12 replies to this topic

[cinnamon_stix]

when i was in highschool, i had a great figure. i was about 105-110 pounds, up till now. ive noticed that ever since i started 100 mg of spironolactone, alot of negative sideffects are popping up. im really depressed, i have bad anxiety, i gained a whopping TEN pounds (i look like im pregnant now) and i have an extremely difficult time working out because i cant breathe and get winded like, five or ten minutes into the work out. this weight gain is a huge issue for me. i need to loose ten pounds, but i dont think its going to happen if i continue with this medication. what do you guys think? i mean, my skin looks great, but gaining ten pounds from the estrogen levels picking up? i really dont know what to do. i want to be skinny again...

[meowbowwow]

Hmm. I've been on Spironolactone for 3 years and still weigh 95lbs. It's a diuretic so it doesn't generally have weight gain as a side effect (it should actually cause weight loss.) I also take Yasmin, though. Some doctors recommend that you take Yasmin alongside Spiro in order to maintain a normal balance of hormones. Are you on any birth control, or have you started any other medications which may have caused the weight gain?

Also...it may just be your "freshman 15." All my friends got that when they went off to college...some women just gradually gain weight as they get older. 10lbs isn't much to worry about though, and 120 is a very healthy weight.

[cinnamon_stix]

i know, it makes zero sense to me. but i started doing some research, and i came to this conclusion: if you have excess testosterone, and you take spironolactone, your estrogen levels rise. and a side effect of a rise in estrogen is weight gain. its just really weird. i have spoken to alot of people and read many reviews, and alot of people say that they infact lost weight. it just doesnt make sense to me, you know? i started accutane back in september and stopped this past feburary. when i was on accutane i didnt really eat anything. after i stopped i jumped right onto spiro. and started taking an anti anxiety med. i started to realize i was gaining weight and it turns out that seroquel, the med i was taking causes serious weight gain. so i stopped that. so im starting to wonder whether or not it was just the seroquel alone. what do you think? im scared to try birth control because that can make you gain weight too!

[Fedupofadultacne]

I have read a high level of reviews on other websites complaining of weight gain from spiro. Its something to keep an eye on. I personally havent noted any major weight gain yet,I have slowly gained a stone & 3/4 over the last year since stopping depo injection. but when i took yasmine & dianette in the past i put on 2 stone in just afew months. i guess everyone varies!

does spiro actually increase oestrogen or just block androgens?

[cinnamon_stix]

naturally, if it blocks androgens, your estrogen will start to take over. it just seems like the most realistic response. im really upset about the weight gain, but i have an appointment with an endocrinologist tomorrow so im going to see if there are any other anti androgens out there that do exactly what spiro does but without the side effects. im going to ask her about the weight gain and see if theres any way to regulate it because i dont want to stop this medication. its amazing for my skin! it just sucks that i cant be skinny and have great skin at the same time. i hope ill be able to get some legitimate anwsers tommorrow. how are you doing on your spiro? any adverse reactions? please share!

[Fedupofadultacne]

no adverse reactions after 5 weeks other than peeing alot! especially since increasing to 100mg. No results yet either tho

i havent been able to work out quite as long at the gym either, i dont know if its related.

[meowbowwow]

How long ago did you stop taking the anti-anxiety med? I have heard of those (as well as all the major anti-depressants) causing weight gain. I'd blame that before the spiro.

And I've seen the depo-provera shot put upwards of 50lbs on some of my friends. I want to smack doctors for continuing to offer that shot without warning their patients. Please don't ever get that shot!

[NessaVenasaur]

Like a previous poster stated, it is a diuretic and it seems odd that you would gain weight due to spiro.

While this isn't a BCP, I thought I would post this, anyway.

Women taking birth control pills should not blame their method of contraception when they put on a few pounds.

A newly published review suggests that there is no truth to the widespread belief that oral contraceptives and other forms of hormonal birth control cause weight gain.
“Women do tend to gain weight over time, but as far as we could tell there is no evidence of a causal relationship between taking birth control pills and weight gain,” researcher Laureen Lopez, PhD, tells WebMD.

....

Forty-one studies compared different types, dosages, or regimens of hormonal contraception.
While women in some of the studies did gain weight, Lopez says there was little to suggest that the weight gain was caused by hormonal contraceptive use.
“Any weight gains that were noted were minimal in terms of health significance,” she says.
The researchers concluded that it is not possible to say for sure that hormonal contraceptives don’t cause weight gain. But they added that “no large effect (was) evident” in the studies they reviewed.

Read more here.

A simple google search will come up with many results that state the pill doesn't cause weight gain. Some hormones in certain BCPs increase appetite, though.

My guess is that the weight gain is from your anxiety medication. Though, I'm not familiar with them - just my guess!

[cinnamon_stix]

aw man.. i take an antidepressant called celexa. i was also taking seroquel at the time along with it. i started both meds around february of this year and just this past month was when i noticed my weight was out of control. i seriously look pregnant. does it have anything to do with water retention/sodium levels? i know spiro alters that. but yeah. maybe thats the reason why i've gained so much weight.. not taking BCP at the moment. just spiro, and the celexa.

[Prettywords]

Could you be pregnant?

[Evenstarlight]

I was on spiro for about a year and noticed a lot of cellulite. I've always been really skinny and eat chicken and veggies and work out. I decided to stop taking it a few weeks ago because I felt really fat. I've probably gained 15 pounds. I have seen other message boards with women complaining of weight gain on spiro.

I started taking FucoThin to try to lose the weight but it did nothing (probably b/c the spiro wouldn't let me lose any weight). However, I noticed the FucoThin really helped my skin! It's basically brown seaweed and I'm convinced it is great for your skin. Look at people who eat a lot of seaweed in Japan...no acne, and longest life spans, etc

[AmaraG]

I was on spiro for about a year and noticed a lot of cellulite. I've always been really skinny and eat chicken and veggies and work out. I decided to stop taking it a few weeks ago because I felt really fat. I've probably gained 15 pounds. I have seen other message boards with women complaining of weight gain on spiro.

I started taking FucoThin to try to lose the weight but it did nothing (probably b/c the spiro wouldn't let me lose any weight). However, I noticed the FucoThin really helped my skin! It's basically brown seaweed and I'm convinced it is great for your skin. Look at people who eat a lot of seaweed in Japan...no acne, and longest life spans, etc

hi, spiro can probably cause cellulite cause only women get it and it exaggerates the female hormones in the body.
I havent gained any weight yet (I hope I dont!) but for me regular bc pills did cause weight gain.
Glad you found something for your skin. I take blue-grean algae and vitamin b 5
A

[AmaraG]

when i was in highschool, i had a great figure. i was about 105-110 pounds, up till now. ive noticed that ever since i started 100 mg of spironolactone, alot of negative sideffects are popping up. im really depressed, i have bad anxiety, i gained a whopping TEN pounds (i look like im pregnant now) and i have an extremely difficult time working out because i cant breathe and get winded like, five or ten minutes into the work out. this weight gain is a huge issue for me. i need to loose ten pounds, but i dont think its going to happen if i continue with this medication. what do you guys think? i mean, my skin looks great, but gaining ten pounds from the estrogen levels picking up? i really dont know what to do. i want to be skinny again...

it absolutely can be the spiro.
Think about it only women get cellulite and spiro exaggerates your female hormones. when you take most bc pills your boyd is foled into thinking you are pregnant so of course you gain weight some water , some fat.
I cant make the judgement call for you but if it really bothers you at least lower the dosage.