Alcohol, Hormone Therapy etc. etc.

[chinesehelp]

Hello everyone,

I've had what seems to be gynecomastia since I hit puberty (about 12-13).  I have a medium build, and although I've worked out a fair amount over the years (I'm not bodybuilder though) I've never managed to shake this annoying, and embarassing physical trait.  

I'm not 25, and am thinking that its probably getting time to consider some surgery just to be rid of it.  I have a few questions that I'd like to ask first though, because I'm curious, and as a recent college graduate don't really have the money to leap under the knife to get this problem fixed.

what exactly is the deal with alcohols part in this problem?  I have through high school and college been a pretty consistent drinker.  Although its certainly slowed down considerably since graduation, I would definetely say that I'm capable of a beer a day at some point.  my alcoholism aside.. is it possible that this is actually a part of it?  I know for a fact that my situation came about at puberty and not because of alcohol intake(my father happens to have some pretty hefty man breasts himself).  

My second question is what exactly is the deal with hormone therapy..  I live in the orient right now and won't be able to see my doctor until Christmas time, but what exactly should I ask a general practitioner about if I were to go see one?  I'm fascinated by the idea that somehow this is hormonal, which I feel it could be.  

I'm not saying I wouldn't have surgery if it came down to it... although I admittedly have trepidation about the idea of having my body cut open and manipulated.. but I'd like to explore the alternatives first... and if a pill could help, well crap I'll try it.

The last a final question I have is about results.  Like I've said I normally lead a pretty active life... with about 6 months a years spent intensly exercising and six months off.  What kind of results can I expect to have?  I can't begin to speculate what portion of my issue is glandular and which part is just fat.. but I'd have to say its probably seventy percent fat and thirty percent gland.  I have no problems with my nipples, and I have a pretty muscular chest to begin with, however, I'm certainly not at zero body fat on the rest of my body, and so am wondering if its feesible to have a completely fat-free chest while maintaining about 9%-15% body fat percentage (depending on how active I am).

I don't know... this is all kind of embarassing frankly, because I've never really talked with anyone about this... but I'm sick of have to cross my arms or stand or stretch funny, or slouch all the time to cover up this ridiculous happenstance.

thanks for the help,
from china.

[headheldhigh01]

by now you know it's not going away on its own, so you just have to balance the expense with getting rid of it sooner.  

studies have shown alcohol can be a factor as an influence on endocrinology, but it probably affects some individuals more than others.  

a general prac probably won't be much help outside of getting you referred for an endo test, though that may or may not be necessary.  in your shoes, i'd be talking to a surgeon instead if you can.  some people discuss alternatives, but nobody's found one that will cure it yet.  

i don't think you could have a zero fat chest with normal composition elsewhere, it'd probably look odd anyway.  

you sound like you're an expat or were just raised as a native english speaker?  congrats on finding the info and welcome to the board  

[Achilles]

Go see a plastic surgeon and he will be able to tell you how much fat and gland there is (approximately).  Just because you're seeing a plastic sugeon doesn't mean that you'll have to have the surgery, but it's a good idea to get an opinion from someone who works with this kind of procedure a lot.

Working out might make your whole body look better (and so, cover/distract the attention from the gyne away), but it's something that should be done all year long, not just half of the year.  I've started going back to the gym again and hopefully this time I'll be going at it for good.  I'm trying to get in better shape before my surgery (early January), not that I'm in too bad of a shape, but I could use some exercising.  Also, the better shape that you are in on the day of surgery, the better/faster recovery will be.

Good Luck with whatever you chose to do!