A
I have androgenic alopecia, elevated testosterone and low progesterone. I have thinning in the front and a receding hairline :roll: .
My Endo prescribed oral spironolactone 2 years ago, 100mg 2x day. I switched to Aldactone (same dosage) 1 year ago. I also take a multi vit with Iron and yesterday started on prometrium.
Within 2-3 months on spironolactone shedding slowed dramatically. Slight regrowth was noticed from 6 months through 12 months. I added a multi vitamin with Iron and hair regrowth increased quite a bit over the next 6 months. I couldn't tolerate it so stopped taking it and lost quite a bit of the hair I had regrown. After a few months of trying no iron vitamins without success, I found a multi with a dosage of iron I could tolerate.
My thinning has improved dramatically. Not perfect but much better. I keep getting 'baby fuzz' around my hairline but no real progress. Actually the 'peaks' on each side of my forehead have improved giving me a 'straight' hairline again. My forehead / hairline started out fairly high, so now it's super high and it's really bothering me :cry: .
My progesterone levels are near 0, thus the need for prometrium. Endo tells me there is a slight chance that I could see improvement in my hair regrowth. Keeping my fingers crossed.
My Endo prescribed oral spironolactone 2 years ago, 100mg 2x day. I switched to Aldactone (same dosage) 1 year ago. I also take a multi vit with Iron and yesterday started on prometrium.
Within 2-3 months on spironolactone shedding slowed dramatically. Slight regrowth was noticed from 6 months through 12 months. I added a multi vitamin with Iron and hair regrowth increased quite a bit over the next 6 months. I couldn't tolerate it so stopped taking it and lost quite a bit of the hair I had regrown. After a few months of trying no iron vitamins without success, I found a multi with a dosage of iron I could tolerate.
My thinning has improved dramatically. Not perfect but much better. I keep getting 'baby fuzz' around my hairline but no real progress. Actually the 'peaks' on each side of my forehead have improved giving me a 'straight' hairline again. My forehead / hairline started out fairly high, so now it's super high and it's really bothering me :cry: .
My progesterone levels are near 0, thus the need for prometrium. Endo tells me there is a slight chance that I could see improvement in my hair regrowth. Keeping my fingers crossed.
similar situation
your hair loss pattern sounds similar to mine -- a lot of hairline thinning over time. i kept thinking it would grow back, but it's not and now i'm just beginning to admit i have a problem and should do something about it. what would you say works better, the spironolactone or the iron? it would be so nice to just take vitamin supplements and skip the doctor's care, since i have no insurance.
your hair loss pattern sounds similar to mine -- a lot of hairline thinning over time. i kept thinking it would grow back, but it's not and now i'm just beginning to admit i have a problem and should do something about it. what would you say works better, the spironolactone or the iron? it would be so nice to just take vitamin supplements and skip the doctor's care, since i have no insurance.
HairlossTalk
Senior Member
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The science really backs the Spironolactone more than the Multivitamin approach. You typically won't see results from multivitamins alone unless you are deficient in some mineral or other nutrient.
Note that she also said "a multivitaimin with iron" in it ... so we're not even talking a mega Iron dose kick in this case. Just a multivitamin that happens to contain iron.
I would place more bets on the spironolactone doing the trick. Please ensure that you've read the Women's Guide to Hair Loss and had the appropriate bloodwork done as described in there:
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/research/women
HairLossTalk.com
Note that she also said "a multivitaimin with iron" in it ... so we're not even talking a mega Iron dose kick in this case. Just a multivitamin that happens to contain iron.
I would place more bets on the spironolactone doing the trick. Please ensure that you've read the Women's Guide to Hair Loss and had the appropriate bloodwork done as described in there:
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/research/women
HairLossTalk.com
My doctor put me on Aldactone for similar reasons--thinning of the frontal hairline/temples and excessive shedding. I'm on 50 mg./day plus Yasmin (which has about the equivalent of 25 mg of spironolactone in it). I've noticed that my hairline is filling in, especially at the temples. My hair seems to be getting less fine (each hair more coarse and less wispy). My question for all of you is, should'nt my shedding slow down? I still shed 80-120 hairs per day. This site says that the normal shed is 50-80 hairs per day. Is that the bottom line and I'm still losing too much hair? I know this seems like a stupid question but I can't seem to get any opinion on it. Thanks so much. BB
HairlossTalk
Senior Member
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bb - it is impossible to count the number of hairs that fall per day.
