I have been taking aldactone 50 mg a day for almost 3 months for acne. I have noticed some improvement, however, I thought I would have fewer breakouts. I have noticed that I've almost gained 10 pounds without changing anything in my daily diet and exercise routine? Will the extra pounds be lost once my body adjusts or will I continue to gain more weight the longer I take the drug? I want clear skin, but not at the cost of a nice figure I've worked hard on!
Spironolactone - Will weight gain with aldactone usage go away once the body adjusts?
- Asked
- 9 Apr 2014 by Dawn E
- Updated
- 20 August 2021 (10 weeks ago)
- Topics
- aldactone, obesity, acne, spironolactone, weight
54 Answers
kaismama
9 Apr 2014
Weight gain as a side effect usually doesn't go away. Once the med is stopped it will of course.
brooklynn03
17 Apr 2014
I am having the same side effect. I feel swollen all over. Breast, face, stomach area but my derm keeps saying its not a side effect but it's driving me crazy! Did you try something else or stop taking it?
Dawn E
18 Apr 2014
Yes, swollen is how I feel too! My derm appointment is next week, I will continue with the meds until then. I will post what she says.
brooklynn03
18 Apr 2014
Yes please let me know what she says. Mine thinks Im crazy I think:) hahahaha Thanks for your input:)
Dawn E
25 Apr 2014
My dermatologist said she hadn't heard of weight gain as a side effect. She did believe it was possible to gain weight because aldactone is a hormone. She prescribed me 100 mg a day of minocycline, an antibiotic for my acne. No weight gain as a side effect. I hope this works.
brooklynn03
25 Apr 2014
Well I hope it works for you! I go On May 7th so I hope I can get something different too. The other day I looked 3 mths pregnant in a tank top I put on so I have totally stopped taking it!
Dawn E
27 Apr 2014
I'm interested to hear what your doctor says too. Good luck! :)
brooke0501
3 May 2015
I've been on Spiro for a month... no real side effects noticed until one evening about a week and a half ago, I felt severely bloated. I gave it a few days to go away and it didn't. I felt awful, so I stopped taking it. I gained a few pounds during those few days and now I'm up to an 8 lbs gain in just 2 weeks!! I've never had a weight issue... I'm not sure if this is mostly water retention or if I've truly gained 8lbs. I've been off of it for a week, and I'm still gaining. Ugh. I wish I NEVER started this medication. Worst decision ever!
Did your weight go back to normal after stopping the medication?
Amypoo
25 Jun 2015
My dermatologist put me on spironolactane to treat cystic acne about a month and a half ago. Since then I have gained 8lbs! I have been very careful about my diet and am working out twice as hard yet still gaining! I have never dealt with this before, it has to be the med!
SuzyQ52
10 Sep 2016
Are you speaking from experience? You took spironolactone and have lost weight after stopping the drug? I'm hearing many women say they are still gaining and struggling to lose after getting off this drug. It sounds as if it could have had a severe effect on the hormonal system and should be looked into for a lawsuit. I specifically asked my doctor if it would cause weight gain and she said no. I am very healthy and have not altered my eating habits or exercise. I have gained 10 lbs and am struggling to lose it. Has anyone been successful in losing after getting off this crazy drug???
Majesticdeb
10 Sep 2016
I was given this medication this week for the removal of facial hair from hormone therapy, and after reading some comments I am afraid to try it. I was given 50 mg for 30 days and 3 refills and I do not want to gain weight.
I was told this medication does not cause weight gain. What are the most recent experiences ?
underworld_pixi
15 Nov 2016
I started spironolactone earlier this year for my severe cystic acne. My acne is so bad that it disfigures my face. I was on the med for about 6 months. I noticed some weight gain a few months later but didn't really think much of it. But then the weight started to become more rapid. It came to a point where I was gaining 10 lbs every 2 weeks. My eating habits and physical activity never changed. So I decided to stop taking it. Its been about a month already since I stopped. I have gained 40 lbs within the 6 months of taking it. I am overweight now and am very depressed from this. I have lost 5 lbs so far. Has anyone ever experience weight loss after stopping this med?? If so how long does it take to get back to pre-med weight? I have always been obsessed with my weight and having clear skin but I guess I prefer being skinny with acne than the other way around. The weight gain is too much.
