Could propecia cause gyno again?

[Sea2154]

I had my original gland removal surgery 6 years ago, and mastectomy for loose skin 2 years.  I am about to start taking propecia and just wondering since I already had gyno am I more susceptible to having it occur again or since I had the gland removed I cannot get it again?

Thanks

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Unfortunately, there are no studies concerning just this situation.

Propecia does in fact have a certain number of patients who have gyne as a side effect of taking the medication.  Unfortunately, there is no way to know or predict if you will have this side effect until after you have taken the drug and perhaps developed gyne.

I have had some patients whose gyne preceded their use of Propecia.  And while they were on Propecia, they did not experience any increase in their gyne.  After gyne surgery, they did resume Propecia and have experienced no re-growth of their gyne.

Having had gyne does not make you any more prone to having  breast growth as a side effect of Propecia.

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

I had my original gland removal surgery 6 years ago, and mastectomy for loose skin 2 years.  I am about to start taking propecia and just wondering since I already had gyno am I more susceptible to having it occur again or since I had the gland removed I cannot get it again?

Thanks

Yes, I have had patients who have come to me who told me that they had breast growth after starting propecia that stopped after stopping taking that medication. I have also seen patients with surgery done elsewhere who then came to me complaining that they had breast growth after taking the medication. Although not proof of this specific substance, the issue is that surgery does not stop breast growth. Shreds of gland remain behind with any surgical technique.

Here is the exact same question asked on this forum that I answered before about the issues of propecia causing breast regrowth after surgery:

https://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php?topic=20201.msg138532;topicseen#msg138532

Unfortunately, there are no methods we know to date to predict just who reacts to what agents as far as causing breast growth.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, M.D.
Board Certified
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
Specializing in Gynecomastia and Surgical Sculpture of the Male Chest
(804) 748-7737