Spironolactone for Weight Loss: Does it Really Work?
While being overweight affects many people worldwide, the epidemic leads people to turn to diets, prescriptions, and health supplements to lose weight fast. This causes people to jump from one weight loss fad to the next in a search for an easy way out. One of these current trends for weight loss is the prescription spironolactone, which leaves people wondering where the connection comes from.
Spironolactone is a medication prescribed for people who suffer from hyperaldosteronism, hypokalemia, and hormonal acne. Another medical treatment that has also been found for recreational use to provide weight loss benefits is a liquid diet for weight loss. None of these ailments have to do with weight loss, but people prescribed with this tend to lose weight, which intrigued others to use it for themselves.
What is Spironolactone?
Spironolactone is a prescription medication that is currently approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a type of diuretic water pill. The pill blocks the hormone aldosterone, which causes the body to eliminate water and sodium but decreases how much potassium is excluded. Essentially, as the body is flushing water, spironolactone is supposed to stop your body from absorbing too much sodium while keeping potassium levels healthy.
Spironolactone is prescribed for people who suffer with:
- high blood pressure
- swelling or edema
- woman who produce too much testosterone
- Low Potassium
What has intrigued people to look to spironolactone for weight loss is the medications ability to block the bodies androgen receptor and prevent water weight and bloating. Spironolactone weight loss benefits center around the loss of water weight that you experience and hormonal balancing.
Side effects?
Taking any prescribed medication, such as spironolactone, may come with side effects. Spironolactone has been shown to have some minor and severe side effects, along with interacting with other drugs. Here are some of the most common side effects when taking spironolactone:
- Stomachache & vomiting
- Headache
- Dizziness & Drowsiness
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Breast tenderness in women
Some more severe side effects can include:
- Muscle pain
- Flu-like symptoms
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Numbness & tingling
- Serious skin reactions
- Confusion
Not all these effects may occur, but if they do, it is possible that you may need medical attention. Now the reason it is essential to list off side effects is because we are explicitly talking about spironolactone for weight loss and health reasons. Weight loss is seen as a natural and healthy lifestyle choice that we work towards, taking prescribed medication to lose weight is not natural or always healthy.
Many health advisors recommend that you take prescriptions if you absolutely need them for health conditions, not for quick weight loss results. The adverse side effects are one indication that the price for possible weight loss results is very much outweighed.
How is Spironolactone Used For Weight Loss?
Spironolactone is a diuretic, which means it prompts the body to remove extra fluid and can result in weight loss. Losing weight by removing water from the body is not the same as body mass or fat loss from healthy eating and exercise. Although, women who have high testosterone can lose weight naturally by taking Spironolactone because lowering levels of testosterone can help with fat loss.
Research has also been done on spironolactone’s effect on loss of appetite and the weight loss that has occurred because of this. When combining the effects of fluid loss, hormonal balance, and loss of appetite, this can lead to actual weight loss.
Although this type of weight loss resulting from this medication can only be achieved when paired with a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
These spironolactone weight loss benefits will also only work for people with these types of problems to begin with. Spironolactone works to fix water retention problems or hormonal imbalances for people who truly suffer from these conditions, not for people who are already healthy.
The Science Behind Spironolactone and Weight Loss
No scientific research has been done or published on the benefits for spironolactone weight loss. Although it does make sense that the medication can reduce weight in people with fluid retention, it is not the type of weight loss the average person is looking for. The drug does not affect fat loss in the body, and if weight loss is seen as a result, it is not sustainable.
Spironolactone for weight loss has been shown to help relieve symptoms like fluid retention or other health conditions, but no evidence is shown for healthy weight loss. Spironolactone weight loss is also not encouraged since it is a water pill and can result in severe dehydration if misused.
Another supplement people take for weight loss that is more natural and research-based is magnesium citrate for weight loss supplements. Spironolactone for weight loss should be avoided unless used for specific health conditions and consulted with by a health professional.