Pandora6
10 Feb 2017
I have also been prescribed Spirolactone for cystic acne. I exercise regularly, eat a very clean diet and have consistently been the same weight for the past 20+ years. Since taking this medication 2 months ago, I've gained 8 lbs, which is very unusual for me. I am kind of freaking out here. I like having clear skin, but I don't want to see this weight gain out of control. It's not worth it to me. I work too hard to maintain my figure. So I'm stopping this medication.
Lizzie714
6 Jun 2018
**Answer**
Girls I am having the exact same experience with this medication Spironolactone. I’ve gained 30 pounds over the past two months. All in the same areas you all have, stomach, hips, thighs, arms, face...
My uncle is a personal trainer and I spoke to him about this, he said that this medication is definitely changing my hormones in a bad way and I need to stop it immediately. As of today I’m not taking it anymore. His advice was a supplement called DIM that you can find at GNC, Walgreens, Walmart.. you can google to see what’s near you. He said it’s a supplement that will help lose weight in these areas, it specifically targets these areas for women, and it will help with the acne. So we don’t have to stop the medication and worry about the acne coming back and be frustrated about not being able to lose the weight that we gain from it.
I’m going to start on it today, I’m going grocery shopping and I’m going to buy it right now. He said that he recommended this to his daughter, my cousin, and it worked for her. She lost weight and her acne is cleared up.
I hope this helps some of you, it’s worth a try, it’s a natural supplement that cannot harm you so there is no risk in giving it a try.
I really hope this works for me, I don’t see why it won’t, and like I said, it’s a natural supplement so it can not harm you. Also, it’ll take about a month to start working, just like this med took about a month to start making us all gain weight like crazy.
I came on this site and just saw every girl asking for help, as I was about to, so I used my resources to find something, so now my post is one comment with an answer.
Good luck girlies ❤️
amelia227
21 Jun 2018
I have been taking this pill for 5 days. I am so bloated I cannot even eat. I feel just awful. I have always had a perfectly flat stomach. I look 5 months pregnant. Needless to say I am stopping them immediately. Cannot wait to feel myself. Sure hope it goes away soon. I am on hold waiting to speak with my doctor so I can scream at him for giving me this awful medication. I rather swollen ankles than this stomach. ugh!!!
Tarap3168
5 Jul 2018
I hate this for you all! I’m having the exact same
Issues and I have to stop taking this medicine.
Amber71101
15 Aug 2018
I am so happy to hear I am not alone in this. I started this medication last summer and I am up 15ibs. I’ve never been thin, however the day I went to the doctor I weighed 163lbs. Now I’m 178lbs. My breast’s have grown and my entire midsection is much more plump. Will this go away once I stop taking this medication?
Dfreie
23 Jul 2019
This is true, especially with beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, they cause weight gain which for me got worse and worse.
candaceherod
20 Aug 2021
I am totally confused . I have been prescribed 25mg for water retention and swelling. How does it work to relieve those things and cause some to gain weight and have bloating?
DS32
10 Feb 2017
I wish my Dr told me that weight gain was a side effect. Gained about 10 pounds in about 3-4 months. I have been off the medication for 3 months now. Good news is you stop gaining any more weight, Bad news is despite working out religiously and eating nothing but broccoli and chicken haven't lost a single pound. This weight is stubborn, and it's all in the wrong places, I have a gut(never had one) it does not budge despite 100's of crunches every day, my thighs are heavier so clothes don't fit. Believe me nothing about this weight gain feels comfortable. I feel bloated and growing hopeless with every passing day, I haven't had bread or processed carbs in months but nothing changes. I feel like giving up but I know it will come off one day !!
underworld_pixi
11 Feb 2017
I'm on the exact same boat. I've been quite depressed, anxious, and frustrated being this big now. I have a gut and rolls now which I did not have before as well. I stopped the wt gain as well. It just won't come off. Also there isn't much info on weight gain from this pill and if weight loss is possible. I am freaking out. Please update if you continue to see no changes or start seeing changes in weight. I wish you luck!
