Is Spironolactone a Safe Acne Treatment?

\Thank you for your question about Spironolactone for the treatment of Acne.  Spironolactone is typically used to treat acne that is cystic and in the distribution area of the chin and jaw line.  It is an anti-andronergic medication, meaning it counteracts male hormones in the body that can drive acne.  As long as you are not pregnant, nursing, have decreased kidney function, or have sensitivity to Spironolactone you may do well on the medication if your acne is driven by these hormones.  It is ideal to start on a low dosage and increase as needed per your provider.  It is also a good idea to have baseline labs and monitor them routinely to check kidney function.  It is also likely you may need additional acne medications such as tretinoin, Aczone, sulfa wash, clindamycin gel, or other topical acne meds in addition to the Spironolactone. 
To be sure, see two or more experienced, licensed and board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment. I hope this helps.

Spironolactone is a treatment of choice for hormonal acne (deeper acne of the jawline that worsens around the time of menses).  It can take a couple months to work, but you will notice your pimples are less frequent, more superficial, and shorter in duration.  Spironolactone can increase your potassium, but it doesn't have this effect in young, healthy women.  I only get concerned if my patient goes not have normal kidney function (and the kidneys aren't clearing the potassium properly) or if my patient is taking other potassium-sparing medications (these are usually high blood pressure meds).

i think spironolactone is one of the safest treatments for acne in women.. taking it with yaz is a great combo.

Spironolactone is a great treatment option for females with adult hormonal acne. It does take 3 months for it to work. You have to be careful not to eat too much bananas or coconut water. Sometimes, I add a Doxyccline as well. Aczone is also a good compliment to Spironolactone. Overall, it is very safe. 

Many females with what we call “hormonal” acne can benefit from taking spironolactone, if under the care of a board-certified dermatologist. When used like you are using, with appropriate topical agents, this can be an effective therapy. The biggest problem is ittakes several months, on average, for it to work well; therefore for many of us, this hampers our regular use of spironolactone. I would find an appropriate oral antibiotic if needed to use on a regular basis and then as needed. I am also a big fan of a light source called Isolaz – this is a pulsed light treatment with an associated vacuum apparatus – and Isolaz is also an incredibly effective device to use in these situations. But for you, this treatment regimen may be just fine.