Finasteride and atypical antipsychotics

[Craftsmansky]

I have been taking finasteride for some years. My wife asked if I was taking anything to make my breasts grow (that is part of another story). I didn't know then that the med would cause that. Last year I started taking lautuda and I started getting pain and itching in both breasts. Had a mammogram that was clear and diagnosed with mild gyno. My wife suggested a padded bra to keep them from getting bumped too much.  Stopped the latuda and the pain subsided. Switched to olanzapine and pain came back. Tried another non antipsychotic but didn't help my mental symptoms. Now started seroquel.  Low dose so waiting to see what happens. Is the minimal growth caused by the finasteride or the other meds? Or both? They look bigger in the picture than they really are although the padding is very thin. 

[AlfaQ]

I think that gynecomastia is a potential side effect of both these meds. It's good that your wife is accepting of your situation as you will likely experience further growth with these meds. Now is probably the time to get used to wearing a bra as part of your daily routine.  As you grow an underwire bra will help provide more stability and support to your breast tissue.  Acceptance takes time but an understanding partner who can help you is key.

[WPW717]

The initial pain & tenderness is a bit disturbing. It’s a feature of the growth not a side effect of a med. Never took a med that caused gynecomastia. 

The meds influence the HPA Axis & all its hormonal relationships. The truth to this situation is that a change in one hormone doesn’t just influence another, there’s a cascade effect on all. 

The tumors that I had on the glands in the HPA Axis were a giant cascade of hormonal chaos. The pain was not just a small annoyance, a small bump on them was stunning to the point of apnea.  

A bra helped. A lot. In essence a part of your body is entering a female puberty. Once the T/E ratio alters it’s not easy to put it back in proper order.
It’s a slow process to effect a change to homeostasis.
 

In the meantime the breasts should be treated as a woman would. Don’t fall for the scammers that try to sell you a product that is supposed to cure gynecomastia.

This is a good place to frequent while you’re on this journey. There is a lot of knowledge & experience here.
Stay in touch.