NHS- Update!!

[Hope]

I had my appointment with someone at a breast clinic today. It was the most embarrasing thing that has ever happend to me.

When I walked into the room there was a nurse there, I thought she was going to leave but she stayed throughout the whole thing! I told the doc that I am having phychological problems etc etc.

The doc then said 'The NHS do not cover this type of surgery...' I thought it was game over for me at this point. The doc then said' However since you are having phychological issues they will.

Then he said he is going to give me 'Danazol' which is a tablet, he said try this if this doesnt work then surgery is garunteed.

I am now waiting for a scan?! I have to grab the scan appointment letter before my parents do!!

Anyone heard of Danazol? I just pray that this works but I have never heard of it.

[jimbob1988]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danazol

Just seems like its a testostone boost ... which IN-THEORY should work because I thought that the excess tissue (Gyno) was created because of higher levels of estrogen (Female hormone), so to reverse it the only way would be to add more testosrone then estogen.

Keep us posted !

[Hope]

I will be on this medicine for a few months, I will keep everyone updated on how this medicine is affecting me.

I hope that this medicine works!! I have to take 1 tablet 3 times a day.

One thing I dont understand is why do I have to go for a scan? The doc said that they are going to let me know about a date and time for this scan. I said to the doc no way is that letter coming home and then he said he will try his best to notify me by telephone.

I am so scared now I have to wake up early just to see of the post has arrived

[Clandestine]

The drug probably won't do much for you to be honest.

I'd also be concerned if your doctor hasn't sent you for a hormone level test first. If he doesn't know if your hormones are out, why is he giving you a drug that alters them? Sounds like he's just taking a punt.

Have you had your gyne since puberty? If so it's more than likely your levels are now fine. Even if theyre not, the gyne won't just disapear after theyre corrected unfortunately.

Sounds like that drug is a hoop the doctor has to jump through, a cheap hoop before he can justify to the NHS a £4K + operation 

Don't be scared mate, be excited. You're very close to a resolution now. 

[Hope]

The drug probably won't do much for you to be honest.

I'd also be concerned if your doctor hasn't sent you for a hormone level test first. If he doesn't know if your hormones are out, why is he giving you a drug that alters them? Sounds like he's just taking a punt.

Have you had your gyne since puberty? If so it's more than likely your levels are now fine. Even if theyre not, the gyne won't just disapear after theyre corrected unfortunately.

Sounds like that drug is a hoop the doctor has to jump through, a cheap hoop before he can justify to the NHS a £4K + operation 

Don't be scared mate, be excited. You're very close to a resolution now. 

Well I have had a couple of blood tests if thats what you mean. Everything was fine with the blood.

I have had my gyne ever since I can remember!

Well I am on this drug for a few months now so if this medicine does not work thatn I will/ should have surgery next year sometime.

This whole situation scares me...

[Hope]

You are right, gye is caused by testosterone/estrogen imbalance but once the breast has developed taking testosterone is unlikely to make it disapear. It might stop it growing any more of course.
 Also if you take too much testosterone the body can actually convert it to estrogen!
Endocrinology is a very complicated subject & there is no "correct" level of T but it is very finely balanced.
( I have secondary hypogonadism, which is a problem with the pituitary gland so I have some knowledge about this!)

So basically this tablet that I am taking 3 times a day is just full of testosterone?

[Clandestine]

No. It does not contain any testosterone.

Re-read the wiki link posted by jimbob1988. The drug increases luteinizing hormone, which is responsible for telling your testicles to make testosterone. Any increase in testosterone from the tabs is made naturally by you.

The tablets are an attempt by your doctor to increase your testosterone to oestrogen ratio. However it's likely that your levels are fine. Taking these will do you no harm, but probably won't do your gyne any good either.

