Spironolactone and Headaches: What Users Say

• 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."

• 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."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "My wife took this medicine for two days only, just 9 days ago, and we're not sure she's going to live another week. She stopped it after the 2nd dose because she got severe stomach pain and low back ache. The last 4 days she has barely had enough strength to get out of bed to use the bathroom. She has a difficult time breathing, is coughing way too much, has diarrhea, no appetite, headache, dry mouth. Her symptoms now look like congestive heart failure. No one should have to go through this with a drug that's supposed to help, not kill you."

• mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 24, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I was prescribed spironolactone 25 mg to take with my hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ 25 mg) for high blood pressure and low potassium levels. Just after I took spironolactone with my HCTZ, my BP was 136/77. Hours later, I started having severe uncontrollable whole-body tremors and bad headaches. I checked my BP, and it was 167/84. I checked BP 15 minutes later, and it was 180/93! Spironolactone was stopped. I wonder if this raises cortisol levels."

• 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."

• Fin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "Took half of a 25 mg tablet with food. Within 6 hours, experienced bloating, loss of appetite, tummy pains, and nausea. I started reaching heavily, uncontrollable, then diarrhea (like a tap had been turned on). This was for three days and nights. My feet felt numb, and I had terrible leg and foot cramp. I was extremely tired and thirsty. I am now on day seven, diarrhea finished but left with back pain and headache. Give it time and rest. All this was with half of a 25 mg tablet. Unbelievable, so dangerous."

• Cam...
• October 5, 2020

For Hirsutism "I have PCOS and have suffered from coarse facial and body hair for years. I recently started noticing male-pattern baldness around my temples and knew this was a hormonal problem, as I was tested for high testosterone. I started noticing results within days of taking the spironolactone, way sooner than I thought I would. Within a week, I was only having to shave my face every other day rather than every day, then every three days. My hairline has stopped receding and is slowly growing back. It's only been three weeks, and I'm already so happy with the results. I have only had minor side effects. The only one that bothers me at all is breast tenderness. I had some hot flashes the first week, but they went away quickly. Sometimes I'm a little nauseous or headachy, but only if I don't drink enough water. Since this is a diuretic, you need to stay on top of your water consumption and try to drink as much as you can every day."

• 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."

• Mim...
• February 11, 2018

For Hirsutism "57. Spiro for 2 months. PCOS. Bleached hair from 11-17. Shaved from 2017 until now. Black and white course on all body parts including toes, fingers, beard, breast, upper thigh, pubic area, arms, eyebrows, back, buttocks, abdomen. On Metformin for years for mild diabetes. 80 extra pounds, but not until the last 20 years, but still hairy. Post-menopausal. No high blood tests, probably due to menopause per Dr. 50 mg 2x a day. Side effects 1 mo: nausea, headaches, tiredness. Gained 7 lbs in 2 mos. Pores on nose smaller. Drier skin and hair. No reduction in acne or hair. Hair on face so coarse it is painful to rub it. Feel like a man. Has stopped me from ever dating again due to not wanting to shave everything anymore. Depressed (was before). Asking to up dosage."

• Mon...
• January 8, 2021

For Hirsutism "I had taken spironolactone (100 mg) for 6 months about 5 years ago for hirsutism. I got some positive results for hirsutism but didn’t get much of its side effects. For a few months, I have noticed that my facial hair growth has increased again, and I've also experienced irregular periods. So I took it again 15 days ago. But this time I am experiencing a huge amount of side effects. Like, trouble breathing, diarrhea, mood swings, feeling uneasy to walk, abdominal pain, headache, vibration in parts of the body! I knew that it was the only effective medication for hirsutism. But this time my body doesn’t adjust to it. So, I'm feeling so worried about it. Because this situation with excess facial hair is finishing me! After all, I'm agreeing that it's really an effective medication for PCOS with hirsutism."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I started taking spironolactone 25 mg about 2 months ago. It didn’t lower my blood pressure levels enough, but I continued taking it as it helped with the water retention issues I was having. I started experiencing major muscle spasms and hot pain in one of my legs, and I thought I had injured it somehow. That pain went away, and now one of my arms has the same issue. I have been getting more headaches as well. I feel it is related to the medication."

