Hi Doll. Any luck getting to the bottom of this? I have been on Spiro since 12/30/2013 and I've never experienced chest pains, dizziness or nausea. Have you added any other supplements in? I've increased my spiro several times and I have had temporary side effects- migraines, anxiety, but they settle down once the adjustment settles. What about caffeine, are you off of it currently? Stopping BCP and Spiro abruptly will most likely cause hormones to go haywire, I had to come off BCP for migraines and aphasia and then had to up my Spiro dose to help my skin. I went from 75mg + bcp to 100 mg no bcp, now 125 mg. How are you today?

The depression wasnt bad today but I still feel like any moment I'll start crying. The chest pains are still there and my doctor said they are unrelated. I dont know. Im never going to get answers. Its so frustrating. The pain is dull but lasts all day in my left side.

I had a gummy vit d and I do drink coffee. But since the pain is new and started happening the same time I started clearing up, idk. Idk! Hah

Do you think taking the spiro at night may help figure out myissues? I take the pill around 8am, exercise, eat breakfast, then around 11 i start feelibg weird and by 3 im crying. Its been like that for a week-2 weeks

Ive decided to try and take the spiro at night. During the day since I hadnt taken it yet, my chest pains subsided and no depression. It was a damn miracle! So hopefully taking it at night ill have all those side effects while sleeping. It sucks to choose from depression or acne which causes depression in a lesser form

Hope you are feeling about better today and were able to sleep ok. I split my dose up by 75mg breakfast and 50mg late afternoon. You need to do what's best for your body and so glad to hear pain is dullibg.

Depression and acne can be best friends. We have to do everything we can to break them up and kick both to the curb. You are on a path towards clear skin, just remember you are doing something everyday. You found your way to a dr, the medicine and now this site to help support you. Reach out anytime you need. You are not alone in this fight to get your clear beautiful skin that's awaiting you!

Taking it at night helped with some of the discomfort but im still crybaby. Im not normally like this, and its pretty uncontrollable and making life a little impossible. I guess Ill lower my dose. However I havent really felt like myself on it the whole time Ive been taking it. Still dont really know what to do

So a little something to think about, Spiro blocks testosterone so our other hormones tend to take charge. Perhaps you are feeling what many women feel PMS time, like super emotional etc. I know when I first started taking Yasmin years ago I was a blubbery crying emotional mess. That calmed down a few months in and stabilized. Remember hormones affect us in many ways even beyond skin- sleep, anxiety, weight, emotions, etc. if you can help find something that distracts you during his time that you might enjoy, like reading positive inspirational quotes, create a vision board, or other things that help get your mind refocused. One day at a time and don't be hard on yourself! Take good care of your self 🙂

Hi...I've never commented on here but I had to comment on your post. I'm currently on spironolactone 50mg. I was on 50 mg initially and when my derm increased my dosage to 100mg, I almost immediately started experiencing side effects. Mild depression, chest pains and constipation to name a few! I immediately talked to my derm and she dropped the dosage back to 50mg and all of the side effects went away...except for the constipation which I'm still dealing with. So I just wanted to say you are not the only one that has experienced those side effects on this drug.

Thank you guys so much. I check the boards so often, its always relieving to get responses.
I went down to 75mg. Overall feel shitty, but not as shitty I guess? These past months on Spiro ive also felt the side effect of "always feeling like youre getting sick". Its so weird! I have an endorcrinologist apt so Ill see what his opinion is as well

So my endo gave me the option of cutting the dose in half or getting off it. Since im too scared to get off, I cut it in half. And the depression and all my side effects have gone away! I feel a lot more like myself now. 
Now, since cutting my dose, will I have another dreaded initial breakout phase? Has that happened to anyone when they lowered? Looking at photos of before I started Spiro I basically look the same now only with a ton more scarring from my initial breakout phases when highering my dose, its so frustrating.
Also I was diagnosed with Pcos (sort of expected that) and most likely Celiacs 

before spiro:

during my 4 month long process:

and now after:

