101 citations
,
January 1985 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Spironolactone is effective for treating acne, hirsutism, and androgenic alopecia in women with few side effects.
10 citations
,
May 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Taking spironolactone doesn't increase the chance of breast cancer coming back.
1 citations
,
August 2019 in “Evidence-Based Practice” Spironolactone and finasteride are equally effective for hirsutism in transgender women.
September 2025 in “International Journal of Women’s Dermatology” Oral spironolactone effectively promotes hair growth in premenopausal women but may cause irregular menstruation.
August 2023 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Both minoxidil-spironolactone and minoxidil-finasteride treatments work for hair loss, but minoxidil-spironolactone is slightly more effective, especially in women.
March 2023 in “Current Pharmaceutical Design” Spironolactone is effective for idiopathic hirsutism but has limited effects on other PCOS symptoms.
20 citations
,
August 1987 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry/Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Aldactone was more effective in reducing hair growth in women with hirsutism than Diane, despite having less impact on hormone levels.
112 citations
,
April 2009 in “Cochrane library” Spironolactone may reduce excessive hair growth in women but its effectiveness for acne is not supported.
32 citations
,
October 2003 Spironolactone is better than placebo for reducing excessive hair growth in women, but its effectiveness for acne is unclear due to small study sizes.
2 citations
,
January 1986 in “PubMed” Spironolactone improved symptoms in women with hormonal imbalances and had few side effects.
November 2025 in “Clinical Endocrinology” Spironolactone and metformin work similarly for PCOS symptoms, but more research is needed.
94 citations
,
January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Spironolactone most effective for hirsutism, but has side effects.
75 citations
,
July 2013 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Taking low-dose spironolactone and metformin together works better for PCOS symptoms than either drug alone.
50 citations
,
March 2011 in “European Journal of Endocrinology” Spironolactone improved blood vessel function and cholesterol levels in non-obese women with PCOS.
50 citations
,
August 1985 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry/Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Spironolactone reduces the enzyme activity that converts testosterone to DHT, helping treat excessive hair growth in women.
36 citations
,
July 2020 in “Frontiers in Medicine” Spironolactone might help protect against severe lung problems in COVID-19 patients.
29 citations
,
February 2003 in “Journal of Dermatology” Spironolactone may help enlarge a small breast linked to Becker's nevus.
25 citations
,
July 2013 in “Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” Spironolactone harms fish reproduction and is more potent in fish than invertebrates, needing environmental monitoring.
23 citations
,
July 1979 in “Canadian journal of biochemistry” Spironolactone reduces the number of androgen receptor sites in rat skin by blocking them with its metabolite.
17 citations
,
August 2001 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” A woman's liver problems improved after she stopped taking spironolactone.
17 citations
,
January 1986 in “Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica” Spironolactone can reduce hair growth and testosterone in hirsutism, but is less effective than combined treatments.
13 citations
,
February 2022 in “JAMA Dermatology” Spironolactone does not increase cancer risk and may lower prostate cancer risk, but more research is needed.
12 citations
,
December 2002 in “Fertility and Sterility” Spironolactone plus finasteride works better for treating hirsutism.
11 citations
,
September 2022 in “Journal of the Endocrine Society” Young transgender, gender diverse, and nonbinary people on spironolactone have a low risk of high potassium, so frequent monitoring may not be needed.
11 citations
,
July 2019 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Spironolactone might cause painful intercourse and decreased sexual arousal in women.
10 citations
,
September 2015 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Both treatments reduced excessive hair growth in PCOS, but there was no difference in weight, hair score, hormone levels, or insulin resistance.
6 citations
,
April 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Spironolactone might lower the chance of getting rosacea.
4 citations
,
January 2022 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Spironolactone is useful for treating acne and other skin conditions like excessive hair growth and certain types of hair loss.
4 citations
,
October 2009 in “International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism” Both Diane 35 combinations effectively and safely reduce hirsutism and acne, with potential for better results if treatment extends beyond 12 months.
3 citations
,
July 1990 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” A man's baldness improved possibly due to a medication that blocks male hormones.