mutantfrog

I am curious: can I take the following drugs together:
metformin (2000mg a day)
yasmin
Erythromycin (for rosacea and dermatitis)
Finacea (for rosacea)
propecia .5mg
spironolactone 100mg

Here is the background to my question:

Started with spiro on low doses (25-50mg/day) made my skin BEAUTIFUL, but did nothing for body hair. Also caused some crazy menstrual bleeding. I have low blood pressure to begin with so the spiro made that a little harder than normal to deal with (ex: top number of bp being in the 70's)

Switched to propecia after about 3 months on the spiro. Has done a great job of reducing body hair. no difference on my scalp hair, though that is not a primary concern (i wear it super short by choice). It's done so-so keeping my skin in check. While I don't get cystic acne anymore (which I do when not on either propecia or spiro) i do still break out.

I am now about 40 lbs lighter.

My derm believes that spiro would be good for my rosacea. It's also much cheaper than propecia.

so...they just switched me to alternating .5mg of propecia with 100mg of spiro. My questions are:
1. do you think this will be effective, taking the meds every other day? I mean, am i getting enough regularly to actually make a difference?
2. Is it safe to take both these at the same time? WIthout either my testosterone levels are through the roof--i don't remember the specific numbers but it was way (way way) outside normal.
3. Do you think that being 40lbs lighter will really make a difference, bleeding-wise, with the spiro?

Just curious to see if anyone else has been put on this combo, and their thoughts.

Thanks in advance

Safyre

I saw your title on the main page and thought this link might be helpful for ya!

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interac...,4109,,00.html

Its a website where you can enter the drugs that you are on and see if there is any interactions between them.

I tried all of yours and none of them have an interaction to each other, though a few do to alcohol so be careful if you drink

I was on spiro when my family doc thought my testosterone was high(which it wasn't) and i don't have the problems with bosy hair as other cysters do. I did however, get annoyed with spiro for causing annoying AF's! The first AF I had on spiro was killer *TMI alera* i filled overnight pads every 2 hours for 4 days straight. HOWEVER, after that killed AF(my first in over a year) spire caused me to have a light AF every 3 weeks. So I dunno what spiro was doing for you, if you only experienced one AF on it, you may wanna try longer.

Also, for your roseca, have you ever tried to use just benzaclin topical ointment? It helps with acne and roseca....

__________________

mutantfrog

My experience with Spiro was that after about 2 weeks on a low dose, I started bleeding...and bleeding...and it just didn't stop for the whole 3 months I was taking it. Never really heavy--just enough where you're like "crap, I need a liner". The weird thing was I could TIME the bleeding--take spiro at 9am, light bleeding will occur between 2 and 3pm and continue till 6pm type of thing. Not too horrible compared to your story! But after 3 months of that...1. i was tired of buying that much product to deal with it 2. my skin down there had HAD it.

When I first started showing signs of PCOS I was about 16 (had my period at 15, severe cystic acne, body hair) and was about 110 lbs (I'm 5'1). I continued to have EXTREMELY heavy periods (bleeding for 2-3 weeks every 90 days) then when I got to about 145lbs they just....stopped. That's actually what brought me to a doctor--hadn't had my period in a year. My weight continued up to about 175, still with absolutely no bleeding whenever I went off the bcp (I tried for 4 months to see what would happen). So I'm willing to believe that being smaller again (about 138-139) the results with the spiro might be different.

In terms of rosacea...I took vibramycin (a tetracycline/doxycycline) successfully for about 3 years. Then I was switched to minocycline (to "reduce side effects") and had a massive, anaphalactic reaction. So no more -cyclines for me Did amoxicillin for a while, but that was only minorly helpful. Tried metrogel, and that caused a flare larger than anything my body had done previously. The erythromycin and finacea seem to be doing very well so far--i can actually SEE the redness going away after applying the finacea. I am insanely sensitive to topicals. Finacea is the first one I've been able to tolerate. That's why I was on an oral AB for so long before.

But in the midst of all the switching the rosacea drugs around I was on nothing for a while--which is when i was on spiro--and the problem was greatly reduced. So it would be really cool if i could make the spiro work. I wouldn't have to take propecia (expensive!) and possibly could go off the oral antibiotic. hm.

But thanks for the info Safyre! I will be on my guard

JosieFB

I have taken a similar cocktail without horrible side effects, minus the propecia and finacea.

Met 2000mg
Spiro 100mg
Metrogel for Rosacea
Doxycyline for skin inflammation
Yaz
BP / Cholesterol meds

Now I am on
2000mg Met
50mg Spiro
Metrogel
BP / Cholesterol Meds

I've never noticed Spiro made any difference in my Rosacea, and I've never heard that it could. My endo wants me to stop Spiro because he says it doesn't have any affect on reducing dark hair after 6 months, and I've been on it over a year. Instead of stopping it, I took the last 3 month prescription that I had and reduced the dosage from two 50mg pills per day to one pill per day. It does seem like I am noticing more dark hair, but it may just be that it's been two years since I had my last laser treatment and I need a touch up or to have electrolysis for maintenance.

100mg of Spiro without BCPs cause me to have a period every 3 weeks, but I don't have that problem with 50mg.

But I digress. Everyone is different, but I did not have a problem taking similar meds together.