Hey there! I thought id update after a few years haha.

after I stopped taking spiro due to side effects nothing else helped. I tried dieting, different face washes, diff supplements. I moved states, decreased stress, etc

I got hormones tested, thyroid, all sort ms of stuff and oddly it came back normal when before they havent. Still had cystic acne. One thing i did find out was i have Sibo which ill start figuring out in a few weeks since it requires some strict food and meds. Anyway

Im on spiro again, a compounded version since im allergic to the fillers and i was hoping that would address the side effects. Well, I had no problems until the magic 4 month mark and now im startingto get the chest pain, weakness and out of breath feeling again! I dont want to stop taking it, i know its gonna work and its the only thing that has. Its not bad now but i remember last time it was impossible to continue daily activities and i work a physically demanding job now! Any input is greatly appreciated. My naturopath said it could be from lowering testosterone but thats all ive got so far. Deff want to change this

Chest pains have subsided. I just get weird asthma now and then. 5 months in..still have acne but its not AS cycstic and inflamed. Still no period

Hi! My name is Brittany and I started Spiro a week ago for high blood pressure and acne, just two days after being on the pill I've had a horrible time sleeping, and chest pain like crazy. I went to two different hospital emergency rooms and nobody could tell me why my chest was hurting so bad, until I found this thread. I went to my doctor today (about 5 days into taking spiro) and she immidiently took me off of it and told me to come back next week to see if the pain has stopped. For those of you who had this horrible aches and tightness in the chest, how long does it take for the pain to go away? Today is my first day without it and I was fine for a few hours but now the chest pain is back in full swing. No emergency room knows how to help me, and my doctor has no clue why I'm having this reaction. Am I doomed with this scary pain or does it just go away when you stop the medication? Please help! I'm miserable! And terrified.

Hi Brittany,

I have signed up just so I can respond to your comment. I have experienced the same symptoms. Anxiety and chest pains are terrifying. On top of everything I have had shortness of breath and horrible head, neck and back pressure pain. I have visited the er, run blood labs twice, taken an echocardiogram and nobody can give me any answers. I went off spiro about 9 days ago and symptoms are still occurring...I dunno what to do. I have found GABA helps a bit but for the most part I still have really bad symptoms especially at night. Please send me an update if possible, I would really like to know how you are doing! I hope you are feeling better!

7 hours ago, Marok said:

Hi Brittany,

I have signed up just so I can respond to your comment. I have experienced the same symptoms. Anxiety and chest pains are terrifying. On top of everything I have had shortness of breath and horrible head, neck and back pressure pain. I have visited the er, run blood labs twice, taken an echocardiogram and nobody can give me any answers. I went off spiro about 9 days ago and symptoms are still occurring...I dunno what to do. I have found GABA helps a bit but for the most part I still have really bad symptoms especially at night. Please send me an update if possible, I would really like to know how you are doing! I hope you are feeling better!

Hi, I would advise to get off NOW. Spiro is a systemic, potentially very dangerous medication... it is used for heart failure, pressure etc. It kills testosterone, yes, but alters other stuff as well. If you don't feel well on it, juts get off.

I made a profile just to comment on this thread. I also use Spironolactone for adult/cystic acne. It is the ONLY thing that has worked for me and my sister. Unfortunately, it threw off my sister's chemical "symmetry" in her inner ear, causing fluid build up and the worst vertigo - she was hospitalized. I, too, had some fluid build up in my ear and it caused a constant ringing in my ear - but I just lowered my dose and everything is fine. Unfortunately my littler sister cannot take it at all.

Another weird side effect - CHEST PAIN. I thought I was having a heart attack. It was the scariest chest pain of my life. Urgent care wouldn't take me so I had to go to the ER. All of the tests came back "normal." My mom accused me of being "emotional"... and then my roommate, who is going to nursing school, came home and told me that spironolactone can cause potassium to build up in your system... which can put extra stress on your heart! I still have no idea why the "tests" they ran in the ER did not show why I was having chest pain. But it is REAL. I recommend lowering the dose, getting lab work done to monitor potassium levels, DO NOT TAKE POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENTS... etc. Be mindful of foods high in potassium (potatoes, watermelon, bananas, spinach, etc).

