Spironolactone and Hair Loss: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 41r...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2016

For Acne "53 female and have cystic acne and very oily skin. Been on it about a month, and I'm over the top happy. No more itchy, painful bumps in my scalp, ears, and face. I am having hair loss but will push through to see if it subsides. Having dealt with acne most of my life, I'll take thinner hair for clear skin any day. ☺️"

• Hai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 11, 2023

For Acne "I was on 100 mg of spironolactone for 1.5 years, and it caused significant hair loss. My dermatologist kept telling me it’s supposed to help with hair growth and doesn’t cause hair loss. So I kept on it until my hairstylist noticed and was concerned about the amount I had lost. On a whim, I decided to just stop the drug. The kicker was that it didn’t even relieve my acne 100%. Maybe 50%. Luckily, it hasn’t returned to the way it was before I started spironolactone. It’s been 5 months, and it feels like my hair is growing, but it’s such a slow process that it’s hard to tell."

• Bal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2021

For Acne "I originally took this a few years ago for hormonal acne, and at the same time, my hair started thinning, but I was also slightly more stressed at the time, so I just chalked it up to that. I ended up stopping the drug because it was making me dizzy and lightheaded, and there was definitely some weight gain. This past August (2021), I decided to go back on it because my acne had gotten worse… I now know the cause of my hair loss/thinning. THIS DRUG. My hair had been at the healthiest and fullest it’s EVER been before restarting it. My hair was already thinning on the drug, so that’s when I spoke to my doctor about switching to something else. Once I stopped, my hair started falling out by the handfuls. Until one day, I was showering and it was coming out in clumps. I’m absolutely devastated. It doesn’t help that every doctor swears this drug doesn’t ever cause hair loss, when clearly IT DOES."

• CBS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2022

For Alopecia "Started on 50 mg spironolactone for cystic acne and suspected androgenic alopecia since my hair wasn’t growing back and was thinning. Hit the 2-month mark, and my hair loss started increasing. By month 3, my hair is falling out in clumps, I’m losing more hair than before I started, and my skin all over my body is dry, no matter how much water I drink. This does NOT work for everyone."

• 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."

• Suz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 8, 2015

For Acne "At the age of 45, my body decided it was time for perimenopause to enter our lives. The issues with it were a challenge alone. Then it was determined I needed a complete hysterectomy due to a chance of ovarian cancer. So poof - all is removed and things get worse! Hair falling out, gaining weight for no apparent reason, still hot, hot, and did I mention hot!?!? So I'm referred to an endocrinologist who prescribes the spironolactone. Honestly, my skin is much better! I'm always looking to lose a little weight, but it seems nothing bad has happened. My face is greatly improved, but my back is still a work in progress. Overall, I feel it's worth giving the ole college try!"

• Ale...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 26, 2021

For Acne "Ladies, PLEASE BEWARE. This drug has WRECKED my life for the time being. I started taking it for acne after coming off birth control. It cleared my skin immediately with no noticeable side effects, my boobs even got bigger. I was seriously living my best life. I thought I found a miracle drug. It wasn't until I hit the 5-month mark that I noticed my hair becoming INCREDIBLY brittle. Like breaking off my scalp brittle, looking like I got electrocuted brittle! I absolutely panicked, KNEW it was from this medication as nothing else in my life had changed, and slowly started tapering down my dosage. However, the dread shed is REAL. I am completely devastated. I used to have insanely thick, beautiful hair that would get complimented everywhere I would go. My hair is so thin now. Every time I look in the mirror, I feel sick. It’s taking a toll on my relationship. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS FOR ACNE. There are other alternatives!!"

• Was...
• June 26, 2014

For Acne "I took antibiotics for a couple of decades. Accutane in the mid-'90s. That had a positive impact for 2 years, and then the oil glands geared back up and acne again. Doxycycline for roughly another 10 years. Plus Benzaclin OTC wash and topical treatments such as Differin and Retin-A. Autoimmune issues from allergies to hair loss developed. Prescribed spironolactone to help reduce androgens - hair loss and acne treatment. My acne appears in odd places like the scalp, inside ears, plus face and my upper back and neck. The oil produced can best be described as feeling like bacon grease. Med works for acne/oil reduction. Stopped for a month and regret it. Oil production and acne. Plus, hair loss."

