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Gynecomastia, i.e. man boobies

  • 12-09-2005 6:48pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    Ok, here's the problem, as a kid I had a seisure, was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with childhood epilepsy. Childhood epilepsy basically means that you grow out of it, lucky for me I only ever had four seisures and these were on the day I was taken to hospital.
    Unlucky for me I was placed on medication for two years after to make sure that I was not going to have a relapse, the medication they put me on (I cant remember the exact name, begins with a 'p') was a form of steriod, and from it I developed Gynecomastia, which is the medial name for man boobs or if you prefer b*tch tits. Now I'm not talking about craig from big brother sized one's, these are BIG! Check here to see what I'm talking about: http://www.gynecomastia.org/content/treatment/gynogallery.shtml

    I've had this problem since I was about 16, I'm in my mid-twenties now and its started to bother me more than ever.
    There is an operation (chest fat removal) which can be done which is a form of liposuction which I'm almost positively going to get done despite the cost €4,500 last time I checked.

    I was just wondering if anyone else has had this operation or know someone that has and their results.

    Cheers.


Comments

  • #2
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,542 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I saw something about this in one of the papers recently that was linked to one of the cosmetic surgery companies. Apparently its becoming "popular".

    If you are still on the medication does this mean the surgical effect will only be temporary?

    I imagine some of the points on this thread stand true.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=300701


  • #3
    HarryHoudini
    Closed Accounts Posts: 213 ✭✭HarryHoudini


    www.clanehospital.ie

    or

    www.advancedcosmeticsurgery.ie


  • #4
    Supercell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,517 ✭✭✭✭Supercell


    Fat...excercise..those pics seem nothing exceptional. lower your body fat to reasonable levels and then see if you have man boobs.
    I do understand where you are coming from, for various reasons i've ben taking steriods most of my life..excercise does get rid of the man boobs..thats it..excercise and stop blaming something else, being honest..

    Look at all the pics..every example is an over weight person pictured..yes they are unlucky that they got man boobs as a result of being fat..loss the fat..loose the man boobs.
    https://www.loughlinstown.ie/

    Have a weather station?, why not join the Ireland Weather Network - http://irelandweather.eu/



  • #5
    DAEDULUS
    Closed Accounts Posts: 607 ✭✭✭DAEDULUS


    Longfield wrote:
    Fat...excercise..those pics seem nothing exceptional. lower your body fat to reasonable levels and then see if you have man boobs.
    I do understand where you are coming from, for various reasons i've ben taking steriods most of my life..excercise does get rid of the man boobs..thats it..excercise and stop blaming something else, being honest..

    Look at all the pics..every example is an over weight person pictured..yes they are unlucky that they got man boobs as a result of being fat..loss the fat..loose the man boobs.

    "Medications cause 10-20% of cases of gynecomastia. These include cimetidine, omeprazole, spironolactone, finasteride and certain antipsychotics. Some act directly on the breast tissue, while other lead to increased secretion of prolactin from the pituitary by blocking the actions of dopamine (prolactin-inhibiting factor/PIF) on the lactotrope cell groups in that organ. Androstenedione, used as a performance enhancing food supplement, can lead to breast enlargement by excess estrogen activity."

    stop blaming other things? stop talking ****....


  • #6
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Longfield wrote:
    Fat...excercise..those pics seem nothing exceptional. lower your body fat to reasonable levels and then see if you have man boobs.
    I do understand where you are coming from, for various reasons i've ben taking steriods most of my life..excercise does get rid of the man boobs..thats it..excercise and stop blaming something else, being honest..

    Look at all the pics..every example is an over weight person pictured..yes they are unlucky that they got man boobs as a result of being fat..loss the fat..loose the man boobs.

    You havent got a clue, I'm 6'1" and weigh 11.5st, I'm of average weight for my height, some might even say underweight.
    It is not a result of being fat, in fact doing chest excercises only makes the problem worse, the chest muscle will grow however the fat will remain, accentuating the problem.
    This is not something that goes away with exercise, surgery is the only solution.


