What does spironolactone do to your hormones?
Spironolactone is an anti-male hormone (anti-androgen) medication. It blocks the male hormone receptor and reduces the level of the male hormones, testosterone and DHEAS. Spironolactone has a diuretic (“fluid tablet”) effect and increases urine production.
How long does spironolactone take to work for acne?
Spironolactone can take 3 to 6 months to have its full effects. Waiting for the results can be very frustrating. Spironolactone only works while you are taking it. This means your acne may come back when you stop.
How quickly does spironolactone lower testosterone?
Interestingly, administration of the main metabolite of spironolactone, canrenone, appears to decrease testosterone by 50–60% within hours in healthy men (13) and in conjunction with oestradiol, spironolactone decreases testosterone (14).
Can spironolactone cause weight gain?
On the other hand, if spironolactone isn’t working well to treat these conditions, your body may retain more fluid. And this can lead to weight gain. If you have kidney problems with spironolactone, this could also lead to fluid retention that can cause weight gain.
Does spironolactone affect your mood?
Of the individual symptoms, spironolactone significantly improved irritability, depression, feeling of swelling, breast tenderness and food craving in comparison to placebo. A lasting effect of spironolactone was observed in women started with spironolactone after cross over to placebo.
Does acne come back after spironolactone?
“If you discontinue spironolactone, the skin slowly will return back to what it’s genetically programmed to do,” he explains. “Acne typically returns within a few months [after stopping the drug].”
Why would a man take spironolactone?
Spironolactone is used primarily to treat heart failure, edematous conditions such as nephrotic syndrome or ascites in people with liver disease, essential hypertension, low blood levels of potassium, secondary hyperaldosteronism (such as occurs with liver cirrhosis), and Conn’s syndrome (primary hyperaldosteronism).