Spironolactone and Frequent Urination: What Users Say

• sam...
• February 3, 2012

For Alopecia "I've been on this medication for 4 months now. I started noticing a dramatic change in my facial hair, it's almost all gone by 90%. For my hair loss, I can say that I did see a big change, but at least I'm not losing hair like I used to. It makes me urinate a lot, but it's a normal thing. It also helped me to lose weight. No side effects until now."

• pet...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 5, 2013

For High Blood Pressure "I have had high blood pressure for 4 years (now age 69). My doctor prescribed spironolactone as part of my treatment. I take one 25 mg tablet every day in the morning to reduce body salt and retain potassium. I was not advised of the side effects, such as lack of sexual drive. I have to urinate about 6 times per day (twice overnight), which is a minor problem. I find it difficult getting to sleep and avoid taking sleeping pills. I get light-headed and experience dizzy spells at times and have to take my time when rising from a sitting position. I do not have any of the other side effects as described in the literature. With other medicines, my blood pressure is under control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2013

For Gender Dysphoria "After switching from cyproterone acetate to spironolactone, I found that apart from increased urination, it works almost as well to decrease androgen levels. It does what it is supposed to, and for that, I'm very happy!"

• Lor...
• November 28, 2014

For Acne "I have been taking spironolactone for about 4 months now. My skin is clearer and I have many fewer breakouts. When I first started taking it, I had pretty bad orthostatic hypotension, I experienced excessive urination (mainly right after I took the medication). My acne got worse, and it took at least a month for my face to improve. My breasts continue to be sore, I am still lightheaded, and I have lost weight. Mind you, I was losing weight before I started taking this medication. I have noticed that my skin is really dry and becoming more wrinkled (although I'm only 21, so not that wrinkly). My skin has also been itchy, but I’m not sure if that is only related to the dryness. This medicine works for acne, but there are definite side effects."

• EmR...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2014

For Acne "I'm 42 and began taking spironolactone and using Differin for adult acne about a year ago. It took almost 8 months to really make a huge difference, but I could see some changes in the inflammation and severity of my acne after about four months. My acne was worse along the jawline and under my jaw and usually manifested as deep, sore nodules that never really came to a head. I still get some breakouts, but the pimples are much smaller and more on the surface, and almost none of them are on my jawline. They also heal much more quickly. The only negative side effects I've had are increased urination and weight gain. I've put on almost fifteen pounds over the last year, mostly in the belly, hips, and thighs."

• Sha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2020

For Acne "This medication, spironolactone, is amazing for hormonal acne. Stick with it-first three months my skin was worse, especially around my lips. Gradually got better starting month 4. But 6 months in, my skin is amazing. Only side effect is less body hair. I did have to pee extra the first couple of months. Now I don’t notice any side effects except less body hair, which I love."

• its...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2025

For Hirsutism "My doctor added it for my facial hair about a year ago, but it just puts me in a brain fog and makes me pee all night and hasn't done anything for the facial hair. I'm getting really sick of feeling so tired after taking it and getting up all night to pee and thinking of just quitting it."

• AP2...
• December 16, 2019

For Acne "I had really bad hormonal acne that started in my early 20s. I tried facials, chemical peels, maca powder, fish oil pills, and every other 'natural' remedy you could think of. Nothing worked or made it worse. I was told to stop eating dairy, which I did for 2 years. Started lo-esterin birth control. I also tried benzoyl peroxide creams, retinol creams, etc. Helped, but still had rampant upswings of acne right after my period. Went up on the estrogen level of my BC, had the same issue. At this point, I was willing to do ANYTHING. My PCP suggested one final option before going to the derm, and that was spironolactone. I didn't see results until about 2-3 months after taking it. My skin is clear now! My side effects were urinating frequently, nausea, and leg cramping. It always helped if I ate something to avoid nausea, and I started drinking A LOT more water, which helped with the cramps. Overall, I'm so happy I tried this medication out and am much more confident than I was in the past few years of my life."

• ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2022

For Acne "This medication made me feel the most tired that I have ever felt in my entire life. I was only on 25 mg for 3-4 weeks. Felt like I was hungover and in a daze. My body ached from fatigue, and I could hardly get off the couch. Napped on and off all day. Mental health took a nosedive because I was so tired. I have never experienced such fatigue, and I have been on many meds that cause this level of drowsiness (including antipsychotics and literal sleep meds). I was also so thirsty and had to pee all of the time (i.e., getting up like 3-5 times a night, getting bad sleep as a result). No matter how much I drank, it would not quench my thirst. Not sure what a higher dose would've done for my acne, but I would try Accutane before this."