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  • #7
    kluivert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭kluivert


    I say go with the operation.

    I read a story a while back where this lad had the operation and a year later he was back in the same position. He had another operation again and that seemed to do the trick.

    Its alot of money for sucking out more fat and removing some of the tissue but i reckon its worth it. It can be very embrassing if nothing else so if its only to make you happier then why not.

    As usual with this type of topic please consult your doctor and ensure that dont take steriod type drugs. My own GP puts me on Deltacortril (steriod) everytime i have a chest infection and i blame that plus excess weight on my condition.


  • #8
    rainglow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 317 ✭✭rainglow


    11.5 stone really is quite light for someone of your height! My bf if 6'1 too but he has a very large frame and would have to go over 14 stone to look even the slightest bit overweight.

    At your weight I can't imagine there would be a lot of fat in that area to suck out, sounds like it's all breast tissue. I'm all for elective surgery that will improve the quality of the patient's life in a real way, not just a cosmetic way. Go for a consultation and see what the surgeon says. Be careful where you go though - I've heard bad things about cosmetic surgery clinics in Ireland. I'd go to London or somewhere if I was to have anything done; I think cosmetic surgery in this country is such a new field that I'd be more comfortable in a clinic with very experienced doctors


  • #9
    PhantomBeaker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭PhantomBeaker


    Longfield wrote:
    Fat...excercise..those pics seem nothing exceptional. lower your body fat to reasonable levels and then see if you have man boobs.
    I do understand where you are coming from, for various reasons i've ben taking steriods most of my life..excercise does get rid of the man boobs..thats it..excercise and stop blaming something else, being honest..

    Look at all the pics..every example is an over weight person pictured..yes they are unlucky that they got man boobs as a result of being fat..loss the fat..loose the man boobs.

    That's not true.

    I think I'm halfway lucky because I've got a feeling that I was mildly gynaecomastic when I was younger, I didn't mind because I'm TS anyway, so all it did was give the hormones a base to work off.

    At any rate it's nothing to do with the amount of weight you have on you - on a normal breast and a gynaecomastic breast if you pinch it you'll feel four seperate types of tissue: skin, fat, muscle (taht you can flex) and some more dense lumpy stuff that you cannot flex - that's the breast tissue. No matter how much weight you lose, you're just reducing the fat, the tissue doesn't reduce because it's not fat.

    In other words it's a real problem that's not just down to fat.

    And to the OP, it's not what you asked but, go for it. Although I'd recommend a little bit of therapy with a good psychologist as well - if it's bothering you and you're letting yourself get messed up over it, if you get the op you MAY find (but not definately) that the original source of your problems are gone, but that the mental stuff doesn't go away as quickly. So having a shrink to beat that stuff out with is a very good thing - at least in my opinion. (But not that's only a suggestion on my part)

    Take care,
    Aoife


  • #10
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,542 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Longfield wrote:
    Fat...excercise..
    You can't loose fat from one specific region of the body through exercise.


  • #11
    AlanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭AlanD


    PM me your email address. I've been there and sorted it out. I can tell you how to get it sorted and give you my experience. I'm not comfortable enough with it to detail it up here.


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  • #12
    Supercell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,517 ✭✭✭✭Supercell


    Victor wrote:
    You can't loose fat from one specific region of the body through exercise.

    True, but through exercise you will loose fat from everywhere, and in the examples given in the link above, in all cases there was plenty to loose.
    https://www.loughlinstown.ie/

    Have a weather station?, why not join the Ireland Weather Network - http://irelandweather.eu/



  • #13
    copacetic
    Subscribers Posts: 16,603 ✭✭✭✭copacetic


    Longfield wrote:
    True, but through exercise you will loose fat from everywhere, and in the examples given in the link above, in all cases there was plenty to loose.

    I would think from what everyone has said above you could admit you are wrong?
    You are getting overweight guys 'man boobs' which can be worked off by getting fit mixed up with a well known medical condition.

