Side Effects Of Spironolactone

NHS medicines information on side effects of spironolactone and what you can do to cope.

Like all medicines, spironolactone can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Side effects often happen when you first start taking spironolactone and get better as your body gets used to the medicine.

Common side effects

These common side effects of spironolactone happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Serious side effects

Some people have serious side effects after taking spironolactone.

Tell your doctor or call 111 straight away if:

• the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow, although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin - these can be signs of liver problems
• you get a slow or irregular heartbeat, tingling feeling, muscle weakness or shortness of breath - these can be signs of potassium levels being too high
• you're peeing less that usual or have dark, strong smelling pee, feel thirsty or feel dizzy or light-headed - these can be signs of dehydration
• you have diarrhoea, are peeing less than usual, are feeling or being sick, and feel drowsy or confused - these can be signs of loss of kidney function

Serious allergic reaction

It's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to spironolactone.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of spironolactone. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.