Oral Spironolactone

[Christensen]

Hi guys.

There's much talk on this forum about topical spironolactone, but does anyone here take ORAL Spironolactone?

If not, why not? If so, what are your experiences with it? (side effects, etc., etc.)

 

[Rawtashk]

A pretty good chance you'll get manboobs. I do it topically only.

 

[John979]

Thinking about going transexual?

 

[setala]

Some people are getting boobs even with topical spironolactone, and what's gonna happen with oral spironolactone!

 

[GeminiX]

Oral Spironolactone (and Androcur) will almost certainly cause undesirable side effects in a male with no GID.

It will basically put you into an emotional state similar to that of the female menopause and significantly reduce the testosterone in your system (along with all the "fun" effects that comes with it); permanent neutering too and probably a lot of erectile dysfunction.

 

[stoja]

at risk of high potassium levels too.

i just got mine checked out so i have a baseline reading.

(im only taking topical spironolactone cream btw)

 

[hairrific]

permanent neutering too and probably a lot of erectile dysfunction.

Are you sure of that. If that was true then castration surgery would not be necessary except for cosmetic purposes.

How is oral spironolactone causes permanent damage, perhaps to the testicular ability to produce T even after withdrawal of the spironolactone?

What about all us guys that have a high T level flaged in blood test of say like mine, 1100 and the highest is suppose to be in the 800's? Would not a little bit of oral spironolactone make since to bring it down a bit? I am not saying do high dosage of spironolactone I am talking say 25mg or something per day.

 

[GeminiX]

Well 50mg Androcur is enough to permanently make a male infertile and quite effectively prevent erections. Broadly speaking this is a low dose and spironolactone is considered to be a mix and match alternative.

 

[hairrific]

How is it permanent? So your saying after a year on oral spironolactone the damage is done? No reversal after discontinuing the drug?

 

[GeminiX]

I'm not sure about the technical reasons (Bryan will know), but certainly Androcur will make you sterile within a few months never mind years.

It's typical to lose the ability to get an erection to, though that's not the case for everyone.

As an aside, I'm switching to spironolactone myself soon so I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Christensen]

Hey thanks for the replies everyone,

I've been experimenting with Oral spironolactone for a while, though I sometimes go off of it for a few days, then go back on it.

I'm kind of surprised that no one else is on it, because my doctor prescribed it to me as soon as I asked for it.

Geminix-- I didn't know that it caused those side effects! But I don't think I'm experiencing them. I know my emotions are the same; I don't about fertility because I don't want kids (and I'd actually rather have a full head of hair than kids anyway). I also don't have any sexual sides. But of course, I'm taking a lower dose than transsexuals take (they take 200 mg daily, whereas I take only 50 mg daily); that's probably why none of THOSE side effects yet.

But since you mentioned that you're going on it soon, I'll mention that it seems to be making my hair fall out faster than without it. I don't know if it's "shedding" which is a good sign, or if it's making my hair fall out by some other bio-chem pathway. My hairline is more receded now that when I first began taking the oral spironolactone--and my hairline had until then been stable for a few years. It also seems to be causing black, baggy eyes.

However, I don't know if the black bags under my eyes are caused by the oral spironolactone, or Finasteride (of which I take 5 mg a day).

stoja-- I'll be sure to check my potassium levels next blood test.

 

[hairrific]

Christensen how long have you been on spironolactone and also finasteride.

 

[Christensen]

hairrific -- I've benn on finasteride since Oct. 13, 2010; I've been on oral spironolactone since some point in Febr. 2011, I do not know the exact date in Feb.

 

[Rogazzle]

Hey thanks for the replies everyone,

I've been experimenting with Oral spironolactone for a while, though I sometimes go off of it for a few days, then go back on it.

I'm kind of surprised that no one else is on it, because my doctor prescribed it to me as soon as I asked for it.

Geminix-- I didn't know that it caused those side effects! But I don't think I'm experiencing them. I know my emotions are the same; I don't about fertility because I don't want kids (and I'd actually rather have a full head of hair than kids anyway). I also don't have any sexual sides. But of course, I'm taking a lower dose than transsexuals take (they take 200 mg daily, whereas I take only 50 mg daily); that's probably why none of THOSE side effects yet.

But since you mentioned that you're going on it soon, I'll mention that it seems to be making my hair fall out faster than without it. I don't know if it's "shedding" which is a good sign, or if it's making my hair fall out by some other bio-chem pathway. My hairline is more receded now that when I first began taking the oral spironolactone--and my hairline had until then been stable for a few years. It also seems to be causing black, baggy eyes.

However, I don't know if the black bags under my eyes are caused by the oral spironolactone, or Finasteride (of which I take 5 mg a day).

stoja-- I'll be sure to check my potassium levels next blood test.

Carcinogenicity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spironolac ... nogenicity

Black Box Warning
http://www.drugs.com/pro/spironolactone.html

Depends how close to the edge you are willing to live. I personally wouldn't touch it.

 

[Rawtashk]

Holy.sh*t. I guess you must REALLY want hair if you're using those doses :-x

You might not what kids now, but what if you do later? Kinda hard to reverse that in retrospect :-/

 

[zayin]

Oral spironolactone is simply not a longterm option. You need to use over 100mg for it to be effective, but you will feel crap. You might develop hyperkalemia (i did), and if you do, you could die. Have your potassium levels tested! Oh i forgot, gyno, limp dick, muscle loss, brain fog..... Best of luck with it

 

[hairrific]

"Rogazzle"

Carcinogenicity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spironolac ... nogenicity

Black Box Warning
http://www.drugs.com/pro/spironolactone.html

Depends how close to the edge you are willing to live. I personally wouldn't touch it.

That study also says that the carcinogenic "doses relative to body weight were 10 to 150 mg per kg, which is ten to 500 times higher than normal doses for treating humans." Even pizza Hut would say it's pizza is dangerous and not recommended at those amounts.

 

[hairrific]

Oral spironolactone is simply not a longterm option. You need to use over 100mg for it to be effective, but you will feel crap. You might develop hyperkalemia (i did), and if you do, you could die. Have your potassium levels tested! Oh i forgot, gyno, limp dick, muscle loss, brain fog..... Best of luck with it

Not so sure there is an actual study that says that at all for that dosage in males.

There is not much available information in regards to use in males for hair loss. This is probably because it is not FDA approved for hair loss in males and mainly because of Male paranoia with anything that might reduce Testosterone.

 

[TRex]

I have had a lot of experience with oral spironolactone in a bodybuilding contest prep/photo shoot prep.

Oral spironolactone usage at 200-300mg/day is really not optimal unless your willing to take other hormones to combat the side effects. It will make you loose 10-15 pounds of water in about 7-10 days. Its typically used by bodybuilders and fitness model/actresses to drop water and get that really chiseled ripped look. But this is short term usage, I could not image using this any longer than 4 weeks or so, with out recommendations below.

If you really want to try oral spironolactone long term, you could combat the sides by:
1) As far as the man boob problem, you could take 20-40mg nolvadex daily, just like bodybuilders do. It binds to the receptor to prevent estrogen from binding and causing gyno.
2) To resolve the limp dick, muscle loss, brain fog, you could take a weekly 200mg injection of testosterone.

The oral is probably not worth it for hairloss, use topical creme or make your own topical liquid with generic 5% minoxidil and aldactone tablets.