Supplements and Spironolactone.
Spironolactone, sold under the brand name Aldactone, is a potassium-sparing diuretic: it blocks aldosterone or epithelial sodium channels, conserving potassium.
Spironolactone is a diuretic that spares potassium. The class includes spironolactone and eplerenone (mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists), and amiloride and triamterene (epithelial sodium channel blockers). UK prescribing centres on spironolactone for heart failure, resistant hypertension, primary aldosteronism, and (outside the licence at low doses) acne. The supplement surface centres on potassium. Anything that adds to potassium load (foods rich in potassium at high intake, salt substitutes containing potassium chloride, magnesium at high doses with associated potassium effects) stacks on top and can drive hyperkalaemia, particularly in patients with reduced renal function. Liquorice opposes the BP lowering effect through sodium retention mediated by aldosterone. Spironolactone's androgen-blocking activity at higher doses interacts notionally with the same property in herbal supplements (saw palmetto). But the clinical magnitude is small.
Below are the 1 documented pair we have explicitly assessed against Spironolactone in the Distil database: 1 red. The pairs cluster around 1 mechanism: Additive hyperkalaemia (raised potassium). Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not on this list is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by supplement, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued supplement into our next curation pass.
Documented interactions
Additive hyperkalaemia (raised potassium)
Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic, which means it makes the body hold on to potassium. Adding a potassium supplement on top can push potassium to a dangerous level and affect the heart rhythm. This is one of the higher-risk combinations. Do not take potassium with spironolactone unless your specialist has advised it and is monitoring your blood potassium closely.
What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope (food-supplement interactions only; for drug-drug interactions, the BNF is authoritative). Use the checker below to surface any supplement, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.
For adults over 18.
This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP, pharmacist, or specialist before making them, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.
How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.
Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.
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If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.