Blood pressure, acne, PCOS, hair loss
spironolactone
Often prescribed to women for acne, PCOS and hair loss — but mostly tested in heart-failure studies where most people were men.
- 38.8%
of the people in the studies were women
- 49%
of studies did not allow pregnant women
- 2%
looked at results for women separately
Was someone like me tested?
Choose the group that fits you.
Not one of these studies reported results separately for any of the groups below.
Pregnant women
49% of studies would not let pregnant women join. Only 1 small study (204 women in all) looked at pregnancy or just after birth.
What do we know?
What the FDA drug label says
In animal studies it changed how male babies developed. A few reports in pregnant women didn't show birth defects, but there is very little information.
Studies focused on this group (1)
- Spironolactone to Improve Pregnancy-Associated Hypertension Trajectories · 204 people · no results posted
Good to know
Can cause irregular periods, breast tenderness and bleeding after menopause. It is widely used for acne, PCOS and hair loss in women, but it isn't FDA-approved for those uses.
What women report more
Compared with men taking the same medicine.
- 2.4×Headaches
- 2.3×Reactions where the medicine was given
- 2.3×Hair, nail and sweat-gland problems
- 2.0×Eye infections and irritation
How many times more often women reported each problem than men taking the same medicine, based on reports to the FDA. This is a warning sign, not proof the medicine caused it.
Make it about you
Check it against your medicines
Check spironolactone against the medicines, pregnancy and birth control in your profile.
Join to checkAll the details
Every number behind this page.
Who was in the studies
105,604 people in 42 studies
Race
- White81.5%
- Black / African American14.8%
- Asian1.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Hispanic / Latina0.3%
Studies didn't say how many of the women were Black, Asian or another race — only totals for everyone.
- Hispanic or Latina
- 14.9%
- Age 65 or older
- 57.6%
- Studies with men only
- 3
- Studies with women only
- 3
Rules that kept women out
Share of studies with each rule.
- 49%
No pregnant women
Women who were pregnant could not join.
See the exact rule
“Pregnant or breastfeeding” NCT00141778
- 42%
No heart disease
Women with heart disease, heart rhythm problems or a past heart attack were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Primary hemodynamically significant uncorrected valvular heart disease, obstructive or regurgitant, or any valvular disease expected to lead to surgery during the trial” NCT00094302
- 26%
No diabetes
Women with diabetes were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Type 1 diabetes mellitus” NCT01371747
- 23%
Weight limit (BMI)
Women with a higher (or lower) body weight were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2” NCT01371747
- 23%
No cancer
Women with current or past cancer were turned away.
See the exact rule
“A history of fracture, osteoporosis or cancer prior to the first prescription of TZD (study begin date)” NCT01055223
- 21%
No breastfeeding moms
Women who were breastfeeding could not join.
See the exact rule
“…hild-bearing potential must have a negative serum/urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to randomization, must not be lactating, and must agree to use an effective method of contraception during the entire course of study participation” NCT00094302
What nobody checked
Share of studies that recorded each thing.
- 2%Results shown separately for women
- 0%Whether anyone was pregnant
- 0%Whether women were past menopause
- 12%Body weight (BMI)
- 28%Hispanic / Latina or not
- 54%Race
All 43 studies
Study titles and rules are shown in their original English.