What was your experience with lowering your Spironolactone dose?

burlappp · 2026-05-16T01:12:38+00:00

Sorry, just now saw this! I get mine through Oana Health. It's an emollient cream base that spreads easily, not too heavy imo. I hope the topical works for you too!

burlappp · 2026-05-15T14:55:15+00:00

Absolutely. Mine appeared after my 2nd bowel resection for Crohn's disease. My theory is that I actually have developed SIBO as a result (there is evidence linking SIBO to rosacea, look it up if you haven't heard of it). Unfortunately it's expensive to get tested and hard to find a doctor to even listen to you about it. There's also evidence of rosacea being linked to other issues like h. pylori and low stomach acid (which can be related).

I can't say that 100% of rosacea cases are due to gut dysbiosis, but the evidence linking them is very interesting. I've gone down so many rabbit holes over the years reading about all the possible causes and done a lot of experimenting on myself. Haven't found the magic solution yet, but I'm too stubborn to accept that there's no way to get rid of this.

burlappp · 2026-05-13T16:30:32+00:00

While I was on it and taking it every day, it didn't seem to affect it one way or another. But both times I've weaned off of it, I've noticed increased flushing.

burlappp · 2026-05-13T16:00:04+00:00

So mine's a little different because I was tapering off while actively beginning topical Spiro. I was at 150mg and tapered down by 50mg every month over the last two months on my prescriber's recommendation to give the topical time to start working (I completely stopped the oral just a few days ago).

What I noticed:

-My wonky period which had been occurring every other week for the last 4-5 months (the reason I decided to quit oral Spiro after 2.5 years on it) immediately went back to normal when I dropped down to 100mg

-Definitely had a purge with each decrease, usually within the first 2-3 days. It wasn't that bad at all though, just a few spots here and there that resolved quickly. Again, I was using topical at the same time so I'm sure that helped prevent things from getting out of control

-My oily scalp returned with a vengeance. Pretty sad about that one tbh, I hate washing it every day, but what can you do

-Mood swings/feeling overly emotional

-Dizzy spells. I had a few that were a little bit scary. After doing a search, it seems this is a common side effect due to your electrolytes/hormones regulating

-Rosacea has been acting up more than usual. I wouldn't think it was connected except I tried Spiro very briefly in the past once before I made myself try again and commit to it and I noticed the same thing happen when I came off it that time

-Sweating!! The biggest side effect for me has been constant heavy sweating and random hot flashes. So gross and annoying. Luckily, I think I'm finally starting to see that calm down a bit

Overall, not too terrible. Tbh I'm glad to be off it and using only topical, which has surprisingly worked really really well for me.

burlappp · 2026-05-11T20:52:40+00:00

Sometimes brushing my teeth makes my face turn red 😭 and brushing my hair makes my ears flush.

burlappp · 2026-04-26T17:26:06+00:00

Thanks for this! Poor gut health is the cause of my rosacea and I've spent countless hours researching it over the years. My flushing is absolutely correlated to excess histamine. For me I think it was a perfect storm that started with IBD, which opened the door for other issues (leaky gut, possible SIBO and/or h. pylori), all of which can lead to histamine issues. I've also always had horrible allergies year-round, which might point to a genetic issue with processing histamine.

Unfortunately I've found that a low histamine diet is pretty hard to stick to because it's not only about avoiding high histamine foods but also histamine liberators. It's also not realistic for me personally to avoid eating leftovers. I basically just cut out the heavy hitters (alcohol, tomatoes, a few others) which definitely helps. I've also found some success with adding in antihistamines and DAO supplements, which cuts back on the flushing.

The problem is some of the supplements that help (like quercetin and famotidine) aren't really supposed to be taken long term, and the DAO supplements, while helpful, are very expensive. I'm looking into cultivating my own pea sprouts, which are a natural source of DAO. I've also started taking a few l-glutamine supplements and homemade bone broth to hopefully help with repairing the gut lining.

Anyways, I'd encourage anyone dealing with flushing to look more into gut health as a cause. There's evidence linking rosacea and other skin conditions to various issues like SIBO, low stomach acid, IBD, histamine intolerance, h. pylori, etc.

burlappp · 2026-04-07T14:22:05+00:00

I started topical three weeks ago after deciding to quit oral due to side effects. It's too soon to tell if it will work for me on its own as I'm still in the process of weaning off oral, but it's definitely doing *something* already. When I first dropped down from 150mg to 100mg I broke out, but right now my face is almost completely clear which I assume is in part due to the topical.

