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Spironolactone

Medication Information Leaflet

What is this medication for?

Spironolactone belongs to a class of medications called Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist (MRA). It works on your kidneys to remove extra water and salts in your body. This will decrease the pressure on the blood vessels and allow the heart to work less hard. It is also used to reduce the amount of fluid present in the lungs as a result of heart failure.

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is weak and is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. This medication is used in heart failure to improve the survival rate, reduce the symptoms of heart failure such as breathlessness or leg swelling and reduce the chance of being admitted to the hospital because of heart failure.

This medication may also be used to treat high blood pressure or high aldosterone (a type of hormone) levels.

How should I take or use this medication?

Do not stop taking your medication without checking with your healthcare professional.
You should take this medication with or after food.
If you are taking one dose a day, take it in the morning. If you are taking the medicine two times a day, take the second dose before 6pm so that you do not need to wake up often at night to urinate.

What should I do if I forget to take or use this medication?

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only the usual dose. Do not double your dose or use extra medication to make up for the missed dose.

What precautions should I take when taking or using this medication?

Inform your healthcare professional if:

You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
You have any kidney problems

What are some common side effects of this medication?

Some side effects may include:

Passing urine more often
Dizziness and lightheadedness

This may occur especially when you get up quickly from lying or sitting down. Getting up slowly or changing posture slowly may help. Take a rest by sitting or lying down if you feel dizzy.

Breast pain or increase in size of breast in men, changes in menstrual cycle in women
Increased potassium levels in your blood

Your doctor may monitor your potassium levels and kidney function regularly when you are on this medication.

Inform your healthcare professional if these side effects do not go away and become bothersome to you.

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

How should I store this medication?

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children. Throw away all expired medications.

How do I throw away this medication safely?

Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.

Disclaimer

If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.

This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.

Last updated on July 2019

This article was last reviewed on Monday, September 13, 2021