The generic name of this medication is spironolactone and Aldactone is the brand name. The active ingredient of this medication is spironolactone and inactive ingredients are calcium sulfate, corn starch, and flavor. Aldactone is manufactured by Searle. It is primarily used in the treatment of edema or swelling and fluid retention in patients suffering from CHF or congestive heart failure; liver cirrhosis; or renal disorders like nephrotic syndrome.

Spironolactone (marketed under the trade names Aldactone, Novo-Spiroton, Spiractin, Spirotone, or Berlactone) is a diuretic and is used as an antiandrogen.

It is a synthetic 17-lactone drug which is a renal competitive aldosterone antagonist in a class of pharmaceuticals called potassium-sparing diuretics, used primarily to treat ascites in patients with liver disease, low-renin hypertension, hypokalemia, and Conn's syndrome as well as high blood pressure. On its own, spironolactone is only a weak diuretic, but it can be combined with other diuretics. About one person in one hundred with hypertension has elevated levels of aldosterone; in these persons the antihypertensive effect of spironolactone may exceed that of complex combined regimens of other antihypertensives. Due to its anti-androgen effect, it can also be used to treat hirsutism, and is a common component in hormone therapy for male-to-female transsexual and transgendered people. It is also used for treating hair loss and acne in women.