PAIN

[Chocka]

Local doctors I've seen here in Australia don't appear to have too much knowledge about this.
So I'd like to ask other people if they have experienced the same symptoms as myself. I'm concerned there may be something else wrong besides the Gyne.

1) I'm 51yr old and this only happened to me about 5 months ago. Is there anyone else in my age bracket and is it common to get gyne at this age?
2) It's only under my right nipple and it is very painful. The pain never goes away and only varies in it's intensity. Has anyone else had this happen?
3) For the past month my legs have become swollen with fluid to the point where I can push an indent into my shin and it will stay indented for about half an hour before the skin evens out again. Does this happen with people who have Gyne?
4) No doctor has been able to tell me why I've got it. Does anyone know what causes Gyne?

I hope you can help because I have no idea what's happening with my body. The earliest I can see an endocrinologist is in August. I don't want to wait that long in case there is something else wrong with my body that I am not aware of.

[Litlriki]

Sorry to hear about your problems.  It sounds like you're suffering not only from gynecomastia, but also from the national health care system in Australia (where I did a microsurgery fellowship...so I'm familiar with the system). That's not a problem if your gynecomastia is simply the result of aging and dropping testosterone levels related to aging, which is a possibility.  But it certainly sounds like you might have something more going on, especially with leg swelling, which is not something that would typically be a problem in gynecomastia.  If, on the other hand, you have some other source of chronic illness, such as liver disease, you could develop gynecomastia related to that.  Similarly, various cancers can be hormonally active, thereby causing gynecomastia.  Finally, your gynecomastia could represent a breast cancer, rather than benign gynecomastia.  These conditions are obviously serious and warrant prompt evaluation and intervention, so waiting until August to see an endocrinologist isn't ideal.

There is a lot of information you have not provided to us, including your past medical history, any other conditions you suffer from, any medications you're taking, and so on. I hope that the doctors you've seen there have this information and none of it is suggestive.  You don't need an endocrinologist to order some simple tests to determine hormone levels, so hopefully your primary care doctor has at least done that.  If any of those levels are off, that should help direct further evaluation.  Once you've ascertained that you don't have a disease that will kill you, then you can allow yourself to succumb to the NHS's painfully slow approach to routine care for non-emergent problems.  In the meantime, you will probably have to become a pain in someone's butt to get a timely evaluation.

Good luck, and please let us know what's going on.

Rick Silverman

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Agree with Dr. Silverman.  Once sided, painful gyne at your age, coupled with other physical signs, should mandate a prompt visit to a physician.

Dr Jacobs