Spiro is short for spironolactone. It's an older medicine originally prescribed for high blood pressure. It is also known as aldactone. At some point, it was discovered that the medicine also cleared up acne, because it has anti-androgenic effects. It's especially great for women who have excessive hair growth in unusual places, along with acne, called hirutism. I'm surprised that some of you are having difficulty getting your physician to prescribe it. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have minor side effects such as mild headache and fatique. The medication also works as a diuretic, which some hypertension medications were designed to do. The diruetic effect is also helpful, if you suffer from bloating.......Believe it or not, I got my RX from a Nurse Practitioner at my family practice clinic. She just had to get a doctor to sign the RX. If individuals are having difficulty getting an RX, I would simply go to another physician.....It's a shame that some doctors won't prescribe SPIRO to individuals dealing with the devastating effects of acne. Maybe they are afraid they won't have any patients in need of treatment anymore, if they prescribe it, because of the high cure rates! Check on a search engine for SPIRONOLACTONE, and read about this med. Maybe print it out, and take it with you to the doctor. That's what I did.