Spironolactone and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Ban...
• February 27, 2020

For Acne "Finally stopped taking this. Had been experiencing terrible side effects for 6 months. I talked to my dermatologist about this. She continued to say, 'I've never heard that side effect from a patient so it's probably something else.' Ridiculous anecdotal evidence, especially because all of the symptoms I experienced were listed for the med. I have stopped seeing this doctor. The med caused EXTREME fatigue, weakness. There were many times when all I could do was lay on the couch. It was miserable to get through all the days at work. Huge stomach issues, dizziness, vision disturbances, and sleep problems. Absolutely no sex drive and huge mood disturbances. I stayed on it for so long because it was effective and improved my acne 100%. It was a hard choice to stop, but I realized my overall health and well-being is WAY more important than how my skin looks. Also, an important lesson I learned is always trust your body and doctors are not always right."

• Cin...
• February 16, 2015

For Alopecia "Dermatologist prescribed this for hair loss. I've been on it for 3 months and I have dramatic hair regrowth! I am so thrilled with what's growing right now. Only side effect is I get dizzy if I stand up too quick. Other than that, I'm thrilled."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2020

For Hirsutism "I am 25, 5 ft 4, and weigh 15 stone. I have PCOS, and the excess hair growth, with all things combined, has just been awful. My last resort was spironolactone. The first week or so, it definitely made me dizzy, especially when getting up, etc. I’ve been on this tablet for 3 and a half months now, and I can 100% see a difference. My once black facial hair is almost blonde now. I am on an 800-calorie diet and have lost 3 stone since starting this (was 17 stone). I believe the weight loss and the medication are helping this. I am really happy, to be honest."

• 53...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Took medication for 2 days, woke up with severe diarrhea, stomach pains & severe vomiting. My body became VERY dehydrated and legs, ankles, and feet began to have muscle spasms. After finally keeping some sea salt down, I was able to go back to work after 48 hours of cramping! Continued taking this medication for another 3 weeks, but my stomach was so messed up I still haven't gone back to eating meats. Cramps have come back, and today my primary, who didn't prescribe this medication, said this medication was the culprit and took me off of it. He stated the medication has thrown all my electrolytes out of balance. Other symptoms are extreme muscle weakness and uncontrollable drowsiness, sharp pains throughout my body, bad headaches, tightness in head, dizziness & unexplained confusion, very scary side effects. It appears this medication may hold on to potassium but it definitely sucked the other electrolytes out of me. I wouldn't recommend this medication to anyone."

• Liz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2018

For Alopecia "My specialist has yet to diagnose me because I'm right on the line of TE and androgenic alopecia. Either way, my hair started falling out rapidly and I was horrified. I was put on 25mg of spironolactone and then increased to 100mg. This has helped me DRAMATICALLY. I've been on spironolactone for 8 months and just began 100mg 2 months ago, and I think it's safe to say 90% of my hair is back! I felt the dizziness mentioned in reviews only for the first month or so when I was taking 25mg, then I was fine. However, it has significantly lowered my sex drive, but give a little take a little. I was becoming so upset and self-conscious, and now I feel like myself again. After chopping off 4 inches of dry, brittle hair that I started with, I'm left with a thicker, healthier bob. Very, very happy."

• 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."

• RUI...
• March 14, 2021

For Acne "Before starting this, I had very mild acne, mostly caused by wearing a mask for COVID and other factors. I was put on 100 mg of spironolactone in addition to Differin and clindamycin. I had previously had success with Differin and clinda, so I know that is not what went wrong. My symptoms were dry skin, thirsty, dry lips, peeing a lot, and dizziness. A month after starting spiro, my skin was broken out like crazy. I was told this was just me 'purging.' Fast forward to 5 months later, and I have seen way more harm than good. While my forehead and nose remained clear, my chin and jawline had acne like I had never seen. I would constantly get deep, painful cysts that itched. I have tried so hard to love this drug, but I know it is not right for me. I must be allergic or something. I am going to quit spiro, and I will update if my skin improves because I cannot take this anymore."

• Nic...
• February 10, 2020

For Hirsutism "I started spironolactone 3 weeks ago at 100 mg. These past weeks, I have experienced nausea, tiredness, headaches, and dizziness. 2 days ago, I actually fainted and fractured my jaw by smashing it on a counter I fell on when fainting. I am now undergoing surgery for my jaw and having teeth removed. I have never experienced this before. My blood pressure has gone from 120/85 to 85/55 in the past 2 days. Spironolactone has caused me new medical conditions."