[fraustolike]

HI

Well in gynecomastia medicine says its imbalance between ur testosterone & estrogen.Although males have to do with testosterone only but normal healthy males have some estrogen as well which is female hormone.Its believed that either the hormone estrogen is high or liver is not able to metabolise estrogen and thats why gynecomastia is he result.During puberty testosterone supply increase and estrogen amount increases as well and one can have gynecomastia around puberty but it can resolve as well so need to wait & see.
Your doctor is trying Danazol on the basis that it is anti estrogenic and has synthetic androgen.So far not mentioned in any medical text about its indication in gynecomastia.But it could be used depending on situataion.
I personally think first cause of gynecomastia should be established.If it is pureply idiopathic(which means no obvious cause) I think in that case Danazol is not going to help.
HOPE THIS HELPS.

[kingboob]

The tablets are an attempt by your doctor to increase your testosterone to oestrogen ratio. However it's likely that your levels are fine. Taking these will do you no harm, but probably won't do your gyne any good either.

I'm not sure I agree with that,   I am no doctor but even I know that every medication has a side effect, and personally I would be very reluctant to start screwing a around with my hormone levels without A) having blood tests to establish what is going on first,  B) speaking to a specialist endocrinologist to get the best possible treatment.

After using google, this drug sounds like something that would be used to treat certain issues for women, and even then the side effects are a bit concerning.   

Do a google search for yourself and ask your GP for advice before taking this stuff, because as far as I know, gynecomastia cannot be shrunk or removed using drugs:  Bodybuilders (IE: steriod abusers) may use  certain drugs to prevent breast growth, but once the boobs are there I think surgery is the only option.


Again, all of that is just what I would do, I am not a doctor.

[Clandestine]

Danazol will not alter your hormone levels in a major way. It's not like adding external doses of testosterone for instance.

The bigest risk by far of Danazol, is that it's a 17 alpha-alkylated compound. It's been chemically armor plated against liver breakdown. This means that the liver can't break down the compound into metabolites on the first pass, however it will still try, causing damage in the process. Damage caused on such a short course of a 17aa compound however is minimal.


It is designed for women, correct. The raising of LH from using it is so slight that it will unlikely produce any noticable effect in men. I was merely speculating why the doctor may have prescribed it, not saying he was correct. Hope has already said he's had hormone levels checked and they were "fine". Not knowing what the results were they could very well be almost falling off the edge of normal range.

Either way IMO Danazol for gyne is a joke. Using it to treat anything envolving a male patient isn't going to result in anything.

As for drugs to reduce gyne, Fermara (letrozole) is effective in some cases, and not just steroid induced ones. The Idea is you starve the breast tissue of oestrogen to reduce its size. Due to its very nature, breast tissue has an abundance of oestrogen receptors. When too much Oest is present, it binds to them and triggers excessive growth.

There reaches a point where there is no longer enough oestrogen to induce growth, and the growth stops. Even after leveling off of hormone levels, say after puberty, there's sometimes still enough oestrogen to keep the existing tissue "ticking over". By eliminating the vast majority of oestrogen from the body, the receptors are no longer having oestrogen being bound to them, in theory causing the tissue to regress. it's certainly not going to shrink 36DD's by much, but it may well work for glandular gyne.

[Hope]

Thanks for the replys guys, I really appreciate them.

Well I have been taking danazol for a couple of weeks now and I havent noticed and change in the chest area. I will continue to take this drug.

I have a 'breast scan' at the hospital next week and I totally dont know what to expect. I will keep everyone updated

[WXYZ]

I had my appointment with someone at a breast clinic today. It was the most embarrasing thing that has ever happend to me.

When I walked into the room there was a nurse there, I thought she was going to leave but she stayed throughout the whole thing! I told the doc that I am having phychological problems etc etc.

The doc then said 'The NHS do not cover this type of surgery...' I thought it was game over for me at this point. The doc then said' However since you are having phychological issues they will.

Then he said he is going to give me 'Danazol' which is a tablet, he said try this if this doesnt work then surgery is garunteed.

I am now waiting for a scan?! I have to grab the scan appointment letter before my parents do!!

