Spironolactone for Alopecia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Teegan
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2020

Aldactone (spironolactone) "Worst decision taking Aldactone for alopecia. Took for 10x months and it left my hair worse, it is brittle, dehydrated I have severe mood swings. Thought it worked initially but then stopped. I would really make sure you are willing to take risks with this before starting. Dread shed occurs in beginning and when you stop. Exhaust other measures like vit c iron l lysine b12 selenium. Get your ferritin checked."

• Chekei
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 16, 2019

Aldactone (spironolactone) "I started taking spiractin 50mg 10 months ago for alopecia and saw instant results. In 2 weeks my hair stopped shedding and I grew back all the hair I had lost in past 2 years. However it just stopped working 4 months ago and now I’m shedding over 200 hairs a day. My dermatologist doubled the dose to 100mg 2 months ago but unfortunately it’s made zero impact :("

• Shedder
• August 27, 2010

"Have been taking generic spironolactone 100mg 2x a day (morning and night) for acne and hormonal hair loss (female pattern, testosterone related). It has greatly reduced hair loss and skin has been clearer as well. Libido has been affected somewhat, not sure how much though. No significant side effects yet. Much better than birth control pills that I stuck with for years, as I knew hair loss would intensify when I stopped them and boy did they ever."

• pcosl...
• August 10, 2015

"I have been taking 25 mg for 3 months due to the effects of PCOS. I have been suffering an initial shed that seems to be slowing down but at this point my hair looks quite a bit worse than before. Hopefully this will just take my body some time to get used to and it will help eventually. I have continued taking it because it has cleared up my cystic acne 100%. For acne I would give this a 10/10 but for hair I'm not sure..."

• Hopeful
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2019

"I have been using a low dose of 25mg for 3 months now. Originally I noticed less shedding but currently my hair is thinner than before. Having moderate shedding now with diffuse hair loss. Has not improved the condition of my hair at all."

• Ms Ma...
• February 7, 2018

"I was put on this for HS. I was also diagnosed with Alopecia 10 years ago and have always had issues with thinning hair. Hair is curly and has volume so I never really did anything about it, it was easy to hide. I stopped the Spironolactone because it didn't help my HS, having no idea about its other benefits. Stressful times arose, hair suffered, started to see that bald shine and it was/is VERY noticeable. I researched, learned about spirono, called my derm and he put me back on, 75 mg a day. I kid you not people, my hair is showing regrowth already, few cm. Of course having alopecia a lot are the thin white hair that hopefully turn into thicker darker shafts but most are my natural color brown. Its only been 2 months. I also use cold pressed castor oil and onion juice one the weekends. Started Nov. 22nd and today is Feb. 6 2018. No side effects."

• led
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2018

"My dermatologist suggested I start this medication as I was seeing a lot of hair shedding. I'm taking 50mg a day. I've been taking it for 2 weeks and I cannot believe how much it's stopped the shedding. Where I lost a sizeable amount (80+) of hair a day, I'm only shedding ~30 hairs. The only side affect I've been having is slight heartburn. Looking forward to continuing to use this medicine!"

• wildt...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2019

"I have always had thick hair. I noticed at around age 47, I was shedding more. And even more alarming, my hair stylist commented on the shedding when she washed my hair. Mostly through the temples, but also a widening part. I've been on Spironolactone for a little over a year at 100mg. I feel like I have lots baby hairs through the temple, and my part looks more normal (sometimes I wonder if I see what I want to see...) BUT because my hair was so thick before, I was less worried about regrowing, and more concerned about stopping or slowing down the shedding. I do think I am back to shedding normal amounts of hair. I take one 100 mg pill at night and sleep through any side effects I'd have, but usually have to get up once to use the loo. I've read other comments about decreased libidio.. I do think I have a little of this but FEELING attractive has it's own upside. I do regularly have my potassium levels checked."

• Yellow...
• October 17, 2019

"Been on spironolactone 100mg and a year ago increased to 200mg. Since then I notice little skin lesions, they're not itchy just red. I've seen a few doctors and my dermatologist who say it's eczema and gave me a steroid cream. Start of this year I reduced my dose of spirolactone from 200mg to 100mg then 50mg and my hair thinned unfortunately but I noticed my lesions fading. I increased my dose back to 200mg and lesions are back , I feel the spiro is the cause. If I reduce spiro my hair thins if I don't I'm getting a rash. Recently I've started the utoimmune protocol (AIP) diet as I've heard can help with autoimmune diseases, so no dairy, wheat, sugar and nightshades then I'll go onto Paleo diet. If anyone else has had the issue with spirolactone and rashes, please comment, if you have gone onto a diet that has improved symptoms , did you stop spiro soon as you started the diet? or continue to take them until improvements were seen from the diet then stop?"

