I saw the news report lastnight!!! VERY scary! I stopped taking this drug 2 weeks ago and am kinda glad I did.
Potassium sparing means it make your body hold onto it, and I was told to stay away from things with lots of potassium like bananas ect.
I NEVER had my levels checked either.
It did get rid of some of the hair, but my perids were seriously abnormal on it!!
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I'm on Spiro and my doctor warned me that it might drain my body of potassium, not store too much. Even my regular doctor said the same thing. I'm very un-reassured about my doctors now.
It's sad that neither my doctor or my endo informed me of the various side effects, risks, etc. associated with taking spiro. Most of what I have learned was through my own research.
Do you also know of the risks to the male fetus if taken during pregnancy? (See second quote.)
Here's some info from past posts . . .
Quote:
As a potassium-sparing drug, spironolactone reduces urinary loss of potassium. This can cause potassium levels to build up in the body. Therefore, people taking this drug should avoid use of potassium chloride containing products, such as Morton Salt Substitute, No Salt, Lite Salt, and others. Even eating several pieces of fruit per day can sometimes cause problems for people taking potassium-sparing diuretics, due to the high potassium content of fruit. Doctors prescribing this drug should monitor blood levels of potassium to make sure they do not become elevated.
Some foods high in potassium are: bananas, melons, grapefruit, oranges, tomato or prune juice, prunes, molasses, potatoes, avocados, nuts, baked beans, brussels sprouts, and milk.
Quote:
Originally posted by ecaryn
Ok, here are the basics that I know about the drug. It has been used for years in the treatment of high blood pressure (more recently acne and other androgen related disorders) and is considered well-tested and safe. As a matter of fact it is one of the milder prescription drug choices for acne, hirsutism, etc and is usually the first choice before moving on to some of the bigger guns like Accutane or flutamide.
It is potassium sparing, which means it causes your body to unduly store potassium that could be a concern if ingested in large quantities. Thats reasonably simple to avoid though, just dont go overboard on foods high in potassium, for example you wouldnt want to chow down on a bunch of bananas in one day.
It is also a diuretic, so you will probably want to have alot of water on hand at all times...hince the frequent urination. Due to that I dont really think it will end up increasing the size of your breasts (darn!) and might in fact shrink them a little because you will retain less water. In any case, I doubt any breast growth or shrinkage would be permanent.
Aldactone (spiro) is known to cause chaos with your periods a little. Making them longer, heavier, spotting, etc. But this is usually dealt with quite effectively with a combination treatment of a birth control pill. In fact most doctors wont prescribe spiro without the woman being on the pill because the drug could possibly feminize a male fetus and thus you would definitely NOT want to have the risk of getting pregnant on this med.
With all that said, I think spiro has proven to be a safe and effective drug for many women and I wouldnt hesitate to take it. Good luck.
Quote:
Spironolactone (Aldactone, Spirotone) is a potassium-sparing medication used as a diuretic medication for heart failure, liver disease and high blood pressure.
It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.
However, it has also been found useful for hirsutism, acne and seborrhoea because it has anti-androgenic properties.
The dose of spironolactone is usually slowly increased from 50 to 200 mg daily, taken at night. It may take six or more months to see improvement in the skin condition.
Side effects include:
- Nausea, diarrhoea
- Drowsiness (possibly due to high blood potassium levels)
- Headache
- Menstrual cycle irregularities including increased frequency of menstruation, bleeding in the middle of the month or stopping periods altogether (amenorrhoea)
Canadian researchers examined whether the use of spironolactone had increased after the 1999 research, and what impact it was having on patients who take a standard ACE inhibitor and had been sick enough to be recently hospitalized. ACE inhibitors relax the blood vessels and lower blood pressure but can contribute to high potassium when combined with spironolactone.
are you all on ACE inhibitors as well as Spiro? I believe from the above quote that is what caused the problem in combination with Spiro, not Spiro alone.
i don't think we need to have a wide spread panic attack.
Thanks for posting that. It is a bit disturbing as I've been on Yasmin for a long time and just started 100mg/day of Spiro.
I read up on it a little and found the medical term for too much potassium is Hyperkalemia. The symptoms are:
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Tingling, numbness, or other unusual sensations
• Paralysis
• Palpitations
• Difficulty breathing
Although most of what I've read says there are usually no symptoms at all.
My doctor never mentioned anything about monitoring potassium or avoiding potassium-rich foods. I guess it's a good thing I'm on a low-carb diet and don't eat bananas anyway!
I take spironolactone. I was informed of the risks, and I get blood tested every 3-6 months to monitor my body and be sure I'm not having any problems.
Spiro article 
