Spironolactone is a diuretic — a water tablet — that works differently from the familiar ones. Furosemide and the thiazides push the kidney to lose salt, water and potassium; spironolactone blocks aldosterone, the hormone that tells the kidney to hold on to salt and dump potassium, so it sheds fluid gently while keeping potassium in the body. That is why it is the diuretic chosen when potassium is already low, and why it is dangerous when potassium is already high. Beyond the kidney, blocking aldosterone protects a failing heart, which is where most of its use in Nigeria now lies.
In the NAFDAC register
18 registered products
from 12 registration holders
What it costs online
Price varies — check with a pharmacy. This drug has not yet appeared in our fortnightly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies.
Brands of Spironolactone in Nigeria
Comes as
- Tablet25 mg· 4 makers
Those 18 products from 12 registration holders, counted in our October 2026 copy of the register, include combination products and older listings; below are the most common brands.
| Brand Name | Manufacturer | Strength | Form | NAFDAC Reg. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldactone | Pfizer Specialties Ltd | 25 mg | Tablet | 04-4304 |
| Spinotone-25 | La-Lid Pharmaceutical Company Limited | 25 mg | Tablet | A4-7782 |
| Spinotone-50 | La-Lid Pharmaceutical Company Limited | 50 mg | Tablet | B4-5201 |
| Zoractone | ZMC International Limited | 25 mg | Tablet | B4-9859 |
| AG Spironolactone | AnnyGod Pharmaceutical Company Ltd | 25 mg | Tablet | A4-100160 |
| Alpadactone | Dony-Triumph and Company Nigeria Limited | 50 mg | Tablet | A4-1472 |
Spironolactone Price in Nigeria
Our sampled online pharmacies held no spironolactone listing this cycle, so we quote no price. The 25 mg tablets are inexpensive generics, mostly Indian-made and sold in strips of ten; the original Aldactone commands a premium where old stock is still on shelves, but its Nigerian registration lapsed in 2024. Ask a licensed pharmacy and check the NAFDAC number on the strip.
We show a price here once it appears in our monthly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies (MedPlus, HealthPlus), or when we have a reliable market figure. For now, confirm the current price directly with a licensed pharmacy.
How to Verify Your Spironolactone is Genuine
- 1Check the strip for its NAFDAC number and look it up. In our October 2026 copy of the register the current single-ingredient products include Spinotone-25 (A4-7782) and Spinotone-50 (B4-5201), Zoractone 25 mg (B4-9859), AG Spironolactone 25 mg (A4-100160), Alpadactone 50 mg (A4-1472), Bedex Spironolactone 25 mg (C4-0947) and Spironolactone 100 (C4-0435)
- 2Aldactone (04-4304, Pfizer) is recorded Expired since February 2024. A strip still on sale under that name should be checked by its printed number and expiry date, and a renewal confirmed on the official Greenbook before you rely on it
- 3Confirm the strength on the strip matches the register entry — 25 mg and 50 mg strips look alike and the dose matters for potassium
- 4Enter the number in our free NAFDAC checker and confirm the product name, strength and manufacturer match the pack
Where to Buy
Buying Spironolactone wholesale, by the carton
Cartons of spironolactone are bought at Nigeria's open drug markets: Idumota Market in Lagos, Ariaria Market in Aba, Ogbogwu Market in Onitsha and Sabon Gari Market in Kano. Each guide says where the market is and how to buy there safely; where we list sellers, they are named.
- Idumota Market, Lagos · wholesale sellers in Idumota Market
- Ariaria Market, Aba
- Ogbogwu Market, Onitsha
- Sabon Gari Market, Kano
No shop we list has Spironolactone on its confirmed product list yet — the market guides still tell you where the trade happens and how to buy there safely.
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Wherever you buy, buy only from licensed pharmacies and verified distributors — not roadside vendors — and verify the pack's NAFDAC registration before you pay. Buying Spironolactone in bulk or for resale? See how to buy medicines in bulk in Nigeria safely.
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What is Spironolactone?
Nigerians have known it as Aldactone, the Pfizer original, for forty years. The name is still what pharmacists are asked for, but the brand's Nigerian registration (04-4304) expired in February 2024 in our October 2026 copy of the register, and the market today is Indian-made generics — Spinotone (La-Lid), Zoractone (ZMC), AG Spironolactone (AnnyGod), Alpadactone (Dony-Triumph), Bedex and a plain 100 mg tablet from Chez Resources — all recorded Active. A pack sold as Aldactone should be checked by its printed number rather than taken on the name.
Two things decide whether spironolactone is safe for a given person: the potassium level and the kidneys. It is almost always prescribed alongside an ACE inhibitor or ARB (lisinopril, losartan) in heart failure, and that pairing raises potassium twice over, so blood tests before starting and in the first weeks are not optional. Taken as prescribed and monitored, it is one of the few medicines shown to help people with heart failure live longer.
