Gynecomastia Medication

Gynecomastia is nothing to be ashamed of or be embarrassed as statistics show that more than fifty percent of all men have had gynecomastia at some time or the other. Some are born with girlish breasts, some acquire them in adolescence and others get it in old age. Though boys and men do feel shy at revealing their bodies with hanging breasts, there are many reasons for having them. When there is a tussle between female and male hormones at puberty, it could result in the female hormone being stronger than the male hormone. When this happens the person may develop female breasts. But they go away after some time, when the adolescent boy becomes a man.

Sometimes some medicines can cause this condition. Estrogen or drugs with estrogen like activity such as phytoestrogens and estrogen contaminated food and cosmetics may cause gynecomastia. There are some drugs, which inhibit testosterone synthesis like metronidazole that may cause this condition. Some drugs enhance estrogen synthesis like gonadotrophins which give rise to feminine looking breasts in men. Marijuana, heroin and alcohol may also affect the same way though it is not really proven.

There is no known medication or treatment for physiologic gynecomastia as it generally goes away on its own. This is true in adolescent gynecomastia. However in other cases medical therapy will have no affect in the later stages (duration of a year or more) and so if medical therapy has to be used, it should be tried early. Though ninety percent of pubertal gynecomastia resolves within several weeks to three years, breasts, which are larger than four cm in diameter, may not completely regress. Testosterone replacement therapy may help in secondary cases. For those with idiopathic gynecomastia, surgical treatment may be the answer.

In some cases medicines like clomiphene which is an antiestrogen can be given on a trial basis for about six months. About fifty percent of those who have taken this medicine have reported to have positive results and to have had reduction in breast size. There are many other such drugs and medicines which can reduce the size of the breasts in men but there are many men who choose to go through life without any medical or surgical intervention and prefer to live with the condition.

If the underlying cause is treated it may improve the condition like revising medicines which have caused this condition. If it is caused by puppy fat or being overweight, then this is also curable. Boys can ‘hide’ their pendulous breasts by wearing thick t-shirts or tight vests.