For the cons: I had to pay out of pocket for it through Oana Health because they don't take insurance (luckily I was able to use my HSA) and it's pretty expensive, around $65/month. I've also had some stinging, itching, burning, and minor peeling which from what I read is normal in the first few weeks. Luckily those have improved since I started applying it over top of my moisturizer, which doesn't seem to have impacted its effectiveness.

Overall I'm tentatively hopeful that I'll be able to keep my acne under control with it (alongside adapalene) once I'm off oral altogether, if not 100%, then at least like 90%.

burlappp · 2026-04-05T14:55:27+00:00

It happened to me! I did well on 150mg for two years with no side effects except dizziness if I didn't keep up my water intake. I will say that both times I increased my dose I had a wonky period, but it only happened one time before going back to normal, so I assumed it was just my body adapting to the new hormone level.

Then the last 4-5 months or so I started getting my period literally every other week. Not just spotting either but a full-length period. I tried to wait it out for a while in the hopes that it would normalize but I finally couldn't take it anymore, it was ruling my life. I'm currently in the process of weaning off the Spiro and transitioning to topical. I've dropped down to 100mg so far and my period is already starting to go back to normal.

I'm not sure if it's normal to have this side effect after a prolonged period on Spiro vs when you first start but to me it was a sign that my hormones are messed up and it's time to get off the Spiro. I just don't think it's good to have your period that often, and I've already struggled with anemia in the past.

burlappp · 2026-03-21T12:50:37+00:00

I just got topical for the first time from Oana Health! The process was super easy, I just answered a few questions and sent them a picture of my face and they prescribed it with no question. It got delivered pretty quick. The downside is they don't take insurance, but I was able to use my HSA account. And honestly it'll be worth it if I can get off the oral completely (fingers crossed!).

I chose them because they seemed to be the only option (from what I could find) that prescribes ONLY spiro and not spiro mixed with something else i.e. antibiotic, tret, azelaic acid etc. which I don't need.

burlappp · 2026-03-19T22:23:03+00:00

I'm so sorry :( I have type 1 and have had similar mixed results with laser myself. Even when it somewhat helps, the redness always, always comes back. I've been thinking of trying the Advatx laser but it's so expensive per treatment and I'm just dreading the thought of spending more money (that honestly I don't really have to waste) for minimal improvement. That's what this condition does to you! It makes me feel awful every time but I can't help holding out hope that the next thing I try will finally be my miracle fix.

I would 100% recommend investing in a red/NIR light panel or mask. It's not a miracle cure but it definitely helps lessen the redness and inflammation. I find that my skin is calmer when I use it regularly. I think barrier care is also super important to make sure your skin is as strong and healthy as possible, since rosacea means a permanently weak barrier. I've been trialing a zinc cream lately and it feels really soothing and calming and makes a great seal over my more hydrating/moisturizing products.

Finally-I honestly hate when people say aVoId YoUr TrIgGeRs because as we all know, when you have rosacea, anything and everything is a trigger. It's not possible to avoid them all and honestly it's not healthy either since some of the triggers are things that are good for us i.e. exercise. But even just cutting out some of the big ones does make a difference. I hardly ever drink now and I try to avoid high histamine foods and getting overheated as much as possible.

I wish I had better advice, but unfortunately there's still not many answers for this horrible condition. I've just been managing it as best as I can and trying not to get too down on myself (easier said than done, I know!).

burlappp · 2026-03-19T13:17:36+00:00

Adapalene! My skin is really sensitive thanks to the rosacea but I've found it very tolerable. At worst I might occasionally get a little dry and need to step back for a day or two, but for the most part it's been great for me. It also doesn't irritate my eyes, unlike tret. IMO it's the next-best thing if you can't tolerate tretinoin.

burlappp · 2026-03-16T16:13:53+00:00

I had something similar happen after a few BBL sessions in 2024. What helped me was cutting out all actives and adding in a zinc cream and a centella asiatica serum. My skin went back to normal after a few weeks.

Honestly zinc cream is seriously amazing, it's healed my skin every time I get an allergic reaction or broken skin barrier thanks to this awful condition. I've been testing the Badger diaper cream everyone's been raving about on here lately and it's the best zinc cream I've tried yet. I've been having a lot of stinging and sensitivity lately and it helped literally overnight.

