Does Minoxidil (or Rogaine) worsen gynecomastia?

[fiak]

Does using Minoxidil (trade name Rogaine in the United States) make gynecomastia worse, or cause it?

I have gynecomastia and have recently started balding. My doctor recommended Minoxidil 5% to be applied on the scalp twice a day. I am skeptical of using it, especially because it seems that even experts do not really know the mechanism by which Minoxidil helps hair loss.

Some websites mention gynecomastia as one of the side effects of Minoxidil, though further search online seems to suggest that it is rare.

It is Finastride, another drug often recommended for baldness, that is much more frequently implicated in gynecomastia. I am certainly not using that one, after reading some disturbing reports online. I would rather have a bald head than enlarged breasts.

Has anyone here tried Minoxidil? Did it cause / worsen your gynecomastia?

This question has been asked before, but there weren't many replies. I hope there are some now.

[Paa_Paw]

That might be a good question for the "ask a Doctor" section.

Minoxidil was first developed as a treatment for Hypertension.It doesn't have a direct effect on the hormones, but on circulation. I have never heard of a link with it and Gynecomastia. I don't know of any long term effects because most of the men I know that used it eventually quit becuse it was just too much bother.

Finasteride, AKA Propecia, reduces the conversion of Testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and that is a direct hormonal action. The link to Gynecomastia is direct. It sometimes also causes other symptoms of hypogonadism such as decreased libido etc. In higher dosages it is used to treat prostate problems where the actual intent is to reduce the testosterone level and the undesireable side effects are acceptable risks.

[fiak]

Thanks! I will re-post this in the 'Ask a Doctor' section.