SPIRONOLACTONE Reviews (SPIRONOLACTONE)

Average Rating: 2.4 (268 Ratings)

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 DIURETICS ALDOSTERONE RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

SPIRONOLACTONE  (SPIRONOLACTONE):  Spironolactone is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. It is also used to treat swelling (edema) caused by certain conditions (such as heart failure, liver disease) by removing excess fluid and improving symptoms such as breathing problems. This medication is also used to treat low potassium levels and conditions in which the body is making too much of a natural chemical (aldosterone). Spironolactone is known as a "water pill" (potassium-sparing diuretic).   FDA Approval Date: 1999-07-29 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on SPIRONOLACTONE: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR SPIRONOLACTONECOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  acne I'm no longer taking this medication. Day 10 - manic behavior, left leg pain; Day 11 - left side body pain / muscle aches (arm/leg), depression, panic attacks, onset of herpes outbreak (previously dormant 3yrs+); Day 12-13 - severe depression, panic attacks, fatigue, extremely high levels of stress. Opted instead to go see a holistic esthetician who spent 2 hours with me looking at stress, diet, hair care and skin care products, habits, etc. Switched to a natural skin care routine focused on building back moisture in my skin barrier. Acne has resolved. Haven’t had a single panic attack since d/c spironolactone. Discontinued use on Day 14. Anxiety/depression onset does not align with typical menstrual cycle and uncharacteristic of PMS symptoms. Panic attacks were debilitating requiring use of prescription anxiety medications to function. Drug interactions between spironolactone & anxiety medications increase dizziness and not recommended for sustained use. Safer to discontinue use of spironolactone. No benefit to acne (prescription reason) was seen in 2 weeks. Confronted my dermatologist about the side effects; she told me I was crazy. I never saw her again. F 32
100 1X day
3/12/2024
Patient History
 1  Hormonal acne At first slightly irregular periods. After 1.5 years sudden severe panic attacks and anxiety. Never dealt with such issues before. Have stopped taking spiro 1 month ago and see little improvement. Visited therapist who said if the panic attacks are hormonal it can take 4 month for the body to balance out again. I wish I'd never taken this. I'd rather have acne. This forum helped me in that I'm not the only one with panic attacks from spiro. Who is up for a class action law suit lol? F 38 2 years
25-50 1X day
3/10/2024
Email
 1  hair issues severe panic attacks, depression, lowered self confidence, weight gain, bloated stomach, puffy face + large eye bags. skin was glowing and smooth + hair grew healthy and long. if anyone taking this med has thyroid issues BEWARE. it knocks your entire hormone system out of whack. lowers testosterone (causes depression) lowers DHEA, increases estrogen. when I stopped this drug I instantly gained 15lbs. didn't change my diet or exercise. I tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked. then I went on testosterone which helped tremendously. I also discovered it increased my reverse t3 which actually BLOCKS my thyroid meds from delivering T3 to the receptors. I went on T3 only thyroid meds and the weight just dropped off within 6 weeks. it was a miracle. spironolactone must mess with thyroid deiodinases, known as D1, D2, and D3. HORRIBLE DRUG SIDE EFFECTS F 48 3 months
100 1X day
9/24/2023
Email
 1  cystic acne HIGH levels of anxiety, SEVERE depression, panic attacks, low self-esteem, headaches, bloating, breast enlargement, lack of sex drive, insomnia, racing thoughts, heavy menstrual bleeding every day of my cycle I was prescribed this drug for my painful hormonal acne and I was told that the only side effects are "mild headache and nausea," but they are uncommon for most patients. I was supposed to double my dose after two weeks, but I had spent night after night in a panic for reasons I could never target. My brain was scattered and it was a conscience battle to maintain my daily life and habits every day. I have PTSD and PMDD and still took this medication, which I am now regretting greatly. Aside from my brain feeling like it is on fire constantly, I have been bleeding since 2 days after I took this drug and it has been menstruation-level bleeding. I had had my period the week prior to starting this and I am now on day 30 of a period that was never supposed to happen. It is painful, frustrating, and disheartening. Calling my doctor's office for advice was fruitless and left me feeling lonely. They had told me to continue to take it, but not double it, until my follow-up with the physician. That is something I do not think I will make it to with these circumstances, so I discontinued taking the drug just yesterday. I am hoping I will feel normal again soon. F 23 1 months
50 MG 1X day
9/20/2023