Cara_boska
4 Mar 2017
Ladies, it makes me super angry reading about your struggles and incompetency of health care professionals. First of all, when a drug affect a hormone level it will make you loose/gain weight. If you are putting on weight while taking a drug, it has to be addressed not brushed over. Exactly the same thing happened to me when I was put on the pill (newest, best, lightest type). I swollen up like a balloon and it took me ages to loose this weight. And by ages I mean years. I was on a pill for 6 months because my doctor was denying it could make me put on weight. At the end I was starving myself with 1000calorie diet per day while still getting fatter. Even though I lost this weight at the end I've been left with cellulite, which I never had prior taking a pill.
If you feel it makes you put on weight don't take it.
get2ayesha
12 Apr 2017
Hi DS32. Any update on this? Were you ever able to lose the weight? I am experiencing the same stubborn weight gain.
Kelliland
31 Dec 2017
I understand your pain. I also gained weight on this & stopped taking it. I’ve tried everything to get the weight off & cant lose a single pound. It’s depressing.
Meekah
1 Jan 2018
Wow! what an eye opener, I thought I was going nuts, been on spiro now for three years to treat hypertension, I am 68 years old and as if we didn't have other problems as we age, this prescribed drug can put you over the edge quick, why aren't doctors listening to their patients,
I am an active person, I keep myself in good shape by eating right and I exercise regularly, though I have Lupus I am still motivated, at least as much as I can, spiro has put somewhat of a damper on my activities but most of all and most worrisome is the weight gain and the bloating, I was started on 100 mg three years ago then reduced to 75 mg two years later then to 25 mg about two months ago, I am finally off Spiro due to the uncontrollable bloating and acid re-flux, three years of it and maybe some permanent damage now.
However, I have found an instant cure or maybe just a band aid for the acid re-flux, at least for myself, fermented garlic with fermented carrots in addition to home made sauerkraut, may sound crazy but it works, could be the added probiotics, I ingest a small serving of kraut and some of the carrots and garlic before a meal to calm the forthcoming acid re-flux event, other family members have tried it for acid and it has worked for them also, you may want to try it, not sure it will do anything for the weight gain but at this point, at least for me it was worth a try, not to mention the added benefits of fermented foods and all natural.
Floraale
12 Jul 2020
Make sure your Sodium and Potassium are normal. Aldactone works by balance the na, potassium and fluid(holding water or getting rid of water) i take it for an adrenal gland problem and aldactone is an hiblood pressure med for me. Lots of people take lasix with it but if your sodium is low your doctor will be able to instruct on what to do.
In my case i would reduce my fluids to the minimum and after 2- 3 days you have changed the balance and lose some fluid. The decreased fluids "trigger "a change which instructs the fluid to diurese. It really works. Good luck- my dose is 100 mg and just added 20mg of lasix.
Kaileegw
6 May 2017
So when I started taking Spironolactone back in College, I didn't take it as often and couldn't remember the side effects. This year, I went back to the dermatologist and she prescribed me spironolactone which I didn't think anything of at first. After I started taking it consistently, I noticed my body changed and it felt like I was gaining weight. When I was home for the weekend I looked it up and I saw other people were having the same problem. I instantly threw the medicine away in the garbage. I use Epiduo which is a topical cream, which I heard has the same ingredients as Acutane. There are better resources out there for clear skin! I work out every day so I do not want to gain weight, when I know there are better skin resources out there.Try Epiduo or talk to your dermatologist about another topical cream or pill which will not cause the weight gain.
