Spironolactone Dose

Daisy24 · 05-22-2004, 04:41 PM

I've been on Spiro for years, and it's always been the same 50mg twice a day dose. None of my doctors have ever really mentioned upping the dose at all, but I don't know if I've ever really given them a reason to think about upping it. I still shave my chin every day, so I've been wondering if I should see about upping the dosage. I've also been considering just going off of it, because if I'm shaving every day, it doesn't matter how much hair I'm shaving off. Those of you on Spiro, what's your doseage? What are the benefits for Spiro other than the less hair growth?

Thanks

Eva37 · 05-24-2004, 10:38 AM

Hi

I take 100 spiro every morning, and have been on this done over 3 years.

Eva

JenJen · 05-26-2004, 12:06 PM

I just started Spiro two weeks ago and she put me on 50mg twice a day and said that after a few months, I may only need a maintenance dose of 25mg twice a day.

I know that supposedly up to 200mg per day is safe, but because of the potassium sparing issue, I would definitely talk to your doctor first rather than upping it yourself if that is what you planned to do.

The potassium thing scared me a little bit, but my doctor said that for healthy people at medium doses like the one she put me on, its not really a big deal. Higher doses...probably a bigger deal.

Good Luck!

Jen

Hezzer · 05-26-2004, 12:53 PM

I took 100 mg spiro for a year and then started taking 150 mg and eventually 200 mg daily.

For me, there were very little results with spiro, in fact no change at all with the facial hair or my hair falling out, which were my main complaints. Spiro is shown to be ineffective with hair loss anyway, so I wasn't really expecting much in that area.

The only positive change I could probably attribute to the spiro was the decrease in my belly hair and the disappearance of little hairs that were starting to grown on my chest.

I read that maximum results with spiro will be seen by the end of the first year of taking it. Considering these were the only improvements I had seen, I went off it.

I've been off it for a year now and have no change compared to when I was taking it.

Daisy24 · 05-27-2004, 01:58 AM

Thanks for all the info Hezzer. When you went off of spiro, did you see a doctor about it or did you just stop taking it? I'm leaning more towards going off of it instead of upping the dose (which I'd definitely talk to a doc about first), but I can't really afford to go and see the doctor again.

Thanks

Hezzer · 05-28-2004, 10:38 AM

I just stopped taking it. I have a new doctor who gave me a new prescription for it at 50 mgs, twice daily. I haven't been taking them, though. I'm just not sure that it's worthwhile.

Spironolactone is the generic version of Aldactone. I have read that Aldactone is much more effective, but my insurance won't cover it because I have to take a generic form if it is available.

mauigurl16 · 01-11-2010, 01:11 AM

I was put on 25 spiro twice a day for acne when I started really breaking out while on bc a couple years ago. Apparently it is a very common acne solution for people with pcos and it definately cleared up my skin right away. I'm back on it again now at 25 twice a day with permission to up it to 50 twice a day. I'm hoping it will clear up my skin again but am also hopeful for some hair reduction.

silmeheryn · 01-11-2010, 09:32 PM

I'm on a 25mg dose once a day with my birth control. I've been taking it for about 3 years now. I do see improvement. I have my jawline waxed every once in a while and that along with the spiro helps thin it out. You would probably get better results if you didn't shave as it causes the hair to grow back darker and such.

I recommend waxing myself, it will hurt the first few times but I'm pretty much immune to it now. You toughen up to it.

Xylie · 01-19-2010, 12:03 PM

I am on 200mg of Spiro per day, and have only been taking it for about a month. I've read some of the results of studies on this drug, and based on those, I wasn't planning on even looking for signs that it's working until it had been 6 months.

Unbelievably, it already seems to be working. I should mention that I did change my supplement regimen a bit at the same time as commencement of Spiro, so there's the possibility of that being a factor in some of this. Nevertheless... these are the things that have happened after one month:

- I have always had a number of hairs that grow under my chin. They aren't altogether like a beard, but just isolated ones that are coarse and hard like a whisker. They're just the same few recurring ones, and I know where they are, so just pluck them out when needed. They have now become easier to pull out with less resistance... whereas before I'll be pulling on them with the tweezers, and they just wouldn't want to give it up lol

- My cycle has been at least somewhat regular over the last couple of years (by that I mean a couple months long at the most, whereas it used to sometimes be a year). I have been suffering the most extreme, and prolonged, PMS symptoms every time, with virtually no hope of functioning normally in any facet of life during it. I have just gone through my first bout of PMS on Spiro, and it was nothing... literally a breeze. (I'm touching wood, and hoping that's not just a once off and a co-incidence).