• Pho...
• March 5, 2017

For Acne "I started birth control at age 17 (Ortho Tri-Cyclen) after trying doxycycline and minocycline, and it cleared up my acne like a charm! Then, shortly before I turned 21, I started getting acne on just my chin (a combo of closed comedones and hard small cystic acne), and after about a month of dealing with the acne, hoping it would clear, I saw a dermatologist and asked to be put on Spironolactone since I read good reviews. She told me it was for older women and just put me on Tazorac .05% and Aczone 7.5%. The Tazorac completely tore up my face, but after a month, my skin got used to it and definitely was helping the texture of my chin but just not stopping the acne (plus, Taz made my skin super sensitive, so when I would frown or move my face a lot, my face/chin would turn kind of red... definitely unflattering and not a good topical for summer months), and the Aczone was helpful but not stopping everything. Fed up with my derm, I saw a second derm who took one look at my face and suggested Spironolactone and Benzaclin (antibiotic). I stopped the Aczone and started the Benzaclin, which worked really well for a couple of weeks and then didn't work well, so I stopped it entirely. I started on 25 mg Spironolactone once a day for a month last November 2016. I didn't see results, so my derm upped it to 50 mg in December. I started to see small results like decreased oil production on my face and hair but nothing truly impacting the acne. In January, I went up to 75 mg for a few weeks and then 100 mg (50 twice a day), and that is where I am right now (March 2017), and my face, for the first time since summer 2016, is completely clear. I almost feel like I'm jinxing myself for typing that, but it's been a full month without any sort of pimple (even during my period). I can also go two days without washing my hair, and my hair would usually be oily by the end of the day, so that is a HUGE plus... and the oil on my nose decreased by 95%, I'd say. I don't have any side effects, maybe just prone to headaches from dehydration (so definitely drink lots of water), and I have to get my blood tested for high potassium levels since it's a diuretic and can make the body retain potassium. I still work out every day, and I don't feel fatigued or anything! I would definitely suggest Spironolactone, it can take 2-3 months to truly get complete clearing, but I'm so happy I waited it out. I did get a slight breakout when upping to 50 mg on my temples, which never get acne, but it went away shortly, and that was my only breakout from the Spironolactone."

• use...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 16, 2018

For Acne "I have been on spiro for about 9 months, and it has done wonders for my acne. However, over the past couple of months, I feel like all this medication is catching up to me. I have a constant dull headache, sometimes feel dizzy and lightheaded, I am sleepy 24/7, I just feel like I’m in a fog all the time. It’s an awful feeling. I take 100 mg per day and am considering either lowering the dosage to 50 mg or just completely stopping taking it. I love what it has done for my acne, but at this point, it’s affecting my life too much that it’s not worth it. I’m just worried my acne will come back if I stop it completely :("

• Sim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2018

For Acne "I've been on a low dose of 50 mg for 4 months now, and Spiro works! You will purge badly at the beginning, but you just have to get through it somehow because the results will be so worth it. If you're experiencing really bad side effects like headaches or stomach issues, try experimenting with different brands because, unfortunately, some brands will give you horrible side effects while others won't. I'm taking a generic with little to no side effects, the only thing I have is a dry, flaky scalp and ears."

• Kel...
• November 18, 2009

For Acne "The medicine is great for my acne. But the headaches are really bad! In addition to the pain, my concentration is off, and I end up with multiple periods. I am really looking for help on how to combat the headaches so I can actually take the drug for an extended period!"

• gre...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 27, 2019

For Acne "I'll say that spironolactone helped my acne. Very much so. I still would get pimples, but not like I do when I don't take it. I will say this: I am 35 and have taken this medicine off and on for over 10 years. I truly believe it causes serious side effects: dizzy, headaches, mood swings, bad anxiety, horrible cramps, stomach pain, acid reflux. I could keep going. I even have this heart thing that I get sometimes: really fast flutters. I've gotten sick really bad a few times since I've been on it, and I never put two and two together until now. When I'm off of it, all those problems go away. I will never take this again, and I pray none of this is permanent. I have six children and want to be okay for them."

• ZPo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2016

For Acne "21 yo female. I love it. I am on 75 mg, and it has had the intended effects of reducing cystic acne and oil. The acne got a lot worse around 2 weeks, but the breakouts healed a lot faster than usual. It is now 4 weeks, and the breakouts are almost completely healed, and there are no new cysts! It has also had other welcome side effects of thicker hair on my scalp, less shedding, leg hair growing in really slow, pubic hair on my upper thighs, and facial hair on my chin growing a lot less and not coming back in after plucking. Only bad effects are headaches at first (drink water!) and spotting, even though I'm on BC. I'm going to ask about doing 50 mg for longer before coming back up to see if I can get rid of the spotting. Besides spotting, 10/10!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2020

For Acne "I was on this medicine for about 4 months, but I kind of have mixed opinions about it. Some days I loved this and didn’t know what life was like before it, other days I was breaking out and felt like it wasn’t working. I just recently came off of this medicine. Since I started taking it, it’s been making me feel sick all the time. I was always dizzy and nauseous with severe headaches. Despite this all, I do have to say I can see a complete change in my skin since I stopped taking it. I’ve been breaking out more now than I have the whole time I was taking it. It definitely was keeping my acne at bay."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2019

