if your gyne is more than 2 to 3 years old, then surgery is the only solution.. this is what I learnt from my experience. It not only saves your money but your precious time and life.
thats completley false I have heard of mor ethan many times of people who are 30,31,32 who get rid of their gynecomastia with an AI or a SERM.
Sorry, but I cannot let the last statement go unchallenged.
The truth is that some pharmacueticals have limited success but only for a very small number of "selected" patients. Very few of us would fit in this group.
Even in the small number of cases where the drugs appear to have been successful, There is a lack of objective
evaluation and it is not known how many of those people would had had regression even without treatment. The claimed proof is almost always anecdotal and fails to meet any scientific standards.
The Over-the-Counter, non-Prescription, and Herbal remedies are almost universally scams and will reduce only your wallet.
There have been many great strides in the treatment of Gynecomastia in the last few decades, but all add up to surgical removal. There exists no magic pill to get rid of Gynecomastia.
What you said is completley false, there have been many studies showing the efficiency of tamoxifen citrate and raloxifen.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18357357?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum[Influence of size and duration of gynecomastia on its response to treatment with tamoxifen][Article in Spanish]
Devoto C E, Madariaga A M, Lioi C X, Mardones N.
Sección Endocrinología, Servicio de Medicina, Hospital Clínico San Borja Arriarán, Santiago, Chile. edevoto@vtr.net
BACKGROUND: Gynecomastia is treated when it is painful, there are psychosocial repercussions or it does not revert in less than two years. It is treated with the antiestrogenic drug tamoxifen, but there are doubts about its effectiveness in high volume gynecomastias or in those lasting more than two years. AIM: To assess the effectiveness and safety of tamoxifen for gynecomastia and the influence of its volume and duration on the response to treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty three patients with gynecomastia, aged 12 to 62 years, were studied. Twenty seven patients had a pubertal physiological gynecomastia, in eight it was caused by medications, in four it was secondary to hypogonadism, in three it was idiopathic and in one it was due to toxic exposure. Twenty patients had mastodynia and in 33, gynecomastia had a diameter over 4 cm. It lasted less than two years in 30 patients, more than two years in nine and four did not recall its duration. All were treated with tamoxifen 20 mg/day for 6 months. A follow up evaluation was performed at three and six months of treatment. RESULTS: Mastodynia disappeared in all patients at three months. At six months gynecomastia disappeared in 26 patients (62%), but relapsed in 27%. All gynecomastias caused by drugs with antiandrogen activity disappeared. Fifty two percent of gynecomastias over 4 cm and 90% of those of less than 4 cm in diameter disappeared (p<0.05). Fifty six percent of gynecomastias lasting more than two years and 70% of those of a shorter duration disappeared (p=NS). Two patients had diarrhea or flushes associated to the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Tamoxifen is safe and effective for the treatment of gynecomastia. Larger lesions have a lower response to treatment.
PMID: 18357357 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18622190?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumGynecomastia in adolescents.Nordt CA, DiVasta AD.
Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. christina.nordt@childrens.harvard.edu
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Gynecomastia is a common finding in adolescent men. The primary care provider should feel equipped to thoroughly evaluate this condition and to differentiate physiologic from pathologic breast enlargement. The present review focuses on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment of gynecomastia during adolescence. RECENT FINDINGS: While gynecomastia has long been attributed to an imbalance between estrogen and androgen concentrations, recent literature has begun to illuminate other potential mechanisms for breast development in adolescent men. Increased leptin levels, as well as human chorionic gonadotropin and luteinizing hormone receptors on male breast tissue, may play a role. Newer treatment strategies, such as the antiestrogen raloxifene, have shown promising results; however, further studies are needed to determine long-term efficacy. As a result of the limited pharmaceutical treatment options, many more adolescents are seeking surgical intervention. SUMMARY: Gynecomastia is frequently encountered in the primary care setting. During adolescence, male breast enlargement is most often benign and rarely represents a pathologic mechanism. Careful attention should be paid to both the breast and testicular examination. A detailed history should include an inquiry regarding the use of illicit substances, anabolic-androgenic steroids, herbal products, and medications. The impact of gynecomastia on the adolescent's mental health should be assessed. A workup for pathologic causes is rarely required. Reassurance remains the standard of care for physiologic gynecomastia.
PMID: 18622190 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]