Hope this helps!
sasha0009c
24 Oct 2017
Just to clarify; Epiduo does not have the same ingredients as Accutane! Epiduo is a combination of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide. Adapalene is a retinoid, like the tretinoin in Accutane, but it's generally considered more gentle and doesn't really have an effect on wrinkles and stuff in the way tretinoin does - it only really affects acne.
lucentio
25 Jul 2020
Do not throw unwanted medication into the garbage as it can get into the environment and impact everyone else. Take it back to your pharmacy for safe disposal.
sprucedesign
12 Aug 2017
This is so frustrating. I noticed that my 15 year old daughter seemed to be gaining weight, and quickly. She started this medication a little over two months ago for back acne. After reading all of these responses I decided to stop giving her the medication and carefully explained what some women heave been dealing with. This is tough because I do not want to point out to her that she has gained weight quickly because I do not want her to feel bad about herself. I feel awful as a mom that I didn't know this about the medication. Her derm swore up and down about what a great medication it was. On another site I saw someone mention that since it blocks testosterone it only makes sense that it could slow the metabolism. Also that any time you alter how your body stores thing (like fluids) it will shift your system. So not only us is screwing with your hormones, but it is putting your body into panic mode because of how it drains your body of fluids.
I have also read that it takes time, but that your body will re-adjust. I hope this is true! Has anyone seen the weight come back off? My daughter is pretty healthy and works out three times a week, all the gain has been in her thighs and abdominal area.
Smccoll4
10 Apr 2019
any update on your daughter? I’m in exactly the same boat - my daughter started it on Christmas break for cystic acne- has since gained probably 15 lbs. And is experiencing dry hair that’s breaking off weirdly. She’s on birth control as well and I thought that was the culprit to weight gain but after reading this thread, I’m convinced it’s the spiro.
Smccoll4
10 Apr 2019
any update on your daughter? I’m in exactly the same boat - my daughter started it on Christmas break for cystic acne- has since gained probably 15 lbs. And is experiencing dry hair that’s breaking off weirdly. She’s on birth control as well and I thought that was the culprit to weight gain but after reading this thread, I’m convinced it’s the spiro.
Carrie169
18 Aug 2017
I took it for 3 months and within 6-8 weeks gained 15-20 lbs. while taking 25 mg. a day. The doctor never told me that weight gain was a side effect of the drug. The weight hasn't dropped off since I quit taking it, my diet has never changed throughout using the medicine or when I stopped. I have always been on a heart diet and very strict with myself and still gained wght. while taking this. Yes, you keep gaining as long as you take it. I stopped when I found this out. On the flip side it stopped my facial hair from growing and my skin was much less oily and my acne disappeared. It was great while it lasted, but not worth gaining so much wght. Now the doctor wants me to loose the wght. and being 66 yrs. old it doesn't come off that easily.
I had to watch my potassium because the med. made it go higher. Great drug for acne, bad drug for wght. gain.
vegangelist
14 Sep 2017
The good news is, you've not been on it for too long so you only have minimal damage.
I was on it for at least 7 years and went from 128 to 193 pounds during that time - mind you, I had NEVER been larger than 140 (during my freshman 15) EVER!!
Nobody mentioned the weight gain being an issue or I don't think I would have ever taken it. It wasn't listed on the side effects list when I first started taking it (maybe it is now?) It just isn't worth it. I HATED my acne but I hate my "new" fat body more.
I started taking it when I was 35 so, initially, I just attributed it to age or natural hormone changes. But the weight kept coming. And coming. My diet didn't change - if anything, over those 7 years my diet IMPROVED as did my activity level. In fact, my activity level increased dramatically after about 4 years on it but the weight just kept climbing. That's when I knew something was crazy wrong.
It took me awhile to make a connection between the weight gain and the meds - my skin wasn't totally clear on it but it was significantly improved - but I finally did and I was horrified at all the stories I was reading.
