Does marijuana cause gynecomastia - will it come back?

Question

I recently had gynocomastia surgery one month ago, before i used to smoke marijuanna once or twice in a few months, if i contine at that level of marijuana use maybe a few times a year, will my gynocomastia come back?

Reza Rod, MD · Answer

It's hard to deny that marijuana can be helpful for helping underweight patients gain weight and help with pain.  There is some information that suggests that marijuana cause gynecomastia but it's hard to tell for sure.  Because gynecomastia is so common in men regardless of their medical history and lifestyle, it's hard to know what cased it if anything.  Smoking of any kind isn't good for you. If your doctor gives you a prescription for the drug for a medical condition I would hope you can get a different form of it besides smoking.  If you must use occasionally, monitor your chest size on a regular basis and see if there are any changes.   There are numerous studies regarding the effects of marijuana ongoing so hopefully they'll be more information on this shortly.  If a patient is having gynecomastia surgery, I would advise him to refrain from using marijuana indefinitely just to be safe.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

The cause for gynecomastia is frequently idiopathic, meaning that the cause is unknown in most cases. There are numerous other causes for gynecomastia including anabolic steroids, marijuana, certain prescription medications, liver failure, and certain tumors, among other things.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Marijuana is thought to contribute to gynecomastia in some men. In general, smoking is not good for you and should be avoided.

Does marijuana cause gynecomastia - will it come back?

Answers (3)