What dose of Spironolactone are you on?

TNT · 07-10-2006, 02:39 PM

My doc has offered me a prescription for this. I turned her down at first because my hairloss isn't that that bad. I felt silly taking another drug/pill purely for vanity's sake.

But lately, the hairloss is getting worse. I'm so gentle with my hair and it still just falls out 10 and 20 strands at a time. (Doesn't help that i've been off my Met for other health reasons for the last month or so)

Anyway, I broke down crying the other day when I was casually telling my bf that I choose carefully where I sit in the conference room when we have meetings because we've got overhead can lights that direct light onto the desktops directly...that's so my head isn't in the beam so people can see my scalp. So maybe it's not just vanity, it's affecting my psyche. So I'm doing research so I can go in with information the next time I talk to her, and maybe walk out with a prescription next time.

My question is this...doc wants to put me on 200 mg right away. Because she says she's never seen anything lower than that be really effective. I'm not a huge fan of just pumping drugs into my system, and I like to take as little of something as will work. Has anyone out there had an experience with lower doses or is the doc spot on with this one?

keepinthefaith · 07-10-2006, 06:16 PM

I am on 100mg and it seems to be working rather well. I will say though that I am not taking it for hair loss, I am taking it for the facial hair so I don't know if there would be a difference in doseage on that.

Eva37 · 07-10-2006, 09:34 PM

ive been on 100 a day , for 5 years.
eva

squidge63 · 07-11-2006, 12:20 AM

23 years ago I was put straight onto 200mg of it but it made me bleed every other week so I was taken off of it. Never noticed it do anything for hair loss, was put back on it in 2000 100mg and then increased up to 200mg but I don't have a problem with being hairy and I also hate the taste of spironolactone and got to the stage where I didn't want to swallow it so I stopped taking it. However, I developed very swollen ankles and my blood pressure started going out of control so I had to go back on it, but only take 50mg now (and that is too much in my book..lol and I still hate the taste but at least the tablets are smaller than the 200mg ones). Wish I could get off it but cardiac wise I will have to stay on it.

Becoming Sarah · 07-11-2006, 02:51 AM

hi there

i take 150 mg of spironolactone per day. i started at 100 mg, then increased a couple months later. i take 100 mg in the morning, and 50 mg at night. i have had no side effects, and i have had good results. i take this medication for excess hair, not hair loss

one thing i wanted to say, is that taking a medication for cosmetic concerns is just as valid as taking medication for any other medical reason. if your physical appearance effects your mental state, perception of yourself, and happiness. taking this medication has made my life happier, honestly, because the hair problem was really distracting me on a day to day basis, and now that it is manageable, i feel normal and much better.

TNT · 07-11-2006, 04:14 AM

Thanks for the input Sarah (and everyone else too!).

Yeah, I guess the thing is I've always had fine hair, and my mother and my grandmother both have lost a lot of hair as they got older, but looking at old photographs, they both had lovely heads of hair when they were my age.

It didn't really bother me too much at first. I've got a wonderful stylist who does magical things, but even that isn't enough now. I haven't really felt too bad about it other than a little self concious (which is something my mom feels too).

But realising that I'm changing my behavior as a result of this and actually welling up while I was talking about it made me realise that although it isn't something I'm aware of on a minute by minute basis, it's definitely something that is getting to me.

Anyone else have comments on the "flavor"? Is it bitter? I think I'm definitely goiing to be looking into this. Still need to do some more research. Anymore input is welcome on any of it.

Becoming Sarah · 07-11-2006, 05:49 AM

hi again

i don't understand why people are so grossed out by the taste of the pills. first of all, you put it on the back of your tongue and swallow it in two seconds, and second of all, it tastes like peppermint. it smells like peppermint too. not bad at all. i have no problem whatsoever with it, and even if it WAS bitter or awful tasting, the awful taste would be over in the blink of an eye after i wash it down with a glass of water.

do you know that you do not have a thyroid problem, or another issue causing your hair loss? if it is caused by a high testosterone level, or increased sensitivity to a normal testosterone, then the spironolactone will likely help. what i've heard is that hair loss can usually at best be helped from getting worse, but it is hard to regrow hair that is lost. some people have good luck with rogaine and other hair growth drugs, but i also hear that those have some bad side effects such as growing excess hair on your face.

just do what makes you feel better. your perception of yourself and feeling in your own body is what is important. taking the medication has made me feel like i'm doing what i can to improve the physical effects of my PCOS and high androgen levels. the spironolactone brought all of my hormone levels down to normal.

