I haven't given this a 10. Good luck!"

• Dpa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2019

"I am never someone to write reviews, but spironolactone really is the only medicine that has ever gotten rid of my acne, it really works. I am a 29-year-old female who has struggled with acne most of my life. I am now 7 months in and only have scars and some pigmentation. If you are a woman who has a lot of acne here near your jawline, this is definitely what you want to try! I'm so grateful for this pill! To echo what others have said, it really does take three or four months to start working, so be patient even though it's really hard."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2014

"I was taking Bactrim DS prior to spironolactone (50 mg 2x/day) and clindamycin from November to April, but I started to build resistance around March and waited until it just stopped working. I recently went to my dermatologist about a week ago, and from the large painful cysts all around my mouth and chin, he told the PA and me to prescribe spironolactone as it is hormonal. I wish I had gone on this sooner! The persistent cysts are shrinking and drying! I had an initial breakout (still have a little), but I am keeping a positive attitude, which helps a ton. This will be the medicine that cures my acne of 9 years, I just know it. I'm glad my dermatologist stopped talking about Accutane with me, this is a much safer alternative if you have persistent hormonal acne."

• Syn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2015

"I have been getting cystic acne on my right cheek since I turned 30. My face was like an oil slick. I tried everything, from topical creams to using natural stuff (herbs and vitamins), taking myself off all dairy products (boy was that expensive), changing laundry detergents and pillowcases every day... it was RIDICULOUS!! I finally begged my Dr. to give me Accutane, and he refused. He sent me off to a dermatologist to assess the situation. I am an adult acne sufferer. She told me that Accutane is prescribed more to the younger people with acne and that what I was suffering from was adult acne. She prescribed Doxycycline and spironolactone. Cleared up within a week, I suffered for 5 years with this and just can't believe the results!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2013

"I started taking this medication about four months ago combined with minocycline for my hormonal cystic acne. The first month, I saw no improvement in my skin and abnormally lost 5 pounds. Now, three months later, my skin is finally completely clear, but I'm facing a new problem: the medicine has caused me to gain 10 pounds in my thighs, butt, tummy, and breasts and has given me a yeast infection that has been on and off (mainly on) for the last four months."

• Emm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 23, 2019

"I started spironolactone two years ago for hormonal acne along my jawline and neck. I also had excessively oily skin and some random dark hairs growing on my chest and around my breasts. I started on 25 mg, then 50 mg, then up to 100 mg (sometimes I go back down to 50 mg for maintenance for a few months and increase back up to 100 mg if symptoms start to reappear. My doctor approved this). It took a long time to start working, at least three months before I saw any change, with full results at around six months. I've had very little side effects that I can tell. I still have slightly oily skin, large pores, some very mild acne once a month, and I still get a few dark hairs on my breasts sometimes. I'm okay with this as I know oily skin ages slower. However, I rarely get any hormonal acne on my jawline, and I don't get any dark hair on my chest anymore (maybe one hair appears every six months that I just pluck), so I'm really happy with this medication. I'm only on 50 mg at the moment."

• Som...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 3, 2020

"I was on spiro for several years. It helped but didn't completely clear my skin. I still had cystic nodules that were painful and scarred. A new dermatologist upped my dose to 200 mg/day. I'm 5'5" and 115 lbs. The side effects were bad before, I always had to pee in the middle of the night, but they were significantly worse with the higher dose. I couldn't remember anything. The brain fog was unbelievable. I wasn't on any other medications, so I knew it was the spiro. I decided to stop taking the medication in order to return to graduate school (needed a sharp brain for that). My acne is 100% back, but at least I can sleep through the night and remember what I've read."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2015

"I have never written a review for anything, however, I felt it imperative that I comment here on what spironolactone has done for me, with the hope that it will help others. I read the reviews here before going on spiro, and all the positive comments were my incentive for trying it. I truly felt like all hope was lost. Spiro has been the ONLY thing that has worked on my extreme, disfiguring cystic acne. For 2 years, I tried everything under the sun (Proactiv, 2 different antibiotics, topical ointments, gels, creams...). None of it helped, and a lot of it made my skin worse. (The antibiotics made me so nauseous that I was vomiting, unable to drive, even fell over.) I have had NO side effects, which is unheard of for me. Started working after 1 week."