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This page presents data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the FDA-approved drug label. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event. Always consult a healthcare provider about medications.

Spironolactone

aldosterone antagonist
Last updated: June 17, 2026
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Spironolactone is a medication, a aldosterone antagonist. According to the FDA-approved label, Spironolactone is an aldosterone antagonist indicated for: The treatment of NYHA Class III-IV heart failure and reduced ejection fraction to increase survival, manage edema, and to reduce the need for hospitalization for heart failure ( 1.1 ). FAERS contains 136,774 submissions naming this drug from 2001 through 2026; the top three reactions cited are dyspnoea, fatigue, and nausea.

Most-Reported Reactions

Counts of the reactions most often cited in FAERS submissions that named Spironolactone. Inclusion here does not establish causation - submitters describe what was observed, not what was confirmed. One submission can list several reactions, so the totals exceed the report count.

DYSPNOEA 10,606 (7.8%) FATIGUE 8,373 (6.1%) NAUSEA 7,995 (5.8%) DIARRHOEA 7,586 (5.5%) ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 6,899 (5.0%) DIZZINESS 6,381 (4.7%) HEADACHE 6,028 (4.4%) HYPOTENSION 5,907 (4.3%) OFF LABEL USE 5,769 (4.2%) DRUG INEFFECTIVE 5,305 (3.9%) FALL 5,171 (3.8%) ASTHENIA 5,093 (3.7%) DEATH 4,998 (3.7%) HYPERKALAEMIA 4,986 (3.6%) VOMITING 4,955 (3.6%)

Patient Demographics

Patient sex and age across the FAERS submissions that named Spironolactone. Percentages here are computed only from submissions where these fields were filled in - many leave them blank.

By Sex

Female Male Unknown

By Age Group

0-17 18-44 45-64 65+

Severity Outcomes

Severity flags recorded across the 136,774 FAERS submissions that named Spironolactone. Each bar shows the count of those reports carrying that flag. A single case can carry more than one (a hospitalization that became life-threatening, for example), so these bars are independent rates - they don't sum to 100%. Inclusion of a case under any flag does not establish that the drug caused the outcome.

DEATH 17,856 (13.1%) HOSPITALIZATION 65,176 (47.7%) LIFE-THREATENING 8,951 (6.5%) DISABLING 3,366 (2.5%)

Submissions Per Quarter

Quarterly count of FAERS submissions that named Spironolactone. Ups and downs on this chart can track prescribing volume, news cycles, or shifts in how reports get filed, rather than the drug becoming safer or more dangerous.

2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

From the FDA-Approved Label

Excerpts from the official FDA-approved prescribing information for Spironolactone. This is the authoritative source on indications, warnings, and known adverse reactions.

Indications

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Spironolactone is an aldosterone antagonist indicated for: The treatment of NYHA Class III-IV heart failure and reduced ejection fraction to increase survival, manage edema, and to reduce the need for hospitalization for heart failure ( 1.1 ). Use as an add-on therapy for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions ( 1.2 ). The management of edema in adult patients who are cirrhotic when edema is not responsive to fluid and sodium restrictions and in the setting of nephrotic syndrome when treatment of the underlying disease, restriction of fluid and sodium intake, and the use of other diuretics produce an inadequate response ( 1.3 ). Treatment of primary hyperaldosteronism for: ( 1.4 ) Short-term preoperative treatment Long-term maintenance for patients with discrete aldosterone-producing adrenal adenomas who are not candidates for surgery and patients with bilateral micro or macronodular adrenal hyperplasia 1.1 Heart Failure Spironolactone is indicated for treatment of NYHA Class III-IV heart failure and reduced ejec...

Adverse Reactions (from label)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Hyperkalemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Hypotension and Worsening Renal Function [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Electrolyte and Metabolic Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Gynecomastia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Impaired neurological function/ coma in patients with hepatic impairment, cirrhosis and ascites [see Use in Specific Populations (8.7) ] The following adverse reactions associated with the use of spironolactone were identified in clinical trials or postmarketing reports. Because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to estimate their frequency, reliably, or to establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Digestive: Gastric bleeding, ulceration, gastritis, diarrhea and cramping, nausea, vomiting. Reproductive: Decreased libido, inability to achieve or maintain erection, irregular menses or amenorrhea, postmenopausal bleeding, breast and nipple pain. Hematologic: Leukopenia (including agranulocytosis), thrombocytopenia. (continues in label)

FDA label effective date: 2025-11-19

Disclaimer

AdverseEvent.ai is not affiliated with the FDA. Adverse-event counts come from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug labels come from the FDA drug label dataset. A report submitted to FAERS does not prove a drug caused the reported event — always consult a healthcare provider about medications. This site is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.