People *not* experiencing hair loss lose between 100 and 150 hairs per day. 90% of them fall when you are not even looking, when the wind blows, when you walk, when you lean over, etc. Please don't judge your hair loss status on your own personal fallen hair counts. Base it on what you see in the mirror.
I'll let the people with experience on aldactone reply to your other questions.
HairLossTalk.com
People *not* experiencing hair loss lose between 100 and 150 hairs per day. 90% of them fall when you are not even looking, when the wind blows, when you walk, when you lean over, etc. Please don't judge your hair loss status on your own personal fallen hair counts. Base it on what you see in the mirror.
I'll let the people with experience on aldactone reply to your other questions.
HairLossTalk.com
totaldispHAIR
Established Member
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Rozzy,
Just saw another endo this am, a woman this time who knew a lot more about what she was talking about. I asked her about spironolactone and she said it *is not* safe to take when you're pregnant, it will cause abnormalities especially if your fetus is a boy.
She said it is a trade-off if you want to get pregnant, and you shouldn't have any in your system when you begin to try which could take up to 9 months to clean out.
Hope this helps!
TD
Just saw another endo this am, a woman this time who knew a lot more about what she was talking about. I asked her about spironolactone and she said it *is not* safe to take when you're pregnant, it will cause abnormalities especially if your fetus is a boy.
She said it is a trade-off if you want to get pregnant, and you shouldn't have any in your system when you begin to try which could take up to 9 months to clean out.
Hope this helps!
TD
Re: Spironalactone and Pregnancy
I was looking up this drug, and it doesn't look safe if pregnancy is in your future.. See: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/spiron_ids.htm#I
On another subject, is is safe to take something [Spironalactone] for hair loss that is primarily a medicine is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat congestive heart failure or high blood pressure? Won't it affect your heart?
I was gonna ask my derm to prescribe, but got scared off, 'cause it's used for HIGH blood pressure! :roll:
Rozzy252 said:
I was looking up this drug, and it doesn't look safe if pregnancy is in your future.. See: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/spiron_ids.htm#I
On another subject, is is safe to take something [Spironalactone] for hair loss that is primarily a medicine is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat congestive heart failure or high blood pressure? Won't it affect your heart?
I was gonna ask my derm to prescribe, but got scared off, 'cause it's used for HIGH blood pressure! :roll:
Too Young for This
Member
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Re: Spironalactone and Pregnancy
If you watch the videos on this site - one of them discusses the drawbacks of using spironolactone for woman - I beleive it causes abnormatlities in a male fetus' sexual organs (they are smaller than normal)...not something you would want to happen to your son...
Rozzy252 said:
If you watch the videos on this site - one of them discusses the drawbacks of using spironolactone for woman - I beleive it causes abnormatlities in a male fetus' sexual organs (they are smaller than normal)...not something you would want to happen to your son...
spironolactone and tumors
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... 82627.html
spironolactone causes tumors in rats. I thought I had found something that helps but now I get this info. Does anybody know if topical spironolactone has the same effect???
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... 82627.html
spironolactone causes tumors in rats. I thought I had found something that helps but now I get this info. Does anybody know if topical spironolactone has the same effect???
Miloh
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Just my two cents worth...rats actually get tumors very easily, and causing tumors in rats don't necessarily mean it will cause them in people. I'd be more interested to know spironolactone's record for humans--how long has it been prescribed to people, how widely is it used, etc before I decided whether or not to use it. Certainly the possible effects on a male fetus give cause for alarm :freaked:
Cheers, Miloh
Cheers, Miloh
Just Started spironolactone
The doctor just prescribed 100mg a day. I've tried to read up as much as possible on spironolactone but haven't found much information at all on what vitamins I am able to take. Before I started spironolactone I took Muli-Vitamin, B Complex, Calcium, Vitamin C, Niacin, and Acidophilus (sp?) And wondering if it is still safe to take these while on spironolactone or if it will cause problems cause I know some meds you can't mix.
Thanks in advance
The doctor just prescribed 100mg a day. I've tried to read up as much as possible on spironolactone but haven't found much information at all on what vitamins I am able to take. Before I started spironolactone I took Muli-Vitamin, B Complex, Calcium, Vitamin C, Niacin, and Acidophilus (sp?) And wondering if it is still safe to take these while on spironolactone or if it will cause problems cause I know some meds you can't mix.
Thanks in advance
K
KJ
Guest
does anyone know where to get topical spironolactone?
Sexual side effects of Spironolactone??? I feel > amouro
:evil: :evil:
this is a VIRGIN post for a brand new member to this site.
I'm going to be unduly UPSET if I remain a virgin due to this spironolactone drug.