• Post...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2022

"I wanted to read the reviews before posting to see if other peoples’ reactions were the same as mine and they are. I had Post Covid hair shedding. Spironolactone seriously slowed the shedding (though I am still shedding a little more than naturally after about three months.) I was warned that I would have to stay on it for life and I really don’t care. I too get a little dizzy upon standing up but I also have low blood pressure so not sure what is responsible for that. All in all, I would highly recommend taking it, just know that you’ll take it for life. There is simply in no alternative."

• In...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 20, 2017

"Hairdresser kept noticing each time I went for a trim that my hair was getting thinner. That's when I decided to go & see my GP for a referral to dermatologist who put me onto minoxidil which did absolutely nothing except cause me inconvenience. So I went back to my GP & told them I wanted a referral to an endocrinologist who prescribed Spironolactone 200mg/daily. I have been taking 2 tablets daily since April 2016. I didn't see an immediate difference at first, but then one day I noticed new hair growth on my forehead. It was growing back grey! Then out of the blue for some unknown reason my hair started falling out again, especially whilst shampooing in the shower. It is a constant battle picking up loose hair off the bathroom floor"

• Jojo
• December 12, 2017

"I have excessive hair loss and it’s been like that for months maybe a year now. Anyway I first wanted to try natural stuff but it never stopped the hair loss. After months of hair loss I decided to ask my Doctor what medicine would reduce the hair loss caused by high testosterone and she gave me Spironolactone 50mg. I have been googling about it before she gave it to me for months and based on people experience and the comments here I was excited like finally something would stop it. I only took it for 5 days and OMG the hair shedding I had in every day was crazy clumps and clumps. I stopped it and the crazy shedding was still there for two weeks. Plus I hardly get acne and I got like 5 spots in each cheek. Obviously people are different but it didn’t work for me"

• Lane
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2021

"Hair started thinning dramatically about three years ago. Tried PRP, DHT-blocking shampoos, and even had to use a hair fibre to leave my house because my part was so wide. While some of those things helped, I still needed to use the hair fibres to fill in my part to feel comfortable going out. I decided to try spiro about three months ago after my dermatologist suggested it. My hair is almost completely restored. My part looks normal, my bangs aren’t perfect but look considerably better and I don’t have to wear the hair fibres anymore. I think after a few more months it will be completely back to the way it was a few years ago. It’s pretty amazing how well it worked. It did take a month to get used to it. I felt a bit anxious after starting it but I feel fine now. I’m on 50 mgs. Would definitely recommend for hair loss. For acne, I still break out so not sure it’s helped with that just yet."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2022

"Have been on Spironolactone (now 200 mg/day) for 1 1/2 months; at first no shedding , but now for two weeks terrible shedding :(. Burning in many parts of the scalp. Also on HRT since four months. Anybody else had terrible shedding and scalp burning sensations? No PCOS. Normal hormonelevels."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2022

"I have been taking 100mg of Spironolactone and 5mg of oral minoxidil daily for approximately 4 months to treat significant hair loss / thinning which was causing me a great deal of anxiety. After approximately 2 months, my hair loss significantly reduced from large clumps in the shower drain to approximately 20 or so strands of hair. Now I am noticing regrowth in my crown, covering patches which had become quite bare from the initial hair loss. I understand that I will most likely be on this medication for life and at 45 years old I have already had my children so was not concerned about possible pregnancy implications. I have found that I have started to get a small amount of facial hair. But this is easily removed and when weighed against the stress I had from loosing my hair I am not concerned about this very much at all. I haven't noticed any fluctuations to my weight."

• Kitty
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 11, 2021

"DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE! I swear to god, taking this medicine was a huge mistake. I've been on 50mg Spiro for 2 years for alopecia and yes, it did help for that but I also gained a whopping 30lbs!! My whole body shape/fat distribution changed, i have stubborn fat on my thighs, arms and belly and I am not able to get rid of it. My arm fat jiggles when I move my arms, I am so mortified. I read a ton of other experiences from women with the same issue, none of them were able to get their old body back even years after going off Spiro.i've been exercising religiously and eating clean, but I can't seem to drop a single pound. Apart from that, I also started having severe anxiety and panic attacks, as well as heart palpitations and fatigue. It did not clear up my skin and and honestly I rather keep searching for an alternative alopecia treatment than being this heavy."