I searched for the actions of the meds (testosterone blocking which, to be honest, I didn't even realize when I started taking it - after 20 years of acne, I was just desperate for something to work!) and I looked up the symptoms of low testosterone and I could check off EVERY item on the list. It was not just weight gain but WHERE I gained weight. I was always a pear shape such that, when I gained weight, it was always in my lower body/hips (only small amounts in my waist) and it took a lot to gain it in my torso/bust area.
Now, my entire body shape has changed. I have big, flabby upper arms that I never had before. I haven't been able to wear anything with spaghetti straps in YEARS!! My waist is proportionately MUCH wider than it was before (I used to have an 11 inch difference between my waist and hips, now I have about 8! That's a massive difference). I have gained FOUR cup sizes in my bust (which sounds like it might be ok till you try slugging around 34 G/H cups! NO!!).
My hair has totally thinned out, which means less frequent shaving of my legs... but... also... flat, thinned out, less voluminous hair!! :( I mean ALL the hair on my body is significantly diminished.
I can do a vigorous workout every day and the weight barely moves. Only things like smoothie diets and radical eating plans have caused any weight gain... but it comes back soon. Nearly every food recommended for low-t is something i already eat.
Needless to say, as soon as I identified the problem, I got OFF the meds!! At first, my skin went nuts but then it leveled out. It is still not great on my periods but at least I'm not still gaining weight (I'm just not losing it either - more than two years after getting off the meds).
Last time I had my testosterone levels checked, I had the levels of a post-menopausal woman, even though I am NOT!
And, on top of all that, my acne isn't as controlled and my chest/upper back acne that was completely controlled, has come back. It doesn't seem right, nor does it make sense, that I can have both the negative effects of taking the medicine concurrent with the negative effects of NOT taking the medicine.
At this point, I've just had to learn to get used to myself as a much larger, fuller person. It makes me mad that a medicine could do THIS much harm and nobody felt inclined to mention it to me.
So, my advice it to stick it out with the acne. It is still preferable to massive and irreversible body overhaul.
If I could do it again, I would decline taking it. I would find another way in order to have my body back... to have it back to normal. And to be able to buy bras at a non-specialty store. LOL
I've thought about taking something to boost my testosterone but I fear that that will worsen my acne again. And, as I near 45, I feel like I'm so "over" having to deal with acne! At some point, the thirty year battle with acne should be done, ya know?
vegangelist
14 Sep 2017
Didn't realize your post was so old... i thought i saw "2017" on your post. Hopefully, by now, you are off the drug.
Let my story be a warning to others...
lrshimmell
14 Nov 2017
Wow, so sorry to hear this medication did so much harm! I am 39 and have the same acne issues and I am so over it! I started this medication 4 days ago and have gained 4 pounds! all in my stomach and thighs! I'm so mad that I didn't read this first! Just got off the phone with my Dr and she said it is not the medication and that I should see my primary Dr to make sure something else isn't wrong with me... This is crazy.
Kbish
29 Jan 2018
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your stories. I went to the dermatologist for hair loss issues and was prescribed this (along with other interesting things). The list of side effects on "their" handout did NOT include weight gain (in 2018). So glad you shared. I'll figure something out with my hair. It's not worth the weight gain which has been tough to lose without side effects of medication adding more. I haven't picked up the meds from the pharmacy thankfully.
Sschiele
25 Mar 2018
Oh my goodness! Wish I too had seen this first. I am up 4 lbs in 4 days! I am going to stop. I have worked WAY too hard to lose weight for my acne to be the culprit in my gaining.
evalla
27 Nov 2017
Was anyone able to lose the weight and cure the acne and hirsutism in a different way? I am wondering if birth control is a better or worse option. I'm so done with all this... :(
patuki
19 Mar 2018
Doctors says NOT POSSIBLE evidence say YES IT IS POSSIBLE. Under an strict diet for weight loss, I have gained 19 pounds in less than 2 months after I started taking SPIRO for acne. Also, there's a lot of studies going on about this. Specially in young women there are reports of a fast weight gain under SPIRO. I stopped taking it, of course.