I used to be on it about 1 and 1/2 years ago for acne due to stressful divorce and child custody battle with 4 small children. I don't recall feelings of low libido then, but I do now. Perhaps this is because I was just diagnosed with Androgenetic Alopecia after blood tests and a scalp biopsy. I do feel pretty depressed about the hair loss, but have been through hellacious stress in the last 3 years and not necessarily experienced this less than amorous feeling during that time -- but just a few weeks on spironolactone and I'm feeling this way???
My testosterone level from the bloodwork was 18 which I believe is quite low. I'm 42 and have had 1 period in 90 days and wondering if I'm also peri-menopausal. I saw somewhere in this site where a poster experienced a lowering of testosterone (I believe it was 99 down to 50) from spironolactone. Couldn't that be a cause for low libido? What about the theory that testosterone causes hair growth??? Doesn't that seem counterproductive to what spironolactone is trying to do??? :roll:
I guess I'm substantially confused, but not feeling "frisky" for this kitten is really not fun. With all the hair that's falling out of my head, I guess this is one of the last things I should be worried about, but "it is what it is" :cry:
If you have any insight, I;d really really appreciate a quick reply so I have some faith in this sight.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the long long post...
KitKat :wink:
:evil: :evil:
this is a VIRGIN post for a brand new member to this site.
I'm going to be unduly UPSET if I remain a virgin due to this spironolactone drug.
I used to be on it about 1 and 1/2 years ago for acne due to stressful divorce and child custody battle with 4 small children. I don't recall feelings of low libido then, but I do now. Perhaps this is because I was just diagnosed with Androgenetic Alopecia after blood tests and a scalp biopsy. I do feel pretty depressed about the hair loss, but have been through hellacious stress in the last 3 years and not necessarily experienced this less than amorous feeling during that time -- but just a few weeks on spironolactone and I'm feeling this way???
My testosterone level from the bloodwork was 18 which I believe is quite low. I'm 42 and have had 1 period in 90 days and wondering if I'm also peri-menopausal. I saw somewhere in this site where a poster experienced a lowering of testosterone (I believe it was 99 down to 50) from spironolactone. Couldn't that be a cause for low libido? What about the theory that testosterone causes hair growth??? Doesn't that seem counterproductive to what spironolactone is trying to do??? :roll:
I guess I'm substantially confused, but not feeling "frisky" for this kitten is really not fun. With all the hair that's falling out of my head, I guess this is one of the last things I should be worried about, but "it is what it is" :cry:
If you have any insight, I;d really really appreciate a quick reply so I have some faith in this sight.
Thanks for reading and sorry for the long long post...
KitKat :wink:
Spironolactone and hair loss
I have androgenetic alopecia. My dermotologist was shocked at what a severe case I had (it started at 18 and was extreme by 21). I was told I would be bald by 40 and need to wear wigs. I had tried the iron treatment starting at 21 along with women's Rogaine and saw little results. I finally found my current doctor and she put me on Sprionoloactone (200 mg/day) along with men's extra strength Rogain twice daily. I have seen dramatic results. At the time I began treatment, I had lost at least 80% of my hair. I would say that I have grown at least 20% of it back.
I have androgenetic alopecia. My dermotologist was shocked at what a severe case I had (it started at 18 and was extreme by 21). I was told I would be bald by 40 and need to wear wigs. I had tried the iron treatment starting at 21 along with women's Rogaine and saw little results. I finally found my current doctor and she put me on Sprionoloactone (200 mg/day) along with men's extra strength Rogain twice daily. I have seen dramatic results. At the time I began treatment, I had lost at least 80% of my hair. I would say that I have grown at least 20% of it back.
HairlossTalk
Senior Member
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Dorian - welcome to the forums and thank you for posting your story. Could you do us a favor and post it again at http://www.heralopecia.com/forum ? The ladies there would love to hear about your success.
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califemale209
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I am new to this group. My hair began shedding after I had my 2nd child and it stopped but never regrown that was 14 years ago an 2 more children later after my last child who is 4 years old my hair kept on falling out. I tried rogain for women for a year now and I went to a derm docter and he took blood work he diognosed me with alopecia and that I had low iron so the second visit he diagnosed me with again alopecia and that I had to many male hermones he prescribed spironolactone and told me to use extra strength rogain for men with 5% and to contiue to take multi vitamins and additional iron but suggests for me to have blood work done monthly to watch for low potassium. Has anyone here used spironolactone and what was their side effects and if their was any improvement.
Thanks!
Thanks!