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For
this reason, doctors usually add oral contraceptives like
Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Estrostephave to compliment acne treatments
and ease potential spironolactone side effects. Ironically
though, spironolactone is recommended for women who are not
candidates for oral contraceptives.
So
should a woman over 35 with acne go with spironolactone? According
to the American College of Physicians, the answer is “No”.
In
the 2004 May/June edition of the American College of Physicians
(ACP) published a medical review of studies that tested the
effectiveness of spironolactone for controlling hirsutism,
acne, or both in fertile or postmenopausal women. The ACP
review found insufficient evidence to recommend spironolactone
as an acne treatment.
Nevertheless,
Dr. Diane Thiboutot of Pennsylvania State University, Hershey
uses spironolactone for female patients with acne accompanied
by a suspected endocrine disorder.
For
example, when a woman experiences a sudden onset of severe
acne or acne that is linked with excessive facial hair growth,
irregular menstrual periods, increased libido, dark patches
of skin, deepening of the voice, insulin resistance and hair
loss, spironolactone may be helpful.
Dr.
Thiboutot noted that spironolactone “seems to control
quite well those cystic-type nodules that they [women] get
on their lower face and chin.”
Yet
Dr. Julie C Harper Dr. Harper of the department of dermatology
at the University of Alabama, Birmingham doesn’t recommend
spironolactone so easily. Only if neither topical retinoids
nor antibiotics have not worked for a woman’s case of
acne would Dr. Harper then suggest using spironolactone for
women over 35.
Author
of “Acne Messages”, Naweko San-Joyz, says “A
woman’s response to androgens is so varied that limiting
herself to an androgen blockers like spironolactone certainly
does not guarantee a cure, or even a quick treatment.”
San-Joyz
adds that overproduction of androgens is just one step in
a series of potential events that could lead to acne. Instead
of hormonal manipulation with drugs, San-Joyz suggests women
with acne regulate this conditional using food, stress control
and greater awareness of potential acne triggers like environmental
estrogens.
Women
with acne have numerous treatments options. If a woman does
decide to go with spironolactone, it’s best to get her
prescription filled with her gynecologist rather that her
general practitioner.
It’s
most likely that the gynecologist will be more aware of how
a patient may respond to hormonal treatments like spironolactone
and oral contraceptives, thus making recovery faster.
About
the Author
Naweko San-Joyz.
Are
you still wondering how to get rid of acne? Naweko San-Joyz
has created the only guide to deliver an acne cure as unique
as you. Get your “Acne Messages” natural acne
cure at http://www.Noixia.com
ISBN: 0974912204.
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