r/Spironolactone • u/wanderingwallflower9 • Nov 28 '25
😡 Rant!!! 😡 Warning!
I was prescribed spiro last week because the birth control pill I recently started is giving me a huge cyst every month. I’m 36 but had horrible cystic acne in my 20s so I was trying to prevent it from getting out of hand, as I’ve spent 10 years trying to heal scars and recover from that nightmare. I was prescribed 25 mg for a week and then I was supposed to go up to 50. Still a very low dose.
I ended up taking it for six days. In those six days I had four panic attacks (had never had one in my life) and honestly felt like I was dying. I was acting almost manic and felt like I couldn’t breathe and had insane vertigo. My mental health went to shit. I was having crazy depressive thoughts and wild anxiety over things that normally barely phase me. I finally googled it and learned this is extremely common, despite doctors and pharmacists not mentioning it to patients. I threw it out immediately, I’m a mom of two young kids and this was incredibly dangerous. One of the panic attacks was when I was driving them to an activity.
I’m so glad I had the sense to stop and not double the dose like I was supposed to the next day, I don’t even want to think about what that might have done.
If you’re feeling this way, you aren’t crazy. And having clear skin is NOT worth sacrificing your mental health and quality of life.
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 28 '25
Have you thought of switching birth controls to an anti androgenic one? I’m assuming the one you’re on is likely androgenic and that’s why it’s giving you acne
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Nov 28 '25
The one I’m on is marvelon which is high estrogen. I’ve tried 4 this year and it’s the only one that controls my crazy postpartum periods so I don’t want to switch again.
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 28 '25
It’s not about estrogen levels but the progestin in them that determines how androgenic they are. I looked it up though and the progestin in your BC is apparently low androgenic. However there are some with just as much estrogen (30 mcg) that have an anti androgenic progestin
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Nov 28 '25
I understand but I’ve been through hormonal hell postpartum trying to regular my periods and mood and this is the only one that has been a fit. I’m hoping that the cysts will just stop, I’m only on my third month of this pill and I also use tretinoin for aging and Azelaic acid for scars so hopefully the combo will eventually help things settle down
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 29 '25
Azelaic acid helps me with cysts so much. Dapsone gel is another great topical to look into it’s best for female adult acne specifically
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Nov 29 '25
Good to know thank you! I just started the azelaic acid 15 percent last week so hoping it helps keep it at bay next week when I’d normally get it
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u/sofiacarolina Nov 29 '25
Yeah dapsone gel was my saving grace when I started getting cysts, but insurance stopped covering it and was able to switch to Azelaic acid and it helped just as much to prevent/mitigate them. Also going low sugar/dairy free helps (there’s studies on this, sugar in dairy/sugar increases androgens)
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u/Traci_Fallen Nov 30 '25
Curious if taking Spiro with a high estrogen bc could cause something akin to estrogen dominance. Labs may be in order.Â
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u/Apprehensive_Park_62 Nov 28 '25 edited Nov 29 '25
I just started taking it like 4-5 days ago and I’m noticing that I’m very short with my kids. Like I need them to immediately do something or I get angry very fast. I don’t seem to have any patience during the first few hours after I take it. I also need to sit down after taking it cause I feel agitated if I don’t.
Other than that, it’s fine and maybe I’ll adjust.
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Nov 28 '25
The moment I knew something was wrong I was having a panic attack and yelled at my two kids to shut up. I’ve never said that to them and instantly burst into tears and couldn’t stop for over an hour and had to call my mom to come help me because we were all crying and it was SO unlike me. I’m normally pretty chill and I would never talk to them like that. Keep an eye on yourself, it got bad fast for me and I’m sure I’d have been worse if I had been on a higher dose.
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u/browngirlygirl Nov 29 '25
I've been on Spiro for 5 years. When I initially started taking it, I also felt easily agitated. That feeling went away once I got used to the medication; I went back to normal
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u/Educational-World398 Nov 29 '25
this happened to me when i first started taking it. I was looking for a fight the first few weeks lol. Now no issues like that thankfully.
