Name: Do you suggest checking potassium on patients on drospirenone containing OCP with concurrent use of spironolactone on healthy patients?
Uploaded: 2022-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
Description: Do you suggest checking potassium on patients on drospirenone containing OCP with concurrent use of spironolactone on healthy patients?

Welcome to Dermbits! Watch short videos of KOLs answering your questions

thumbnail_dermbits-colorful.png

dermbits-colorful.png

Dermbits

Do you suggest checking potassium on patients on drospirenone containing OCP with concurrent use of spironolactone on healthy patients?

Acne

You. I personally don't routinely check potassium levels in patients on spironalactone unless they're on a medication that may also cause hyperkalemia or if they're over the age of 45, or if they're on a really high dose such as 100 milligrams bid. So if they're on 200 milligrams a day or higher, or they have a preexisting condition that might make them more likely to develop hyperkalemia or they're over 45, then I will occasionally check potassium. Now, the issue with the drospirinone containing oral contraceptive pills is that drospirinone in itself acts similarly to about 25 milligrams of spironalactone. Now. So in general, in patients who are both on drospironone and spironalactone, I'm not concerned, except if we're getting up into those higher doses where we're pushing close to 200 milligrams a day total, and they're on a drospironone containing oral contraceptive, then I may check a potassium. If they're on, say, 50 milligrams a day of spironalactone or 100 milligrams a day of spironalactone plus drospirinone, I'm not concerned unless they're over 45 or unless they have another preexisting condition or another or medication that also causes hyperkalemia.

Do you suggest checking potassium on patients on drospirenone containing OCP with concurrent use of spironolactone on healthy patients?

Related CME