I’ve just started taking spironolactone for my PCOS. Man o man, I just wanna crawl into bed and sleep for the next week or so. Did you have this side effect? How long before it went away? Also, not happy with the headache, but will deal with these side effects in the short run if the long-term payoff is worth it!
My doc has started me on 50mg for a week, then 100 mg for a week, then 200 mg after that.
Youch! I took spironolactone for a while, but went off it. It tasted terrible, didn’t help my problem with unwanted hair and wouldn’t have solved it permanently anyway. I don’t remember any particular side effects, but it was years and years ago.
One thing to be aware of is that spironolactone is usually used as a diuretic, and you’re taking it as a much larger dose. You may be getting a little dehydrated. Start drinking more water.
Yeah, today I’m hydrating like a mother… uh… nevermind.
My daughter has PCOS and has a website for NZ women with this condition. The women she has heard from who experienced these symptoms from Spironolactone, did not improve over time.
If you are experiencing these symptoms on 50mg, it would be wise to contact your doctor as there are other medications available to you. There could also be other reasons for your symptoms.
You are welcome to email me and I will pass along my daughter’s email address if you would like more information.
Sorry if this is too personal.
I’m not aware of Spironolactone being used in PCOS, the drug that is usually used here is Metformin (helps insulin insensitivity and aids weight loss).
In women desiring contraception either Yasmin- a contraceptive pill which contains Drospirenone, a milder relative of Spironolactone, or Dianette, a contraceptive pill with the antiandrogen Cyproterone Acetate, which helps with acne and hirsutism, is prescribed as well.
In women trying to become pregnant, weight loss and exercise plus Clomiphene day 2-6 of the cycle is the usual plan, as other drugs either reduce fertility or could potentially harm a foetus.
Is Spironolactone a last resort because nothing else has worked, or a first line treatment? I do understand why it’s used (it has some anti-androgenic and insulin sensitising properties) but it wouldn’t be first choice here because of the nasty side-effects.
Most things I’ve read indicate that spiro is a first-line med (here in the US, anyway!. My doc also prescribed them as “standard” treatment.
I’m also on Yasmin, but not on Met. My doc didn’t prescribe it. I assume that’s because my #'s don’t justify it. My insulin/glucose numbers appear to be in the high normal range (to me, at least). I would love to know if there is a clinical definition of borderline insulin resistance and if I meet that criteria.
Jastsu, I’ll send you and email.
Sadly no hard and fast rule, but generally a fasting glucose level in the top 25% of the population (higher than the 75th centile) would be defined as insulin resistance. It’s arbitrary though.
Metformin is used here for anyone with PCOS and BMI over 30, as PCOS is thought to imply an insulin resistant state in and of itself. But that’s here…this is where it all gets a bit tricky, as diferent physicians have different protocols even in the same country, never mind different countries! So trust your own doctor, as they know your situation best.
I think we use less Spironolactone in Ireland and the UK because we use more Dianette (Cyproterone Acetate containing birth control pills), which I believe is rarely used in the USA.
(I hope I’m reading these results right… )
My Glucose is listed at 88. I understand 70-90 is normal?
I also just talked to my docs office. I let her know about my drowsiness. She said to stop taking the spiro for a couple of days to make sure that’s what’s making me so tired, as she’s never heard of that side effect.
Everything I’ve read on Sprio says that drowsiness is a potential side effect…
Oh, and my insulin is 18. So, am I correct that my glucose/insulin ratio is 4.88? (I hate math. And I can’t believe I just exposed potential maximum idiocy to the entire internet!)
Spironolactone is still considered a first line treatment in the US, usually prescribed in conjunction with an OC because it’s important not to become pregnant while taking it. OCs also benefit women with PCOS. Other countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ have embraced the a new way of thinking about PCOS and its relationship to Insulin levels and seem to prefer to prescribe Metformin as the first line anti-androgen/glucose stabilising drug.
Spironolactone has not been widely prescribed for PCOS patients outside of the US for many years and is now usually only recommended for women with PCOS if their predominant symptom is unwanted hair growth. Even if Spironolactone works for you, it takes 6 months before you see any visual results and the unwanted hair will return once you stop taking the drug. It is not considered a permanent solution.
niblet-head For the best information about PCOS you should read PCOS: The Hidden Epidemic
Also a good MB is SoulCysters (you gotta love the pun, too ;)). I’m 96% sure I have PCOS (no insurance, no doc, so no official diagnosis) and found this to be a good resource.
Thanks jastu- that clarified things for me a lot.
When you learn the way it’s done in your country, it doesn’t really occur to you that other places might do things differently.
Like I said, here it’s Yasmin/Dianette ( anti-androgen OCPs) with or without Metformin (depending on BMI) for most women with PCOS.
It should be noted that while 10-15% of the female population have poly-cystic ovaries (PCO), Polycystic Ovarian SYNDROME (PCOS) is a separate animal with additional symptoms of anovulatory cycles, hirsutism, acne and (in 40% of women with PCOS) obesity.
I was taking 4 pills of 25 MGs a day for a diuretic, plus 2 tabs of 40 MGs Furosemide a day. The Spironolactone worked well with the Furosemide, and kept me peeing pretty well. Then my doctor had me take some blood tests and immediately told me to stop all the Spironolactone. He also said I couldn’t fly, which he had ok’d before. This really pissed me off, as my sister had offered me free round trip airline tickets to her summer condo in Ohio in july. I thought maybe as some sort of consolation It might help with the sexual side effects (not the good kind) that diuretics are known to produce, but so far no joy.
The doc had said that flying might well kill me by way of congestive heart failure; also my ammonia level was way up, so I have to take this wonderful liquid that keeps me running to the bathroom every five minutes for another refreshing episode of diarrhea. I’m loving my life these days.
Well, I’ve not taken the Spiro today on my doctor’s advice. I do have to wonder if the drowsiness comes from the fact that I’m allergic to sulpha drugs, and Spiro has similar properties. I still feel groggy this morning, but not as bad as I have been.
I dunno. Some things I’ve read indicate that weight loss is just as effective on stopping the hirsutism as drugs. (Plus Spiro only works as long as you take it.) Maybe I’ll just save my pennies I’d otherwise be spending on Spironolactone and get laser treatments every quarter instead.
Hurray for the UK, Ireland, Nz, and Australia. I am convinced that their perspective is the right one. IMHO and experience, PCOS (despite its name) is larely a metabolic disorder. I was diagnosed in 1985. At that time, it was treated as a purely gynecologic disorder–all the MDs seemed to care about was making sure my period was regular. Meanwhile, my weight spiraled out of control, I was tired after eating, and got ravenously hungry and irritable. I finally read about the PCOS/insulin resistance connection and got my insulin tested. It was 127–5 times normal. I was put on metformin and it was amazing. I had more energy, didn’t get ravenously hungry all the time, and was finally able to diet. I ended up losing 100 pounds. I have gained back some of that, but I still feel much better. My cholesteral numbers improved by huge amounts, too. I think the hirsutism improved, too, although I had a mild case and laser hair removal made the bigger difference there.
who ever has taken or on Spironolactone … please email me at pooja1seth@hotmail.com… that will be very kind of you.
please and thank you… its very important…