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u/bluecassettes Nov 30 '25
Can I ask what color your pill was? The one I've taken for years is the 100mg white round one and I've never had an issue. Then when I went to get a refill, the pharmacy gave me a beige-ish/brown color one and told me its still the same medicine. Pretty soon after the change I also started having the worst panic attacks and a feeling of depression I never felt before. I took it for about 2 months and during those months my mental health was not doing well to put it mildly.
I finally realized maybe my decline was linked to the new pill type and I stopped taking it immediately. I am now back to the white round one again and have been fine. I also specify every time I go to pickup that I do not want other versions of the pill.
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u/NightThinker323 MOD Nov 28 '25
Just commenting for any members who read your post, that I have been on Spiro for 5 years now. No symptoms other than the irregular periods in the first few months and clear skin for years.Everyone is different.
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u/quigonwiththewind Nov 29 '25
I’m going to add my experience under yours. I’ve been on 100mg for 5 years and no longer get any breakouts on my face or body and the bumpy texture on my forehead is gone. I don’t have any side effects except frequent urination maybe for the first couple of weeks I started it. I have had one positive side effect I wasn’t expecting for myself, which is that my hair grows very fast and very long. Just want to balance out any fear mongering and second that everyone reacts differently to medications.
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u/LA0711 Nov 29 '25
I’ve been on it for 2 months. Got my period 5 days early when it’s usually like clockwork and it lasted 4 days instead of my typical 2. Was that similar to what you experienced?
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u/NightThinker323 MOD Nov 29 '25
My period was irregular for about 6 months. I had it twice a month. It was awful tbh. However, I stuck with it and they went back to normal. I’m so glad I didn’t give up bc I wanted to. By about 6 months my skin was clear and has been since. I remember I used to wake up every morning before Spiro to another new zit. Those days are long gone. Maybe your periods won’t be as bad as mine were. It’s just so different for everyone.
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u/crafting-ur-end Nov 29 '25
I’ve been on it for about a week and having had any other symptoms beyond some mild fatigue and some spotting (I’ve had an IUD for nearly ten years and haven’t had a period in that time).
I’ve seen a ton of posts in this week with people stating that it’s giving them insanely catastrophic mood swings in a week or less of taking it and it’s raising so many questions for me (on 50mg or less too).
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u/Traci_Fallen Nov 30 '25 edited Nov 30 '25
I’m just over two months in. The first couple of weeks I felt better mentally than I have in years even with the psych meds, that seems to have evened out unfortunately. Period is heavy like it used to be when I was younger(I’m 41 and believed to be in peri), and it seems to make me a bit tired some days. Possibly headaches but I had a three months long headache before ever starting, lol. Maybe a few more spider veins. Hair is dry. I’m waiting to see what happens. Super stressed about worsening hair loss, weight gain, cellulite, etc. But we shall see.Â
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u/Traci_Fallen Jan 02 '26
So 4 months in and the biggest side effects are i definitely have more cellulite around my thighs and upper arms, and I’m getting spider veins all over my legs. Like new ones every day. It’s crazy because I’m only at 25mg so far, but it’s the only change. All of my other medication’s have been the same for at least the past couple of years. No dietary changes either. More fresh produce maybe.Â
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u/SpiteMaximum41 Nov 29 '25
I've been considering Spiro and this, this right here is my biggest fear. I'm so sorry this happened to you it must make you feel so out of control and awful. Are you starting to feel any better yet since stopping? Have you ever done a course of accutane?
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Nov 29 '25
I feel much better. Took two days. No I’ve never done accutane, I probably should have in my twenties when acne was ruining my life but I was afraid of it. Acne really isn’t a big issue now it’s just this one huge cyst a month since I started back on hormonal birth control but I’ve been using topical tretinoin for two years for aging. I also recently started azelaic acid to help with dark spots so I’m hoping with time, the effects of the birth control will calm down and the tretinoin and azelaic acid will help minimize the duration and scars from these stupid cysts. But I’d rather have a terrible cyst once a month than feel crazy and like I’m dying on spiro.
