How much Aldactone/spiro do you take?

HillarysMe · 08-16-2003, 03:12 PM

I just read that 200mg/day is considered the best dose for hair loss. I was started at 50mg/day, and then I was bumped up to 100mg/day. That's what I've been on for a long time. I don't lose a lot of hair, but my hair just isn't coming back like I want. I can't let my hair be parted in the middle, because the hair loss is still very obvious at the top (I have white skin and dark brown hair). I still only have a dime-sized ponytail. Should I ask my doc about trying 200mg/day? Does that level mess with your periods more?

Thanks,
Hillary

jannie_b · 08-22-2003, 03:38 PM

I was started out on 200 mg/day. My dermotologist told me that this is the clinically effective dose for acne and facial hair. (We'll, he started me on 100 mg/day for 1 month and then upped it to 200...apparently you need to taper on (and off)). I was on 200 mg per day for a couple of years.

I have now gone down to 100 mg per day with no noticeable increase in symptoms, so I'm staying at that level.

Hope this helps!

Janet

~Doodlebug~ · 08-22-2003, 03:58 PM

I too read that 200 mg is good for the hair issues and that less than 100 mg didn't do much at all unless people were taking it just to maintain their results.

Right now I'm taking 100 mg but I've gone back and forth between 100 mg and 200 mg quite a few times. It's just that sometimes at the 200 mg. level I feel so wiped out and yucky that I can't stand it. It might not even be related to the spiro., but I usually drop down for a week or to anyway. I'll be going back up to 200 mg again soon.

As far as AF is concerned, the 200 mg level doesn't affect mine. I'm am taking bcps though and if I wasn't I'm sure it would be crazy.

My hair loss seems to have really decreased most likely due to spiro. I can't say that my facial hair is improved but it's not gotten worse either. And hairs on my legs still grows like weeds.

The hair on my scalp is not growing back in. I always use to part my hair and when I started noticing that people were staring at my head I stopped doing that. I'm pretty much stuck always wearing my hair back in a head band. It's the only style that seems to hide the baldness on the top of my head. I just hope I don't start losing it at my temples or I'd really be in trouble with no way to do my hair.

I've read on here about follicles becoming dead and that once that happens, the hair will never grow from them. I'm thinking of trying Nioxin which is supposed to promote hair growth by creating a healthy scalp environment (or something like that

).

Have any of your doctors addressed the potassium factor when taking spironolactone? I've not had my blood potassium levels checked since I started taking spiro almost a year ago. I wonder if I should.