| Download the amazing global Makindo app: Android | Apple | |
|---|---|
| MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational use only. Not for diagnosis or management. See below for full disclaimer. |
Spironolactone
📌 Related Subjects: | Acute Heart Failure | Chronic Heart Failure
⚠️ Hyperkalaemia can be fatal → use cautiously or avoid with other potassium-retaining drugs (ACEIs, ARBs, potassium supplements). 💉 Always monitor U&E regularly.
📖 About
Always check the BNF link here.
- 💊 Aldosterone receptor (mineralocorticoid) antagonist.
- Originally developed as a potassium-sparing diuretic, now key in heart failure therapy.
⚙️ Action
- 🔗 Competitively blocks aldosterone at distal renal tubules.
- ⬇️ Sodium & water reabsorption → reduces fluid overload.
- ⬆️ Potassium retention → risk of hyperkalaemia.
💉 Indications / Dose
- ❤️ Chronic heart failure (NYHA III–IV): 25–50 mg OD.
- 🩸 Conn’s syndrome (primary hyperaldosteronism): 100–400 mg OD.
- 🫀 Resistant hypertension (specialist use).
- 🍺 Ascites in cirrhosis: 100–400 mg OD (with furosemide for balance).
- 🧪 Nephrotic syndrome (selected cases).
🔄 Interactions
- ⚠️ ↑ Risk of hyperkalaemia with ACE inhibitors, ARBs, potassium supplements.
- 💊 NSAIDs may blunt diuretic effect and worsen renal function/fluid retention.
- 🚫 Avoid with lithium → ↑ lithium toxicity risk.
⚠️ Cautions
- ☠️ Monitor for hyperkalaemia (can be fatal).
- 📊 Regularly check U&E and renal function, especially in elderly or CKD.
- 💧 Monitor fluid balance carefully in ascites and heart failure.
⛔ Contraindications
- 🚫 Hyperkalaemia.
- 🚫 Addison’s disease.
- 🚫 Severe renal impairment (risk of potassium accumulation).
💥 Side Effects
- 🩸 Hyperkalaemia.
- 👨 Gynaecomastia (painful, reversible breast enlargement).
- 👩 Menstrual irregularities, impotence.
- 🧪 Electrolyte imbalances: hyponatraemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypochloraemic alkalosis.
- 🧠 CNS: headache, confusion, ataxia.
- 🩹 Dermatological: rashes.
- 🧬 Rare: agranulocytosis, hepatotoxicity, osteomalacia.
📚 References
| The content on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only to support exam preparation (e.g., MLA, MRCP, USMLE) and learning. This is NOT medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional guidance. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, official guidelines (e.g., NICE, GMC, BNF), or supervised clinical practice. Always verify information with current, authoritative sources. Makindo and its contributors accept no liability for any reliance on this content, including errors, omissions, or any resulting harm, loss, or consequences. By using this site, you agree to these terms. |
|
|
Categories
- A Level
- About
- Acute Medicine
- Anaesthetics and Critical Care
- Anatomy
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Book
- Cardiology
- Collections
- CompSci
- Crib Sheets
- Crib sheets
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Differentials
- Drugs
- ENT
- Education
- Electrocardiogram
- Embryology
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Ethics
- Foundation Doctors
- GCSE
- Gastroenterology
- General Practice
- Genetics
- Geriatric Medicine
- Guidelines
- Gynaecology
- Haematology
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Infographic
- Investigations
- Lists
- Mandatory Training
- Medical Students
- Microbiology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Nutrition
- OSCE
- OSCEs
- Obstetrics
- Obstetrics Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral Medicine and Dentistry
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Palliative
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Procedures
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Radiology
- Renal
- Respiratory
- Resuscitation
- Revision
- Rheumatology
- Statistics and Research
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Toxicology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- USMLE
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery