tamoxifen

[craigt502]

endocrinolgist has put me on tamoxifen, im wondering if anyone has any experiecne with this stuff. like will it cure gyne taht is severe, or just minor, thats been there for at least 2 years, or early detected cases.

[Time_to_fix_it]

Tamoxifen is an anti oestrogen, it does not actually reduce the levels of oestrogen but it reduces the effect of it on the body’s oestrogen receptors.  It is the receptors in the male breast which take up elevated levels of oestrogen and begin the growth of gland thereby causing gynecomastia.  A simplistic way of looking at it is to think of your body’s oestrogen receptors wearing a protective glove to shield them from the oestrogen.  In many cases this can halt further growth of gynecomastia, and there have been studies to show that it can reverse the gynecomastia in pubescent boys.  However I do not know of any studies that show that it can effectively reverse established gynecomastia.  Hypo would be the person to know more about this.  An anti oestrogen such as Tamoxifen is often the first choice used by Endocrinologists to at least try to stabilise gynecomastia, either while further investigations are carried out, or to see if the hormone imbalance corrects itself naturally and the breast growth stops of its own accord.

As far as taking Tamoxifen, the usual dose is 20mg per day but this can be raised or lowered if the Endo thinks it necessary.  Let the Endo take the decisions on doseage .. do not change the dose without his/her say so.  I have been on several courses of Tamoxifen and have suffered no side effects to date, but each individual is different and different levels of oestrogen might require different approaches.  Be aware that reducing effective oestrogen levels too much can lead to thyroid problems.  These are rare but if you get any throat problems, report them to your Endo.

Presumably you will be seeing your Endo again and he/she will discuss any further treatments/investigations that may or may not be required.  Good luck and keep us posted as to how you get on.