Medical treatmenet of Gynecomastia

[Pragmatic]

There seems to be a cycle here based on my short time on this forum. Someone asks about a drug treatment of gyne, a few supporters chime in, and then other board members say that only surgery is effective. I went to a medical study at emedicine.com to see what I could find. I have a medical background and I'm not a doctor, but I do think that we should explore the scientific evidence to treating gynecomastia. Clearlry there are some proven treatments outside of surgery. Surgery will undoubtedly be the most successful, but not everyone has the funding or access to it.

http://www.emedicine.com/med/TOPIC934.HTM

Clomiphene has a 50% partial reduction and a 20% full resolution.

Tamoxifen has a 80% partial reduction.

Danazol has a 23 % full resolution rate.

Testosterone has been used particularly to supplement when hormone levels are naturally low.

I will read more articles and post my findings here. For all other herbs and drug treatments the evidence is scanty and anecdotal.


Testolactone has various resolution rates

[Paa_Paw]

I really appreciate your optimism.

However, when I follower the link,  Under Medical care I found the following:

First, Generally no treatment for Physiologic Gynecomastia.

Second, Unlikely that there will be any regression after 12 months.

Third, pertains to self regression of pubertal Gynecomastia.

Fourth, pertains to underlying medical causes.
 
Fifth, pertains to patients with hypogonadism.

Sixth, Refers patients wit residual or idiopathic Gynecomastia for Surgical evaluation.

The Medical treatments you indicated are listed Seventh and Eighth.

Surgical care options are listed separately.

Many of us have long advocated a good medical evaluation including a consult in many cases with an endocrinologist.

Clearly there is strong anecdotal evidence that some of the medications you mentioned can have beneficial effects in a number of carefully selected patients.

What we have not seen is Double blind studies with significantly large numbers of subjects.

For example:
If the test group consists of five carefully chosen subjects and three are successful, You have a success rate of 60%. This is a good beginning, and would likely justify a larger study, but it is only a beginning. To be meaningful, the trial group would need to be more of a random sampling as well.

You should stay optimistic and make yourselves available for clinical trials.

[Pragmatic]

No one is doing clinical trials because even today, few doctors take the condition seriously enough to warrant medical treatment. Almost every doctor that I have ever spoken to about it blows it off as non-important. Mention it to a psychiatrist, and they think you have body dysmorphic disorder. The truly maddening aspect is that it is so prevalent. Unless someone actually has it, and experienced the shame and embarrassment, then they realize it's a real phenomena. You would think the pharmaceutical companies would jump on it (I know, you probably will retort, "Because no drug treatment will be effective...")

I would gather that plastic surgeons would only too glad to have another patient.

I agree with you in principle that surgery remains the best option, but what do you propose people do who don't have the funds to do so? I think my "optimism" is balanced with my pragmatic nature. It is better for the patient to be an active participant in their healing and transformation, and build their self-confidence, then to merely sit by idly and save up their money for surgery. It's BOTH/AND not EITHER/OR. Get the weight down as much as possible, build your self-confidence, explore your options and also consider surgery.

[Grandpa Bambu]

I agree with you in principle that surgery remains the best option, but what do you propose people do who don't have the funds to do so?

As with anything else that we 'want' that has a price tag attached to it...

1) Save your coin

2) Take out a loan

OR...

Do without...   


GB