Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Struggling With Spironolactone/Diuresis


SunnyKay

Recommended Posts

Hello Everyone! I started HRT on October 26 of this year and I couldn't be happier! YAY!!! So I'm well into my second full week of hormones, but I find I'm struggling with the diuretic effects of spironolactone. I'm 38, and 144 lbs normally but within 24 hours of taking my first dose(s), I experienced 4lbs of water loss, and since have gained back half that at best, usually hovering around 140. An uncomfortable weight to be for me at 5'7" Last night I ended up I the ER due to severe pain while urinating, cloudy urine, and blood in urine. OMG!! UTI's are SO, SO, SO PAINFUL! To keep it short, the doctor said I had a raging UTI, and was super dehydrated. I really have been chugging water, but maybe I have no conception of how much I need to drink to offset spironolactones diuretic effects. Taking a day off this stuff today.  And BTW, caffeine and alcohol are dead to me until I can manage this better. The best possible health while on HRT is my complete focus right now.

 

So I'm asking if anyone has advice for dealing with this. Maybe I have no idea of the quantity of fluids I need right now.  It would be super helpful if someone who has dealt with this could share their experience. Grateful for any replies and advice! 

 

Fuzzy Hugs,

 

Sunny 

Link to comment
  • Admin

My big guess is that the UTI was starting before you got onto the Spiro, but you do have to be careful about how much water you drink and what the Potassium levels are while on it.  Two 8 oz glasses of water at meal time, plus non-sports drink stuff as you want it. A rule of thumb my doctor gave me, was input and output should be about equal.  My doctor actually had me do a 48 hour test using a special toilet insert while I was home to measure the output. Do be careful about Potassium in such things as sports drinks, since your body does not get rid of the potassium as fast as it used to, and too much can affect other organs and make you feel weaker.  I am post op and get UTI's a couple of times a year due to my new plumbing, but I had them before as well.  Just be sure to keep your lab appointments and take other drugs on schedule.  Knocking off the drinking and caffeine will help generally in so many ways.  It will be several months before you get completely used to the HRT.  I have 9 years if experience with the stuff and it still pull surprises on me, and not all perfect and fine.

Link to comment
  • Admin

Hi, Sunny.  Sorry to hear about the UTI and your other effects from Spiro.  Obviously, I'm not a doctor, so I won't be offering any specific medical advice.  That said, I suggest waiting until your UTI is gone, and go back to whichever doctor prescribed the Spiro and discuss it with them.  They may be able to change your dosage, or offer an alternative, such as Finesteride.  Spiro is not the only way to go to get results.

 

I hope you feel better.

 

Carolyn Marie

Link to comment

Hi, Sunny...

 

I also had difficulty with spironolactone (although I can no longer recall what they were).  I was switched to finasteride and have had no issues at all with that.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Hello Sunny, Yes the Spiro will dehydrate you if are not careful about keeping a positive fluid intake.  That and as mentioned your Potassium levels can go into the bad range too.  I used to drink a gallon of water a day.  That may seem like a lot but once you get used to it, its fine.  I also get leg cramps if I don't stay hydrated.  Now that I'm just on E, I still drink a lot of water each day.  As to your weight, I am taller than you but have been at 140 for a long time so I wouldn't worry about that too much except to say listen to you body.  It will tell you what is working and what isn't.  My weight fluctuated a little at the start of HRT but then settled back to my norm.  As suggested, you can talk to your doctor about an alternative to the Spiro and see what they say.  I'm glad you went to the hospital and got the UTI looked into.  They are no fun.   <Hugs>

 

Jani   

Link to comment

Thank you all so much for your quick replies and support. This group is really amazing! It really helps to get feedback from individuals who gave been down this path before....

 

I'm up and about now, and drinking soooo much water. I feel better already! But, I will stay away from sports drinks, since I don't need the extra potassium.....

 

OMG Vicky! You must know how painful these things are. Not fun!

 

Thank you all again!

Sunny Kay

Link to comment
  • Admin
2 hours ago, SunnyKay said:

OMG Vicky! You must know how painful these things are. Not fun!

