Would You Go On Oral spironolactone If You Were A Woman?

[Mellie]

Hey, i have a question for guys on this forum: If you were a woman, would oral spironolactone be a no brainer for you?

The equivalent of the big 3 for women is BCP, Rogaine and spironolactone 200mg. I'm on 2 out of 3 and still not sure about spironolactone due to the possible side effects, short and long term. But I also know some women have reversed their Androgenetic Alopecia with spironolactone. I know guys can't go on oral spironolactone because it will feminize them but if you were a woman, would you just go on it?

 

[Ruby]

Yes.

Full disclosure: I am a transgender woman, and gladly taking oral spironolactone as part of my HRT to feminize my body.
Depending on your body weight, and if you have any elevated blood pressure, I don't know if I'd jump immediately on 200mg (100mg every 12 hours). I started with only 50mg every 12 hours and increased it to 75mg every 12 hours after a couple months. I think that's an effective dose for me (5'6", 150 lbs, used to have moderate-to-high blood pressure but it's down in the 120's/70's now.)
However if you have low blood pressure, or high potassium levels, then spironolactone would be not so good for you.

 

[Maddy17]

Hi, tried spironolactone. could not tolerate even 25mg. My blood pressure is low naturally like 105/60, heart rate can be as low as 54-57. It was awful. Because if it does lower your already low BP then what happens is as you get TOO LOW by your body's regulator decides, the brain calls for the adrenals to increase blood pressure. It does so by cranking up production...of aldosterone and adrenaline and cortisol. Anxiety and panic attacks. So if you do it, check BP first!!! for few times a day, write it down. Get a monitor. Start low and slow. So if you start with 25mg, check your new rate after 2 hours on the med. if it has not deviated from your baseline, I'd wait a week, then step up. anytime you see it dip below your baseline, I would pause at that dose, and wait for it to normalize before increasing. You might also want to divide a pill in half and increase by 12.5 mg only at a time when you increase if you are sensitive. Good luck.

 

[Mellie]

Yes.

Full disclosure: I am a transgender woman, and gladly taking oral spironolactone as part of my HRT to feminize my body.
Depending on your body weight, and if you have any elevated blood pressure, I don't know if I'd jump immediately on 200mg (100mg every 12 hours). I started with only 50mg every 12 hours and increased it to 75mg every 12 hours after a couple months. I think that's an effective dose for me (5'6", 150 lbs, used to have moderate-to-high blood pressure but it's down in the 120's/70's now.)
However if you have low blood pressure, or high potassium levels, then spironolactone would be not so good for you.

Like you I would start gradually and definitely would do so under my endocrinologist's supervision. I'm 5'6, 135lbs and my BP is usually 120/70 so my concern would be that it would give me too low BP. Did you have good regrowth on it??

 

[Mellie]

Hi, tried spironolactone. could not tolerate even 25mg. My blood pressure is low naturally like 105/60, heart rate can be as low as 54-57. It was awful. Because if it does lower your already low BP then what happens is as you get TOO LOW by your body's regulator decides, the brain calls for the adrenals to increase blood pressure. It does so by cranking up production...of aldosterone and adrenaline and cortisol. Anxiety and panic attacks. So if you do it, check BP first!!! for few times a day, write it down. Get a monitor. Start low and slow. So if you start with 25mg, check your new rate after 2 hours on the med. if it has not deviated from your baseline, I'd wait a week, then step up. anytime you see it dip below your baseline, I would pause at that dose, and wait for it to normalize before increasing. You might also want to divide a pill in half and increase by 12.5 mg only at a time when you increase if you are sensitive. Good luck.

Wow! This sucks... and actually sounds very scary. Other than my thyroid, for which i am being treated, I am perfectly healthy so it sucks to think about having to take a drug that could potentially alter how your adrenals work?!! What are you on now?

 

[Maddy17]

Wow! This sucks... and actually sounds very scary. Other than my thyroid, for which i am being treated, I am perfectly healthy so it sucks to think about having to take a drug that could potentially alter how your adrenals work?!! What are you on now?

Do you have elevated androgens? Or are they just throwing spironolactone at you for hair loss? Because thyroid hypo or hyper can cause hair loss. So if you just started therapy maybe see if that helps enough. My aunt is hypo. She told me once when they got the thyroid level right (which can be a pain to get to, trial and error), she no longer needed to wax her lip. LOL.

 

[Ruby]

Like you I would start gradually and definitely would do so under my endocrinologist's supervision. I'm 5'6, 135lbs and my BP is usually 120/70 so my concern would be that it would give me too low BP. Did you have good regrowth on it??

I can't tell really how much the spironolactone is responsible for, since I'm throwing everything but the kitchen sink at my hairloss, but collectively all the chemicals I'm throwing at it have gotten be back to NW5 from NW6.

 

[hairblues]

I have naturally low but normal blood pressure..my blood pressure was fine.

i took it i had no negative reaction to it i drank enough water etc.

i dont think it increased peeing if it did it was not bothersome enough to notice.

i did have issues with my period...IF i ever go back on it i have to take Birth Control Pills with it.

Im more unsure about adding birth control pills than the Sprio.

So if you are already on birth control pills i would try it--it won't kill you it just may give you some side effects that its not right for you but i would try it and then go off it if not right for you...just take it with BCP or you can have menstrual problems.


hair is everything when it comes to looks...yes we can get wigs etc but its a huge part of our looks and also our comfort...do what you can safely and sanely to try and preserver your hair.
spironolactone is a safe drug for most people...and its not long term harmful you jus may not tolerate it.
i cant tolerate penicillin still a fantastic drug for most people.

 

[hairblues]

PS you do need to work with your doctor though they have to just keep trac of your potassium levels..i dont think its common but peoples potassium levels can get too high/low i dont remember which one..so its a safety precaution to monitor it.

 

[DHTpolice]

I am not a woman, my hair loss not a big, but look what my regimen is. I am on 50mg of spironolactone ed and 6.5mg of androcur eod. Will up spironolactone dosage to 75-100mg soon and then will add topical estrogen. Sides for now: fatigue, depression, mood changes, low libido, body hair loss, mild lower back pressure sometimes. My height: 172 cm, weight: 55-56kg and I am pretty sensitive even to 50mg of spironolactone.

 

[g.i joey]

I am not a woman, my hair loss not a big, but look what my regimen is. I am on 50mg of spironolactone ed and 6.5mg of androcur eod. Will up spironolactone dosage to 75-100mg soon and then will add topical estrogen. Sides for now: fatigue, depression, mood changes, low libido, body hair loss, mild lower back pressure sometimes. My height: 172 cm, weight: 55-56kg and I am pretty sensitive even to 50mg of spironolactone.

Sounds fun

 

[Mellie]

Do you have elevated androgens? Or are they just throwing spironolactone at you for hair loss? Because thyroid hypo or hyper can cause hair loss. So if you just started therapy maybe see if that helps enough. My aunt is hypo. She told me once when they got the thyroid level right (which can be a pain to get to, trial and error), she no longer needed to wax her lip. LOL.

My total testosterone is on the high side of the range but my free testosterone is normal probably because I'm on the BCP. But no one checks that when spironolactone is prescribed. I've been hypo for over 10 years so I'm not new to it and never had issues with my hair until I went off bcp.