Spironolactone and Fatigue: 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."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2020

For Alopecia "I read all these reviews before taking spironolactone, and I was nervous about side effects, but I'm so glad I started. 50mg/day taken before bed, 23 years old. I'm two weeks in, and the first couple of days I had really bad dehydration, lightheadedness, fatigue, and a little nausea. Once I started drinking water, I felt better, and back to normal in 48 hours. Peeing every half hour, but that got better as well. Now, my appetite has slightly decreased, and I can't eat a lot at once without feeling nauseous. Occasional diarrhea--balance your fiber and drink a lot of water! But it's worth it because I have inch-long hairs growing on my scalp!!! After two days, my hair felt thicker and didn't shed as much. My face is slightly less oily, and my breasts are slightly bigger, which is a good thing for me."

• Sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking 50 mg of spironolactone (together with 2x50 mg Loxen) for 12 days. Effects will certainly still evolve, but in my case, it lowers BP, makes me lose water, raises my low potassium, might help against my hirsutism (too early to tell), lowers my appetite, and eliminates PMS. I have tried 8 other common BP meds before, with side effects like cough, tinnitus, heart palpitations, fatigue, and raised BP, and I started out with low potassium, fluid retention, and hirsutism. Seems like a very good fit if you are in a similar situation."

• Lob...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 6, 2014

For Acne "I've been on spironolactone for probably 2 or 3 years now. We have always had a love/hate relationship. Rest assured, spironolactone will work for most people when it comes to combating acne (all acne is caused by hormones to some degree), but like any other medication, spironolactone is not without side effects! Over the years, I have decreased my dosage and sometimes tried to completely stop taking it due to weight gain (yes, you initially lose it, but just wait!), thinning hair, depression, dehydration (I believe this side effect is worse for me due to other medicines I take with it), slower metabolism/fatigue, and evidence that this medicine was totally prematurely aging my skin! Initially, it was 25 mg 2 times a day, but now I just take 25 mg a day."

• Daw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "Took this for blood pressure, the first day of taking was fine, but by the next day after the daily dose, I have never been so sick in my life. I had extreme nausea, extreme hot feeling, feels like a bad flu, fatigue is horrible. I took spironolactone for 3 days, the doctor took me off right away - deadly drug."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2022

For Acne "This drug made me go from a normal, energetic, happy-go-getter to a person who couldn't get off the couch, couldn't parent, couldn't function, had extreme fatigue, had severe depression, and complete hopelessness. I was crying constantly. That's not who I am or have ever been, ever. Symptoms completely resolved after 1 week of stopping, even though the dermatologist said it is unrelated."

• Meg...
• December 6, 2015

For Acne "I've struggled with moderate acne since the age of 11 or 12, and I'm now 26. I've tried benzoyl peroxide solutions, salicylic acid, tretinoin cream, doxycycline oral antibiotic on numerous occasions, clindamycin cream, and the list goes on and on. Nothing ever worked, and I learned to live with acne - I learned how to cover it to the best of my abilities and to try to act like it didn't bother me. But honestly, at any given point, I had at least 8-10 pimples. By the time I turned 24, I had started with horrific large pimples on my chin and cheeks, and I pleaded with my dermatologist to start me on something different because I had just had enough. Spironolactone was the best thing to ever happen to my skin!!! I started at 50 mg daily, then after 2 weeks, it was increased to 100 mg daily. I noticed within 4-6 weeks that my skin was clearing up and I no longer was getting new breakouts. I've been on it now for 10 months, and honestly, I don't think I've even had one pimple in the past 2 or 3 months. This stuff is simply amazing. If you struggle with acne, I would recommend at least trying this. I never thought I would ever have clear skin, and I now have completely clear, smooth skin. It's incredible. The only side effect I've had is fatigue, so I do take it at night before bedtime, and I wake up very well-rested. In addition, I pee a lot more often, as is to be expected from a diuretic, so I drink tons of water to make up for it. Also, as a side note, I've lost about 10 pounds since starting it, which is also a plus.:)"

• RPh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2016

For Acne "After turning 30, I started getting severe, red, painful cysts along my jawline, cheeks, and forehead. They would last forever and would not go down with any topical treatments. I had my androgen levels checked, and they were 3x the normal limit. Around this time, I was also having trouble maintaining my weight (5'4'', around 120 lb), my skin became really oily, and I felt fatigued all the time. I'm very active and eat very healthy, so something was going on. I started spironolactone 25 mg - 2 tablets twice daily (three times daily around the time of my cycle), and it's as if I am a new person. The initial breakouts took about 3 months to completely go away, but now I have energy, no weight issues, and no acne!"

