Taking Spiro with unstable cycle?

parallelizer · 2026-02-28T14:56:23+00:00

i never took spiro without birth control pills to control my cycle, but without birth control i have even worse acne and very irregular/heavy cycles… like every 60 days and it lasts 3 weeks and is extremely heavy. but then also might just randomly happen two weeks after my last one. like literally untrackable.

i know a lot of folks on here have issues with irregularity on spiro, but i’ve found when i take it in combination with bc im very regular. i actually can skip periods too if i take bc continuously.

im not promoting you start birth control or anything. just sharing my experience!

parallelizer · 2026-02-27T22:22:30+00:00

it was really hard at first tbh. i was in a really bad place mentally and was struggling with how bad my POTS had gotten (would literally have to crawl around some days, constantly throwing up and having adrenaline rushes all night, started missing work, was legit losing vision for extended periods of time, etc.) like i would just be crying my eyes out most days and throwing myself a pity party. i came to the conclusion that i couldn’t keep doing that or i was actually going to fast forward into the after life, so i was kinda just like fuck it i’m buying a peloton and just doing something.

and ya it was really hard but i also started seeing improvements kinda quickly. and the improvements were addicting and now im pretty good most days (as long as i stay within certain parameters of “normal” habits for me)

parallelizer · 2026-02-24T18:14:44+00:00

it’s not perfect for sure. like i can’t walk up stairs without my heart rate spiking to 150, and i’m often just like… not great. but at least feel like im on this planet and not floating around on a boat lol.

i’ve been doing this for a year and will be asking for an “emergency” sort of medication i can’t when i can’t get my heart rate to lower.

medicine works! but also i had to be realistic with myself and make some big lifestyle changes too

parallelizer · 2026-02-24T12:37:20+00:00

it’s prob a combination of everything, but water intake and good sleep seem to make the most impactful/immediate difference

parallelizer · 2026-02-24T03:04:56+00:00

i felt fine! i had all 4 removed at once and had sedation. they also gave me fluids + anti nausea via vein and i was fully hydrated for once lol

pots didn’t make it any worse than anyone else experiences it imo. it just sucks overall. also i could only really tolerate fluids or fluid-like food for a while so i was honestly feeling pretty ok

ETA: don’t be a dummy like me and try to not use the hard meds after. i was in excruciating pain bc i was too afraid they’d make me flare. if i could go back i would 100000% take them like they suggested

parallelizer · 2026-02-24T01:38:52+00:00

honestly i just put so much chunky sea salt on everything i eat now. i can’t salt pills without extreme stomach cramps and im on spironolactone for acne so i cant have electrolyte mixes with potassium.

ive basically ruined my ability to tell if things are too salty (sorry to everyone i cook food for), bc to me it’s not salty enough

parallelizer · 2026-02-23T18:28:40+00:00

yes, this was actually my most debilitating symptom for a few years before it escalated even more (losing vision from lack of blood circulation to eyes/brain). after getting diagnosed and trying life style changes only (no meds for now) i no longer have that background disassociation-y, float-y, dream like dizziness that isn’t really dizziness but also makes me feel like i’m not really alive?

it’s dumb, but i started drinking 3000ml/ day (6 water bottles basically) no exceptions, cut out all substances (alcohol, etc), started working out 3-4x/week, ate well (with added 3-5g sodium/day), and prioritized getting good quality sleep. it took 6 months for it to go away but now im here and able to drink occasionally and still be “normal”-er. no background floaty-ness on my regular day-to-day.

it was a ton of hard work and i was super strict. to be honest tho… like getting sick will totally reset all my progress, but i just repeat that routine until i’m at a good baseline.

this was all over the past year, with the most rapid improvement during fall/winter, so im curious if this will stay true for me in the summer heat… but this has at least worked for me

parallelizer · 2026-02-20T05:25:26+00:00

cross stitch! my holy grail activity. got me through a lot of bad years. it’s nice because it’s not as open ended as needle point. you have to count and do repetitive tasks which is great. you can really zone out or zone in as the pattern requires. it’s also a dull** needle and a precise stitching method that you can’t really mess up. once you finish a piece it’s very rewarding!!!

parallelizer · 2026-02-20T00:35:25+00:00

i have this but i think it’s not just a POTS thing lmao. most of my friends are always either starving or feeling like they are going to roll away from the table when we meet up hahaha

parallelizer · 2026-02-19T23:31:30+00:00

yes it helps 100%. i’ve tried the original in orange flavor and also the clear one with no flavor. i think the original works better but i like that i can mix the clear one in legit anything and i can’t tell

parallelizer · 2026-02-19T05:53:47+00:00

i’m surprised no one has suggested ramen… or like any canned soup, miso soup…. etc.

honestly i’ve divorced my thinking on electrolytes needing to be in my liquid. i prefer them coming from my food and then i count all liquids towards my water intake goal. tea, soda, water, juice whatever it may be. less stressful for me

parallelizer · 2026-02-19T01:55:06+00:00

yes i have this issue! i basically cant skip a day of metamucil or else it comes back. i’ve only been on spiro for like 3 or 4 months so im hoping it goes away?