Jay_89
22 Mar 2018
(Acne) I took 100mg of spiro for a little over 1.5 months before stopping and gained 11 pounds. Despite working out religiously and eating right I have not been able to lose the weight and I am still gaining but at a slower pace. I just started taking phentermine to help me with my weight loss. I’m hoping this works!
Pesher02
27 May 2018
I’ve been on spironolactone since September 2017. My acne wasn’t awful, but at 27, I decided to go to my dermatologist after two months of consistent cysts popping up. She immediately put me on spironolactone. Soon I was upped to 100mg. I noticed around the holidays, my weight significantly shot up. I attributed it to bad eating. Earlier in the year, I had started working out and eating clean. I went from 190 to 174ish (maybe lower, can’t remember). But I stopped & lost motivation around the holidays. I shot up from 174 to 194 in a period of three months. Of course I attributed the weight gain to bad eating & not working out.
HOWEVER, for the last month or so, I’ve been cleaning up my diet again. I’ve started to get back in the swing of working out and going to boot camp/personal training sessions. The last week, I’ve been to boot camp six times and my diet has been ridiculously clean... I haven’t lost a single pound. Now, I know it’s only been a week, but, in the past I’ve never had any trouble getting weight off if I consistently workout and eat clean. It would just fall off. It’s incredibly frustrating. The only difference in life between last year and this year is the spironolactone. Today I made the decision to go off cold turkey. Eating clean tends to help my cystic acne. My dermatologist also prescribed a retinol that helps. I suffer from anxiety and weight gain makes my anxiety 1000x worse!! Anybody experience weight loss when going off??
Kahl
3 Jun 2018
I have been taking this medication for acne and I notice weight gain. I thought it was my age until I seen this feed of other people experiencing the same thing. It’s In my stomach and thighs. I have to decide being heavy or having acne.
Cadebce66
23 Jun 2018
I’ve been the same weight my entire life. Ive been taking spiro for maybe 4-5 years. I’ve put on 17 lbs without changing my lifestyle. I attributed it to age and now that I’m reading all these testimonies I’m beginning to wonder...
Kamhite
28 Jun 2018
I was only on this drug for 3 mos. Went from 140 to 155. I stopped 5 mos ago and scale wont move despite dieting and running/training. Desperate for help!
Amylynn123
5 Dec 2019
Have you been able to lose weight yet?
JonaG4life
31 Aug 2018
My wife has been taking Spironolactone for 2 years... she has pcos(she also was taking birth control and metformin) she has to flush her system because of overload of hormones. She just decided to stop taking them(because we want to have kids) and her and I noticed she is really over bloated in her stomach area. We will be taking a more natural/holistic approach... these crap pills over complicate that stuff and no matter how good technology is our bodies aren’t meant for these pills that can be used for a 1 in 2 or 1 in 3. The logic is ridiculous. I’ve recommended her to take a more holistic/natural approach because these pills have only caused havoc. And now she feels the side effects... I recommend All of you to stop taking these pills. I will post an article about things you can do for immediate relief of bloating. I will also keep y’all updated on wife’s condition for all the concerns people have due to not taking these pills. Weight gain, acne, etc., I hope this comment helps.
Eoneal
25 Oct 2020
Could u post ways to help alleviate the bloating?
heddaletttuce
28 Oct 2018
Y'all, to give a little more information about spironolactone -- it is an androgen blocker, aka it blocks the class of hormones that testosterone is one of. Anytime you decrease androgen production and rely on estrogen or increase it, you will very likely see effects on weight. The female hormones of estrogens are biologically associated with weight gain and keeping weight on without letting it go. That's why people are seeing weight gain on spironolactone, by decreasing androgens it's directly decreasing your metabolism
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