 3  For severe hypertension Look,I've tried them all..and they all have side effects.This medication is saving my life.And yes,I allready have severe ptsd depression and anxiety.And yes,it amplifies it,sometimes intensely.But I'm 69 yrs old,and my hypertension needs a string drug.ive accepted the outcome. I wanna live..I was on 6 now only 3..the benefits outweigh the risks.im happy it's keeping my blood pressure under control.you may not need such a medication. It depends how bad your bp is...it really does.this should never be given to someone with just moderate hypertension. Mine is severe. It works,but should only be given for severe hypertension 69 8 days
50 1X day
9/17/2023
Email
 1  PCOS PANIC ATTACKS, Shallow breathing, dehydration, mood swings, painful menstruation, tremors, depression, fatigue, anxiety. This medication seriously screwed me up. I was originally prescribed spironolactone for unwanted hair growth. I have a predisposition to anxiety and depressed from a CPTSD diagnosis, those with CPTSD should never have their cortisol levels raised medically. This is malpractice on the pharmaceutical part, as these symptoms are not disclosed and probably further damaged my adrenal gland. A year into this medication I randomly started having panic attacks out of the blue. Never had one prior before an increase in dosage. I stopped taking the medication and suddenly I do not have panic attacks any longer. I also have had an increase in unwanted hair growth, hair loss, and irregular periods far worse than it was before taking the medication. I strongly recommend you stay away from this drug. They prescribe it so casually, but it has life altering side affects that are unlisted. F 25 2 years
50MG 1X day
9/13/2023
Email
 1  Acne PCOS PANIC ATTACKS, TREMORS, INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS I've been off medication for nine months now and I'm still dealing with a PTSD that this drug is done to me. This drug should be taken off the market for the mental side effects that it causes. I am a nurse, and knew something was wrong in the spirlactone was causing it, and I would go to the ER with a heart rate of greater than 160 profusely, sweating, uncontrollable tremors, unable to speak. I couldn't watch TV I couldn't get in a car to drive and eventually I had to quit my job. It took me six months to be able to work again. I know how to take antidepressants and Xanax. My thyroid is messed up, and I have insomnia. Every time I try to speak to Dr about it they look at me like I'm crazy. But I never had any of these issues prior to taking this drug. F 28 2 years
50 1X day
9/7/2023
Email
 1  Hydrochlorothiazide depleted Potass Horrible. I could barely get myself up out of bed daily. No energy. Weak, tired all the time. I took at night so I could stay awake during the day. Doctor did not want to change the med, so I started cutting the pill in half. The relief was immediate. I cannot stop the med until after a heart cath, in September. At least I am not feeling like a zombie!! 95% of energy has returned and feel SOO much better F 70 7 days
25 1X day
8/25/2023
Email
 1  High bp/hirsutism This medication causes extreme anxiety and panic attacks just as alot of reviews say. I had anxiety to begin with but it made it 10× worse and also caused me to have insomnia and high cortisol levels. I also gained 20lbs and no matter what I did I could never lose weight. It messed with my period and made me have break through bleeding or 2 periods a month. Extreme mood swings and depression I had never felt in my life. F 37 2 years
50mg 1X day
8/14/2023
 1  Mild acne, telogen effluvium Took it at age 32. Only side effect for 9 months was mild nausea. Cleared my skin, did nothing for my hair (obviously since it was just TE not AGA). After 9 months I started getting spider veins. After 10 months my joints started cracking. I didn't think it was the spiro but I had an intuition to discontinue it anyway. I was stable for 2 months and then all hell broke loose: Panic attacks with heart palpitations and chest pain. Breast pain and swelling, sometimes asymmetrical. Dry eyes with eye floaters. Dry skin. Swollen visible veins, cramping, throbbing, and numbness and tingling in my left leg. Joint pain and cracking in every joint. After 4 months since stopping spiro: Pelvic pain throughout my cycle (previously never had period or ovulation cramps). Bloating (now gone) and water retention. A small uterine fibroid. Blood in my cervical mucus at ovulation. Currently I've been off of spiro for 11 months. The joint pain has improved, it's usually only in my knees now and sometimes feet and shoulders and wrists and neck but rarely. My veins haven't improved. I still get pelvic pain. Breast swelling and pain are less intense. It's unacceptable that I was prescribed this medication and I'm looking into a medical malpractice lawsuit. But maybe a class action suit is in order? Email me if you know of one! Perfect health, daily exercise, healthy diet, no family history of any similar health problems. I've been on many medications (for depression and anxiety, plus birth control) throughout my life and I've only had the usual side effects like appetite increase, nausea, hair thinning (that's the TE), you know, basic, normal, expected side effects which are listed on the label. Spironolactone side effects aren't on the label. People are getting hurt because this drug is being prescribed casually, often to people like me who don't need it. Doctors, especially dermatologists, are violating their oath to do no harm. They won't get away with any longer if I can help it. I'll do everything in my power to make them pay for their reckless disregard for their patients. WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO TAKE SPIRONOLACTONE IS NOT OK, it's not normal, and it shouldn't be legal for healthy people to take. F 34 11 months
