Can Spironolactone Cause Low Libido In Women?

Posted on Sun, 21 Jun 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 21 Jun 2015 Answered on

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Can Spironolactone decrease a woman sex drive and how long after taking it does your sex drive return?

Answered by Dr. Noble Zachariah (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
It can produce sexual problem in men and is less likely in women.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for your query.
Spiranolactone can decrease the sexual drive of men. It is attributed to endocrine dysfunction as spironolactone is structurally similar to the sex hormones . It inhibits the binding of dihydrotestosterone to androgen receptors and increased clearance of testosterone. This leads to unbalanced estrogen effect. This is also the reason for gynecomastia which can occur in men on long term treatment with spiranolactone.
I have not come across any authentic study showing reduced sexual drive in women. If you could provide the reference, I shall study it and give my comments.
Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar