I have been taking spironolactone and birth control for almost 3 yrs for hair loss. This worked great for the first year and then the shedding and thinning began very slowly to increase. The dose of spiro was increased from 100mg to 200mg and still no change. A year ago an estrogen patch was added to the routine and my condition is worse than ever. I saw another endocrinologist last month who suggested stopping everything, since they weren't helping, in order to get a true reading of my hormone levels. I stopped everything immediately and am experiencing headaches, edema, and weight gain. Are these all to be expected? Normal effects of stopping meds? Is this safe? How long do I have to wait for my hormone levels to be regulated to their pre-med state in order to have new blood tests. My hair loss is now dramatic and scary and no one seems to know what to do about it.