melatonin and gynecomastia

[lespaul94]

I am currently 16 years old and have been taking melatonin since I was about 12 or 13 I can't quite remember. About a month ago I found that gynecomastia can be caused by melatonin and promptly stopped taking it, I was just wondering if the tissue will go away with time or if it is here to stay. Also if it will go away how long do you think it will take? A few months, or more?

[Litlriki]

If you've developed gynecomastia at this stage in your life, you can't really be sure if it was the result of nature and puberty or if it was related to your melatonin use.  At this point, stopping the melatonin is probably a reasonable thing to do to see if the condition regresses.  On the other hand, you might just be one of those unlucky young men who develop the condition related to puberty and for whom it doesn't go away on its own. I'd suggest waiting at least six months without the melatonin before taking any other action, such as surgery.  If it doesn't change at that point, I think it's unlikely to change and you might then consider other options. 

Good luck,

Rick Silverman

[DrBermant]

I am currently 16 years old and have been taking melatonin since I was about 12 or 13 I can't quite remember. About a month ago I found that gynecomastia can be caused by melatonin and promptly stopped taking it, I was just wondering if the tissue will go away with time or if it is here to stay. Also if it will go away how long do you think it will take? A few months, or more?

Actually it depends on why a patient is taking Melatonin. If placed on it for a medical reason, checking with the prescribing doctor is usually the first step. Melatonin can affect the hormonal axis. If the hormonal axis is an issue, that is something I recommend that my patients have an Endocrinologist evaluation. If the medication has been prescribed by an Endocrinologist, then discussing the issues can be critical. If not, stopping something can take some time for the issues to stabilize. It is also quite common for a teenager undergoing the massive hormonal changes of puberty to have transient gynecomastia. Sometimes there are multiple issues at play and again having the Endocrine evaluation is a reasonable way to proceed. 

Gland under stimulation from hormones tends to swell. Once that stimulation has stopped, tenderness stopped, and size stops shrinking, and not other Red Flags are still present, then that individual is at a stable point to consider options.  Some hormone axis problems rectify quickly, others take some time.

Body Shaping Garments are a temporary contour solution for the individual who is in an unstable situation wanting a good contour while other issues are being worked out. Check this post to find resources about the demonstration how this garment works.

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=18591.msg128083;topicseen#msg128083

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.
Board Certified
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
Specializing in Gynecomastia and Surgical Sculpture of the Male Chest
(804) 748-7737