Many drugs and medications produce gynecomastia as a side effect. If you are taking any medications, you would be wise to read about any potential gynecomastia-like side effects online. Recently, there has been a flurry of media exposure about the drug Risperdal, a psychotropic medication which produces gynecomastia as a side effect when given to adolescents.
Some illicit drugs such as marijuana, heroin and bodybuilding steroids can also produce gynecomastia. It may also occur while taking seemingly harmless “supplements”, some of which may have hormone–like qualities. In some cases, stopping the medication may result in a diminishment of gynecomastia but most often, once the gynecomastia is present and established, it usually will remain unless corrective male breast reduction surgery is performed.
Some men knowingly take anabolic steroids and attempt to prevent the development of gynecomastia by self medicating themselves with other drugs to block the side effects of the steroids. Most often this is done without a doctor’s supervision. It is our strong professional opinion that tampering with one’s delicately balanced hormonal system – particularly without appropriate physician supervision and blood testing — is totally inappropriate, dangerous to one’s health and should not be done.