Christina027 · 07-11-2006, 07:26 AM

My dr. put me on 200mg of spiro for hair loss. I was only on for one month and my potassium levels went through the roof. I felt fine, but high potassium levels can cause all sort of fun other problems. I suggested trying 100mg, but dr. didn't think the dose would be effective.

squidge63 · 07-11-2006, 11:26 AM

Becoming Sarah, that is the only pill I dislike as I don't like peppermint much and if any pill is gong to stay in my mouth it will be that one. I just don't like the taste no matter where I put it on my tongue, and trust me I don't have a problem taking or swallowing pills I take 15 in the morning in one go and the only one to leave a nasty taste is the spiro...

TNT · 07-11-2006, 01:11 PM

I'm not a huge fan of mint myself, but I think I can get through this...after all i get through brushing my teeth twice a day.

Anyway, basically I've been taking Levothyroxine 50 mg for about 6 weeks now ...hmm wild I just remembered hair loss is one of the side effects when starting levo...apparently it evens out, but hmmmm.

I asked the doc when she put me on levo and increased my met dosage whether those two alone would work for the hairloss, and based on my lab work, she didn't feel so. My testosterone levels pre medication were somewhere around 90 (I think). She seemed to think spiro was the only thing that would work.

But now that I've remembered this little gem about the levo maybe I need to head back to the hypothyroid forum and ask how long this particular symptom lasts....and talk to my pharmacist or something.

I've been off met for about 6 weeks because my liver panel numbers came back elevated but they're back down and I go in for my "all clear" blood test tomorrow, so hopefully by Friday, I'll be back on met. That might be making the difference too.

I'm nervous about this potassium thing, though now because I already have mildly elevated K. It's like 1 or 2 points over, nothing to alarm anyone, but anything like this may even make it higher...but that was when I was on bcp too...so that might have been elevating it as well. I took myself off those about 6 weeks ago too.

Ok I'll quit babbling, I'm just talking out loud at this point

penguinlover · 07-11-2006, 05:25 PM

I have never been over 25 mg of Spiro (both gynecologist and family doctor). Even when I asked my current family physician of four years, he said taking more would not guarantee any more changes and that I would have to get checked more often because of what Spiro does to the body with high dosages. I will have to ask my gynecologist of four years what she thinks.

keepinthefaith · 07-11-2006, 05:50 PM

I also don't like the taste of spiro but did find a solution that worked for me. What I do is fill my mouth with whatever liquid I am drinking and then tip my head back and drop the pill into the liquid and swallow all at once, that way the pill never touches my tounge and I never taste it.

squidge63 · 07-11-2006, 07:51 PM

Personally I don't even want to take the spiro for more reasons than just the awful taste, and stopped it myself but my ankles swelled up so much and my blood pressure went up.. my dr's didn't want to put me on any other diuretics as they can cause more problems and said that the spiro was the best for ankle swelling, so reluctantly I went back on it..

Becoming Sarah · 07-12-2006, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squidge63

Becoming Sarah, that is the only pill I dislike as I don't like peppermint much and if any pill is gong to stay in my mouth it will be that one. I just don't like the taste no matter where I put it on my tongue, and trust me I don't have a problem taking or swallowing pills I take 15 in the morning in one go and the only one to leave a nasty taste is the spiro...

wow - it just goes to show how different we all are! i don't mind the taste of any pills i've taken...

it's so strange how spiro tastes like peppermint too!

also, i wanted to tell you that i love when you post. your point of view is comforting, and just knowing that another non-heterosexual identified person participates in this forum is nice to know

R0xyg4l · 07-12-2006, 06:44 AM

I'm on 25 mg of Aldactone taken twice daily. I am yet to see any effects.