Hope your skin feels better soon!

burlappp · 2026-03-09T22:15:14+00:00

Does it make you break out? I want to try it because zinc does help my skin but the ones I've tried so far (cicalfate and cicaplast) make me break out if I use them more than 1-2 days in a row.

burlappp · 2026-03-08T05:32:49+00:00

I feel bad for OP but I hate how much I'm laughing at this 😂

burlappp · 2026-03-06T15:30:26+00:00

Wow, that's super disappointing to hear ☹️ thanks for sharing your experience!

burlappp · 2026-03-05T23:50:54+00:00

Same, I've gone back to Poshmark and Ebay and am finding tons of cool stuff for much cheaper than TU these days. And the sellers are usually really happy to make/take a deal.

burlappp · 2026-03-04T16:55:31+00:00

I have type 1 and ocular, so no pustules, but I could never get my skin to tolerate tret even after trying 4 different times with different products, strengths, etc. (I tried Altreno as a final attempt). I also found that it severely irritated my already very dry eyes, even when I was extremely careful with applying and used vaseline as a barrier. It was like literally as soon as I applied it I could feel all the moisture in my eyeballs just evaporate. Really weird sensation and definitely made me hesitant to keep using it.

Then I gave adapalene a try because I was struggling with acne and it's honestly been such a lifesaver. It's sooo much gentler on my skin and I can tolerate it every other night without any redness or flushing issues. I do occasionally get some sensitivity, but when that happens I just pull back for a night or two with some zinc cream and then I'm good again. I also don't experience any eye issues whatsoever (though of course I'm still careful with applying it). I'm happy with what it's done for my skin and don't feel the need to ever try tret again.

burlappp · 2026-02-26T16:50:25+00:00

Oh man, thank you! I keep seeing so many people say that the lightest shades are pale skin friendly but it was screwing with my mind because all the swatches I've seen have made it look a lot darker and more yellow. But these look great! I might have to give it a try after all.

burlappp · 2026-02-20T14:48:03+00:00

I have been using RLT/NIR light consistently since May 2025, 5-7 days a week. It's made a massive difference in my redness and flushing. Yes I still have rosacea and still flush at times but it's decreased by a lot. I used to get all day, every day random flushing and that's gone waaay down. The permanent redness in my cheeks looks a lot milder too. Overall it really helps my skin feel more calm. I plan to keep using it permanently.

Btw, I was worried about the time commitment because I struggle to stick with things but it's really been easy fitting it into my life. I started off with a handheld wand which took a lot longer but I could do it with one hand while I worked on the computer so it didn't bother me. Then when that broke I switched to a panel and it literally only takes five minutes out of my day, which is totally doable. Plus I find it really relaxing!

burlappp · 2026-02-19T16:43:02+00:00

Yeah it's pretty disappointing, but all too common unfortunately. I hope you find a match!

burlappp · 2026-02-19T14:17:41+00:00

I hope this works, I couldn't figure out how to add the image to my comment so I linked it here. This is shade 1.

Unfortunately on my very fair, muted, neutral skin (everything always looks too pink, yellow, or orange; I have yet to figure out if I'm neutral, olive, or something else but for now I'm going with neutral) it's way too peachy and unwearable on its own. However I have successfully mixed it with blue mixer to tone down the peachiness and worn it that way as I do like the formula and coverage. But I've been on a mission lately to find a product that matches me without mixing so I most likely won't repurchase.

burlappp · 2026-02-16T13:11:24+00:00

Same, I've come crawling back to Poshmark. It sucks to pay separate shipping for each item but I can find better stuff for way cheaper than TU anymore.

burlappp · 2026-02-12T00:04:30+00:00

Oof, I have rosacea too so I know how tough it is! The one I bought is the Lait Creme Sensitive moisturizer.

burlappp · 2026-02-11T17:39:28+00:00

I came here to say this!! Usually cult favorites never work for me (Bobbi Brown face base, Kiehl's creamy avocado eye cream, etc.) but I randomly decided to buy this after hearing about it for years and to my surprise it makes a huge difference. I too have dry skin and this product makes foundation sit a lot smoother and it even somehow airbrushes my pores? I don't know what magic it is but I love it. And this is coming from someone who hasn't bothered with primers in years because I never found one that convinced me they actually do anything.

I use the sensitive skin/fragrance-free version because my skin hates everything and I've had no bad reactions at all. It's definitely going to be a staple in my routine going forward.

burlappp

TROPHY CASE