- I henna dye my hair every couple of months, and needed to get a very close up look in the mirror before applying it a few days ago, as I have a few tiny white ones I like to cover up and didn't want to miss them. I wasn't even thinking about Spiro at the time, and am very much a realist about these things... but much to my surprise, I saw what I believe is actually early signs of regrowth. Tiny hairs dotted around places where hair has been lost, and all exactly the same length, like they all started growing at the same time a couple of weeks ago. I'm wondering if I have responded faster, as before my hair loss my hair was very thick, and always did grow very fast.

- My acne (which wasn't severe, but was chronic) has mostly cleared up, to the point where if I run my finger tips over my cheeks, it feels totally different than it did before.

I had to build to my dose slowly over the course of a few days, and deliberately did this when I had a week off work. I'm glad I did, as the initial side effects took a bit of perseverance to get through, but they wore off. I plan on being vigilant about appointments to check my potassium levels checked, and apart from that concern, I'm quite happy to be on it.

got2babes · 01-19-2010, 01:55 PM

I was on 100mg/ day for almost 3 years now but was recently taken off when I had my last blood test due to high Potassium levels. Make sure that you are regularly getting your blood tested.

Xylie · 01-19-2010, 09:51 PM

Actually, I usually workout a lot, but have been out of the gym for a few months due to tennis elbow. I am going to need to know before I go back, if sports drinks are ok while taking Spiro'.

moondust52 · 01-20-2010, 11:47 AM

Dear Xylie,

Can you keep us posted about the head hair growth? Was the growth in your part area and or crown? I too started spiro but was nervous to go beyond 100 mg per day. Had you started the spiro for hair loss? Are you also on BC?

Thank you for posting.

Moondust

Xylie · 01-20-2010, 12:19 PM

Sure, I'll keep you posted

The two reasons I started Spiro were hairloss and hirsutism.

I'm not on BC. It's early days yet, but so far I haven't had the irregular bleeding side effect of Spiro. I also know all about the issues with pregnancy and Spiro' etc... but I don't have a partner at the moment. But as I'm 37, I don't want the issue of it taking longer to kick start my system again after BC when I do end up in a relationship and TTC... so for now my Doctor and I agree that no BC is fine.

The new hairs that I noticed were mostly just inside hair line above my forehead. The mirror I was using wasn't too user friendly for seeing much further back than that, so it's the only area I looked at. It's such early hair growth that I probably wouldn't be able to see it anywhere other than the hairline anyway, where I can lean right up to the mirror and have it right in front of my eyes. But it's there alright. I've been battling the hair thing for so long that I feel like I know every hair on my head, and those weren't there before. I used to check the same spot a few years ago when I tried saw palmetto for an extended period of time, and never noticed anything like this (I don't think they ever did anything).

From the studies I've read, actual regrowth is not likely to occur at doses below 200mg per day unfortunately. I had to have potassium checked before commencing.

moondust52 · 01-20-2010, 02:37 PM

Xylie,

Thank you for replying. I too had my potassium checked. I am not at present ready to go above the 100 mg and would hope that you will update over the next few weeks as to whether the 200 mg is effective for scalp hair growth. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you (and me too!)

MarianneUnfaithfull · 01-20-2010, 04:47 PM

I've been on it for about 18 months now. Usually on 75mg as any more causes me problems with low blood pressure which is annoying. I'm on it for acne and got it from my derm (it has worked a treat), but have noticed improvements in hirsutism and head hair as well. When I upped my dose I lost a lot of head hair which lasted for 2 or three months, shedding badly. I almost came off it, but the shedding stopped suddenly and my hair is now growing back - I have mad chunks of baby hair around the hairline and temples which look like devil's horns! I lost weight on it as well, and my figure looks more the shape it used to be, as well as giving me a flatter stomach and smaller waist. I love spiro. I'm just upset that my blood pressure gets too low sometimes. If I didn't have that problem I would increase to 150mg and come off the Dianette.