• Pee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Since I’ve started this drug... I hardly need to pee very small amounts. I’ve tried drinking more, over 2.5 liters. Doesn’t seem to make any difference. I feel very unsteady. I’m gonna stop taking it, hopefully, the doctor has something else."

• Ind...
• September 14, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "This medication brought my dangerous blood pressure levels down to normal or normal borderline, but definitely not the triple digits from before. The side effect I am experiencing that bothers me is dizziness. I am going to try to drink more water to see if this helps. I also have noticed a lack of appetite."

• Tha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 3, 2019

For Acne "This medication, spironolactone, literally saved my confidence. I’m a 25-year-old female, and I didn’t have serious issues with my acne until I literally turned 25. And it was bad just along my jaw, a bit on my cheeks, and sides of my neck just below the jawlines. It was painful, and it itched! I’m so incredibly thankful that I knew about spiro before I had my first big breakout, so I knew exactly what to request from my doctor to combat the cystic acne. I’ve been taking this medication for about 8 months now and am now starting to see lasting improvement. Everything everyone says about waiting at least 3 or 4 months before you give up is right! This medication doesn’t work overnight like we all might hope. But the results are worth the wait. If there was an option to post pictures, I’d share in a heartbeat! You all are beautiful, and please give the medicine a chance to work! (Only negative side effect I’ve ever had was standing up too fast and getting a little dizzy.)"

• Tes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 24, 2014

For Acne "I am currently taking this and have been for about 3 or so months. At first, I was on 25 mg, which didn't do much. I started 50 mg, then 100, and saw drastic changes. My skin was always fine until I hit 23. Now at 25, my skin hates me apparently. I had cysts all along my jawline, cheeks, and some on my neck that left pigmentation spots. This medicine has drastically changed my skin, I have minimal breakouts, smaller, and not as often. My skin is less oily, and I've lost 10 pounds without trying. My skin looks 90 percent better, and my leg hair doesn't grow as fast! (Yay!) The downside is that it does make me dizzy sometimes and lightheaded. And I've had minimal random heart palpitations. Other than that, it worked for me, had to wait a month or so though."

• Rai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 3, 2023

For Heart Failure "It was like taking ten Benadryl. I could not stay awake. I was instructed to take it in the morning with food. Within 20 minutes, I was sound asleep. It made my fatigue worse, tenfold. Blurred vision and dizziness, brain fog. Tried it at night instead, but was still groggy and fuzzy the next day. I'm done."

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

For Alopecia "I wanted to read the reviews before posting to see if other people's 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 I’m 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 no alternative."

• MVa...
• October 13, 2019

For Acne "Please reconsider before starting this. Helped my acne, side effects are not worth it. I had no idea how lucky I was before taking this, just to feel no pain. Now I am 10 months off of this drug, and I am still in pain every day. Was on it 6 months, 25 mg 2x a day. In Jan, started feeling side effects: brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, loss of libido. Then chest pains/intense anxiety. Asked my doctor if I could quit cold turkey? She said sure. Then...the next two weeks were so bad. Severe anxiety, panic attacks, tremors, shortness of breath, stomach pains, nausea, diarrhea, depression, irregular heartbeat, arm numbness, chest pain, all day every day. Ears ringing, sleep problems. Lost 25 lbs. Horrible. No doctors had any advice, answers, or wanted to help. Ever since then, the symptoms remain but SLOWLY get better over time. Today I am better but still have chest pain, ear ringing, and digestive issues every day. Please do research, know the effects it could have. I would take acne any day over this."

• ead...
• June 11, 2015

For Acne "I'm a 28-year-old woman who switched from oral birth control to the Mirena IUD. That is the only change I can associate with a horrible bout of hormonal acne that started about 6 months after I made the switch. I had embarrassing, painful acne along my jawline down onto my neck. My skin was greasier than normal, and products that would typically keep my breakouts at bay didn't touch the cysts on my jawline and neck. I've been taking 100mg of Spironolactone for about 6 weeks now, and I've already seen great improvement. My skin isn't 100% yet, but it's obviously improving, and I assume it will get even better with time. I haven't experienced any side effects, no weight gain, dizziness, or breakout period."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 16, 2018

For Hirsutism "I have been taking spironolactone for going on two years in March (2019). I can say that my chin hairs, though still dark, are not nearly as many and they are definitely not as coarse as they were. I’m kind of small, so my doctor will not up my dosage from 50 mg a day because I get dizzy really easily, and I actually thank her for having the foresight to know that. At 37 years old, I have had this condition a really long time, so it would be foolish for me to think that it should go away in a short amount of time. I would say to those still waiting, give it time. Also, I was seeing a substantial amount of results until I started getting my face waxed, then noticed my hair growing back quickly. Then, I was told this week by a waxer at European Wax Center that some of these wax shops (including them) use a growth serum after waxing (so that their customers will come back). She was sure that my previous waxers probably were using the serum on me (for a whole year!). Time to start doing my own waxing!"

