https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-lookup/doi/10.1210/jc.2008-2054This is a link that targets spironolactone and its negative effects. I knew there was a long list of possible side effects but this is the first time I hear of a bulging belly consequence...
Has anyone experienced a bulging belly from the use of spironolactone? I asked my doctor about it as well and she said she had never heard of such an effect, and that I shouldn't believe everything that I read ^^ well, why should I not believe it..
"What's wrong with Spironolactone? Lots.
Many of you are taking Spironolactone to suppress testosterone levels, but did you know that it has long term effects which not only raise your general health risk, but can actually act against the feminization goals you have? In their short-sighted view, physicians prescribing Spiro do so because they want to suppress your testosterone to relieve your genital dysphoria. But Spiro does almost no feminization on its own, and over time tends to lead to a bulging belly which cannot be reduced by diet or surgery ("central obesity" or "visceral fat). It's the opposite of an "hourglass figure". This kind of fat is associated with another group of health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Not only that, but Spiro has recently been found associated with poor breast development. There are other serious side effects as well. Let's look at this study, in which the exact mechanism that Spiro uses to cause hypercortisolism is explored. If your doctor doesn't know about this, this article may change his mind. Remember: the proper use of estradiol with or without progesterone is capable of suppressing your testosterone levels with no need for any Spiro or other antiandrogen.
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Summary: Spironolactone increases plasma cortisol levels which can cause obesity, depression, and age-associated cognitive dysfunction.
Circulating levels of the steroid hormone cortisol are tightly controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. A key feature of the HPA axis is negative feedback regulation, whereby cortisol suppresses its own secretion. ...
However, chronic activation of the HPA axis may play a pathogenic role in a wide range of common metabolic and psychiatric disorders, including obesity, depression, and age-associated cognitive dysfunction. ...
An approach to testing negative feedback by endogenous cortisol, which overcomes the deficiencies of GR agonists, may be to use GR and MR antagonists. ... Administration of the MR antagonist spironolactone or its active metabolite canrenoate increases plasma cortisol levels in the evening. (thanks Ju Lia in GRG for additional commentary),
"Combined Receptor Antagonist Stimulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Test Identifies Impaired Negative Feedback Sensitivity to Cortisol in Obese Men"
