Spiro is actually one of the weaker diuretics (the potassium sparing part is a little unique) but it does act as an androgen agonist.
I am currently reading “The Diet Cure” as recommended by James, and I must say that this book has really opened my eyes about a lot of things. I highly recommend it as well.
Is spiro generally orange and smells like a mint? Little circular tablets? I’m not sure if they make it different or not. My prescription bottle says spirotone 100 and underneath it says 100 tablets each of Spironolactone B.P. 100 mg.
mine are not. mine are white ovals, but mine are generic and a different dosage (how much are you planning on taking per day?).
Based on the datasheet what you have sounds right.
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/s/Spirotonetab.htm
Hi:
They can come that way. The mint taste is also correct.
Spironolactone and Aldactone are the same thing.
Alicia
Well, you might think it’s too high, but I plan on starting out at the highest dose, which is 200mg (100mg twice a day). If I have too many problems than I’ll cut back to 100mg. A lot of people think it’s too high, but after consulting a medical professional, researching, and reading, I’ve found that if I want it to affect the hair you need at least 100mg per day.
“at least 100 mg a day”, I can see, but starting out at double that dose? It’s your body/your choice.
I would still strongly recommend you start at a lower dose and work up though just like a doctor would have you do. If MTF’s can make due on 100mg, why do you think that a genetic female might not? You can always increase if it does not seem to be helping (at a lower risk since your body will have time to get used to it before going full throttle).
I tend to agre with Nikki. Good points.
Alright, you’ve both convinced me to start at 100mg. We’ll see how that goes for 3 months. I’ll take it in the morning with breakfast…I guess food makes it metabolize faster. I don’t want to start out with a bad experience.
My prescription notes mention taking with food to prevent stomach upset. I have heard the thing about making it metabolize better also.
Hi:
If you were taking 100mg/day it would be better to take it at 50mg/twice per day. If you had a 100mg tablet you could cut it in half with a pill cutter.
I found it was best to take it with a drink of milk since it could be a bit harsh on an empty stomach otherwise.
Alicia
I was prescribed Spironolacone, but after reading the leaflet that came with it, I decided not to take it. The leaflet said that one of the side affects could be increased hair growth…go figure!
As far as I know, max, the increased hair growth side effect is only applicable for women who are taking it for reasons other than hirsutism. I’m not positive, though.
I am only assuming this from your name, but, if you are male, it’s quite likely that hair growth will decrease.
+1 to what Aliciadarling said - that is how it is prescribed for me (50mg twice a day).
Hi:
Perhaps the risk of increased hair growth might be with regard to scalp hair, not body hair? DHT affects body hair differently from scalp hair. Too much DHT in the body causes scalp hair to fall out and increased body hair.
Whatever the case some side effects affect only a small percentage of the users, or might even be isolated cases. The majority of users get the results that the drug is supposed to provide with minimal or no side effects other than more frequent urination and the need to drink more water so you don't get dehydrated.
Alicia
can I get this drug without prescription?
I don’t remember which post I read it on, but I read about Spiro causing more hair growth. Someone had mentioned it as one of the side effects. I was also on another site with someone complaining of growing more longer and darker hair around their eyebrows, middle of forehead, cheeks and chin. It was odd b/c those aren’t necessarily androgen dependent sites. Anyway, the administrator of the site, who specializes in everything hair, said that Spiro couldn’t possibly be what was causing this hair growth. However, she provided him with a link where he could check out where she got her information. I’ve provided the link for you…
http://dermnetnz.org/hair-nails-sweat/hypertrichosis-lanuginosa.html
What do you guys think?
CaseyLuna said:
can I get this drug without prescription?
Sure, you can get most any drug without a prescription on the internet.
Is it legal? No - spironolactone is a prescription drug.
I am going to butt in here for a moment. I’m just an occasional lurker because I am too busy to keep up with posts at this time, but I want to tell you my experience with Spiro.