 

Not so much pain all the time, but when I gotta go, I really really gotta gotta go or there have been wet underpants.  I came down with one at a convention in Atlanta GA and was in ATL airport getting ready to come home cross country and the urge hit in the TSA Screening line.  Thank heaven I had a spare pair of undies in my carry-on case which got used there in the airport.  I was making one trip to the head on board the plane every 1/2 hour for 4 hours and a bit more.  UTI's are NOT FUN at all!!

Link to comment

Carolyne and Kenna, thanks for the heads up on finasteride......If Spiro continues to not cooperate I will bring this up with the Endo. I'll look into it a little more to see what it's liver tox profile is as well....

 

Sunny

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I made a point of looking up the potassium levels of certain foods and modified my diet a bit.  i got into drinking an amazing amount of unsweetened green tea either hot or as iced tea.  Even though surgery makes the need for a blocker no longer necessary i continue to drink more than i ever did before but also enjoy coffee in the morning.  One thing to watch for is cramping.  that is another sign that your not drinking enough and have high potassium.  I had leg cramps on occasion that were pretty brutal.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment

Thats a good idea. I'm in the process of realizing I need to do some housecleaning with my diet, and lifestyle to make sure it works with my HRT. But seriously.....I can't even drink 2 cups of green tea in a day though without it drying me out, sometimes even forcing me to take out my contacts! I think I'm going to stick with LOTS of water right now.

 

And yes, I take my water straight.....No chaser......:blink:

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator
10 hours ago, SunnyKay said:

water straight.....No chaser

Yes This^  I used to drink a lot of seltzer water, and I still enjoy it but the vast majority of my drinking water is plain old filtered tap water.

 

Jani

 

Link to comment
16 minutes ago, Jani423 said:

the vast majority of my drinking water is plain old filtered tap water.

 

 

Aren't you concerned about hydric acid (dihydrogen monoxide)?

Link to comment
Guest Rachel Gia

I dunno but I always thought finasteride is more associated with correcting hair loss.

I brought up my issues with spiro last week with my transition doctor and she said that there were other blockers that I could go to.

I had corrected the problem with diet and so I stayed on spiro.

Water is so important and like was said above potassium is really something to look act as a no fly zone.

Bananas I just don't eat and will stay away from dates now because of it.

There is a boat load of bad stuff out there in things like maltitol which is now used in a lot of things as sweetener but it also is a constipator.

Water and diet and let your trans doctor figure it out.

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Cerise said:

I dunno but I always thought finasteride is more associated with correcting hair loss.

 

 

That's true, but my prescription states that it's for prostate enlargement (which I don't have).

Link to comment

Ok, so since I posted last I've been drinking SOOOOO much more water, and my weight has now gone back up closer to where it should have been. Back up to 143 ish instead of 140ish. AND....I feel much better overall. I am surprised how much water it takes to rehydrate! Back to the full dose of Spirolactone, and handling it in fine form. Still, it's a very serious drug with serious effects and I have alot more respect for it now. Going to the bathroom so much is an inconvenience at times, but a completely acceptable trade-off for my goals.

 

Link to comment
Guest Rachel Gia

Hi again, one thing I noticed is that you basically just started spiro and I had a few problems at the beginning with it that I posted under Spiro Giro.

I basically had clashes with a few things that I was ingesting but with a little help from this forum and personally nailing down what was clashing with the spiro I kept on it.

My first issues was a general lightheaded feeling after taking it and sometimes feeling a slight loss of strength.

All this has gone away and most noticeable reaction was when I forgot to take it one day before going to work.

Basically it is a blood pressure med that happens to block T and thus it is used for that and other medical issues.

Your right ....it is a serious drug!

I have been taking it for 14 months and I would say it is pretty much transparent in side effects now.

i have had the water issues and when I get up in the middle of the night to go I drink more before going back to bed to keep hydrated perhaps out of fear of getting blocked up but also out of respect for the unwanted possibility of gallstones (shudder).

One other thing is sometimes there are shortages of the drug , at least there are in Canada.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

Sunny, I'm glad to hear you're finding balance now.  Keep up with the water intake!
 

Jani

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I got into the habit of drinking a great deal when i was taking Spiro.  That has stuck with me even though after an orchi T is no longer a problem.  I've found i still have to get up once every night.  Ugh..... that may also be of my getting a bit older......double ugh.  Anyway i ended up having to take a pill to lower my water intake as my body had become used to the effects of Spiro and i was retaining water and my ankles and legs were swelling.