100 mg 1X day
8/5/2023
Email
 1  High blood pressure Weight gain, brain fog, depression, non-existent sex drive, tingling hands and feet This awful med has killed my metabolism. I have weighed the same for my entire adult life. I started gradually gaining weight about 5 months after starting 12.5mg of this med. After 7 months I was up 4 pounds even though I was increasing exercise and cutting calories. It alarmed me enough to stop taking it and I was shocked to find out it works by blocking androgens. Been off of it for about a year now and have continued to gain another 5 pounds of fat in my belly/hips/thighs despite extremely clean eating in a calorie deficit and regular exercise of cardio, weights and pilates. My estrogen/testosterone ratio is now clearly way off. My brain fog and flat moods have finally improved. Hoping my weight will return to normal but I am giving up hope. If only I could go back in time and NEVER take this medicine. F 32 1 years
12.5 1X day
8/5/2023
Email
 2  Acne I was doing fine until the fourth day of taking the drug. I was driving to my family's vacation home when I started to feel lightheaded and nauseous just sitting in the car. I looked at my heart rate on my fitbit and it was 160 (my resting heart rate is usually 60 bpm). I then started to hyperventilate and had my mom call 911. I was panicking so badly that my hands became numb/tingly and I began to have carpal spasms. They took me to the ER where they found that I had low potassium, but otherwise said that I had just had a panic attack and to keep taking spironolactone. I had never had a panic attack before, and I knew that the only thing that could've triggered it was the drug. The next day I stopped taking it on my own, and I began to feel more normal after about 2 weeks. However, a month later, this experience has still traumatized me and I am still regaining my confidence back. As a medical student, I know how this drug works and the side effects and we were never taught about this as a potential side effect. My best guess would be that the electrolyte changes, diuretic (dehydrating) effect, or hormonal changes are probably the trigger. This is a shame since it seems to be a somewhat common experience from what I've seen on this forum. We need studies looking into this because no one should have to go through this and then be told it's all in their head. F 26 5 days
25 1X day
8/3/2023
 1  Hormonal acne Decreased libido/ability to orgasm, breast tenderness, gas bloating, depression, increased anxiety I started this med for acne. First side effect was inability to orgasm, then my brests were tender, decided to come off of it and try the topical version such as ones from compounding pharmacies(apostrophe) I was having weird breathing and heart pounding after taking med which I didn't realize was from it. The last 2 weeks I was on it my agitation grew along with anxiety, and an abnormal shift in my intrusive thoughts, and having spiraling thoughts as well. I've cried more in the last 6 weeks than I ever have in my life. I have never been so foggy and all around just blah, like I'm a blob in space. I've also been on phentermine for weightloss and stopped losing weight while on this med with a decrease in muscle, so I think having the phentermine on board prevented me from gaining weight. I do not recommend this med and do recommend the topical treatment from apostrophe, yes a bit expensive but worth it F 34 6 weeks
50mg 2X day
7/14/2023
Email
 1  acne / hair loss anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sexual dysfunction, edema, weight gain stopped this horrible med after 3 months. I never had mental issues in my life until I took this drug. I have been off this for 18 months and finally the negative side effects are reversing. YES -- it takes that long. after stopping it, I gained 15 lbs and only NOW is the weight drooping by evaluating my thyroid levels. I believe spironolactone caused all the symptoms I listed AND messed up my thyroid causing WEIGHT GAIN that no amount of diet or exercise can fix. very frustrating as I also never had a weight issue! F 48 3 months
100 1X day
7/3/2023
Email
