(Spironolactone)
Spironolactone is a popular diuretic that first appeared in the 1950’s and became a regular part of clinical medicine in the early 1960’s. There are numerous well-known brand names of Spironolactone but the most well known of all is Searle’s Aldactone. Aldactone has been and is still currently used in numerous treatment plans. Its most common point of use is in the treatment of high blood pressure and edema, most commonly edema due to congestive heart failure. The compound is also used to treat hypokalemia, a condition derived from potassium deficiency. It is also used to treat hyeraldosternonism, which is a condition in which the individual produces too much aldosterone.
Aldactone is also a popular diuretic among many athletes and is extremely popular in competitive bodybuilding circles. This is generally one of the most well tolerated diuretics on the market, and while it’s not the strongest it’s strong enough to produce great results. Athletes who need a push in order to meet a specific weight class will also use Aldactone as use can drop total body weight significantly in a very short period of time.
Aldactone Functions & Traits:
Officially Aldactone is classified as an aldosterone antagonist and diuretic. Its mode of action is fairly simple and covers two specific areas. Aldactone inhibits aldosterone from binding to the receptors, primarily in the renal tubes, which is where aldosterone shares in the action of sodium-potassium exchanges. From here the compound causes large amounts of water and sodium to be excreted while preventing the loss of potassium that often accompanies other diuretics like Lasix (Furosemide). Unofficially, Aldactone is often referred to as a potassium sparing diuretic.
This truly represents the full function and traits of Aldactone. It is a very simple medication, but while simple very affective and extremely beneficial when used for the right purposes.
Effects of Aldactone:
The effects of Aldactone are largely summed up by large excretions of water and sodium. In fact, the total loss of water and sodium can be tremendous in a very short period of time. By protecting the body from simultaneously excreting potassium, which occurs with the use of loop-diuretics, this presents a far more tolerable diuretic compound. When large amounts of potassium are excreted this can lead to a severe electrolyte imbalance and often results in strong to even severe muscle cramps. Muscle cramps can be so severe they may occur in multiple areas of the body all at once and reach excruciating levels of pain. However, this will not occur with Aldactone as potassium will not be lost with its use. There will, however, be an exception to this rule when we look at the side effects of Aldactone.
The effects of Aldactone are often beneficial in a therapeutic setting due to water retention being a common cause of high blood pressure, and water retention is precisely what defines edema. When the excess water is lost, often this remedies such conditions. However, when it comes to high blood pressure there are often other issues that could be affecting the individual’s total reading and those must be taken into account.
In an athletic setting the effects of Aldactone are beneficial for the same reason, a loss of fluid. However, in this case, this individual is often not looking to lose excess fluid but to take his levels below normal for a short period of time. If the individual is a little too heavy for a specific weight class the rapid loss of fluid could easily drop his body weight. This will not be fat loss, it will simply be water weight and a loss of fluid, but again it can be significant. Then we’re left with the competitive bodybuilder and he too might benefit from the effects of Aldactone in order to meet a specific weight class. However, bodybuilders most commonly use the diuretic in order to present a tighter, dryer package to the stage. By pulling large amounts of fluid from an already extremely lean physique this will make the skin appear thinner and overall definition appears more enhanced.
Side Effects of Aldactone:
There are several possible side effects of Aldactone use. This diuretic is very common among anabolic steroid users, and we can say with absolute certainty the side effects of Aldactone are far greater in severity than any anabolic steroid. Make no mistake, this diuretic can be used safely, but any time you are purposely dehydrating your body you are creating a risky environment. In a therapeutic setting, the side effects of Aldactone will be a little more manageable as there’s generally no risk of dehydration. In a therapeutic setting we are normally attempting to remove excess fluid while in a performance setting expel fluid levels below a baseline normal. As with all diuretics the primary side effect of Aldactone of concern will be death. However, this will only be associated with abuse, and while this is one of the safer prescription diuretics on the market abuse is certainly possible.
