Acne treatment with antibiotics?

[Anonymous]

So if it's hormone related, which I'm guessing mine is because it's prevalent on the chin and jawline and up near my hairline, what can be done to get rid of it? Birth control? I had a mirena IUD which I actually had removed recently. Maybe I should go back on oral contraceptives? This is so confusing.

[Anonymous]

OP, ask you doctor about taking spironolactone (aka aldactone). It's normally given for high blood pressure, but a side effect is that it is an androgen-blocker. In some women, even normal androgen ("male" hormone) levels produce acne, so the spironolactone reduces acne by reducing androgen levels.

It was almost miraculous for me: I always struggled a little bit with acne, but it was more or less okay until after my second child was born when it flared up insanely. It was awful: I felt hideous, having acne in my mid-30s! I tried everything: antibiotics, retin A, laser treatments, etc. Nothing made much difference. I did a ton of research myself and finally read about spironolactone, and asked my dermotologist if it would be worth trying. She clearly did not have a ton of experience with it, but she did some research herself and said yes, let's try it. And... in one month my skin was less oily, in two significantly clearer, in four months the acne was... gone. Completely gone, never to return (so far-- it's been five years). I started on 200 mg per day for the first 6 months, then went to 150, then 100, and am now cutting back to 50 mg/day, and so far so good.

[Anonymous]

Take caution if you go w/ spiro. It can damage your liver so you need to have your blood checked. And you will probably need birth control since it can cause terrible birth defects.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the spiro tip. As for birth control, we're done having kids (DH had a V) so I won't worry about that but thank you for the info about that and potential kidney issues.

[Anonymous]

Whoops, I meant liver, not kidney.