I’ve been losing some hair but didn’t want to go on propecia, so I went to a naturopath/TCM practitioner. She put me on a couple of Chinese herbal medicine supplements: (1) trichogen (ban tu wan) and (2) biota pills (bai zi yang xin wan).
After taking both supplements for four or five days, I started to have second thoughts. Then I noticed that my chest was a bit swollen, so I stopped cold turkey. It’s been 5 weeks and the chest swelling is still there (it’s definitely not that bad, but I can notice a difference from before). I haven’t noticed any other side effects.
I went to see my family MD, who requisitioned a blood works testosterone/estrogen test. He said they would call me if the levels turn out to be abnormal. He also said these meds/supplements can take 3-6 months to clear out of your system. So basically I’m going to wait and check back with him in a few months if the issue hasn’t subsided.
My questions are: (1) has anyone had (or heard of) this problem with trichogen and/or other herbal supplements, (2) does the gynecomastia/swollen breast problem subside over time (and if so how long does it take), and (3) is there anything I can do in the meantime to restore normal hormone levels, overall health, etc.?
Any advice would be much appreciated!