First, I read the Hormally Vulnerable Woman, as someone else here mentioned, and I highly recommend it. I got it used at Amazon.com. This author is my saving grace. He also said the reason that the Spiro inserts still have an incredible amount of misinformation is because it is much too costly to change it. Much of it is totally incorrect. An androgen blocker simply cannot cause androgen problems. Also, the only time you’ll have to watch it with potassium is if you are taking this for blood pressure (or heart or kidneys) or if you take potassium supplements. Go ahead and eat a few bananas! (Never take any drug with grapefruits/juice, though.) If you don’t have high blood pressure, Spiro will NOT lower it. You will not get low BP from Spiro.
Second, I could not find a doctor who gave a flip about me, so I finally resorted to ordering from New Zealand, no prescription required (you probably have heard of inhousedrugstore.com). Their brand is “Spirotone”. I realize many here are anti-this idea, but when no one cares, you do what you gotta do. I’ve never had any trouble with customs nor the USPS. I found out it was legal ONLY if you order it for yourself. If you order a whole lot at a time they will assume you are sharing it or ordering for others, in which case it’s illegal. If for some reason it doesn’t make it through customs, inhousedrugstore will mail you another order free. The stuff is dirt cheap AND effective, which brings me to…
it’s effectiveness. Before I continue, know that not all Spiro prescriptions are identical in their effectiveness because of the inert ingredients which may inhibit some absorption. Aldactone is most effective with Spirotone a close second. Others are certainly effective but you have to take a little bit more or wait longer for it to work. Aldactone is incredibly expensive, though the fastest-working. I’ll stick with Spirotone.
What I did first – I started at a low dose and worked my way up gradually so that I wouldn’t have side effects. It worked; I feel great. I started at 50 mg/day divided. Spiro is much more absorbable with meals, BTW. Stayed that way a week, then doubled it to 100 mg/divided for a couple of weeks. Then doubled it again for a couple of weeks. The amount prescribed for hirsutism is between 100 & 300 mg, depending on the severity of the problem. I stopped dividing my dosage and found it to be more effective when I take it all at once. My body has completely adapted to 250mg/day, taken with breakfast, which is where I’m staying.
I will go in detail about my experience in the next post.
Continued from above post:
My experience. The first thing I noticed was my hair. It was much less oily within the first couple of weeks. By the end of the first month, my hair was no longer oily at all–to the point that I could actually go a week without washing it if I wanted (I experimented here, but normally wash my hair more often). My face was no longer oily, either.
I no longer have to wash my face twice a day to keep the oil out of my eyes (it was really bad). Also, by the end of the first month, my face really cleared up. It was never terrible, but I had to be soooo diligent about keeping it clean, using BHA & benzoyl peroxide, etc. It was always breaking out (I never had trouble as a teen, but it began to get bad around age 34–I am 37 now). My skin is wonderful. Burns more easily tho’.
Another totally unexpected “side effect”: I can go without deoderant. I discovered this by accident, then decided to go a week without showering just to see (I had nowhere to go and no company coming!) and… nothing. NO odor whatsoever anywhere. I used to HAVE to shower everyday. I still do most times, but I certainly don’t have to. I am guessing body odor is caused by androgens. Don’t know why else this would happen.
But I still was having no luck with hirsutism, which takes the longest to correct. At this point I was at 200 mg/day and having electrolysis treatments, which I was having no luck with. Come to find out, it would have been more cost effective to be on Spiro for a few months before starting electrolysis, but that’s hindsight.
The big surprise came when I began to take 250 mg/day undivided. I noticed very, very quickly that it was working. And now my electrolysis is effective and I think I’ll be quitting those altogether in a few weeks.
New “side effects”: I have less body hair, which was never an issue in the first place… but less is always nice! The greatest thing is the hair on my head, which I thought was just fine to begin with, is getting a bit thicker and my hairline has lowered. I thought my hairline was always higher above the temples–anyway, now my hairline has filled in there and has lowered a little. I always wore bangs because I didn’t like my hairline. Now I can pull all my hair back.
Other “side effects”: Although I now cycle every 21 days instead of every 28 days, I no longer have cramps. At all. I used to be doubled over for a day or two with heating pads on me, sometimes throwing up. If you knew how much I suffered, you’d know why the every 21 days is a fine trade-off. Also, though I was never a moody person, I do notice a more even-keeled, lighter mood and I no longer have insomnia. I don’t know if this happens to others, but I sure noticed it with myself.
Next post, my disclaimers.