Help please - Gyno or fat??

[248248]

Hey

I have these hard lumps on my left side of my chest, however they're not under the nipple. I can feel several distinct small lumps one-two inches to the left of my nipple, and below (i.e. down from) my nipple as well. I can feel them when i pinch the skin and they are extremely sore/tender.

Right side is fine, only on the left.

I'm 23. I've had a slightly swollen left side for as long as can remember that never really bothered me, but it has enlarged and become really painful since starting finasteride (hair loss drug - gyno is a "rare" side effect). Í've been taking it for 4 weeks.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Paa_Paw]

See your Dr.!

This may be nothing of concern, but you should have it checked out to be sure.

[248248]

Thanks.

I will, but can gyno present itself as several distinct separate lumps of varying sizes... or is it always one lump under the nipple which can vary in size depending on severity...?

[Paa_Paw]

The very term Gynecomastia can be misleading depending upon how it is defined.

The original use of the word dates to the Greek physician "Galen" who used it to describe breasts that are contoured like those of of a woman. Today the term is used also to describe the condition commonly referred to as "puffy Nipples."

Some people break the condition into two forms calling one "True" and the other  "Psuedo" I think this is almost absurd because it is futile to try and determine which is present. In fact, there is usually both fatty and glandular tissue present.

When the glandular tissue can be felt, it is usually described as a lump like a Pea or button behind the nipple. Lumps elsewhere in the breast area would be less typical. Which is why they should be checked out.

The breast area is loaded with other structures as well, such as lymph glands.

The possibilities are wide ranging, Most commonly they are harmless but again, the possibility exists that they could be bad news so they should be checked out seriously. Rarely, they could be breast cancer. Yes, Men can sometimes get it too.

[248248]

Thanks for your reply! Much appreciated.

When you mentioned lymph glands, that seemed to make a lot of sense, as these things feel a lot like the glands in your neck or something.. in that they kind of move around. Still quite strange though...... i can feel them everywhere (all over the pectorial), even above the nipple.

I've always had a tendency to get "swollen" or enlarged glands.. in my neck and inner thighs especially.. that tend to get quite tender. Hmm I wonder why this is.. makes me thing it may not be gyno though. Any ideas?

Again, thanks for your time and help.

Take care

[thisisme]

Hey, I've had some bad experiences with finasteride. I lost my sex drive, so I had to stop taking it.  This doesn't happen to everyone, but it was something my doctor did not tell me about.  After looking on the internet it seemed like it happened to many people, and for some it never came back.  Just be careful with that stuff!    

[Paa_Paw]

We can't blame the Doctors for not telling us of these possible side effects. These days it is common practice to supply a list of the reasons why a specific drug is prescribed and a list of the possible side effects.

We need to take more responsibility for our own care and read the information when it is provided.

If the information is not provided with the prescription, it is a very easy matter to look up the likely side effects using the internet sources. Simply do a search using the drug name and you'll get everything you need to know and a whole lot more.

[Dr. Cruise]

In both men and women there is breast tissue not only under the areola but radiating outward from the areola often laterally. Breast tissue can be hard and lumpy or soft and lumpy.  In addition, the breast tissue is loaded with lymphatic glandular tissue which can increase or decrease with certain medications such as finisteride/prohormones. It appears as though you may not be a good candidate to take this medication.