This brings to mind one of the reasons this site has been so stringent in not allowing dosages and plans for self medication to be posted.  As both sunny and Cerise have noted this is a serious drug and can cause major health problems.  Any of us who travel this path have to remember that and get the best medical care that we can.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

 

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

Just a little update...I've learned that splitting the dose by 2-3 hours was super helpful and further reduced my body load and water loss. So now instead of taking 2 pills at 9:30, I take one when I wake up and one after I get to work. I feel much better and my weight is back to where it should be once again. Just posting this update in hopes it will help someone who is wrestling with spiro as i did.

 

Blue Skies and Sunshine, 

 

Sunny Kay

Link to comment
  • 10 months later...
  • Forum Moderator

I don't remember those symptoms.  Please call your doctor and ask for advice.  Giving medical advice here is beyond anyone's ability.  Even a doctor would not comment without knowing you, your history and circumstances.  Make an appointment!

Take care of yourself.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment

Thanks for reply was not asking for advice I should have typed ina bettter way sorry.   Spironolactone  stoped make my heart beat faster but did  give me soreness in chest after a some time it stoped  every thing doing great I have been under doctor care for 5 yrs things are doing great

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

That sounds great.  Thanks for the clarification.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   5 Members, 0 Anonymous, 97 Guests (See full list)

    • April Marie
    • Betty K
    • MaybeRob
    • MaryEllen
    • Miss Cormac
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,942
    • Most Online
      8,356

