Spironolactone Uses: From Acne to Hair Loss, PCOS & More. The first 4 months my hair continued to shed. Weight loss with Spironolactone pills is possible because this pill reduces excess water retention in the body. Spironolactone is a prescribed medication that works by reducing the body's production of testosterone and also blocks the testosterone receptors to keep hair loss from coming back. This spironolactone post is dedicated to all of my readers and patients who struggle with Pill-induced hair loss and PCOS.If the comments section on my Hair Loss post is to be believed, there are a LOT of you out there.. As a doctor and a human being, I am concerned about the growing magnitude of this problem. Spironolactone is used 'off licence' to treat women with acne, female pattern hair loss and hirsutism (male pattern hair growth in women). Cyproterone, an antiandrogen (not available in the US), reduces unwanted body hair in 50-75% of women with such problems. Spironolactone may be most effectively used by women experiencing female pattern hair loss because of excessive androgen production. "It doesn't look that bad." Published studies supporting efficacy are limited but as mentioned above, a recent open intervention study concluded that spironolactone 200 mg/day was equally effective in either restoring hair growth or preventing further progression of hair loss compared with cyproterone acetate at a dose of either 50 mg . Weight loss reduces androgen production in obese women and thus can slow hair growth. I decided to stop taking it a month ago and gained 5 pounds of water weight, plus my acne began to come back. The same goes for acne that is not high DHT-related. The problem with hair loss is that the hair follicle enters the resting phase but doesn't re-enter a growth phase, leading to hair thinning and baldness. You also periodically need to get potassium levels checked while you are taking this drug. I am aware of side effects for each medication. Instarted taking Aldactone for facial hair and acne. I'm so happy I pushed through, I now have a lot of new hair growth and the shedding has stopped." Hyperandrogenism is the most common endocrinopathy seen in women and may result from ovarian or adrenal overproduction of androgens, altered peripheral metabolism and / or end-organ hypersensitivity. I take 100mg a day and never had further hair loss - in fact, I started to regrow my hair within about a month. However, spironolactone prevents adrenal androgen production in the body and thus, minimizes PCOS hair loss or androgenetic alopecia ().Besides treating female pattern hair loss (FPHL), it may also be beneficial in reducing . Got rid of my hirsutism, lowered A1C dramatically, regained my period and my skin is similar to a new born baby's. Edit: the dehydration was almost too much to handle, and I stopped taking it a few times. Androgens such as testosterone are responsible for hair growth on the face, chest, and stomach that some young women with PCOS have. Demographics of women with female pattern hair loss and the effectiveness of spironolactone therapy. January 15, 2017.
So I went back on it. Hair loss is due to elevated androgens known as androgenetic alopecia, or male-pattern hair loss. (Michigan, USA) I started noticing that my hair was thinning over a year ago. PCOS is associated with a host of symptoms that include weight gain, irregular menstrual cycle, hirsutism, acne, and hair loss.
This spironolactone post is dedicated to all of my readers and patients who struggle with Pill-induced hair loss and PCOS.If the comments section on my Hair Loss post is to be believed, there are a LOT of you out there.. As a doctor and a human being, I am concerned about the growing magnitude of this problem. Finasteride is a prescription medication for men, while minoxidil is a nonprescription medication for men and women. The dose of spironolactone will be different for different people depending your medical condition and response to treatment. We'll go over the types of hair loss it works best for, how it works, and what you can . Spironolactone, in daily doses of 50-200 mg, blocks androgen receptors. My doctor was actually hesitant to put me on it because he felt: 1) Even though I complained of thinning hair, I hid it well he couldn't see it. …doses, leading to hyperkalemia . It prevents DHT from binding to receptor sites in the hair follicles. My libido is a constant issue from being on bc for 15 years so can't speak to that, but some other positives I experienced from spiro were: less oily skin/hair and really clear skin. Spironolactone to help PCOS hair loss.
Take as a daily prescription: Derms traditionally recommend 100-200mg daily, a minimum of six months to determine if this is the proper treatment option. A low-carbohydrate diet (20 to 40 g . Be sure to give it at least 4 to 6 months before determining whether or not you are experiencing hair regrowth. Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD. It seems that many professionals like to dose at least at 150 mg/day-200 mg/day. The results of women using Spironolactone is quite successful with around 70 to 80 out of 100 women who have PCOS seeing positive . Hi friends, I just uploaded these to send to someone in a PM, but I think it would benefit a lot of ladies on here too. It is a major source of psychological distress to women. Lifestyle changes.
My hair regrowth success with Spironolactone! Limited data are available regarding the specific type of diet to achieve weight loss in PCOS . This condition is caused by an excess amount of androgens in the body ( 4) Acne. Rated for Hair loss - Alopecia Report . Androgen receptor blocking drugs such as spironolactone (Aldactone) and finasteride (Propecia) do not approval of FDA for the treatment of female pattern hair loss, and little reliable evidence is available to show that that they are effective. Although it is not generally considered a primary option in the management of female patients with acne vulgaris, the increase in office visits by post-teenage women with acne vulgaris has recently placed a spotlight on the use of this agent in this subgroup of patients. 3y. It was mainly used for treating hypertension, symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hirsutism. Specific treatment might involve lifestyle changes or medication.
Androgen excess can have profound effects on human skin, especially the skin appendages, sebaceous glands and hair follicles, which are strongly dependent on biologically active androgens. I have PCOS (newly diagnosed as of September) and I've had hair loss for 4-5 years. Objective: To report on a case series of women with pattern hair loss (PHL) treated with once daily minoxidil 0.25 mg and spironolactone 25 mg. Methods: Women newly diagnosed with a Sinclair stage 2-5 PHL were scored for hair shedding and hair density before and after 12 months of treatment with . The first 4 months my hair continued to shed. From what I've read it is a mild anti-androgen. For Alopecia: "I've been taking spironolactone for 6 months due to hair loss from PCOS. In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about PCOS hair loss, from its symptoms to causes and treatments to diet supplements you can start consuming It also prevents DHT and androgen receptors interaction. Data in support of the use of spironolactone for FPHL include …. Some birth control pills like Yaz and Yasmin contain an ingredient called drospirenone, which is very similar in its chemical structure to spironolactone. Unwanted hair growth and hair loss. Oral spironolactone has been used for over two decades in the dermatological setting. Biotin is a b-vitamin that is often found in hair, skin, and nail supplements. PCOS treatment focuses on managing your individual concerns, such as infertility, hirsutism, acne or obesity. Facial hair growth and acne in women, as in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The only FDA approved hair loss treatment for women is Rogaine with minoxidil. In a single case study with a 53-year-old female with proven female pattern hair loss, as evaluated by scalp photography, spironolactone 200 mg showed hair regrowth at 12 months. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-015-0480-7 The study looked at the effects of zinc supplementation on PCOS and found that using 50 mg of elemental zinc daily for 8 weeks had beneficial effects on hair loss . Androgens can also cause acne. In a 4-year follow-up, this hair regrowth was well maintained, suggesting that . OCP in combination with a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor.
In New Zealand spironolactone is available as tablets (25 mg and 100 mg). This is where Spironolactone has an upper hand. Spironolactone 50-100 mg twice daily is effective, but since this drug can be teratogenic, effective contraception is required. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting many women during their reproductive years. It is also used in the management of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).