Spiro

Barefootie · 06-19-2005, 10:00 PM

Anyone taking this? My Dr perscribed me 50mg a day and gave me 6 refills. Is it safe? Are there any s/e from taking it that I should know before I do this? Can I really not eat bananas now? Does it really make the hair go away?

linni · 06-19-2005, 10:36 PM

Hey there Barefootie...

I was on spiro for about 5 years. I started at a dosage of 200mg/day and was on that dose for all 5 years. I didn't have any bad side effects. The only thing I really noticed right after starting it was having to pee a little bit more often because it is a diuretic.

If you do a search on the board I'm sure you can find more posts about spiro. When I was started on the Spiro my doctor mentioned that it was a potassium sparing diuretic, but that the amount that it spared was soo minimal, that I didn't have to worry about it. You may request some blood work if you're worried about it, or not eat too many potassium 'full' foods. But I never worried about it, and never had any problems. In fact, I probably ate a whole lot of bananas while on the spiro.

It did help decrease the excess hair growth for me, it didn't help me with the hair loss. maybe it slowed it down, but nothing really noticeable. It also really helped my acne.

best of luck with it! and if you have any other questions feel free to ask...

Hope I was helpful

linni · 06-19-2005, 10:47 PM

some of these might help?!?

http://www.soulcysters.net/showthread.php?t=119983&highlight=spiro

http://www.soulcysters.net/showthread.php?t=121515&highlight=spiro

http://www.soulcysters.net/showthread.php?t=109618&highlight=spiro

http://www.soulcysters.net/showthread.php?t=49556&highlight=spiro

Barefootie · 06-20-2005, 04:04 AM

Wow...thank you so much for sending the links to these posts. It's looks like this is a real toss up. It works well for some and not for others. I want to concieve....but I want the hair gone...I'm not "actively" trying to get pregnant....but we're not preventing it either. I wonder what would happen in I got pregnant and didn't know it..while on this? What would happen to the baby? Scarey!
I want this hair gone so badly though....it is such an embarressment to me. The other DJ's at the radio station I used to work for would say things...or should I say call me a particular name because of it. I worked graveyard shift and would have a beard by morning....and they would say...
" Mornin' Freak Show!" It devisated me..and still does to this day.

My Dr only perscribed me 50 mgs of Spiro...will it work at such a low dosage? I am only on 500mg of Met, and he refuses to raise that...so I doubt very seriously that he will increase this.

Tolania · 06-20-2005, 05:44 AM

I hate to tell you this, but...
Taking spiro doesn't make the hair go away... not the hair already there. But it will make that hair softer and keep (supposedly) new hairs from growing. The unwanted hair that is already there -- you have to have it removed by electrolysis or laser treatment to make it go away.

Spiro actually has helped me in an unexpected way. I was having terrible, constant muscle aches for over a year that no one could explain. After taking spiro for a few days, they disappeared like magic. My doctor thinks it is because I was lacking potassium (causes muscle aches) and the spiro helps me retain it.

As for hair loss on your head... I didn't have that at all until AFTER I started taking spiro so I am very distressed.

Jen K · 06-20-2005, 06:08 PM

I have been on Spiro (50mg/day) for a while now, and have not noticed any improvement in my hair loss. It's the same as it was before I started taking it. I'm beginning to wonder if ANYTHING will help curb the hair loss at this point. I'm going to discuss this with my doctor at my next appointment - if it's not doing anything for me, I'm not sure that I want to stay on it...

Jen K

asrai · 06-20-2005, 07:01 PM

50mg a day of Spiro radically improved my hair fullness. I do still have a small bald spot, but not nearly as large/noticable as before.

For the facial/neck hair, I used to have a patch on my chin and a patch on my neck that I would have to shave EVERY day, and now it's more like once a month. All of my facial hair is lighter and more fine, though there is still plenty of it, I don't think it's very noticable. It doesn't show up in photographs and no one has ever mentioned it to me (could be they're just being nice). The small patch in my cleavage I still have to shave.

asrai · 06-20-2005, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barefootie

I wonder what would happen in I got pregnant and didn't know it..while on this? What would happen to the baby? Scarey!

Birth control is HIGHLY recommended with Spiro. If you conceive a boy, he will likely be feminized thanks to the supression of testosterone.

Quote:

Spironolactone is in the FDA pregnancy category D. This means that spironolactone is known to harm an unborn baby. Do not take spironolactone if you are pregnant.

(from drugs.com)

TickledPink · 06-20-2005, 07:13 PM

and also watch out for non stop, or frequent heavy periods. I had to stop taking it for that reason.

Armastama · 06-20-2005, 08:18 PM

Ive been on Sprio for a year now, 100 mg a day, hoping to pop that up to 200 this week. Ive enjoyed much less aggressive hair growth on my face, the hair on my chest has all but gone away (still have to shave a few here and there maybe once every couple of weeks), and I think, but cant quite tell (how could you really) that it has slowed down the hair loss on my head. The side effects that Ive dealt with are mainly a dramatic decrease in libido, and this is a hard one for me.

Also as the ladies stated above, you gotta be on the pill while you're taking these. Its not worth the risk.

mandy71480 · 06-20-2005, 08:25 PM

I was always scared to go on Spiro because of the birth harm chance- but I asked my pharmacist if you aren't supposed take it while pregnant and he said it was fine!!! eeeep! I've been on it 2 weeks- I'm also on the pill and on Met, too- I just don't like taking drugs that could harmmy baby- because you *never know* what might happen. Man, I'm upset now. Spiro or Peace of mind? I'm not TTC any time soon,so maybe I should quit being so spastic about it. *lesigh*

Barefootie · 06-20-2005, 10:09 PM

I think that now I can make an educated decision about whether or not to do this, and I am deciding NOT to do this. I want the hair gone....yes....however, I don't want to be one of the few who looses more hair on my head...I don't want to settle for the hair just becoming finer...it needs to be gone...and I don't want to take birth control because I am 34 and have waited 14 yrs to have a child, and I don't want to wait any longer. The "cons" outway the "pros" for me at this point, and the fear of concieving for the first time in my life, and OOOPS! I was taking this drug at the same time....it would feel selfish of me to put a child at risk for cosmetic purposes.

It's all a matter of what is on a woman's agenda...and a baby is on mine...God Willing.....the hair will just have to be dealt with...and that's very hard for me to say at this point.

TickledPink · 06-20-2005, 10:49 PM

It's really great that you thought about it and came to a decision that is right for you!

asrai · 06-20-2005, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TickledPink

It's really great that you thought about it and came to a decision that is right for you!

Hear hear! And good luck with the biopsy results!

Barefootie · 06-20-2005, 11:03 PM

I've been doing the provera for 3 mos now and for the first time in my life...I'm having normal cycles...which is what we were hoping for. Now it's just a waiting game to see if the cells have reverted back to normal as well, so that we can rule out the hystorectomy for now and try for a baby. I'm sure the hair will be there when this part of my plan is done and I'll perhaps take care of it then....but for now..I won't take any chances.

Thank you so much girls.....you all are such wonderful people. I know I wouldn't be in the place I''m in right now...on the road to health....if it hadn't been for you!!