For Acne "I started this medication on January 17th. My dermatologist said it would clear up a few acne bumps that I get on my jawline and chin. I have no other problem areas on my face. I started out on 50 mg, once a day. The first couple of days I had horrible stomach issues and a pounding headache. After the 2 days, the stomach issue went away, but my headache never went away. About a week after starting this medication, the purge happened. I immediately started reading reviews and decided it was normal and it would be fast, furious, and temporary. By week 3, I had acne everywhere! My cheeks, nose, forehead, etc. The doctor decided to up my dose to 100 mg and also gave me 100 mg of doxycycline. She said it would kill the acne within 3 days. Another week went by, and I was getting dizzy, dry, my left leg was going numb, my headache was blinding, and more acne was now moving onto my neck. I let this go on until mid-March. I flushed the medicine. I feel so much better now."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2019

For Acne "I started this medication on January 17th. My dermatologist said it would clear up a few acne bumps that I get on my jawline and chin. I have no other problem areas on my face. I started out on 50 mg, once a day. The first couple of days I had horrible stomach issues and a pounding headache. After the 2 days, the stomach issue went away, but my headache never went away. About a week after starting this medication, the purge happened. I immediately started reading reviews and decided it was normal and it would be fast, furious, and temporary. By week 3, I had acne everywhere! My cheeks, nose, forehead, etc. The doctor decided to up my dose to 100 mg and also gave me 100 mg of doxycycline. She said it would kill the acne within 3 days. Another week went by, and I was getting dizzy, dry, my left leg was going numb, my headache was blinding, and more acne was now moving onto my neck. I let this go on until mid-March. I flushed the medicine. I feel so much better now."

• Fit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2016

For Acne "I started off on 50 mg once per day for 6 weeks. I noticed very little improvement in my acne, but my skin was less oily. The only side effect I had on this dosage was cramping and spotting in between my periods. After 6 weeks, my derm upped my dosage to two 50 mg pills per day. My acne began to clear, and my skin became dry for the first time in my life. I kind of enjoyed it while it lasted. The side effects worsened as my dosage increased. I had frequent urination, severe thirst, headaches, the cramping intensified slightly, and I would occasionally become lightheaded. From the day I started this medication to 2 weeks after stopping, I did not stop bleeding. Literally constant bleeding. If it weren't for that, I'd have continued with it!"

• Lau...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2022

For Acne "This medication has helped me drastically. I’ve never experienced acne up until the COVID-19 pandemic. I also have eczema. I was reluctant at first to try this given that I didn’t want to dry my skin out even more than it is, but I’m glad I did! My dermatologist started me on 50 mg, but there was no noted difference. He upped me to 100 mg, and I started to see a difference after two months. The difference was not drastic and began to plateau, so he upped me to 150 mg, and my face is practically clear! My acne is less angry, red, and bumpy. I do experience some side effects such as headaches and increased thirst (some days I feel like I have cotton mouth), but it’s worth it to me. It’s helped my self-confidence significantly. I am grateful."

• Hil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2019

For Acne "I just started this drug after being on it previously approximately 2 years ago. I didn't experience any crazy symptoms previously, so I was confident it would be a cakewalk. Boy, was I wrong! I am going into day 4 of taking the med, and I have been experiencing stomach issues, nausea, mind fogginess, dizziness, and headaches. The last straw was I almost fainted the other night. I am not taking this drug anymore. The short-term issues are bad enough, but I am afraid of long-term issues that may happen if I continue to do so. Please be careful and listen to your body."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2013

For Acne "I have been using spironolactone for the past week, and I am having crazy side effects such as dizziness, headaches, peeing too much, and tummy upset. Wondering whether to still go on using it, but I at least don't have any pimples popping up."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2020

For Acne "A few months after stopping birth control (was on for over ten years), my skin took a total turn for the worse and broke out like crazy. I eventually asked my doctor to try spironolactone. She put me on 50 mg. After a month, it was increased to 100. Between one and two months later, we increased to 150, and now my acne is finally under control. Do not give up. I’m now trying to get rid of the hyperpigmentation from all of the acne. I do still get pimples, but at any one time I’ll have between 0 and 3 pimples. During the worst part of my acne, I’d have between five and fifteen. So I’m very happy. I did have headaches for the first few weeks, but they went away, and they weren’t terrible to begin with. I also had a horrible hangover from just beer, likely due to being dehydrated more than usual from the spironolactone. I’ve also experienced lighter body hair and a LOT less oil in my hair and on my skin. So thankful for this medication."