Self-Treatment of Gynecomastia in Bodybuilders Who Use Anabolic Steroids

Abstract

In brief: Gynecomastia is a cruel irony for bodybuilders who use steroids in hope of perfecting their somatotype. These athletes and their advisers perpetuate locker-room theories about which drugs to use to avoid this widely acknowledged feminizing effect. This paper presents four case reports of bodybuilders whose self-administered drug programs resulted in gynecomastia. These examples illustrate treatment strategies bodybuilders have advocated for the prevention and self-treatment of gynecomastia, which include the use of tamoxifen, mesterolone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. In fact, the recommended treatment is complete cessation of drugs. By dispelling unfounded treatment methods, physicians might help to discourage these athletes from such drug use.