| ABOUT THE DURG |
Please consult your doctor before you
proceed to use this medication !!!!!
Aldactone is the brand name of the drug Spironolactone.
Spironolactone is also available as a generic drug at a lower price. In any case, Each
Spironolactone tablet usually comes in 100mg strength and they are relatively inexpensive.
Spironolactone is usually used as a diuretic and to control high
blood pressure. It causes increased amounts of sodium and water to be excreted while
potassium loss is minimized. Sometimes Spironolactone is used in conjunction with other
medications as a antihypertensive treatment.
The most notable functions of Spironolactone as a hair loss
treatment is that it works as an antiandrogen by decreasing the production of testosterone
by the adrenal glands and by preventing DHT from binding to its androgenic receptor. Some
have suggested that Spironolactone can bond to the hair follicles before DHT can bind to
the receptor. As a result it would be logical to use Finasteride (Propecia / Proscar)
in conjunction with Spironolactone. The former reduces the amount of DHT on our
scalp while the latter blocks the remaning DHT at the receptor sites.
Most doctors will not prescribe
Spironolactone to men as a hair loss treatment. Spironolactone is probably the most potent
oral anti-androgens available and may cause side effects such as impotence, breast
enlargement and decreased sex drive etc when taken by men. Despite the potential side
effects, many men decided to turn to oral Spironolactone as a last resort. However,
Spironolactone is commonly prescribed for women as a hair loss treatment.
Warnings: Spironolactone therapy should not be used in
conjunction with any kind of potassium supplementation. As mentioned earlier,
Spironolactone minimized potassium loss in the body and excessive potassium may
cause hyperkalemia in patients. Do not administer Spironolactone concurrently with other
potassium sparing diuretics. Also, some of Spironolactone's side effects include dryness
of the mouth, lethargy, drowsiness and thirst especially when administered concomitant
with other diuretics.
Due to the fact that Spironolactone is a diuretic which
increases urine excretion, it is normally suggested that the drug should be taken in the
morning. For those who are on one of those aggressive hair loss treatment program that
involves Loniten (ie: oral minoxidil) - (not recommened !!!),
Spironolactone is usually used to counteract the side effects of Loniten. Specifically,
Loniten (oral minoxidil) can cause swollen hands and feet, weight gain and increased water
absorption etc. Since Spironolactone is a diuretic that causes increase urine excretion,
many believe that it will minimize the side effects of Loniten.
Dosage: Normal initial daily dosage should be 50mg to 100mg per
day. Most patients will respond to dosages not exceeding 200mg per day. Note that
stabilized response may not occur for 2 to 3 weeks, so contunuous treatment for that
duration of time is recommended. Maintenance dosage should be determined on a patient by
patient basis and can be lower than the initial dosage.
Some pharmacists have compounded topical Spironolactone for men
who are wary of the side effects associated with oral Spironolactone. At this point, there
is no clinical studies, at least not to our knowledge, that substantiates the
effectiveness of topical Spironolactone as a hair loss treatment for men and women. Many
people are simply leveraging on the premise that topical Spironolactone will carry the
same weight as an antiandrogen when used directly on the hair follicles. Although some
people have reported good results from topical Spironolactone, for some reasons it has
never taken off as the mainstream treatment for hair loss for men and women. There
never seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for this treatment.
- For more discussion, independent comments and testimonials on Spironolactone,
please go to HairSite's DISCUSSION GROUP.
|