• tha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2013

For Acne "Love this stuff. Miraculous. I am 50 years old and have suffered with cystic acne since age 36. Nothing helped, and it left my once nice skin discolored and scarred. I saw 'the best' dermatologists in Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York, spent a fortune, and nothing helped. Finally, I met a dermatologist from a small town completely by chance, and he urged me to try spironolactone. Within one month, my skin was clear and still is. One caveat: when I first started taking it, I was dizzy and nauseated, so I stopped taking it. The doctor told me to try again with half the dosage, and it worked like a charm."

• Awf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2022

For Hirsutism "Prescribed this for excess hair growth. I couldn’t even take this for a week because it was that bad. The headaches, the dizziness, the shakes. Scared of eating potassium-based products because I was not informed that it basically stops potassium leaving your body. My depression and paranoia have gotten 10 times worse, and I was arguing and causing conflict with family members. After reading other reviews, it’s clear I’m not the only one who’s experienced this. Taking them straight back to the pharmacy to be destroyed. Not worth it for me, and I suggest if you have mental health problems, please discuss this with your GP because it’s caused my mental health to deteriorate."

• Tha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 8, 2020

For Acne "This is probably going to be my last review of spironolactone, but only because I can’t find any other fantastic things to say that I haven’t already! I have been on spironolactone 100 mg daily for acne for nearly a year now (started at 25 then gradually increased over the span of 8 months), and I don’t have any acne breakouts any longer. I used to receive some right around my period after 6 months on spironolactone along my jawline, but now there’s nothing. Now I’m using exfoliating serums to combat redness and dark spots! I don’t even experience the frequent urination anymore. Sometimes I do get a bit dizzy if I stand up too quickly, but that’s never been a real determining factor for me because it’s so mild. Please stick with it if your symptoms aren’t concerning! This medication saved my confidence!! The purge is worth it! Don’t give up!"

• Cak...
• September 12, 2017

For Acne "I only took Spiro 100 mg for 10 days, it was working, but I was ill. After 4 days, I was so dizzy with tachycardia. A year after stopping, I still have the tachycardia... has anyone else suffered with this, please?"

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2021

For Hirsutism "I’ve been on spironolactone for over two weeks now, and I absolutely love it! My endocrinologist put me on it due to my acne and unwanted hair that grew all over due to my PCOS. At 25 mg, two pills a day, it has been a total and 100% life saver! I actually have the greatest confidence level now, and it also helps with high blood pressure! It runs in both of my parents' sides, and knowing this helps, it’s just an added bonus! I could not be happier with this selection! I know everyone is different and reacts differently to medicines, but this has been a total game changer for me. Especially being 30 years old! I don’t feel much dizziness or drowsiness, however, diarrhea does come and go. But nonetheless, I’d recommend this to anyone who is experiencing horrible acne."

• Mad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2016

For Acne "I'm a 25-year-old female, and I suffered terrible acne for a long time, then it went away for a few years. Suddenly, back in September 2016, I started to break out again in those painful cysts around my jawline, where I had never broken out before. Spiro helped me many years before, so I started taking it again. First week 25 mg and then 50 mg. Had the notorious 'Initial Breakout,' but after that cleared up (took 2 months), I've been good ever since! It's nice not waking up each morning to find new painful cysts under my chin! Love it. It has caused some dizziness, but I'll take that over a pimply, painful face any day. Be patient, this drug takes a while. Worth it though."

• sun...
• May 23, 2015

For Acne "Nearly a year ago, I broke out with hormonal acne, and it was horrible, but I finally got a dermatologist appointment two months ago, and she put me on spiro starting at 25 mgs a day because she said for some people it can cause dizziness, and since I weigh a hundred pounds, she wanted to start low. I'm now on 50 mgs, and I have no issues with dizziness. I might go up to 75 mgs, but I've been on it for two months, and my skin is pretty clear and back to being my 'old skin.' My only issue now is dealing with the discoloration from my acne, but my derm said that will clear up with time and gave me a Retin-A to help. I hope this works for you because I love it!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2016

For Acne "Please be careful on this drug. It is a diuretic and can cause your sodium to drop, especially if you drink a lot of water. I became increasingly lightheaded and dizzy. I was vomiting. I went to the ER and my sodium was 118. Normal is around 135-145. This is dangerously low. Under 115 and your brain can swell, leading to seizure, herniation, and death. If you're having symptoms, please stop taking the medicine and have your labs checked."