Tuesday, August 25, 2009

5 Drugs That Can Cause Gynecomastia

by Dustin Fennell

The abnormal enlargement of male breasts, in a way that resembles to female ones is called gynecomastia. It is a rather common condition that afflicts men of all ages; babies or young boys in puberty, adolescents and adults with some health problems. According to the experts the main cause of genuine gynecomastia is the imbalance in hormones, which can occur from liver or thyroid problems, numerous health conditions, but also from use of certain drugs that men can take in order to deal with other problems they might have. These drugs can be legal or not, prescribed by physicians or over the counter products.

Not all drugs and oral medication act the same way or produce the same results; as we know hardly two people can have the exact same problems when taking the same medication, as it all depends on the physiology and health condition of the individual. In any case, though, doctors know that there are particular types of drugs that can cause gynecomastia as a side effect, and usually prepare their patients for this possibility. Patients should not avoid or omit them, because not all drugs have the same side effects; it mainly depends on a vast array of factors.

Gynecomastia can occur as side effect of five basic categories of drugs, which are: antipsychotic drugs, anti-androgen, anti-cancerous drugs, medication against high blood pressure, and anabolic steroids, which are mostly found and bought over the counter.

Of course, people's bodies are different and can react differently in these medications and drugs, but experts suggest that possibilities of gynecomastia as side effect is increased when using one or more of these drugs.

Anti-androgens are mainly used to treat cancer in prostate and certain other conditions related with hormones in men. Some of them are cyproterone, flutamide and finasteride. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant or antipsychotic medications such as diazepam and valium are highly associated with increase of estrogen levels and gynecomastia in men older than 40. Chemotherapy can also cause gynecomastia.

Abuse of anabolic steroids is one of the major causes of gynecomastia; steroids can enhance levels of estrogen in blood. Men's bodies can change dramatically under use of steroids and most of them have to deal with a series of changes including gynecomastia. The major drawback of steroids is that they can cause side effects even if not used for long time; some athletes or individuals start developing breasts even after one simple cycle of steroids.

Gynecomastia is mostly triggered by the decrease in levels of testosterone in blood and the simultaneous increase in levels of estrogen. Drugs can cause block of testosterone and force estrogens work more than normally, upsetting the hormonal balance in men's blood. Medication combined with certain diseases can cause serious problems in men, enlarging their breasts within small amount of time.

Men who suffer from several diseases or underlying health problems need to check with their doctors and ask for possible side effects. If gynecomastia is a possibility the patient should be aware of it and act as soon as the first signs of gynecomastia are shown.

About the Author:

My name is Dustin Fennell, Thank You for taking the time to read this article. I run a website called Man Boobs Solutions where I discuss all issues related to gynecomastia, pseudogynecomastia, and mens health.

Get all the information and photos:: http://coringa.info/health/5-drugs-that-can-cause-gynecomastia

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