    taxicab
    Newest Member
    taxicab
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
    • Susan R
      The experience was the same for me @April Marie. I slept much deeper and I woke up each morning feeling so much more restful sleeping with forms solidly in place. For me, wearing breast forms at night started when before I was a teenager. I had no access up to modern breast forms and certainly no way to buy mastectomy bras back then. I wore a basic bra my mom had put in a donation box and two pairs of soft cotton socks. I have some crazy memories of things I did in my youth to combat my GD but regardless, these makeshift concoctions helped me work through it all.   All My Best, Susan R🌷
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Colorado isn't exactly a Republican place, and won't become one anytime soon.  I think those folks might be better off not spending their time playing Don Quixote.    We certainly have our share of California "refugees" moving into where I live, so I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing Coloradans too.  I suspect the trend over the next few years will see the blue areas getting more blue and the red areas getting more red as anybody who can relocate tries to find a place where they fit better.   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, at least it'll be a place some folks could choose.  Options are a good thing.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      My family would have gobbled that jar up in a minute or two.  When we do have pickled herring, its usually for Christmas.  I didn't grow up with that particular dish, but I grew up in a Greek family so I like just about any kind of fish if I can get it.  However, ocean fish and freshwater fish taste so different.  We usually have more catfish and tilapia to eat than anything else.    What I can't quite get used to is the tons of cabbage my GF insists on eating.  When you live with a Russian, there is always cabbage soup.  Always.  When I first moved in with her, breakfast was "shchi" for soup and either bread or "kasha" which is a bowl of boiled buckwheat with butter and salt.  Those dishes can be made in any number of ways, some are better than others.  In the winter, it can even be salty and sour like kraut.  Not exactly sauerkraut, but packed in tubs with vinegar and salt so it keeps partially for the winter.  But I drew the line when the cabbage soup included pieces of fried snake one day.  😆
    • Ashley0616
      Good evening to you as well @Mmindy   That is awesome that you have support from her side. My dad has communicated with me once and that was because he was forced to. His new wife wanted to spend time with my kids. He hated me so much he was in the process of taking my rights away as a parent to my two boys. He was talking to a lawyer and I called him out on it. I don't love him at all. I'll respect him because I wouldn't be here without him but I wished I had another father. My uncles don't talk to me and unfriended me on Facebook. Almost all cousins except for two are still Facebook friends but they don't give me any support. My mom said she won't support me with that but she has said that she loves me. I have nieces and nephews that are still Facebook friends but they have yet to talk to me. I have one sister that supports me out of three. The other's disrespect me by deadnaming me. They have never called me their sister. I think for them they think it's still a phase. They don't ask questions about me being trans. I have to bring it up and on the look of their faces they don't look comfortable about it. 
    • Mmindy
      Good evening @Ashley0616,   I just got offline with HP tech support trying to get my printer tool box icon locked to my tool bar. This is one of the most important features of my printer that I like because it keeps track of ink, paper, and scanned documents. I'm diffidently not a computer geek.   I'll catch up with the other bookmarks next week. We leave to go home for the Easter Holiday with our families. Saturday with her side, and Sunday with my side. What's odd about that is I'm out to more of her side and they're reluctantly supportive. My side on the other hand are less supportive, and my sister just under me in age will not acknowledge my being there. She will be constantly moving to keep from dealing with me. I'm dead to her.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋  
    • Ashley0616
      I used to follow baseball and the team I would cheer for is Boston Red Sox. My favorite player was Papi. He was an awesome guy and even held a child during the National Anthem. I haven't watched baseball for a long time. It just died off to me. 
    • Ashley0616
      That stinks that nothing transferred, and no bookmarks were saved! 
    • Ashley0616
      I'm doing patches for now but I think soon I'll go to shots because it's hard to alternate when you are doing two xx patches at once. Unless she gives me Estradiol and progesterone
    • Sally Stone
      Go Cleveland Guardians!  I love baseball and I loved playing it when I was younger.  
    • Sally Stone
      My view is we are "dependent" on government, because as a society, we are too lazy to stay actively involved. So, we let politicians do our bidding for us.  I think we'd be in a better place government wise if we policed the actions of our politicians.  We elected them; they work for us.  Sadly, we are allowing them to run amok.  We are where we are because we have chosen to let politicians make all decisions without us.  Remember "by the people, for the people?" That was the intent of our democracy.  Today, however, it is "by the politicians, for the politicians," the people be damned. 
    • Mmindy
      "Play Ball! Batter Up!" is the closing line of the National Anthem as far as I'm concerned. It's the call of the Home Plate Umpire and signals the start of the game. I grew up in the TV and Radio broadcast of the St. Louis Cardinals. Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Tim McCarver, and Mike Shannon, were the voices on my transistor radio. KMOX 1120 AM pushing 50,000 watts of Class A clear-channel non-directional signal. It could be picked up all across MO, IL, IN to the East. KS, OK, CO to the West. IA, MN to the North, and KY, TN, AR to the South. There has always been a rivalry against the Chicago Cubs, in the National League. As for the American League, I have to pull for the Kansas City Royals. I've also been a Little League Umpire, and fan of everything the Little League stands for. Going to Williamsport, PA and seeing the Little League World Series is in my top 10 things to do on my bucket list.   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Mmindy
      Good evening everyone,   I don't think my mother ever cooked a meal that I didn't like. We also had a kitchen where mom fixed the food, dad filled your plate, and you eat it. It wasn't until our baby brother was born that we could have Pop-Tarts for snacks. Before that all snacks had to meet mom's approval, and in her opinion wouldn't prevent you from eating supper.   Well my day started off on a good note, but has become frustrating because my IT person didn't transfer my saved videos I use for teaching. Then I found out that they didn't save any of my book marks for websites I use frequently.   Best wishes, stay motivated,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • MaeBe
      The number is relative to method of deliver, the time of the dose, and when the blood is drawn. However, I do want to keep away from DVT and other potential issues. I assume I may be getting backed down from my current dose, but my doc told me to stick with the higher dose, so? I also wonder if this has anything to do the my breast growth and mental changes that have been happening over the past few years, like I have some estrogen sensitivity so a little goes a long way or something? I don't have enough data to postulate, but who knows!   With weekly, subcutaneous, shots you expect to see big swings of serum level estradiol from shot to peak to trough. My doctor is interested in mid-week testing (for E and T levels only), which would be post-peak blood serum levels but they will be higher than trough. Most, if not all, resources I've seen online is to measure at trough (which I might do just to do it next time) along with a SHBG, LH, and other metrics.   This is from transfemscience.org for Estradiol valerate in oil, which is very spiky compared to some other estradiol combinations. It's also for intramuscular, which will have a slower uptake and is usually dosed in higher volume due to the slower absorption rate from muscles. They don't have subcutaneous numbers, which I would expect to see similar spikes but higher levels at similar doses due to the relatively higher absorption rate direct from fat.   Are you doing pills, shots, or patches? And when you do get your levels checked are you getting that done when your levels are lowest or some other time?
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...