Hi, I had exactly the same problem as you until I discovered this site. Im 30 and suffered from cystic/hormonal acne and it seemed to be gradually getting worse. From reading the posts of here I begged my doctor to give me Spironolactone and I havent looked back since. I take 50mg a day,- lowest dose, it cleared within 2 weeks and that was last August and I can honestly say 100% I havent had a spot since. I also take Erythromycin 1000mg a day and BCP Dianette (however i have been taking this for years). I can say though I do think it is Spironolactone that is keeping my spots away as Im guessing Im probably fairly immune to the antibiotics now.

Please speak to you doctor about Spironolactone and if he wont give it you threaten to just buy it off the internet. Its completely changed my life and my confidence.

i also think spironolactone might be good for you. it has been a miracle for me.

Hey caymanbabes...When I read your post....I thought I was the one who wrote it. I tried so many products, pills, lotions and potions and ended up with a worse problem and more stress. I had painful red cysts that you could feel under the skin before they would surface. I read some posts about a year and a half ago about SPIRONOLACTONE and asked my doctor about it. She was glad to let me give it a try. I am on 100mg a day, and pretty much 100% clear. I still get little ones here and there but they are small and go away quickly. This is also an inexpensive medication, even if you don't have insurance. And I have had no side effects.

Mommaoftwinsplus1

[QUOTE=mommaoftwinsplus1;2988071]Hey caymanbabes...When I read your post....I thought I was the one who wrote it. I tried so many products, pills, lotions and potions and ended up with a worse problem and more stress. I had painful red cysts that you could feel under the skin before they would surface. I read some posts about a year and a half ago about SPIRONOLACTONE and asked my doctor about it. She was glad to let me give it a try. I am on 100mg a day, and pretty much 100% clear. I still get little ones here and there but they are small and go away quickly. This is also an inexpensive medication, even if you don't have insurance. And I have had no side effects.

Mommaoftwinsplus1

Did you have any strong side effect when you first started taking spiro?

its been proven that spiro is safe for use for 30+ years. it is becoming more and more popular for the treatment of acne in women. maybe your doctor just doesnt know enough about it to be confident in prescribing it. i dont know what your doctor was talking about, kidney function tests. spiro is a potassium-sparing diuretic. the only test i've ever had to take is a simple blood test to check my potassium level. maybe she confused it with accutane? that is a very dangerous drug.

you also might want to inform your doctor that Yasmin contains 25mg spironolactone, which is why it helps with mild acne.

i've had some crazy side effects, both good and bad, but the good far outweigh the bad. the good - much less oily skin, decreased sweating, decreased appetite, slower body hair growth, weight loss (20 lbs in nine months!!), no bloating... ever. the bad - increased thirst, occasional dull headaches, slight fatigue.

i would definitely talk to another doctor. i've heard that diane-35 is some scary stuff. i hope you get it all figured out!