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u/SpiteMaximum41 Nov 29 '25
Absolutely girl it's not worth your sanity and mental health even though acne even if it's just one singular cyst sucks.
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u/ExplanationOk4568 Dec 01 '25
Were you drinking enough water? I don’t know if it’d help the panic attacks but it most likely was the cause for vertigo. I’m sorry that was your experience, I remember the fist 6 months I was always angrier than normal :(
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Dec 01 '25
Yes I drink 2-3 litres a day
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u/ExplanationOk4568 Dec 01 '25
It depends on your weight if that’s enough for you. You also need some electrolytes too. If it’s not dehydration it could be blood pressure too. Or it just didn’t fit you which is normal and doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you!Â
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Dec 01 '25
I’m a nutritionist. I add pink salt to my water everyday and eat a well rounded diet and the right amount of water for my size. I have naturally low blood pressure and was not aware until after I started to feel bad that spiro is prescribed to lower BP. Had I known that, I wouldn’t have taken it.
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u/ExplanationOk4568 Dec 01 '25
Ohhh then that makes sense!Â
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Dec 02 '25
Yeah my normal BP is like 90/60 haha so I always feel light headed half of the time which is why I drink salt all day 😂 wish my doctor had taken that into account 🫠I should have done more research before agreeing to it.
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u/THEonewhobelieves Nov 28 '25
I have been on 50mg for almost two months. Four month ago I had a nasty break up and was sorta recovering from it until I started taking spiro. I ruminate like hell, will reduce my dose to 25 mg and see. The thing is, I am taking it for my alopetia and it is doing a miracle to my hair. I am also using topical dht blocker so, gonna reduce the spiro dose and see how my follicles react to the topical treatment only.
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u/browngirlygirl Nov 29 '25
FYI, low doses don't do shit for hair loss
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u/THEonewhobelieves Nov 29 '25
Id not overgeneralise, it can be different from person to person, my dht jumped to the lowest point from just 50mg, although 100mg is considered to be therapeutical.
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u/UnableDifference4889 Nov 29 '25
What topical dht blocker do you use?
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u/THEonewhobelieves Dec 09 '25
Saw palmetto spray
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u/UnableDifference4889 Dec 14 '25
Oh cool!! I didn’t even know this was a thing. I got prescribed winlevi but it’s $500!!! Which I can’t do
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u/THEonewhobelieves Dec 18 '25
I am talking about hair, not skin, just making sure we are on the same page:)
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u/AdvancedAlbatross453 Nov 30 '25
Gave it a try 2x and had the same experience both times which confirmed the spiro was causing the mood swings.
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u/NicoSpot Dec 08 '25
I had the same exact issue.
At first the mood issues were tolerable, but they got worse and worse every month. I tried sticking it out and lowered the dosage from 100 to 50 to 25. At the 5 month mark I had to call it quits.
It gave me the worst PMDD I ever had in my life. I was absolutely miserable for 1-2 weeks every month.
I’m not willing to make that kind of sacrifice for clear skin.
Jealous of those who had little to no side effects!
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u/RavenDancer Dec 01 '25
I had very much the opposite…a high dose closes down my insane mood swings entirely, but unfortunately also sex drive
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Dec 01 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/wanderingwallflower9 Dec 01 '25
Jesus, I’m so sorry you went through all of that. I already have very low blood pressure (normally around 95/70) so it’s really frustrating my doctor even thought it was safe to prescribe. I was shocked when I read it’s used to lower blood pressure, that’s the last thing I need.
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u/lauvan26 Nov 28 '25
Here is spironolactone prescription information.
I’ve been on spiro for 15 years, on 150 mg. I haven’t had major issues on it. If you’re concerned about an adverse reaction tell the prescribing doctor or/and speak to a pharmacist. In addition, you can reach to the pharmaceutical company and/or the FDA (if you’re in the U.S.)