Spironolactone and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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!"

• Knf...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 22, 2016

For Acne "I have been on spiro for almost a year now. I was prescribed 50 mg a day for issues like cystic hormonal acne and dandruff, all related to seborrheic dermatitis. In addition to the spiro, I also take ethynyl estradiol-based birth control, a generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Since taking the spiro, I haven't had a single breakout! Not even like a tiny blemish. It's clearly worked as intended. It has minimized scalp issues as well, although my face is still oily, but I suspect that is connected to a moisturizer I have yet to find a replacement for. Notable side effect: definite, jiggly weight gain in hips, butt, and thighs that I never had before! This is contrary to lots of reviews I've seen for spiro that say it has helped women lose weight."

• 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."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 3, 2017

For Acne "I started this medicine while breaking out with severe cystic acne for my adult life. I took this medicine for the past year, 1 year total. My face cleared up, but I gained 25 lbs in one year. No other medicine changes. I could deal with the weight, but when I came to the ER with terrible abdominal pain, I knew something was wrong. I have an ovarian cyst now and have to hope it doesn't rupture. Make sure you are willing to accept the risks of having clear skin, as this can apparently happen to anyone who takes spironolactone."

• Gga...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2021

For Acne "Works wonderfully for acne - my cystic acne went away completely after 3 months at 150 mg. I started with 50 and increased with the help of my doc after 30 days at each level. However, my weight has steadily crept up over the last 9 months, and I’m now 25 lbs heavier than before. I am devastated because the medication worked so well for acne, but the weight gain is unbearable."

• Cul...
• May 31, 2015

For Acne "I have had acne on my face, not my back, since I started menstruating. I'm 19. I tried everything. My gynecologist put me on spironolactone 100 mg. I've been on it since January (5 months), and my face, not my back, got much worse. I got even more hair on my arms (the doctor said that would go away), and I would stop losing hair on my head (didn't happen). After five months, I gained 25 pounds! So be careful using this drug...."

• lex...
• September 11, 2022

For Hirsutism "I was taking this for excess facial hair, oily skin, and acne. It mostly cleared my acne and facial hair in conjunction with laser at 50 mg a day. Fast forward almost 2 years, I began feeling not well. Dehydrated. Sluggish. Fatigue. Absolutely no sex drive. My underarm hair I noticed I hadn't shaved it all summer. I continued to be unwell but not put 2 and 2 together. Horrible breast pain all month, not just pre-menstrual. Mood swings from hell. No muscle, looking like marshmallow woman. Could not lose weight no matter what. I finally said enough is enough and went to the doctor. My testosterone was zero! They advised me to stop the meeting, come back in 4 weeks to retest. Testosterone still 0! Now I have to see an endocrinologist. If you are unaware, a woman's body needs some amount of testosterone. Symptoms of low testosterone are lack of libido, loss of muscle, weight gain, extreme fatigue. 7 months, no sex ruined the relationship. Save yourself the trouble. Get laser. It worked for me."

• 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."

• AnS...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 29, 2016

For Acne "Took it for hormonal acne at many different doses. Worked well in the beginning, but my dermatologist had to keep increasing my dose. I finally maxed out at 200 mg a day, and results weren't optimal. I finally took Accutane. The bad: as my dose increased, I gained weight. It took almost 18 months to lose the 10 lbs I gained. I'm a very athletic and active person, too. Do I recommend it? Debatable."

• Jen...
• November 30, 2019

For Acne "Throw in the trash. You will thank me. It will clear up your skin but ruin your life. Crazy weight gain even though zero changes to diet and exercise. Brain fog, killed sex drive, zero energy. For clear skin? Pass. Now I get to lose the 10 pounds I put on in three months on this. Google weight gain spironolactone and read the threads. I wish I had... earlier."

• bbo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2017

For Acne "I was on Diane 35 for seven years (15-23 my skin was amazing). What I didn't realize was that Diane caused me to gain a lot of weight, I put it on almost immediately (age 15) and struggled with weight issues and an eating disorder. When I stopped Diane at 23 to have kids, I quickly lost about 15 lbs (5 lbs of water) and my insane appetite as well. After children, I wanted to go back on Diane for nice skin. I promptly gained the weight, eating issues returned! So I quit and decided to try Spironolactone 25 mg once a day. My skin started clearing immediately, but within 3 weeks, I had weight gain, aged 5 years, along with other horrible side effects! Since quitting for two days, I feel myself again! I'll stick with SkinCeuticals Acne Kit and zinc supplements!!"

• Bad...
• May 22, 2017

For Acne "My experience with this drug was extremely negative. I gained about 30 pounds, became anxious and depressed, was extremely tired and sluggish, and ate at least 4 meals/day. I became a very sad and narrow-minded person and strayed from my parents and friends. It didn't help my acne at all, so please look for any other alternative before taking this. It's not worth it, and there are so many better alternatives to this."

• Hey...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 6, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "10-pound weight gain that I have not been able to lose. Excellent for lowering my blood pressure."

• Jan...
• November 7, 2013

For Acne "Beautiful skin, but I experienced a 10 lb weight gain that would not come off with diet and exercise! Ugh! Especially in the stomach and thigh area. I stopped taking it 7 days ago..."