What is spironolactone?
Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from
absorbing too much salt and keeps your potassium levels from getting too low.
Spironolactone is used to diagnose or treat a condition in which you have too much aldosterone
in your body. Aldosterone is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands to help regulate the salt and
water balance in your body.
Spironolactone also treats fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure,
cirrhosis of the liver, or a kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome. This medication is also used to
treat or prevent hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood).
Spironolactone may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking spironolactone?
Do not use this medication if you have:
-
kidney disease or are unable to urinate;
-
high potassium levels (hyperkalemia); or
-
if you are taking potassium supplements or other
potassium-sparing diuretics such as Aldactazide, amiloride (Midamor, Moduretic), or
triamterene (Dyrenium, Dyazide, Maxzide).
Before using spironolactone, tell your doctor if you have:
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or
special tests to safely take spironolactone.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your
doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Spironolactone passes into breast milk and could cause harm to a nursing baby. Do not
use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take spironolactone?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor.
Take each dose with a full glass of water.
To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a
regular basis. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any
doctor who treats you that you are using spironolactone.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking
spironolactone. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms.
Store this medication at room temperature away from heat, light, and moisture.
What happens if I miss a dose of spironolactone?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about spironolactone?
Your pharmacist has information about spironolactone written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of spironolactone?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side
effects:
-
numbness or tingly feeling;
-
muscle pain or weakness;
-
slow, fast, or uneven heartbeat;
-
feeling drowsy, restless, or light-headed;
-
urinating less than usual or not at all;
-
shallow breathing;
-
tremors, confusion; or
-
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark
urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Less serious side effects may include:
-
mild nausea or vomiting;
-
dizziness, headache;
-
gas, stomach pain; or
-
skin rash.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about spironolactone?
Do not use this medication if you have kidney disease, urination problems, or high levels of
potassium in your blood. Do not use potassium supplements or other diuretics while you are taking
spironolactone.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, or if you use a steroid or
another diuretic.
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of spironolactone.
Avoid a diet high in salt. Too much salt will cause your body to retain water and can make this
medication less effective.
Do not use salt substitutes or low-sodium milk products that contain potassium. These
products could cause your potassium levels to get too high while you are taking spironolactone.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your
doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking
too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms.
What should I avoid while taking spironolactone?
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of spironolactone.
Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you light-headed (such as
cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for
seizures, depression, or anxiety). They can add to the side effects of spironolactone.
Do not use salt substitutes or low-sodium milk products that contain potassium. These
products could cause your potassium levels to get too high while you are taking spironolactone.
Avoid a diet high in salt. Too much salt will cause your body to retain water and can make this
medication less effective.
Spironolactone can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful
if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your
doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking
too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
What other drugs will affect spironolactone?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
-
digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin);
-
steroids such as prednisone, fluticasone (Advair),
mometasone (Asmanex, Nasonex), dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) and others;
-
an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril
(Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril
(Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik);
or
-
an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as
ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren),
diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac (Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin),
ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic),
nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
spironolactone. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.
This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start
using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of spironolactone?
