Spironolactone and Nausea: What Users Say

• 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."

• Emm...
• December 4, 2019

For Acne "On October 30th, 2019, I started Spiro and Yaz. I had started on Accutane in 2018 for minimal acne, but in September of 2019, after I started taking Lo Estrin Fe, I broke out worse than I ever did before Accutane. Breakouts continued weekly, even after starting Spiro and Yaz. I broke out on Wednesdays (weird, I know), and then my skin would heal until the next week when I would breakout on Wednesday. As an 18-year-old that’s insecure to begin with, this took an immense toll on my self-esteem and prevented me from feeling confident. However, just when I thought I was going to breakout yesterday (Wednesday Nov, 2019), my acne cleared, and I didn’t have typical cystic breakouts covering my jawline, forehead, chin, and mouth. Be patient and wait out the horrible symptoms initially (the first week I was beyond nauseous and sad), but after that it has been smooth sailing. I’m sorry if you’re going through the purge, keep in mind you are still beautiful, and everything heals in time!"

• 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."

• RCs...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 22, 2020

For Acne "I was put on it for “hormonal acne,” which is what my derm referred to it as. I only had big bumps around my mouth/chin, around my hairline, and my temples. It was nothing severe, but definitely noticeable. She put me on 50 mg spironolactone a day, and after 3 months, there was only a slight difference. She then decided to put me on a dose of 100 mg a day, and it worked like a charm. My skin purged SO bad for about 6 weeks, and then it started clearing up. It made me extremely thirsty and made me lose my appetite because it sort of made me nauseous. But overall, it works great in my opinion."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2015

For Acne "I have never written a review for anything, however, I felt it imperative that I comment here on what spironolactone has done for me, with the hope that it will help others. I read the reviews here before going on spiro, and all the positive comments were my incentive for trying it. I truly felt like all hope was lost. Spiro has been the ONLY thing that has worked on my extreme, disfiguring cystic acne. For 2 years, I tried everything under the sun (Proactiv, 2 different antibiotics, topical ointments, gels, creams...). None of it helped, and a lot of it made my skin worse. (The antibiotics made me so nauseous that I was vomiting, unable to drive, even fell over.) I have had NO side effects, which is unheard of for me. Started working after 1 week."

• 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."

• AP2...
• December 16, 2019

For Acne "I had really bad hormonal acne that started in my early 20s. I tried facials, chemical peels, maca powder, fish oil pills, and every other 'natural' remedy you could think of. Nothing worked or made it worse. I was told to stop eating dairy, which I did for 2 years. Started lo-esterin birth control. I also tried benzoyl peroxide creams, retinol creams, etc. Helped, but still had rampant upswings of acne right after my period. Went up on the estrogen level of my BC, had the same issue. At this point, I was willing to do ANYTHING. My PCP suggested one final option before going to the derm, and that was spironolactone. I didn't see results until about 2-3 months after taking it. My skin is clear now! My side effects were urinating frequently, nausea, and leg cramping. It always helped if I ate something to avoid nausea, and I started drinking A LOT more water, which helped with the cramps. Overall, I'm so happy I tried this medication out and am much more confident than I was in the past few years of my life."

• Tas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2020

For Acne "UPDATE: Been on the Spiro for 2 weeks now, and the side effects are awful! I feel so tired most of the time, with absolutely zero energy. I was hoping this medication would be right for me and that I could stick with it, but I don't know about that anymore. I am nauseous most of the day, and I'm actually supposed to take 50 mg b.i.d. (twice daily), but I just can't. So it looks like I will be going on Accutane in the near future. I have noticed breast tenderness, and they do feel fuller, but I can't handle the 'no energy' part. It works for some people, I guess, but definitely not for me. I'm sure it takes a while to see results too, like I said, I'm 2 weeks in, and my face is worse now than before. Good luck to the rest of you. I hope it works for you."

• Jan...
• February 13, 2016

For Acne "I love spironolactone (I take 200 mgs a day). I am 46 years old and started with cystic acne at 21 and tried everything: Roaccutane (hideous side effects - an evil drug), Dianette (severe nausea all the time), Retin A (great but burned my skin), oral antibiotics (caused severe and permanent hyperpigmentation). So, as you can see, spironolactone is a breeze compared to the others I've tried. I have gained a few pounds and have breakthrough spotting, but I do not have a single spot (as long as I wash my makeup off!). It's been about 4 years, and I dread the day my GP tries to stop them (I am in the UK)."

