Prescription medication · Anti-Androgen

spironolactone (acne)

Also sold as Aldactone. Spironolactone can treat heart failure by helping you live longer, managing swelling, and reducing hospital visits.

Data updated 2026-05-15

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spironolactone (acne) (Aldactone) is a prescription Anti-Androgen. Spironolactone can treat heart failure by helping you live longer, managing swelling, and reducing hospital visits.

Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a medicine that helps remove extra fluid from your body and lower blood pressure. It belongs to a class of drugs called anti-androgens.

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What it does

Spironolactone can treat heart failure by helping you live longer, managing swelling, and reducing hospital visits.

Common side effects

Breast enlargement in men, Changes in periods, Decreased sex drive

Key warnings

Spironolactone can cause high potassium levels in your blood.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from spironolactone (acne)'s FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Spironolactone blocks a hormone called aldosterone in your body. Aldosterone causes your body to hold onto sodium and water. By blocking aldosterone, spironolactone helps your body get rid of extra fluid and lower blood pressure.

Serious Warnings

Spironolactone can cause high potassium levels in your blood. Your doctor will check your potassium levels regularly, especially if you have kidney problems or take other medicines that can raise potassium. This medicine can also cause low blood pressure or make kidney problems worse. Tell your doctor if you have liver problems, as this medicine can cause problems with brain function.

Known Drug Interactions

moderate lithium

• Lithium: Increased risk of lithium toxicity ( 7.2 ). Examples of drugs that can increase potassium include: • ACE inhibitors • angiotensin receptor blockers • non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) • heparin and low molecular weight heparin • trimethoprim 7.2 Lithium Like other diuretics, ALDACTONE reduces the renal clearance of lithium, thus increasing the risk of lithium toxicity. Monitor lithium levels periodically when ALDACTONE is coadministered [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

Mechanism: This medication slows down how fast your kidneys get rid of lithium. This can lead to toxic levels of lithium in your system.

moderate trimethoprim

Examples of drugs that can increase potassium include: • ACE inhibitors • angiotensin receptor blockers • non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) • heparin and low molecular weight heparin • trimethoprim 7.2 Lithium Like other diuretics, ALDACTONE reduces the renal clearance of lithium, thus increasing the risk of lithium toxicity.

Mechanism: Both medications can cause potassium to build up in your body. This combination increases the risk of a condition called hyperkalemia, or high potassium.

moderate heparin

Examples of drugs that can increase potassium include: • ACE inhibitors • angiotensin receptor blockers • non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) • heparin and low molecular weight heparin • trimethoprim 7.2 Lithium Like other diuretics, ALDACTONE reduces the renal clearance of lithium, thus increasing the risk of lithium toxicity.

Mechanism: Both of these medicines can cause the amount of potassium in your blood to rise to unsafe levels. This happens because both drugs change how your body manages this mineral.

moderate abiraterone

• Abiraterone: May increase prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels ( 7.7 ). 7.7 Abiraterone Spironolactone binds to the androgen receptor and may increase prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in abiraterone-treated prostate cancer patients. Concomitant use of spironolactone and abiraterone is not recommended.

Mechanism: Spironolactone can interfere with the way abiraterone works against prostate cancer and may cause certain lab tests to show higher cancer markers. This makes it difficult for your doctor to track your progress.

minor spironolactone

• NSAIDs: May reduce the diuretic, natriuretic and antihypertensive effect of ALDACTONE ( 7.3 ). • Digoxin: ALDACTONE can interfere with radioimmunologic assays of digoxin exposure ( 7.4 ). • Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA): ASA may reduce the efficacy of ALDACTONE ( 7.6 ).

Mechanism: Pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen can stop this medicine from working well to lower blood pressure or remove extra fluid.

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This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

Can spironolactone be taken with food?
Yes, you can take spironolactone with or without food.
What should I do if I experience dizziness while taking spironolactone?
If you feel dizzy, sit or lie down until the dizziness passes. Tell your doctor if dizziness continues.
How often will my potassium levels be checked?
Your doctor will check your potassium levels within a week of starting spironolactone and regularly after that.
Can spironolactone affect my period?
Yes, spironolactone can cause irregular periods or stop them altogether.
What other medicines should I tell my doctor about before starting spironolactone?
Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, especially those that can raise potassium levels, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
Can spironolactone cause breast enlargement in men?
Yes, spironolactone can cause breast enlargement in men. This is usually reversible.
What should I do 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.
Does spironolactone interact with NSAIDs?
Yes, NSAIDs may reduce the effect of spironolactone. Your doctor may need to adjust your dose.
Can spironolactone affect lithium levels?
Yes, spironolactone can increase lithium levels. Your doctor will monitor your lithium levels if you take both medicines.
Who should not take spironolactone?
You should not take spironolactone if you have high potassium levels, Addison's disease, or are taking eplerenone.
What are the common side effects of spironolactone (acne)?
The registry lists Breast enlargement in men, Changes in periods, Decreased sex drive, Dizziness, Headache among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for spironolactone (acne). These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does spironolactone (acne) interact with other medications?
The registry has 7 documented interaction rows for spironolactone (acne). Notable source-record pairings include lithium, trimethoprim, heparin. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is spironolactone (acne)?
spironolactone (acne) belongs to the Anti-Androgen drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). Spironolactone can treat heart failure by helping you live longer, managing swelling, and reducing hospital visits.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for spironolactone (acne)?
The FDA label for spironolactone (acne) contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

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What the FDA Data Shows for spironolactone (acne)

The FDA label for spironolactone (acne) (sold under brand names such as Aldactone) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anti-Androgen class. Spironolactone can treat heart failure by helping you live longer, managing swelling, and reducing hospital visits. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Breast enlargement in men, Changes in periods, Decreased sex drive.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 7 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: November 28, 2025

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page