• Zubaida...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 3, 2021

"I have been on Spirolactone for 3 months and I still continue taking it, my hair loss has become much less, but there is still fall in some days, but I don't see a result by filling in the blanks. Is there hope after 6 months? When dose spirolactone start working for hair loss? Please give me hope, is there anyone who used it for 6 months and it got results?"

• Lisa
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2020

"I had a devastating bout of hair shedding over the last month from an unknown cause. Doctor diagnosed it as telogen effluvium. A week later, my hair started falling out even faster. Not sure if it’s a good medication for hair loss form an unknown cause."

• No...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 27, 2021

"I have been on spironolactone for 7 months now after a few years of significant hair loss. During the second month of taking it, I developed uncontrollable itch all over that was constant and unbearable. This is a rare side effect. I had to use every lotion available at all times and I was able to get through several weeks of misery until my body adjusted. Before I started Spiro, I had suddenly developed extremely greasy hair that was very dry on the ends. The medication has helped stop that and there has been noticeable reduction in the hair loss."

• Crys
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2021

"I only started taking Spironolactone a week ago, after going to this doctor & that doctor I was starting to feel a bit crazy, like what I was feeling & my symptoms were all in my head. It took a dermatologist to put everything together & diagnose me with PCOS. From the start this medication has been a game changer!! I think I feel normal, I think this is actually what normal is like!! I feel so much relief in so many ways!! I’m not angry anymore, I’m not anxious, normal period, lower blood pressure, no more chronic dehydration, no more feeling like I have a fiery pit in the depths of my stomach that requires carbs & sugar 24/7, & I can only hope that my thinning hair will dissipate. I’m just amazed at the positive changes!! I’m so thankful to have an amazing dermatologist, & to finally have found 1 pill that solves so many issues!!!"

• Lili
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2021

"I've been on spiro for about 6 months. The reason I got on was because of my genetic alopicia & so far, I’ve had a lot of new hairs grow, but not many where I need them to grow (a specific spot), but my acne (I’m 15) has almost completely gone away. I used to have bad back acne and a little on my cheeks, but now I get a pimple every once in a while. The only thing that scares me would be that I don’t know if my teen acne will come back if I get off of spiro in a couple years.. Nonetheless, I definitely recommend spironolactone, but you need to have patience."

• chrma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2023

"Hi. My PCP prescribed this for me. I had researched it online and had read that most people took from 50mg-200 mg. When I suggested this, my PCP looked aghast and now I'm glad that he did. He put me on 1/4 of a 25 mg tab a day. I took that for about 6 months. I had to pee a lot, my private areas that are normally really sensitive went numb and my boobs got bigger. I did not notice any weight gain. I did recently try to go up, and for only a few days I tried 25 and 50. I was hungry all the time and I knew this pill was going to cause weight gain so I got off it. When I read the reviews of people who gained weight but could never lose it, I believed them. That was why I got off it. I didn't know this before starting it, or I wouldn't have started it. I have been off for a few days and my private areas still feel numb, I'm not peeing anymore like crazy. I have 20 lbs. to lose, but they are the same 20lbs.I had to lose prior to starting. I would not recommend it as changes may be permanent.Scary!"

• Ang
• November 3, 2017

"So I have been taking this medication for a little over a month for various reasons. I have very thin hair and recently got worse...and also my acne. I tend to break out here and there with small pimples in my chin but because I was stressing I got cystic acne. It got so bad I wanted a doctor as soon as possible. Within a week of taking the medication I noticed my skin clearing up...my cystic acne got smaller. However I am noticing that I have lost significant weight ...almost 8 pounds already. I am already thin so I didn't want to lose anymore. I also had chills one day and even puked when I was on this medication.. This only occurred once so I figure it was fine. SO far it been ok , for hair I haven't noticed much difference yet"

• Hair...
• September 4, 2021

"My doctor put me on 25mg for 2 weeks and 50mg from the third week on. Did not have any side effect until the end of week 4. All side effects broke loose on week 5, next 2 days started experiencing on and off hives here and there. It wasn’t a big deal. Day 3 hives broke out in large number, very itchy. End of day 3 started spotting adn my derm stopped my medication right there. From the 4 week usage of spironolactone I saw no positive result, not even 1% improvemnt. Anyways each body is different. For all the people for whom the medication helped arrest your hair fall, you are really lucky!"

• Jess
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2022

"I don't know if Spironolactone has caused my thinning hair to grow back but it definitely stopped the shedding. I don't get my period since I started this med 200mg. I'm scared that my hair will start falling out again if I stop taking it."