    In the examples of the pictures, sure some of the Guys are a little heavy but only an idiot could not see there is a serious medical issue...


  • #14
    Supercell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,517 ✭✭✭✭Supercell


    daveym wrote:
    I would think from what everyone has said above you could admit you are wrong?
    You are getting overweight guys 'man boobs' which can be worked off by getting fit mixed up with a well known medical condition.

    In the examples of the pictures, sure some of the Guys are a little heavy but only an idiot could not see there is a serious medical issue...

    I am not denying that it can be a serious mediacal condition, however, the OP hasn't said anything about his current body fat level, he may be *only* 11.5 stone..but if he has a sedentary lifestyle and gets no excercise it may be higher than the first glance weight may appear.
    Also as I previously mentioned the link posted by the OP definately had people that probably had BF%'s in the 20% and almost certainly could have reduced their breast size by exercise and proper diet, i'm not saying totally down to the levels they are now, but surgery should be totally the last resort imho, am i wrong ?

    To me it seems logical that loosing as much fat as possible before going under the knife is a best approach?, if his body fat is around the 12% mark or lower and still has them, then absolutely would say go for the surgery.
    https://www.loughlinstown.ie/

    Have a weather station?, why not join the Ireland Weather Network - http://irelandweather.eu/



  • #15
    copacetic
    Subscribers Posts: 16,603 ✭✭✭✭copacetic


    Longfield wrote:
    I am not denying that it can be a serious mediacal condition, however, the OP hasn't said anything about his current body fat level, he may be *only* 11.5 stone..but if he has a sedentary lifestyle and gets no excercise it may be higher than the first glance weight may appear.
    Also as I previously mentioned the link posted by the OP definately had people that probably had BF%'s in the 20% and almost certainly could have reduced their breast size by exercise and proper diet, i'm not saying totally down to the levels they are now, but surgery should be totally the last resort imho, am i wrong ?

    To me it seems logical that loosing as much fat as possible before going under the knife is a best approach?, if his body fat is around the 12% mark or lower and still has them, then absolutely would say go for the surgery.

    well i deffo agree surgery should be the last resort, but at 6' 1" and 11.5 stone I would assume he is pretty skinny?
    I am that weight and am only 5' 9".

    I guess I assumed that this Guy has been diagnosed by a Doctor with this condition rather than diagnosed himself. If not then that should be his first port of call...


  • #16
    Gordon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,524 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    Indeed, the doctor is the first port of call, not here.

    This thread is about peoples experiences. It's a shame that AlanD won't speak up here for the community, but again this isn't a medical forum so the conversation can get a little restricted by us mods.


  • #17
    AlanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭AlanD


    I'm not comfortable about doing this, but since I hadn't heard from the OP I guess I better.

    The thing is, unless you've ever had the condition, you could never possibly understand the effect it has. I had it from about age 14/15 to 27. It was the single most emotionally damaging thing in my life. It hurt my ego, my self confidence, my self image. It was on my mind each and every single day. I would never go topless at beach or I would only wear certain clothes that would hide the condition.

    I went to GP after GP to see what could be done. I had hormone levels checked, chromosome checks and everything was normal. GP's generally don't know much about this condition. All they say is "it will go away". Their ignorance astounded me for this condition. So I took matters in to my own hand and went to the advanced cosmetic place for a consultation. I wasn't too impressed with their place so decided against it, but was willing to spend the money. So I found myself a cosmetic surgeon in Dublin, Mr. Earley. I contacted his secretary and she told me what I needed to do to get an appointment. I went to my new GP (who was very understanding) and told him what he needed to do to get me an appointment. He did everything for me and got me an appointment. This surgeon in the Mater Private is one of the best in Europe. He is a highly regarded cosmetic surgeon. In the meantime, while waiting for an appointment, I contacted the VHI to see would they cover me. I wrote them a letter describing the emotional pain I go through because of the condition. Some tooing and froing later and they said they'd cover the cost of the surgery to remove the unwanted tissue.