• que...
• November 27, 2016

For Acne "Spiro decreased some oil in my face, but also did the following: way more jaw/chin pimples, neck acne for the first time in my life, a sudden back breakout after having 90% clear skin for 2 years [and lovely PIH I get to deal with now], dehydrated my face to the point of looking older, tiny weird whiteheads and CCs on my cheeks/forehead, and even more troubling, hair loss just 2 weeks in. I only took 50 mg/day, but by week 2 my brows, nose hairs, and eyelashes began falling out. I've lost about 30 some hairs total in a week. I'm lucky I have thick lashes and brows, or else I'd look patchy. I weaned down to 25 and stopped today, and voila...no shedding. It was Spiro's fault...moving on. :("

• que...
• November 27, 2016

For Acne "Spiro decreased some oil in my face, but also did the following: way more jaw/chin pimples, neck acne for the first time in my life, a sudden back breakout after having 90% clear skin for 2 years [and lovely PIH I get to deal with now], dehydrated my face to the point of looking older, tiny weird whiteheads and CCs on my cheeks/forehead, and even more troubling, hair loss just 2 weeks in. I only took 50 mg/day, but by week 2 my brows, nose hairs, and eyelashes began falling out. I've lost about 30 some hairs total in a week. I'm lucky I have thick lashes and brows, or else I'd look patchy. I weaned down to 25 and stopped today, and voila...no shedding. It was Spiro's fault...moving on. :("

• Aus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 11, 2023

For Alopecia "I’m not sure how I feel about Spiro. I started it when I was 23 due to balding and seeing my crown, although that seemed to happen gradually and I wasn’t noticing a lot of shedding. I was diagnosed with androgenic alopecia, dad and aunt were bald, and my mother had very fine hair. So I’ve never had thick hair but was conscious about how thin my ponytail was and seeing my scalp. I had been on this for about 8 years now. My hair has always been fine, but there have been years when my hair was really quite good and other periods where I was still conscious and wore extensions. I’ve just stopped to have children, and it’s taken me about 3 months to put it together that it must be stopping Spiro, which has caused crazy shedding. My hair is literally everywhere, and my ponytail has never been thinner. My hair on my crown is okay, it’s just like diffuse hair loss all over my scalp. So I think it’s helped maintain my hair well for 8 years, but it's so hard stopping."

• Ric...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2016

For Acne "HAVE YOU FOUND THE REASON BEHIND YOUR ACNE?!??? Turning 28. Almost 5 months ago, I got off the birth control pill. A few weeks after getting off the pill, my acne got terrible! I went to my dermatologist, and he put me on 50 mg of spironolactone. It's been almost 3 months. My acne has gotten a little worse. But I have read it gets worse before it gets better. I was so fed up with my acne I went to my gyno to get my blood hormone tested. She came back saying I have high testosterone, which is causing the acne! So after that result, I went in for a vaginal ultrasound and I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Symptoms are hair loss, acne, unwanted facial hair, obesity/weight gain, and high testosterone. GET TESTED FOR EVERYTHING!"

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2019

For Hirsutism "I suffer from hirsutism for a while now, more in my face area. I had taken spironolactone 50 mg about 2 years ago and didn't see any change. I was constantly having headaches and I stopped taking it for a while. A few months ago, my dermatologist prescribed spironolactone 100 mg. This time I'm using a different pharmacy, and the pills have a minty taste and smell compared to the ones from my previous pharmacy 2 years ago. I decided to stop taking them again this time because I'm starting to get headaches again and my hair is thinner than before, causing my hair to break easily. So now that I stopped taking spironolactone, I'm losing my hair like crazy. I don't know why this is happening and if it will stop eventually. Just beware of these side effects."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2019

For Hirsutism "I suffer from hirsutism for a while now, more in my face area. I had taken spironolactone 50 mg about 2 years ago and didn't see any change. I was constantly having headaches and I stopped taking it for a while. A few months ago, my dermatologist prescribed spironolactone 100 mg. This time I'm using a different pharmacy, and the pills have a minty taste and smell compared to the ones from my previous pharmacy 2 years ago. I decided to stop taking them again this time because I'm starting to get headaches again and my hair is thinner than before, causing my hair to break easily. So now that I stopped taking spironolactone, I'm losing my hair like crazy. I don't know why this is happening and if it will stop eventually. Just beware of these side effects."