• Nov...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2017

For Hirsutism "Been on this drug only for a week, and I have noticed a decrease in facial hair. Started in conjunction with Ortho Cyclen, though. Have had the following side effects—very, very tired, heartburn, nausea, lack of appetite, vivid dreams, and peeing a lot. I only take 25 mg once per day. Even with these side effects, I look forward to seeing how it goes since I am seeing an improvement in only a week."

• con...
• March 6, 2015

For Acne "I had acne since I was younger, but after having my son at 20, my acne went crazy-big cystic acne along my jawline. I tried antibiotics, creams, all sorts of things, but nothing worked. Finally, my dermatologist put me on Aldactone. I'm on 150 mg. I was on 200 mg first, but I got a little nauseous at times, nothing major, so my doc lowered my dosage. This medicine has truly changed my life. My face glows, I get maybe one pimple a month. Before, I had 10 or more daily. I'm so glad I tried this because I was considering Accutane, but this is awesome, with little to no side effects for me."

• Iff...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 7, 2021

For Edema "I’m a 53-year-old female type 2 diabetic. Have some foot and hand swelling, but hair shedding as well. Took this medicine for six months. Controlled swelling well, no hair improvement. However, I was so nauseous and barfy every single day. I just couldn’t stand it and tossed the medicine in the garbage."

• Nur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 28, 2019

For Acne "I have had hormonal acne since July 2018 after I turned 27. Before that, I had perfect skin. I would get nodules, cysts, and whiteheads on my jawline, chin, and forehead. After trying everything on the market, including antibiotics, I decided to try spiro before my last resort, Accutane. I'm on 100 mg a day for almost two and a half months now, and I'm so happy with my skin. I still get a cyst here and there, but I no longer get the daily ones I used to. This is a great improvement from 2 months ago, and I can only imagine how much better I'll get in the 3-5 month mark. Aside from having to pee and nausea that's causing me, I don't care because I got my confidence back. It also helped with the oiliness of my skin and my hair shedding. I love this medication. Thank you, spironolactone!!!!"

• 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."

• Tom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

For Gender Dysphoria "As much as I want to stop the effects of testosterone on my body, the constant dizziness, lingering nausea, anxiety, and brain fog made me stop this drug immediately. I stopped only after 4 days because it was too overwhelming and started messing with my life more than the gender dysphoria. I'm also very sensitive to all pharmaceutical drugs, so I'm not too shocked by my reaction. Just very unfortunate."

• Tas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2020

For Acne "I have been on spironolactone 25 mg 1x a day for 1 week, then up to 2x a day for just 4 days now. I have noticed that I've been peeing a little bit more than normal, and I am exhausted, and I feel nauseated for the most part. I'm going to hang in there and keep taking it unless it gets to the point I can't stand it. My face must already be going through the dreaded purge everyone talks about because I have several cystic pimples, closed comedones, and painful, itchy pustules as well. I am also on tretinoin 0.025% every night and clindamycin during the day (which makes my skin very oily, so I decided to only use it when my skin felt dry). She also gave me a selenium sulfate face wash to use once a day. I will update once a month has passed to let you all know of any changes. I'm going to hang in there and see if this medicine works for me. I'm hoping and praying it does."

• 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."

• Kuu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2020

"My anti-aging doctor started me on spironolactone in January, and my health declined from the start of it. I didn’t put two and two together until last week and stopped the medicine immediately. Sure enough, I’m feeling better already. I had nausea, worse headaches than I usually have, numbness, tingling, stomach cramps, leg pain, arm pain, and the list goes on. It had to be the medicine. I went to urgent care once in the 6-week time period and the ER twice. I was told it was migraines. I knew it was something different. I know what my migraines feel like. This medicine was dangerous. I don’t care how safe my doctor says it is."

• 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."

• Ano...
• April 24, 2019

For Acne "Going on the second week of taking spironolactone for my acne at a dose of only 12.5 mg because I have blood pressure at the low end of normal. Since yesterday, I’ve been feeling slightly nauseous and brain fog all day, and I didn’t take my dose for today. I don’t know if it’s from the medication or what, but I’m too nervous to take it anymore. It hasn’t done anything for my acne yet, but I don’t know if taking it longer would have helped or not, but I’m too scared to risk it. I really wanted this to work because I’m not one to want to be put on birth control. Maybe I’ll try it again once I feel better to see if it actually was the medication making me feel sick like this or something else."