    The tissue you see is not normal fat. It is breast fat which does not disappear with exercise or dieting. I was never over weight. I used to exercise about 4/5 times per week. My body fat was around 13% and had fat nowhere except on my chest regardless of the muscle behind it. The fat is created by glands behind the nipple and it's these glands that need to be removed along with the excess fat. For overweight people, they must lose weight first to see what the exact measure of the condition is. It seems like this OP is an ideal candidate for surgery.

    My advice is to go to your GP, explain that you want an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon and ask him/her to look one up for you. Contact your health insurance provider and see if they will cover you. If not, you'll have to pay, but it would be worth every penny. Once my recovery from the op was over, I was a new man. I could wear clothes I couldn't wear before, I gained instant confidence. Basically, my life changed for the better.

    Don't listen to the negative posts above. These folks really don't have a clue what they are talking about. It's a condition that can be fixed and viewing them purely as "man boobs" that can be lost with exercise and diet is falling short of the point. This condition is unrelated and cannot be remedied this way. Please be more understanding, it is a very personal and emotional topic for those who have it.


  • #18
    AlanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭AlanD


    daveym wrote:
    well i deffo agree surgery should be the last resort, but at 6' 1" and 11.5 stone I would assume he is pretty skinny?
    I am that weight and am only 5' 9".

    I guess I assumed that this Guy has been diagnosed by a Doctor with this condition rather than diagnosed himself. If not then that should be his first port of call...

    Unfortunately, surgery is the only resort in almost all cases. As I said above, if you are overweight, you need to lose weight of course, but if you are of average weight there's nothing you can do except have surgery.

    The diagnosis is relatively easy too......


  • #19
    AlanD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭AlanD


    last thing. The surgery will not be a huge success unless the gland behind the nipple is completely removed. This is the cause of the unwanted fat production. And remember, this is not the same type of fat as the fat stored for energy


  • #20
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,542 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Thanks Alans.

    /keeps own baby man boobies. :D Yes, I'm fat.


  • #21
    AnonGuest
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭AnonGuest


    Hi Ewan and Alan,

    I was very surprised and happy to see this topic posted, I suffered this condition also.... actually still do... sort of.

    Apologies for the long reply.... this is like a therapy session for me !

    At around 17 I developed female breast tissue on the right side of my chest only. ( am now 33 ) I was probably around 10 stone, 5' 10".
    It was very visible. I worked in a bar it was very obvious through my shirt. ( was a "b-cup" I was told ) I got a lot of stick from the less than sensitive guys I worked with.

    I went to my GP, and he asked about how it affected me.
    He refered me to a local hospital ( Loughlinstown ), and they referred me to
    St Vincents. ( plastic surgeon specialist )
    The first operation wasn't successful, a simple liposuction procedure.
    It removed the fat, but not the actual breast tissue/gland.
    So when the bandages came off, it was still visible.
    A few months later I had to go back to have it excised ( removed )
    They cut around the nipple to hide the scar as best they could.

    The results of the surgery on http://www.gynecomastia.org/content/treatment/gynogallery.shtml
    are much better than I had. I've got what resembles a tennis ball sized depression under my arm from the extraction. Not something easy explained away... but the "teenager bike accident story" has held up so far.

    Anyways, both surgical procedures were done for free under the health service.... ( 13 years ago )

    Since then, I've put on a lot of weight, and the left side seems to have developed... although it's tricky to tell with weight gain.

    My uncle had the exact same problem, so there must be a genetic element to it. I didn't take any steroids.... just some mild tetracycline anti-biotics for acne.

    For all those "normal people" out there.... it's not fat. Skinny women can develop breast tissue, skinny men can develop breast tissue.
    It emotionally scars and torments the souls of all affected.
    There was a Channel 4 documentary on about it last year.... it really batters the ego and causes extreme self consciousness issues.

    My advice... go to your GP. Explain the emotional torment you're going through... how it affects your daily life. The GP needs to know this to judge whether you "deserve" a referal to a surgeon.