 1  Hormonal acne At first I did not notice the side effects. Then I started to realize I was peeing more than normal and that my breasts were tender or a regular basis shortly after my dose was increased to 200mg. I ignored it because those were things I could deal with. For once, something actually worked for my stubborn female hormonal acne. I wound up in the ER after taking it for about 6 months and was told I was dehydrated. I went in for irregular heat palpitations and difficulty breathing. I chalked it up to the dehydration and respiratory infection I had concurrently. I continued to take the medication but at a lower dosage of 100mg. I started to experience hypnic jerking and tremors waking me up at night as soon as I fell asleep. I chalked this up to anxiety due to winding up in the ER for the first time in my adult life. I would experience this jerking in the night off and on. At month 8 I started having anxiety and panic attacks out of nowhere and was on edge and jumpy all the time. I was in a constant state of fight or flight and had absolutely no control over it no matter how much mental calming I tried to do. I had an awful panic attack one night brought on by what felt like a very repeated out of pace heart beat after taking ny medical. It shot adrenaline coursing through me and I felt like I was going to die any moment. Pure absolute torture. I looked on here and found so. Any women experiencing the eerily similar thing. If you are experiencing any kind of anxiety, irregular he F 36 8 days
100-200 1X day
7/2/2023
 1  Acne, Hirsutism Panic attacks, heart palpitations, agitation, nervousness. I was prescribed this medication for my acne and abnormal hair growth and I feel like this medication truly damaged my brain. I've been off of it for a year now and I finally feel like my mental health is returning to normal. I was having heart palpitations and panic attacks for the majority of my days (I lost 10lbs in two weeks because I couldn't eat due to the constant panicking) and I was afraid of everything. I seriously feel like this medication kicked me in my amygdala because I started to develop irrational fears and I was subjected to constant death anxiety. In all fairness, I'm usually a mildly anxious person to begin with, but this medication made me spiral out of control. After I finally put two and two together and quit taking the Spironolactone, I've been slowly but surely getting better since! F 29
1X day
6/23/2023
 1  PCOS Anxiety, depression, horrific IBS I have tried this medication two times now. The first time I had a panic attack over seeing birds fly outside my window after 9 days on this medication. I stopped taking it and felt back to myself within a week. This second time of trying due to my doctors advice, I am forced to to quit after 5 days due to insane IBS symptoms and erratic, spiraling thoughts. Stay away from this medication. F 37 8 days
25 mg 1X day
4/13/2023
 1  Hormonal acne Awful medication. I was originally put on 100 mg a day which I think is incredibly high for moderate acne. I experienced the worst fatigue I've had in my entire life. It felt like I was constantly on Benadryl. I had extreme brain fog, memory problems, agitation and dizziness. I lowered my dose to 25 mg once a day and the side effects went away but now I'm feeling extremely tired and sick again and I don't know if it's from the meds or not. I want to get off this stuff so bad. Someone please help F 21 0 days
25 mg 1X day
3/20/2023
 1  Blood pressure 35 pound weight gain , buffalo hump of fat between my shoulders, high BP, High cholesterol, high triglycerides, major depression and high anxiety. Endless line of new illnesses that never let up. Everyday some new health issue. High cortisol levels. This medication causes you to produce high levels of cortisol. So if you have high depression, anxiety, weight gain, internal tremors that is the reason. Your body is in Fight or flight mode 27/7. You are having symptoms of Cushings Syndrome. Getting off this medication after having months or years of high cortisol levels will take 6- 18 months to feel normal again. It's a tough road. Your not crazy, you have too much cortisol. There is medication to help stop cortisol levels from being so high and might make you feel better. I am going though this myself and this is the research I have come up with. Find your self an endocrinologist and tell him you suspect Cushing syndrome. This medicine sucks. F 64 2 years
30 mg 1X day
1/31/2023
 1  Blood pressure Sever anxiety and chest tightness, depression, anger, insomnia, tachycardia, weight gain, over all feeling bad About 2 months into this medication I started feeling depressed. Spiraling thoughts. Then the weight gain started with loss of muscle tone. After two years, my weight was out of control, my tachycardia was terrible, I couldn't urinate and my legs were swelling and I was retaining water all over my body. I stopping taking it cold turkey and started having SEVER ANXIETY AND CHEST TIGHTNESS, depression, and then internal tremors in my chest only at night that would wake me up. After 2 months of these symptoms, my depression lifted like a veil one night, two weeks later the anxiety lifted. I am still having the internal tremors. F 64 2 years
30mg 1X day
1/25/2023
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SPIRONOLACTONE  (SPIRONOLACTONE):  Spironolactone is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. It is also used to treat swelling (edema) caused by certain conditions (such as heart failure, liver disease) by removing excess fluid and improving symptoms such as breathing problems. This medication is also used to treat low potassium levels and conditions in which the body is making too much of a natural chemical (aldosterone). Spironolactone is known as a "water pill" (potassium-sparing diuretic).   FDA Approval Date: 1999-07-29 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

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