Spironolactone and Gynaecomastia in men.

[findasolution]

Are there any male contributors that have taken the potassium sparing diuretic Spironolactone for their liver disease and as a consequence suffered as a side effect very sore as well as developing breasts or as is often described 'male boobs' ?

I have been taking this medication for several months and have recently started to suffer from the side effects mentioned and am therefore interested to know from the experiences of other male sufferers if there is any type of medication that can be taken and or is generally prescribed in the UK that reduces or reverses these side effects?

Thank you

[Hidden]

My husband was taking spiro before they changed to furosemide - he has 'moobs' - which I have been led to believe is a side effect of cirrhosis ???? Not the spiro !!!! When they started to change they were sore but now they are just there !!!!! I don't think there is anyway to change it - just another awful thing to deal with !!!! Hope you find some answers xxxxx

[Liverlover]

Yes, I had this exact problem. It was very sore. I also had another side effect with the spiro. My dr put me on amiloride instead of spiro and the problems cleared up almost immediately. Since then the ascites did become a problem again so now I also take furosemide with amiloride and the combination works really well without side effects. Do go and see your dr, I am sure they can find a solution that works for you. Good luck.

[Liverlover in reply to Liverlover]

Just to add in case I wasn't clear the sore moobs are a side effect of spiro, not of cirrhosis which I also suffer from. In fact thinking back I had 3 problematic side effects with spiro and I think it's quite well known for side effects, as well as a very effective diuretic. In my case replacing it with other diuretics was really helpful.

[Beagle08]

I had same symptoms moobs,and bad breath most of the time,but since been on amilioride, things have settled except sometimes shortness of breath!

[Howard_Sherwood]

Yes!

I was originally prescribed Spironolactone to reduce fluid retention in my legs attributed to my cryptogenic liver disease. Within 3 months I was suffering from painful gynaecomastia. Interestingly, this form of gynaecomastia was what had lead to my original diagnosis and subsequent confirmation of cryptogenic cirrhosis of the liver.

The consultant changed the medication to Amiloride (20mg daily) which eliminated the painful gynaecomastia, but did not make any serious impression on the fluid retention. It was not until this was supplemented with Furosemide (80mg daily) that the diuretics really started to work.

The main side-effect of this combination medication (apart from needing to urinate and defecate 2-3 hours after taking medication) are changes to my senses of smell and taste: Amiloride by itself lead to an astringent/bitter 'background' taste to everything; the Amiloride/Furosemide combination has modified this slightly into a 'darker' bitterness and the inability to detect certain odours that were once very apparent.