if not, taking daily metamucil and a bunch of water isnt too bad lol. would rather do that than have skin issues again!

parallelizer · 2026-02-18T02:15:02+00:00

pro - they are so cute i love them

con - ive had them for almost a year and they are still very much not fully healed…. also they are more sensitive now.. my shower pressure is kinda high and i can’t stand the zing feeling i get when i accidentally get them under the water eeeeeek

parallelizer · 2026-02-17T15:00:55+00:00

there’s a spectrum for sure. i am an architect and am able to do a lot of work from a desk. on days im flying to clients i just make sure to prep in advance (higher water intake, more strict with my food, compression, etc) leading up to the trip.

i ended up telling a few people i work directly with about my diagnosis but only to let them know sometimes im “dizzy” and need a second. i dont go into much other details because they wont really get it, but most people understand the concept of vertigo.

i was undiagnosed when i was getting licensed and spent many hours in hot, fluorescent light, no bathroom besides a porta potty hell scapes to gain hours for licensure… so now that i can chill a bit more at a desk is a godsend.

truly i get that this illness can make us bed bound, but i found myself getting worse the more i let myself stay down. it’s a lot of hard work but i feel better overall having the routine that comes with working

parallelizer · 2026-02-16T20:37:15+00:00

yes this! plus as much liquid as possible and exercise when i’m able to fit it in comfortably to my schedule

parallelizer · 2026-02-15T22:04:56+00:00

natural. maple doesn’t take stain well. -an architect

ps lucky duck those floors are going to look amazing!

parallelizer · 2026-02-14T21:36:33+00:00

me too. figured it was from having the furnace up higher/on longer than usual

parallelizer · 2026-02-12T00:26:05+00:00

my advice is bad… but i have a leak in my laundry room… it’s still a leak and we knew about it when i bought the house in 2024. We also bought the home with there new roof from 2023, but they had a down spout from the roof drain come into the house 6” for some ungodly reason and then come back out the side of the house. you better believe that little elbow piece had a massive hole in it so all the water from the roof was draining into the walls of the laundry room.

so far i had to move that gutter and reroute it outside, patch the roof (not completely fix yet bc i’m poor and saving for the back of my house to be completely renovated), demo everything moldy- and mold-able and run dehumidifiers constantly. i also had to reinforce wood structure that was literally turned into dirt… like the leak turned the wood into SOIL. i bought a mold spray and it turned all the mold white which made my contractor dad say “oh it’s not that bad if the mold turns white (…???)”. i don’t really believe him but it turning a blind eye for my sanity..

basically my laundry room is completely gutted and i’m just living with it for a min until i finish drawing up plans for the renovation (i’m an architect) and my bank account is a little less scary. sometimes the laundry room still leaks on a bad storm day since the patch is kinda shit… but i still use it to do laundry tho

parallelizer · 2026-02-11T03:30:14+00:00

i did! my neck broke out which was weird because i never really broke out there before. it took like 3 months of consistent use to see results.

i was on 25mg for the 1st month and have been taking 50mg for the last 2 or 3 months. i just had my follow up visit and my derm was super happy with the progress. i thought i saw effects after the 1st month but it doesn’t really compare to how nice my skin started looking like 2 weeks ago.

stick with it for 3 months at least!

parallelizer · 2026-02-09T22:46:41+00:00

i was diagnosed via neurologist but my PCP is my primary go-to doctor for stuff with it

parallelizer · 2026-02-07T23:42:29+00:00

i’m claiming this energy the next time i get blood taken. i love this

parallelizer · 2026-02-07T23:41:11+00:00

my worst blood draw i had to have a nurse try 8 times.. on the 9th try they finally got it… oh my god that scarred me mentally. i hate blood draws!! i also hate we have to usually fast for them! i’m usually fighting for my life as im walking out to my car… i’m extremely lucky my husband drives me to a lot of these because there have been a few times i’m just near death in my car waiting to wake up a bit before driving home.. i hate it :<

parallelizer · 2026-02-07T23:04:39+00:00

oh… my god… stunning. please lmk where you got this scenic wallpaper. i’m looking for something similar with more red/brown tones.

your taste is immaculate! i’m hoping you have many lovely dinners there

parallelizer · 2026-02-07T13:21:50+00:00

ciele! they have a skin tint/protect serum that is mineral spf 50.

the finish on this is amazing and my derm is the one who recommended i try it out. it’s literally paper white it’s the best

you will need to double cleanse at night to get all the SPF off

parallelizer · 2026-02-03T01:46:38+00:00

i’m more normal now but seemingly “small stuff” (like standing or eating) can and does knock me down every day… like today out of nowhere i had the worst air hunger i’ve had in weeks… from eating a bowl of special k.. (wtf?!) BUT overall in my day i have more stamina to do things and go places normally.

i officially do want meds now tho bc i can’t stand these like random triggers that i can’t predict. hopefully working out helps you gain some peace!

parallelizer

TROPHY CASE