• blu...
• August 23, 2010

For Acne "I've been on this medicine off and on for almost a year now. After I am on it for a few weeks, my joints start to hurt really bad. I think it is because of the diuretic nature of the drug. It doesn't stop the blackheads. It also makes me get up in the night to pee. My dermatologist says he has never heard of the joint pain being a problem and refused to believe it's the spironolactone causing it. But after starting and stopping the medicine three times, I am sure it's the cause."

• Jay...
• October 23, 2016

For Acne "I love this stuff. I've been taking it for 1.5 months for acne. I've tried everything to get my acne under control, and nothing helped. I was nervous to use it, as I read the reviews, and many people say it caused them to gain weight. I'm in a wedding in November, and I've been working hard to lose weight, so I would be really upset if these meds caused me to gain. But after 1.5 months, my skin is flawless. I go to work without foundation for the first time in my life. And I've lost 10 pounds! I've surpassed my goal for the wedding! It also really suppresses my appetite, and they taste like mint! The only con is they make me feel really sick if I take them on an empty stomach, so make sure to eat first. I didn't even have an issue with frequent urination."

• Nsj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2021

For Alopecia "I started spiro (100 mg) and Tactu pump about a month and a half ago. I PROMISED myself if it worked or I saw any improvement, that I’d write a review. I've had those annoying skin-colored bumps all over my face since I was 10 (now 19). High school was particularly the worst, and when I say no face product helped, no diet helped. I had even been refined sugar-free and dairy-free for years. I FINALLY gave up and made an online appointment with a derm. He suggested spiro and Tactu pump, so I started. I was terrified of purging with either one and was praying I wouldn’t. I maybe got slightly more little tiny bumps, but absolutely nothing I wasn’t used to. The only side effect I really saw with spiro was a slight increase in peeing more. I’m now almost on my 7th week of spiro, and at the current moment, my skin feels flat, no clogged pores or little bumps. It honestly feels surreal because I haven’t had clear skin like this in 9 years. I’m PRAYING it only gets better.:)"

• Anonymous
• April 3, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "I took this to help my high blood pressure and the dark hairs on my face. I took one 25 mg pill, and within a few hours, my legs were aching like crazy (felt like growing pains), and I was peeing every 30 mins. If you don’t care about that, then try it… I can’t do it."

• key...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2022

For Gender Dysphoria "Used for about a month - has made me completely stop HRT until I can get access to a different anti-androgen. I assume it suppressed my T well enough, but this comes at the cost of never getting more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep due to constant urination and brain fog that feels worse than dysphoria dissociation. This drug will be perfect for you if your goal is to suppress T at any cost - for me, it wasn't worth the downsides."

• acs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

For Acne "I have been on Spironolactone for 8 weeks. Overall, my skin is much clearer. I have not had any cystic nodules since I started. The first few weeks, I had increased urination, but that has since stopped. Any blemishes I have quickly disappear. I am very happy with the results so far. I take 50 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night."

• Atl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 20, 2020

For Acne "I was put on 100 mg spironolactone for moderate to severe cystic acne nearly 2 years ago. I didn't really notice any side effects except extremely inconsistent periods and slightly increased urination. My skin did purge for somewhere between 4 to 6 weeks, but after that, my acne almost completely cleared, with a few small pimples here and there. After about 9 months, I started getting some cystic pimples, but nowhere near as bad as before. Currently, I would say I almost always have at least 1 (non-cystic) pimple, with breakouts and up to 3 cystic around my period. It's not perfect, but I'm grateful for spironolactone and the amount it's cleared with minimal side effects (for me), so I would highly recommend people with PCOS-related acne give it a go."

• Pen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 7, 2020

For Acne "I was on spiro for over 2 years. A few months ago, I started getting my pre-prescription level of cystic hormonal acne all over my chin. It hasn’t gotten any better, and I was already on the maximum dosage. I’m so devastated because this worked SO well for me for such a long time - suddenly to stop. I will say I got terrible, terrible nightmares (a common side effect of blood pressure medications), so I took a majority of my dosage in the mornings instead of before bed, and that improved my sleep quality significantly. I also peed a lot. A lot, a lot. An annoying but not threatening side effect."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 11, 2022

For Acne "I took this for 2 years for hormonal acne. My side effects: lack of appetite and weight loss, feeling tired/weak all the time, sleep schedule became a mess, massive brain fog and memory issues, hair loss. Heart racing, shakiness, lightheaded when I would stand. UTIs, peeing frequently but barely anything would come out. Zero sex drive/dry as the Sahara Desert. I stopped experiencing ovulation symptoms, was spotting all throughout the month, periods were super light even when given progesterone to see if it would help. One of the scariest side effects was double vision, which is how I discovered this medicine was causing so many issues. I went to an endocrinologist because I thought I had hyperthyroidism/Graves' disease. I learned my cortisol levels were high and that my cholesterol was off the charts (I was only 86 lbs). Within 2 weeks of quitting this medicine, all of the side effects had gone away. It worked for acne, although I would still get 1-2 pimples before my period."