On July 10, 2017 at 7:10 AM, Exning said:

Chest pains have subsided. I just get weird asthma now and then. 5 months in..still have acne but its not AS cycstic and inflamed. Still no period

What dose are you on?

I have been on Spiro for the past three months and last Monday I was woken up by a sudden pressure like feeling in my chest and then felt as if my hear was beating very rapidly. I have also experienced this throughout the week and Saturday morning was the worst. I felt like was going to die, felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest and felt like i was having a heartattack. Like others here, I went to urgent care and they did all sorts of test and everything came back normal. When I asked the doctor she told me that it wasnt the spiro meidcation. I am currtently taking 50 mg a day and ususally take it in the evening. I skipped it yesterday and still felt the pressure in my chest all night i finally fell as sleep at 3 am. Of course, to make matters worst it has helped with my cystic acne but dont want to continue this medication if its going to mean an end to my sanity. BTW, urgent care told me I am having anxiety/panic attacks and im not totally sold on that specially after reading this thread.

On 2/7/2016 at 12:39 AM, Exning said:

Ive decided to try and take the spiro at night. During the day since I hadnt taken it yet, my chest pains subsided and no depression. It was a damn miracle! So hopefully taking it at night ill have all those side effects while sleeping. It sucks to choose from depression or acne which causes depression in a lesser form

Im dealing with the same issues. Are you still taking this medication? I stopped on Saturday because the feeling is just unbearable.

Hi everyone. I also signed up just to comment on this thread. I took spironolactone 100mg daily for only 10 days. I have been experiencing chest pain since day 5 and at that point I cut my dose to 50mg. That helped for a few days but the chest pain did return. Went to an urgent care and all tests came back normal.Called the dermatologist who told me to STOP taking it and drink LOTS of water to basically pee it out, as spiro is shed through the urine. She also said this drug has a short half-life, or doesntremain very long in the body I guess, thats my basic understanding of it. So yes, she told me drink water and give it a day or two. My last dose was last night around 7PM and its now 11PM the following night and still experiencing chest pains. This is a very real and very scary side effect!

I™m replying again to update.

Went to another doctor as my chest pains still have not subsided at around 72 hours past my last dose. Again all tests came back normal but thankfully this doctor spent much more time with me and actually listened to me... and he told me what I have is costocondritis.

It is inflammation in the cartilage around the sternum and rib cage and it is NOT dangerous. It has nothing to do with the heart or lungs, even though it can feel like your heart is hurting or racing. He also said it is not associated with spironolactone but it can be sparked by anxiety and hyperventilation, which I did experience on spironolactone. It can be tested by taking a deep breath in and pushing on the sternum or other sore spot (for me it was sternum and upper right chest). If you can replicate the pain when breathing in and pressing on the area, that™s not your heart or lungs ” that™s the cartilage in your rib cage. It™s also exacerbated by anxiety because ” your chest hurts, which causes you to panic, which causes you to hyperventilate, which causes your heart to race, which aggravates the inflammation, which makes the pain worse, and so on. So it can become a vicious cycle. He said the inflammation can also spread to the shoulders, neck, and back. Again...not dangerous.....just painful. He also said many otherwise healthy people report the symptoms of costocondritis thinking that they are having a heart attack (because it feels like you are.)

So basically I was told to CALM DOWN, avoid bending/twisting/lifting, take ibuprofen, and use a heated pad to ease the inflammation. It™s literally that simple. He did say it can take 3-8 weeks to go away. 

So obviously this is just my particular experience and we all definitely need to take chest pain seriously!!!  But just providing my own experience for other people™s information/consideration......it may be costocondritis. 

And for the record I guess I™ll just say I personally have decided to stop using spironolactone as a result of these and other side effects.