Anyone heard of Danazol? I just pray that this works but I have never heard of it.

Reminds me when I was sent by my GP to the NHS 'Breast Clinic'. It was embarassing since I was the only male there and had to wait for 1 1/2 hours, despite being on time for my appointment. I was stared at quite a bit! The consultation went well until a nurse came in for the end part and did basically nothing but look, but you had a nurse there the whole time! Was she also there for the testicle check? That would've been embarassing!   I take it you couldn't object? I dunno, but as guys we find it hard to speak up in medical situations that make us uncomfortable and sometimes the doctors and nurses can make an already tense situation worse.

My ultrasound scan wasn't that bad, it was done on the same day as the appointment. It was done by a female doc and her assistant, so prepare yourself because I think most of the time it's females working in ultrasound, they're gonna see your gyne, but at least you don't have to drop your pants.

It looks like your just gonna have to say "sorry Danazol didn't work", if you want to get it done through the NHS.

[WXYZ]

whats your problems with a female health worker?

No problem at all, actually. But just to explain, I do understand that some guys are shy about undressing in front of female docs/nurses (as has sometimes been expressed on these boards). Hope mentioned that a nurse was present throughout and didn't leave and described the situation as the most embarassing thing that had ever happened to him. Now I can imagine that to be embarassing. For my consultation, a nurse walked in at the end and didn't say anything, it's like she just came in to have a look at my man-boobs. This was the same nurse who cracked a joke about me to her friend about me being "one of them" when she called my name. Now I'll admit I didn't find that comfortable, especially since she didn't even need to be there, but I would've been more uncomfortable if she was there throughout. Now in ultrasound alot of the time it's females that work in that area, so I'm saying if Hope found it embarassing with the nurse present, it's better to prepare yourself for the ultrasound. But really my ultrasound wasn't bad and the doc was 'professional'. But a mate of mine told us of his experience of having ultrasound on his testicles - he found it so embarassing that he wanted to leave. Some people have good experiences, some have bad ones.

[Gaz29]

Hi my G.p referred me to an endicrinologist when i couldn't take any more i am 29 and had gyno sine i can remeber, they are quite severe. my g.p referred me to an endicrinologist when i went to see him he asked me to take my top off which was really embaressing he then told me that he would take blood tests and if they came back as normal i was more than sure of facing surgery which i was delighted with. i am now 11 stone 7 lost 2 stone, still no difference to my chest if anything they look worse, my bloods came back normal and my G.P has now referred me to a plastic surgeon, i phoned the other day to find out an appointment and i was told that my referral was presently being vetted by a panel who would decide whether to offer me an appointment or knock me back, i am really down, i thought i was in witha chance, i should know by nxt friday if they will offer me one, my gyno is really severe but this panel have not seen them what do i do?am sooo down

[hadenuf]

Hi my G.p referred me to an endicrinologist when i couldn't take any more i am 29 and had gyno sine i can remeber, they are quite severe. my g.p referred me to an endicrinologist when i went to see him he asked me to take my top off which was really embaressing he then told me that he would take blood tests and if they came back as normal i was more than sure of facing surgery which i was delighted with. i am now 11 stone 7 lost 2 stone, still no difference to my chest if anything they look worse, my bloods came back normal and my G.P has now referred me to a plastic surgeon, i phoned the other day to find out an appointment and i was told that my referral was presently being vetted by a panel who would decide whether to offer me an appointment or knock me back, i am really down, i thought i was in witha chance, i should know by nxt friday if they will offer me one, my gyno is really severe but this panel have not seen them what do i do?am sooo down

Gaz just go private. If it is getting you so down like it has been me for years it is worth every penny. Mine is just over 4 grand and it is getting done on saturday and cant wait. I have borrowed the money from my parents after a long chat and they had no idea I felt like I did. I would have got a loan if they had not lent me it.

Just do it and dont waste any more of your life, I am 38 now and should have done something about it before now.