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 23, 2021

For Acne "Spiro ruined my life. I had the worst side effects after my derm recommended increasing my dosage. I was at 150 mg when I experienced extreme anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, and fatigue. I went up to 200 mg in January 2021, and the panic attacks and trouble sleeping increased. I got off of it cold turkey, and soon enough, I was back to normal. All the side effects are gone. I will never take this again. I told my derm that this drug caused anxiety, and he said, 'that's the last thing it will do.' I'm very upset that he was not well informed of the side effects of this drug. I make sure to notify everyone not to take this. It is dangerous to your mental health."

• Tas...
• January 31, 2020

For Acne "Update 2 (original post 2020-01-12): Ok! So I decided to take the 50 mg once a day. I'm over the tired feeling and feeling sluggish. I just couldn't handle two a day. I'm 3 weeks in on this medication plus my tretinoin cream every night, and I am seeing a difference in my skin. My scars and pimples are fading slowly but surely, and my face looks amazing with makeup now! I'm so glad I didn't quit taking this. If you feel like it's too much, listen to your body and cut back if you can't handle it. I will update again in a few weeks. Good luck to you, Spiro users, and hang in there, it does take time."

• 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."

• 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."

• Ana...
• May 6, 2015

For Acne "It completely cleared my face of stubborn, cystic acne. However, I gained 40 lbs over two years, had no energy, and could sleep for 13 hours a night. I still work out regularly and watch what I eat. It seems the weight gain is happening more to people in their 30s-40s..."

• Anonymous
• July 8, 2011

For Acne "I started taking this after having missed four periods. I started taking this on Tuesday, and by Thursday, I started my period. The horrible cystic acne I was suffering from disappeared, and the unwanted hair growth stopped and reversed course. The joint pain I see people commenting on may not be from this pill. Have your physician test your DHEA and prolactin levels through blood work, as deficiencies in these areas can cause severe joint pain, fatigue, memory loss, decreased libido, and hair loss."

• Kit...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 11, 2021

For Alopecia "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE! I swear to God, taking this medicine was a huge mistake. I've been on 50 mg Spiro for 2 years for alopecia, and yes, it did help for that, but I also gained a whopping 30 lbs! 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 honestly, I would rather keep searching for an alternative alopecia treatment than being this heavy."

• Cry...
• January 2, 2017

For Acne "I have been taking spironolactone for a month now for my acne conglobata, and it is as if I have been taking nothing at all. Some of the symptoms I have had are depression, fatigue, drowsiness, hand and feet tingling, itchy, confusion, and just an out-of-it feeling in general."

• Rsp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2017

For Acne "This medicine is a miracle for hormonal acne. And I have normal testosterone levels. This works just as well to help me shed annoying water weight. I have experienced a couple of side effects, such as breast tenderness (but they look fuller, which is a plus) and fatigue, also a slightly shorter cycle. I'll eat with all of the above rather than have acne though!! Started at 50 mg and after 2 months moved to 100 mg (split in two doses per day) and THAT'S when I really started noticing a difference. I'm at 3 months now and finally almost all the way clear! Have patience!! This med works very slowly and you need to start at a low dose and work up. It's so worth it!"

