My doctor just prescribed spironolactone to me on Monday. I'm waiting to start taking it until I learn a little more about the drug. And I'm interested in hearing what those of you who are on it/have been on it, think of the drug. I tried Metformin a few years ago and didn't see any benefits (it just made me sick). Other than that, I dont take any other medications to manage my PCOS other than birth control. Thanks!!!
Spiro is an older drug, originally used to treat blood pressure, but it's side effect of lowering testosterone works out great for us! It is a mild diuretic, potassium sparing, so that means not to bulk up on your potassium. I have taken it for years and never had any side effects Because it is a diuretic, it can make you go potty a little more in the beginning, but your body soon adjusts. You shouldn't take it if you are pregnant or TTC because it does cause some risk to the fetus according to one of my Docs. Personally, I always prefer to take an older drug because it has been out and the general population has guinea pigged it before me... so many new drugs show up and then turn out to have lots of problems and are taken off the market, I always want tried and true
Don't be afraid of the Met... it took me a couple of tries and each time I had different reactions... one time it was upset stomach, another time it was the other end... this time around I started taking it at night and it is working great! I took 1/2 an immodium the first two nights and haven't had any issues since I just added another dose at lunch time and don't even notice.
Did you experience any of the benefits that Spironolactone is supposed to provide. I haven't been on any medication (other than BC) for probably five or six years now (I'm 22). I do have the classic symptoms(i.e. unwanted facial hair, irregular periods, difficulty losing weight, etc.). My gyno prescribed this drug because I was expressing frustration about not being able to lose weight easily, I can just maintain. (I'm 5'7, 185 lbs). She thought the spironolactone may be able to help with that because I watch what I eat and go to the gym 4-5 times a week. I'm just frustrated...it'd be great to hear about how the drug has benefited you!
My experience wasn't so pleasant. I took myself off of it after taken it for years. I don't know if I was taking too much or not drinking enough but it dried me up. My mouth and vagina stayed dry. I began to bloat or retain and then all of a sudden it was like I had no hormones or sex organs. I didn't want sex at all. Upon going to the dr, surely the drug can cause dehydration and sexual dysfunction. That was my breaking point. I took myself off of the drug and began drinking spearmint tea, and too much of that will have the same sexual dysfunction. So I just drink it sparingly.
__________________ Diagnosed 10+ yrs ago; Weight always a struggle
Began ortho tricyclen & spiro
Blood clot 2/03; blood thinner for a year; left me with thrombophlebitis
Healthy eater & active; No meds since 9/07
Currently: Multivitamin (GNC);Coral Calcium (for IBS); Super B Complex; Flaxseed Oil 1000/day, Baby Aspirin
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I've had great success with spiro. My testosterone levels after taking it for a year have been cut in half!!! HUGE ACCOMPISHMENT!!! The levels were like 120 ng/ml and now I'm down in a normal range!
__________________
~emmy~
Meds--200 mg spironolactone, 1500 mg met, 10 mcg byetta, lutera
Diet--low carb
exercise--Turbo Jam
I take 100mg... it takes a while to see the effects and sometimes it doesn't work at all for some people... I still have facial hair, but it slowed down a great deal, I haven't had my testosterone checked since I started so I don't know if it is lowering that. I recently added saw palmetto about 10 days ago and I am seeing more slowing in facial hair growth already.
Make sure to drink LOTS of water because it is a diuretic. If you don't get enough water to make your body happy, it will start hanging on to the little water you give it because it thinks it needs to survive a drought.
I would say to make a note of how your facial hair is now, maybe even take a picture and then at the end of next month document again. Give it about 3 months to see effects, but some people respond sooner. It may not completely resolve the hair issue, but if you can see improvement and have to attend to the hairs less often that will be fantastic.
25mg seems kind of low to me, from what I have read, therapeutic doses for PCOS hirituism would be around 100mg, I have seen that some people even take 200mg. Getting the insulin sensitivity under control, either through met or alternatives, will help in the long run... research is showing that is the origin of all our woes, and the surest way to bring down a building is to knock out it's foundation. There are lots of natural options to getting the insulin in line... chromium picolate (sp?), cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, NAC and lots of others you can find in the alternative board.
I don't know that I really have any fears. I think any new medicine is a little scary, just because you don't really know what to expect. I just hate being reliant on medication, and I don't ever want to feel the way I felt while on Metformin again.
Do you have allergic reactions to Sulphur...like antibotics? If you do then DO NOT take Sprio, it does have a Sulphur base to it. I found out the hard way, and my nurse practioner a the time must not have known or just didn't do her research. I had the worse reaction to it and had to go to the emergency room. Other than that Spiro seem to calm down the testertone levels because my acne was ceasing, and yes it does affect your libido, but since I'm single it was wonderful...LOL!!!
__________________ All you need is a pinch and a kiss. A pinch to know you are alive, and kiss to know you are loved.
Last edited by restfulhaven; 08-22-2008 at 03:41 PM.
From my experience the worst you can expect from the spiro is extra potty runs because it is a diuretic... and the best you can expect is reduced hair growth, it won't ever go away, but it can go into hiding
I took Spiro and it made me bottom out. My blood pressure dropped so low that I was lethargic. It is a blood pressure lowerer as he other ladies mentioned. You'll just hve to try if and see. The metformin works for me okay.
__________________ DX w/PCOS 9/23/05
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welcome to sc ive been on spiro since 2001. And it has helped with the hair, i still have to do it every day - but it is less.
When i first started spiro, it made my periods a bit irregular for a few months, but it soon settled down back to my normal.
eva
sprionolactone is fabulous. i absolutely love it. i'm just going to make a list of all the benefits i've gotten from it:
my hair problem is really starting to improve!! (the hair that i have is starting to get lighter) i've only been on it for about 6 months total, and four of those months i was only on 50. (i'm on 100 now, with birth control, which i've been taking for about 9 months, so some of it is probably due to the birth control.)
i am alot less bloated when i'm on my period because of its diuretic properties. i still get a little bloat, but not nearly as bad as i used to.
my face used to get so oily and shiny that i had to touch up my powder several times a day. my skin is not oily at all any more, and i can go all day without touching up. (not to mention the birth control having cleared up my skin completely!!)
my hair is also alot less oily. granted, it was never really excessively oily, but i can go an entire week without washing it (which is nice since i straighten it)...and i am even able to wear it down and have it look nice all the way through day seven. that probably sounds really gross, but even my mother will attest to the fact that my hair neither looks nor smells dirty.
so yeah...spiro is amazing. just make sure you take it with food, stay hydrated, and have a good moisturizer on hand. (i get a littly peely sometimes on certain areas of my face.)
Spironolactone...any thoughts??? 
Because it is a diuretic, it can make you go potty a little more in the beginning, but your body soon adjusts. You shouldn't take it if you are pregnant or TTC because it does cause some risk to the fetus according to one of my Docs. Personally, I always prefer to take an older drug because it has been out and the general population has guinea pigged it before me... so many new drugs show up and then turn out to have lots of problems and are taken off the market, I always want tried and true 
