Spironolactone in the Treatment of Hirsutism
January 1986
in “
Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica
”
TLDR Spironolactone can reduce hair growth and testosterone in hirsutism, but is less effective than combined treatments.
In a study from 1986, 35 patients with hirsutism were treated with 100 mg of spironolactone for 25 days per menstrual cycle over a period of 6 months. Five patients withdrew due to side effects such as nausea and polymenorrhea, which was a problem for 16 patients in total. Out of the 30 patients who completed the study, 17 experienced a significant reduction in hair growth, as measured by Ferriman and Gallwey hair scores (p<0.05). Additionally, there was a significant decrease in serum testosterone levels (p<0.05). However, the treatment with spironolactone alone was found to be less effective than previous treatments using a combination of cyproterone acetate and estrogen.