    At the time, my GP said he saw this condition about twice a year.
    In younger guys ( < 18 ), they usually take the wait and see approach.

    The longer you leave it... the less time you have to repair the psychological scars. I had acne till I was 25 too.... when I got that sorted too ( with a rather harsh dose of roaccutane ), it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me.... I felt normal for the first time in my life.. not disfigured.

    Commit yourself to action.... make an appointment with a GP tomorrow.

    You can send me a private message if you want to talk more via e-mail.
    But this reply is just about all the information I have, and a good chance to educate the others.

    regards,
    AnonGuest


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  • #22
    Celtic67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭Celtic67


    Alan D,
    I am 30 and have the same condition. What was the cost of the surgery? What was the recovery process? I am also with VHI and would be interested to know if they would cover his surgery for me, were there any special circumsatnces involved?


  • #23
    joc_06
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,376 ✭✭✭joc_06


    lots of bodybuilders have this problem.
    try checking out
    www.forum.bodybuilding.com for possible solutions


  • #24
    AppleBack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭AppleBack


    Ah for **** sake!, does this mean my man boobs will never go away?! I'm 15 and have them but I thought with exercise they'll go away? God I hate people without man boobs, or acne :( :mad:


  • #25
    Asiaprod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,737 ✭✭✭Asiaprod


    AlanD wrote:
    I'm not comfortable about doing this, but since I hadn't heard from the OP I guess I better.

    Way to go, I am sure that this will be of great help to the original OP. And now you also don't need to worry or be embarresed if you ever need to mention it again. Double benefit.


  • #26
    mloc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭mloc


    Surgery is one option. If you don't want to go down that route, try asking a specialist about using a estrogen blocking drug, which may help. Tamoxifen or Clomid are such drugs.

    These breasts, if caused by steroid use, happen when the steroid is converted by enzymes in your body into estrogen like hormones (e.g. female sex hormones). This causes enlargement of the breasts. It happens to a lot of steroid users, both legal and illegal. Although it is a long time since you have taken this steroid, these estrogen blockers may still have a useful effect.

    In any case, it would be a good idea to see a specialist if it is something that is bothering you, and I imagine that it is.


  • #27
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    i also suffer from this It's very tough i went to a specialist and was told that iv them for 3 reasons i was overweight and the weight i lost has made some loose skin i still have a bit of weight and the one i didn't want to hear was that yes, i do have breast tissue

    i was told to lose weight and come back again when i am happy with my weight this is hard but i should be able to do it hopefully another problem is that my nipples are not in the regular position, there are two options for me, one is a simple lipo suction and remove the tissue/gland and the other involves reposition of the nipple too! im terrified of surgery and hospitals in general so this doesn't help

    i was told that it would be much better to operate when I lost more weight and i was also warned of the indent problem too i think this problem is less likely if you are skinny. so in the mean time i will have to get active and lose weight and continue to avoid getting intimate, wear the right clothes and walk and stand the best way possible to avoid my chest being visible:(


  • #28
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Going unreg for this, surprisingly!

    Last year I had surgery in the UK for this same problem.

    Visit http://www.gynecomastia.org/ and check out the UK section.

    There's quiet a few diaries on there, including my own.

    I'm one of three Paddies who use the above site who had surgery with the same guy in the UK, Mr.Levick of the Priory in Birmingham.

    In summary, the results were about 70% for me. I'm due to go back this year for a little revision as the original procedure that Mr.Levick uses excises both gland and fat tissue, and if too much is taken out you end up looking concave, so he errs on the side of caution.

    The cost isn't cheap, about 3,500 sterling. However if you check out the above site you'll find that a lot of Brits are having good experiences with surgery in Poland/Czecho and some even get treated for free on the NHS in the UK.

    Another thing I learnt from reading the posts of users on the site is the level of general ignorance of the medical profession in the UK on the subject of Gynecomastia.

    The problem can be made much worse for guys when they pluck up the courage to see their GP only to be dismissed.


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