• Ger...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2017

For Acne "I am a 38 y/o female and started spironolactone about a month after coming off of 7 months of Accutane. Accutane cleared my skin while on it, but within a couple of weeks of stopping, out comes my cystic acne. My derm prescribed Spiro, and within 1 week of starting at 25 mg p/d, I experienced sore, stiff joints from my finger joints to my knees, extreme fatigue, and weight gain. I lasted three weeks before the 4 lbs. gained went any higher, and the joint stiffness got to the point where exercising started to become painful. The extreme dryness, especially the constant dry, chapped lips while on Accutane, now seems like a cakewalk compared to the multitude of side effects from this medicine. I will just have to get the cysts injected every time now."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 10, 2019

For Acne "I'm in my late 20s, with an onset of cystic acne. I had stopped the BC combo pill (that I was taking for acne) due to lack of insurance coverage and decided (once insured again) to take a different route. I have been taking spironolactone for about 1 year (50 mg x2 daily). It has cleared up my acne fully... but at a cost of a barrage of side effects (excessive fatigue, constant peeing, irregular periods, anxiety, night terrors, mood swings, borderline low blood pressure). It's been exhausting combating the side effects and led me to stop the medication and go back to the BC combo pill. I do recommend the drug since it works but only in low doses (25 mg). Once I started doing 100 mg daily, the side effects just overwhelmed me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2015

For Acne "I was 18 going on 19 when literally over two nights, I broke out with horrible hormonal cystic painful acne covering my face. It was a nightmare. The doctors finally recommended spironolactone, and I started on 50 mg. Things started to get better but still bad. They then moved me up to 100 mg. My face just about completely cleared up in about two and a half months, with a few small breakouts during my cycle. It cleared my face, but I experienced two side effects. One was extreme fatigue to the point where all I could think about was laying down and was exhausted every hour of the day, even when I got a lot of sleep. Second was I would get super dizzy when I stood up. I am extremely active, work two jobs, and am a college student, I can't stay on it."

• Thr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2022

For Acne "The good: it will give you very clear skin if you stick with it. My derm put me on this + a topical. The first couple of months were rough, but it’s been 5 months, and my skin looks better than it has in years. I used to get bad hormonal breakouts and then a few random breakouts as well, lots of PIH, and my breakouts took forever to heal. My skin looks 1000% better, but it did take a good 3.5 months to really see the difference, and now it’s blatant how much better it looks overall. It’s the first time in a long time that I feel comfortable without face makeup on. The bad: I have ZERO sex drive, and I have always had a healthy libido. I have slowly been putting on weight (1-2 lbs a month it seems), and I just feel sluggish and tired/achy/moody and bloated. I am going to ask to stop this med and pray the acne doesn’t come raging back."

• Ras...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 12, 2017

For Acne "I was on spironolactone for years, and my immune system got really weak. I started to have fatigue all the time, and my NK cells were so low they didn't even register. I stopped taking it, and within 5 to 6 months, my acne got worse than before I was on it. I had bad cystic acne on my face and back. So after being off for a year and a half, I thought I would give it another shot. It only took about 4 months, and my blood pressure dropped down to 83/55. No wonder why I felt like I was dying. I am now doing a cleanse to rid my body of all the toxins that are trying to come out of my skin. That's due to my liver not being able to keep up. It is really depressing having acne this bad, but I would rather be alive than have to deal with that again."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2019

For Hirsutism "I have PCOS with all the classic symptoms. I see spiro as an awful drug, the side effects are too much. When I was taking it along with other B/C pills, it helped lower my testosterone level and hair growth, but the excessive peeing (all the time), excessive fatigue, and mood swings it gave me were too much. I had to stop it. And all the symptoms came right back, even the acne it cured. I feel sad because it works, but I'm so scared of going back to it. Even though I have a reduced dosage now, I still haven't talked myself into taking the pills again. Maybe it affects me so badly because I'm African. Maybe it doesn't suit Africans. I wish it would just work for me without all the side effects."

• Jbl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2021

For Acne "I’ve started spiro a month ago, a 100 mg. I was so tired, lightheaded, and nauseous I couldn’t take it. After reading up on it, I realized it’s actually a blood pressure medication. I checked my blood pressure and realized the medication was causing it to drop super low, which is why I was feeling so fatigued, lightheaded, etc. I was actually embarrassed I didn’t read up on it prior, but my derm never mentioned it, only really saying it could make me pee a lot. I then halved my dose, and my blood pressure went back into a normal range and removed the fatigued/lightheadedness. However, on 50 mg, I was still feeling nauseous during the day, so I moved to taking it before I go to bed and found it actually seems to help me fall asleep and only causes me to get up once in the night to pee. I’m in the purging stage now... not sure how long this lasts, but I’m going to stick it out to see if I can get the results everyone is raving about."

• 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."