• Gre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2022

For Acne "I have PCOS, PMDD, acne, and very oily skin. I started on 25 mg, then took 50 mg for about 5 months. Some people take 100 mg or even 200 mg, but I think I experienced more side effects than average because even on 50 mg I felt tired often and got dehydrated very easily. If I didn't drink enough water, I would easily get headaches and feel a bit lightheaded. I'm not prone to low blood pressure, so I think the side effects were caused by dehydration. But if I managed to drink enough water, then I felt like I was constantly drinking water and constantly peeing (also, I would still get tired). The 50 mg helped my skin somewhat, but I'm back to 25 mg and it doesn't really do anything for my acne or oily skin, so I think I'm going to stop it. Also, I experienced a phase of hair loss when I first started taking it, and I've heard of people having hair loss when they stop taking it too. I later realized spiro is supposed to help PMDD, but I don't think it helped with that, at least at the doses I was taking."

• hii...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 11, 2016

For Acne "I was prescribed 50 mg of Spiro a day with topical Tretinoin Gel (19-year-old female here). I started noticing improvement in my acne after I introduced that topical gel into the equation (so I imagine that the topical caused most of the improvement). Two weeks after starting Spiro, I started noticing hair all over the sink and a ton in the shower drain. I experienced tightening of the throat on and off after a week (a subtle annoyance, not super severe) and didn't attribute it to the Spiro, but eventually I realized my voice sounded very deep, unacceptable as I'm a singer. I had no idea this was a side effect until I looked up Spiro side effects and it explained everything. I stopped taking it after this and won't go back at this dosage."

• I...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2021

For Acne "Since starting this medication 2 months ago, I've had a significant amount of hair shedding. My hair is so thin since I started taking spironolactone. I am on 50 mg a day. I started it because I have hormonal cystic acne, of course, my skin is clear from it, but I have to stop the medication because it's caused so much hair fall. My dermatologist says that's not possible, but if you look up the side effects of spironolactone, it says hair loss and hair thinning can be a side effect."

• I...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2021

For Acne "Since starting this medication 2 months ago, I've had a significant amount of hair shedding. My hair is so thin since I started taking spironolactone. I am on 50 mg a day. I started it because I have hormonal cystic acne, of course, my skin is clear from it, but I have to stop the medication because it's caused so much hair fall. My dermatologist says that's not possible, but if you look up the side effects of spironolactone, it says hair loss and hair thinning can be a side effect."

• Cat...
• April 30, 2021

For Acne "I was prescribed this medicine for acne, and after a few months, I noticed that I had been losing a lot of hair. I tried to go off, and I still kept losing hair. Now I’m back on it and have seen my hair loss slow, but I definitely think that starting this drug to begin with is what caused my hair loss to start. Now I’m stuck taking it in fear of losing more hair."

• CBa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 8, 2021

For Acne "My experience with Spiro began two years ago. I am 23 years old. My dermatologist prescribed it to treat my hormonal acne. I started with 50 mg, which I was on for about 3 months. My acne almost completely went away, so after I had no more refills, I stopped taking it. This caused my acne to return, and almost a year later, I decided to try it again, this time my dermatologist increased my dose to 100 mg per day. At first, I had no side effects, until about a month in I started getting breast tenderness, irregular periods, hair loss, and rapid weight gain. Again, my acne was nearly gone, and my skin improved significantly, but I decided to stop taking it again. The side effects were not worth it. I have decided to opt for a healthier lifestyle instead and hope that controls my acne a bit more. I would recommend taking Spiro with precaution. There needs to be more research on this medication."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2021

For Acne "I have been on spironolactone for a few months, and it has been working very nicely for my acne. It takes time and patience for the medication to work, but it does work! My skin has improved drastically on this medication. Also, I usually shed a ton of hair, and this has helped slow the hair loss down. So far, I’m happy with this medication and will continue to use it."

• m0a...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2021

For Acne "I had the same experience as the user comment below me. I started spironolactone 3 years ago for hormonal acne. Beforehand, I had fine but a ton of hair. I recently stopped using the medicine because I am trying to get pregnant. My hair started falling out almost immediately, and I cannot figure out how to save it. It seems like more clumps are falling out almost daily. If anybody has had similar experiences or knows of a way to help fix this, please comment!"

• Pal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2020

Spironolactone for Alopecia "Taking 100 mg Aldactone daily for two weeks, and more hair shedding is noticeable. They say it is not approved for hair growth. Should I stop? I was given this for hair loss due to hypothyroidism."

• PCO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2021

For Alopecia "Sleepiness, enlarged breasts, feeling heavy, hair loss, dryness of hair, loss of appetite."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2023

For Acne "Spironolactone helps my hormonal acne and blood pressure. But it made my hair shed so badly to the point of thinning hair. I stopped taking it. I was taking 75 mg per day."