If you need Spironolactone for hormonal acne / PCOS like I do, be aware – you may have difficulties getting this prescribed in Japan. I also discovered it is not covered under national health insurance.
My experience – I live in a rural / suburban area and none of the local clinics were willing to prescribe it (even the ladies clinic).
I had to make an appointment with a gyneocologist at a large urban hospital (only open during limited business hours so I had to take Nenkyu).
The doctor, (to my best understanding with a language barrier) said that by law they cannot prescribe Spironolactone off-label for PCOS / hormonal acne like they can where I’m from. (since the drug is primarily a diuretic with the unapproved, but very helpful, side-effect of reducing androgens).
Speaking to the doctor about how they DO treat this condition I gathered they maybe dont know much about PCOS and tend to prescribe drugs that encourage ovulation (not helpful in my case).
He was very unwilling to give it to me but eventually conceded with the reason that I have been taking it for 5 years and really REALLY need it. But I can only get a 3 month supply and must pay full price for both the doctor’s visit and at the pharmacy, which I was pretty shocked about. I really expected at least the hospital visit to be covered.
Makes me appreciate my home country with our free (though still flawed) public health system.
by ego_check