• Ano...
• August 13, 2016

For Acne "At 24, I started breaking out worse after discontinuing the pill and switching to an IUD (I love it, by the way). I had cystic acne along my jawline and on my neck, so I went to a derm, and she prescribed me 25 mg daily for 2 weeks, then 50 mg daily. I broke out badly at the 2-week mark and again at the 4-week mark. I went back to the derm after 6 weeks of being on Spiro, and I was upped to 100 mg daily. I'm finally starting to see results. I'm on week 8 of being on Spiro, and while my skin isn't completely clear, I definitely see a difference. I should also note I'm using Retin-A topically. I do experience side effects on Spiro like increased thirst, breast tenderness, spotting, some cramping, and increased urination, but I'm willing to deal with this."

• Kin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 29, 2022

For Acne "I wanted to come on here because I was EXTREMELY nervous about the side effects of taking Spiro, especially as someone who already uses the restroom a lot and already has dry skin. My first couple of days on Spiro, I did have to pee more, but after that, my body regulated. I did not notice too much dehydration either. I started off taking 25 mg for two weeks and then went up to 50 mg per doc rec. I have now been on Spiro for 6 months with no side effects. I am currently still at 50 mg. It has definitely helped with my hormonal acne. It is not a miracle cure for me. I still get spots, but not as many, not as frequent, and they clear up much faster. Overall, I am happy with the results. I will continue to stay on Spiro for as long as it works for me."

• Moz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 13, 2019

For Acne "I have had very bad hormonal acne since I was in middle school. My doctor put me on birth control, which helped somewhat, but not enough to notice a difference. I finally went on spironolactone a little over a year ago, and it was the best decision of my life. I barely have breakouts anymore. I take two 25 mg pills a day. It doesn’t have any horrible side effects, the only change is I drink and pee more, which is worth the clear skin."

• Fit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2016

For Acne "I started off on 50 mg once per day for 6 weeks. I noticed very little improvement in my acne, but my skin was less oily. The only side effect I had on this dosage was cramping and spotting in between my periods. After 6 weeks, my derm upped my dosage to two 50 mg pills per day. My acne began to clear, and my skin became dry for the first time in my life. I kind of enjoyed it while it lasted. The side effects worsened as my dosage increased. I had frequent urination, severe thirst, headaches, the cramping intensified slightly, and I would occasionally become lightheaded. From the day I started this medication to 2 weeks after stopping, I did not stop bleeding. Literally constant bleeding. If it weren't for that, I'd have continued with it!"

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2019

For Acne "This pill, spironolactone, was a life changer. I've had acne my whole life, not your normal zits either. One month on these pills and my face was 80% cleared. However, it is a water pill. Be prepared to pee twice as much."

• Ash...
• April 25, 2017

For Acne "I made a YouTube video showing the progress of how my skin reacted to spiro. It definitely takes patience, it's not something that's going to work overnight. And this isn't a long-term fix unless you plan to stay on the pills forever. This pill is a diuretic, so it gave me a very dry mouth, and I had to pee more than I'd like to. It definitely cleared up my skin while I was on it, though. If you have hormonal acne and nothing else is working for you, I would recommend trying it."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 23, 2021

For Acne "I started experiencing cystic acne every month starting at the age of 23. I was prescribed spironolactone by my dermatologist after all topical treatments were exhausted. I was on 50 mg for the first three months and didn’t notice much of a change (besides increased urination). I was moved up to 100 mg a month, which I have been taking for 10 months now. Not only has my cystic acne disappeared, but my hair started growing! I have had gradual hair thinning since I was 12. I am now 26, and my hair has substantially thinned out over the years. I have tried other hormone medications to stop the thinning, such as finasteride. But no other medication has stopped the thinning and increased hair growth. It’s important to point out that I didn’t notice increased hair growth until recently (about 9 months after I first started taking it), this medication definitely takes time, but it’s so worth it."