Finding the cause for my gynecomastia- need feedback

[hatemymoobs]

I'm looking through tons of photos of me over the past few years as my gynecomastia has slowly but surely gotten worse. I don't know if it is from weight gain, medicines, alcohol, or hormonal changes. I may never know. But I'm going to do everything I can to find out...

I've read klonopin can cause gynecomastia- but have not read that in any websites talking about klonopin- only on a couple (2 maybe) talking about gynecomastia. I don't take klonopin, but rather a sibling- xanax. Xanax isn't on the list but since essentially does the same thing- I'm wondering what EXACTLY about klonopin "causes" gynecomastia? Can anyone provide feedback to that?

Next on the list- alcohol. Is there something about alcohol that causes gyne- or is it that it CAN affect the liver which from what I read has something to do with the processing of hormones?? What is it about alcohol that causes gyne?

Next- Tagamet. I've read this in numerous places and as soon as I found out stopped taking it. For the past 4-5 years I've been taking Tagamet as my heartburn medicine. For months at a time I would take it as a precaution just to avoid getting heartburn. It was always on and off, but I've definitely taken my fair share of Tagamet. What is it about Tagamet that causes gynecomastia?

I just began searching my photos, and while it's difficult to say how bad it was at any given time- I can say judging by the shirt whether or not it was picked out due to being self conscious about my chest. There are some tshirts that I wore back then and looked decent in, but now I won't wear it.
I see 2 possibilities for the reasoning. 1. My chest was smaller back then. OR 2. My chest wasn't much smaller at all, but over the years grew more self conscious about it and noticed in certain lighting, certain shirts, certain angles- my moobs didn't look right. This makes it almost impossible to determine at what point they grew.

Tomorrow I plan to call my doctor and have the nurse pull my file and read my weigh ins over the last 4-6 years. To see how my weight was. Sometimes being slightly overweight makes the moobs less noticeable, so at my heaviest pictures it may look like nothing, but it could be because I'm fatter in general...

I'm on a journey, and these questions I've asked I hope someone has an answer to.
As a recap the questions basically were : What is it about alcohol, tagamet, and klonopin that causes gynecomastia. (also, can xanax cause gyne)

Thanks for any and all educated feedback!

[Pooz]

I would make sure you haven't gained a lot of weight first. I think you would know if you put on a lot of weight though.

[Paa_Paw]

You are on the right track with the alcohol.

Alcohol is toxic to both the liver and the testes. We have both estrogen and testosterone but the dominant hormone. The liver processes the estrogen in preparation of its elimination. Add alcohol to all of this and the liver cannot properly process the estrogen and the estrogen level goes up while at the same time, the testosterone level goes down.

This imbalance would be episodic in a binge drinker or somewhat more consistant in a regular drinker.

The net effect upon a person is highly variable. Some heavy drinkers do not have Gynecomastia but statistically the condition is more common among drinkers.

Alcohol does not seem to have a direct effect upon Gynecomastia.

[DrBermant]

I'm looking through tons of photos of me over the past few years as my gynecomastia has slowly but surely gotten worse. I don't know if it is from weight gain, medicines, alcohol, or hormonal changes. I may never know. But I'm going to do everything I can to find out...

I've read klonopin can cause gynecomastia- but have not read that in any websites talking about klonopin- only on a couple (2 maybe) talking about gynecomastia. I don't take klonopin, but rather a sibling- xanax. Xanax isn't on the list but since essentially does the same thing- I'm wondering what EXACTLY about klonopin "causes" gynecomastia? Can anyone provide feedback to that?

Next on the list- alcohol. Is there something about alcohol that causes gyne- or is it that it CAN affect the liver which from what I read has something to do with the processing of hormones?? What is it about alcohol that causes gyne?

Next- Tagamet. I've read this in numerous places and as soon as I found out stopped taking it. For the past 4-5 years I've been taking Tagamet as my heartburn medicine. For months at a time I would take it as a precaution just to avoid getting heartburn. It was always on and off, but I've definitely taken my fair share of Tagamet. What is it about Tagamet that causes gynecomastia?

I just began searching my photos, and while it's difficult to say how bad it was at any given time- I can say judging by the shirt whether or not it was picked out due to being self conscious about my chest. There are some tshirts that I wore back then and looked decent in, but now I won't wear it.
I see 2 possibilities for the reasoning. 1. My chest was smaller back then. OR 2. My chest wasn't much smaller at all, but over the years grew more self conscious about it and noticed in certain lighting, certain shirts, certain angles- my moobs didn't look right. This makes it almost impossible to determine at what point they grew.

Tomorrow I plan to call my doctor and have the nurse pull my file and read my weigh ins over the last 4-6 years. To see how my weight was. Sometimes being slightly overweight makes the moobs less noticeable, so at my heaviest pictures it may look like nothing, but it could be because I'm fatter in general...

I'm on a journey, and these questions I've asked I hope someone has an answer to.
As a recap the questions basically were : What is it about alcohol, tagamet, and klonopin that causes gynecomastia. (also, can xanax cause gyne)

Thanks for any and all educated feedback!

Analysis of causes of gynecomastia can be so complex that managing it by yourself could be difficult to impossible. I have built lists of possible causes of gynecomastia and drugs that cause gynecomastia. If there are Red Flags there, then an Endocrinology evaluation is the best way to start. If looking for a way to document contours, then start with my Standard Pictures for Gynecomastia. Take a set, then use that set to match framing for subsequent sets and over time you will document contour changes for the better or worse. If concerned about body fat and weight, then get a body fat analyzer and track that detail. If the liver is that badly damaged to cause gynecomastia, it will also test bad under medical evaluation and if that damaged the degree should be assessed by a medical doctor.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.