Competitive bodybuilders or athletes looking to drop weight through Aldactone use must ensure dehydration and electrolyte imbalances do not become too severe. Further, this low level of hydration should only be maintained for an extremely short period of time. For the bodybuilder 2-3 days of Aldactone use is all he should ever need with most getting by with the diuretic on Friday before a Saturday morning prejudging. No athlete, bodybuilder or otherwise should surpass three days of use for any reason.
All who use Aldactone should avoid potassium supplementation and potassium rich diets during use. High levels of potassium with this diuretic, as it is a potassium sparing diuretic could lead to hyperkalemia, which could lead to cardiac complications. If these guidelines are followed, most users will find the side effects of Aldactone to be manageable.
There are also other possible side effects of Aldactone you need to be aware of. These are non-life threatening but they can be an issue and are generally based on individual response. Such side effects of Aldactone include:
- Diarrhea
- Drowsiness
- Fever
- Gynecomastia (rare)
- Headaches
- Impotence (rare)
- Lethargy
- Loss of Muscle Coordination
- Confusion
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Virilization (females)
Although this is a potassium sparing diuretic, if electrolyte imbalances become severe and a dehydrated state is maintained for too long, some may experience muscle cramps. However, this should not occur with responsible, short-term use. As a final note, Aldactone has also been shown to be a slightly anti-androgenic compound, but this should not be an issue for the anabolic steroid user.
Aldactone Administration:
In a therapeutic setting, standard Aldactone doses will fall in the 50-100mg per day range. The total dosing will normally be split into several small doses throughout the day with the total daily dose reaching the 50-100mg mark. Therapeutic Aldactone doses may surpass 100mg per day in severe cases, but such doses are rarely needed. If they are it’s not uncommon for stronger diuretics to be prescribed.
In a performance setting, Aldactone doses will never surpass 100mg per day and many will find 50mg per day to be all they need. Normally two doses of 25-50mg two times per day are more than enough. If you have never used the diuretic before, one day of total use is as far as you should take it in order to gauge your response. While this is very short-term use, many will find this is all the Aldactone they need. If your physique is not noticeably improved with such a plan, more than likely you are holding a little more fat than you realize. It is a very common mistake to assume you’re holding water when your body fat levels are actually higher than you believe. As you become a better athlete you’ll be able to gauge the truth of your physique with more accuracy.
Availability of Aldactone:
Aldactone is very easy to obtain and is available on most pharmaceutical markets around the world. The diuretic is also regularly traded on the black market, but so many pharmaceutical brands exist there should never be a need for a black market brand. There are so many pharmaceutical brands of Spironolactone available generic underground versions are extremely rare and counterfeiting is virtually unheard of. You should also find this to be an extremely cheap and affordable diuretic.
Buy Aldactone Online - Warning:
You can easily buy Aldactone online through numerous purchasing outlets. This is not a controlled substance in the U.S. but a legal purchase in the U.S. will require a prescription. Fortunately, an Aldactone prescription is extremely easy to obtain. Outside the U.S. you will find Aldactone can be purchased over the counter in many markets. However, it is important that you fully understand the law as it pertains to where you live before you make a purchase in order to avoid any legal trouble. For the U.S. citizen, while you can buy Aldactone online it is not recommended as this could lead to legal ramifications.
Aldactone Reviews:
Aldactone is a very effective diuretic. Many performance athletes often assume it’s weak but this is normally due to a misguided assumption pertaining to their own physique. If you are truly in shape and use this diuretic, such as a competitive bodybuilder, you will appear sharper once you hit the stage. If you do not appear noticeably sharper, this simply means you were fatter than you thought. As a therapeutic diuretic, you will also find Aldactone is far more comfortable than other options, but in severe cases of hypertension and edema it’s sometimes not enough. However, there is no reason a healthy athlete should really ever need anything stronger than this diuretic, and this is good news as stronger loop-diuretics can be very damaging to the athlete’s health.
