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?
Question posted by Dawn E on 9 April 2014
Last updated on 26 March 2025
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
63 Answers Page 5
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 July 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.
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 March 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 April 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 July 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.
kaismama
9 April 2014
Weight gain as a side effect usually doesn't go away. Once the med is stopped it will of course.
brooklynn03
17 April 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 April 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 April 2014
Yes please let me know what she says. Mine thinks Im crazy I think:) hahahaha Thanks for your input:)
Dawn E
25 April 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 April 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 April 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 June 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 June 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 June 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 July 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 July 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?
Related topics
aldactone, weight loss (obesity/overweight), acne, spironolactone, weight
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