What is Spironolactone used for?
In Nigeria, Spironolactone is commonly used for:
- Heart failure with reduced pumping function, in addition to standard treatment
- High blood pressure that has not responded to three other medicines
- Fluid retention from liver cirrhosis (ascites), nephrotic syndrome and heart failure
- Primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn's syndrome)
- Low potassium caused by other diuretics
- Hormonal acne, hirsutism and PCOS in women (off-label)
Dosage
IMPORTANT
Always follow your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions. The information below is for general reference only.
Adults
Heart failure: 25 mg once a day, sometimes raised to 50 mg if potassium stays normal, or lowered to 25 mg on alternate days if it climbs. Resistant hypertension: 25 to 50 mg once a day. Ascites in cirrhosis: 100 mg a day to start, increased under supervision up to 400 mg, often with furosemide in a 100:40 ratio. Oedema from other causes: 25 to 100 mg a day. Take it in the morning, with food, which improves absorption. Blood potassium and kidney function are checked before starting, within the first week, at a month, and then every three to six months.
Children
Used in paediatric heart failure, nephrotic syndrome and ascites at 1 to 3 mg per kg a day in one or two doses, prescribed and monitored by a paediatrician; tablets are halved or crushed for small children.
Elderly
Start at 25 mg or lower. Older kidneys clear potassium more slowly, so the monitoring matters more, not less.
Never take potassium supplements or 'low-sodium' salt substitutes (which are potassium chloride) with spironolactone unless a doctor has prescribed them. Stop and seek help for muscle weakness, an irregular heartbeat or a slow pulse — the signs of high potassium. The full effect on fluid takes two to three days, and on blood pressure two to four weeks; it is not a tablet to judge by the next morning.
Side Effects
General information for a reader holding a pack, not a substitute for a doctor or pharmacist. If something on the serious list is happening, seek care now.
Common side effects
- •Raised potassium, which is why the blood tests exist
- •Breast tenderness and enlargement in men (gynaecomastia) — dose-related and reversible, and the commonest reason men stop
- •Irregular periods and breast tenderness in women
- •Dizziness on standing, tiredness, headache
- •Stomach upset, nausea, diarrhoea
- •Passing more urine in the first days
Serious side effects — seek medical help immediately
- Dangerous high potassium: muscle weakness, numbness, a slow or irregular heartbeat — a medical emergency
- Worsening kidney function, especially when dehydrated or when also taking an ACE inhibitor, ARB or NSAID
- Low sodium: confusion, severe weakness, seizures
- Severe allergic skin reactions (rare)
When to see a doctor
Go to a clinic the same day for muscle weakness, a slow or irregular pulse, confusion, fainting, or very little urine. See a doctor within days for breast changes in a man, a missed period, or persistent dizziness. Any vomiting or diarrhoea lasting more than a day while on spironolactone needs advice, because dehydration pushes potassium and kidney function the wrong way.
Warnings & Precautions
General information for a reader holding a pack, not a substitute for a doctor or pharmacist. If something on the serious list is happening, seek care now.
Do not take Spironolactone if you have:
- High blood potassium (hyperkalaemia) from any cause
- Addison's disease or other adrenal insufficiency
- Severe kidney failure or no urine output (anuria)
- Known allergy to spironolactone
Drug interactions
- •ACE inhibitors (lisinopril, ramipril) and ARBs (losartan, valsartan) — the usual partners in heart failure, but together they raise potassium; blood tests are essential
- •Potassium supplements and potassium-containing salt substitutes — avoid
- •NSAIDs (ibuprofen, diclofenac) — blunt the diuretic, raise potassium and strain the kidneys
- •Trimethoprim (in co-trimoxazole) — raises potassium sharply, particularly in the elderly
- •Lithium — levels rise
- •Digoxin — spironolactone can raise digoxin levels and interferes with some digoxin blood tests
- •Other antihypertensives — additive drop in blood pressure
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Avoid in pregnancy: spironolactone blocks male hormones and could affect a male baby's development, and the fluid and potassium effects are unwelcome in pregnancy. Treat hypertension in pregnancy with the medicines meant for it. Small amounts of its active metabolite pass into breast milk; most authorities consider short courses compatible with breastfeeding, but ask the prescriber.
Related Resources for Spironolactone
Guides, articles, and tools related to Spironolactone and other hypertension medicines in Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- •NAFDAC Greenbook — the official database of all products registered with Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Brand-level NAFDAC numbers for Spironolactone on this page were cross-referenced against the Greenbook.
- •WHO Model List of Essential Medicines — Spironolactone is included in the WHO's list of essential medicines, meaning it is considered essential for basic healthcare needs.
- •British National Formulary (BNF) dosing and interaction guidance for Spironolactone.
- •Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health).
Daily puzzle: Meddle — pair five brands with their medicines. New game at midnight.