Spironolactone

Spironolactone belongs to a group of medicines called ‘diuretics’ – you may know these as ‘water’ tablets. You may have gone to your doctor because you had swollen ankles or were short of breath. This can happen when your heart's pumping action has become weak because of too much fluid in your body. This is called “congestive heart failure”. Pushing extra fluid around your body means your heart has to work harder. Your doctor has given you to help you lose the extra fluid from your body. This will mean your heart has to do less work. You lose the extra fluid as urine, so you may need to go to the toilet more often while you are taking spironolactone.

 

You can take spironolactone for the following illnesses:

· “Nephrotic syndrome” - a kidney disorder that causes too much fluid in your body

 · “Ascites” - too much fluid in your abdomen and “oedema” - accumulation of fluid beneath skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling, for example caused by cirrhosis of the liver

· “Malignant ascites” - fluid containing cancer cells that collect in the abdomen

· “Primary aldosteronism” - extra fluid in your body caused by too much of a hormone called “aldosterone”.

Ref: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/12013

Available on request.

Available on request.