my story & worst experience

[crman]

Well, let me start off by saying I'm really glad this forum exists, I had no idea it was out there and I had no idea this many people had a similar issue to mine.

I'm in my mid 30's and noticed I had gyno about 5 or 6 years ago.  In college I was fairly thin (170 and no gyno), then towards the end of college I gained a lot of weight (up to 235), and then about 6 years ago I started working out a lot and got thin again...and what do you know?  I've got man-hooters.

Strangely, I didn't notice at first, I just thought it was because I was fat. Then I noticed it was more than just fat.  I didn't want to do anything about it since I was really embarrassed about it, and maybe a touch of denial, but over the last several years I've been getting in even better shape, and the damn things just keep getting more noticeable.

Now, you're probably wondering why a middle aged man would suddenly develop gyno?  After doing a lot of research and learning about the causes, I was too.  I've never smoked pot (seriously, never, and I never plan to), but I do drink quite a bit, but not any more than any of my non-gyno friends do.  I don't have testicular cancer ( got checked partially due to this), and I don't think I have any other medical issues that may cause it..then I read that certain brain medications will cause it.  Then I figured it out...I was prescribed Amitriptyline for depression from approx 1997 to 2000.  And after checking, I see that some of the side effects of that drug are excessive weight gain and gynecomastia...bingo!  - For anyone out there that is taking medication for depression...don't stop due to what I've said...I'd take the manboobs over being depressed/feeling crappy all the time, you may however look at your choices of medication and find one without the same side effects..it never occurred to me back then, I just took what the doctor prescribed.

Over the years, a few people have noticed and either said something or just stared a little too long.  I've mostly learned to wear thicker shirts to hide it.   I used to love playing sand volleyball, and now when I go I always wear a shirt (thick shirt).  I like to go canoeing with my friends...I'm always the only one with a shirt on. 

Strangely if anything should make me depressed, that should, but I'm really not, I still go out and have fun with my friends and I usually don't think about it too much, as long as I'm wearing a thick shirt or something is covering the front part of me (I found a nice hydration backpack with a chest strap that goes right over my chest and makes the gyno virtually undetectable).

That being said, my worst experience was about a month ago...I was with my friend and there were a few girls that he was talking to (I'm married, so I was just there for the beer), anyhow, we were sitting next to each other, and they girls told him to put his arms back to see his chest and then one of them says "see, that's what a man's chest is supposed to look like" ..or something along those lines..I knew right away what they were talking about, and I felt pretty crappy about it.. I don't really care what most people think about me, but either way, things like that just get to a person, and I'm sick of it.

I still go to the same bar and wear the same kind of shirt (well maybe not that thin of one if I remember).  When I have time to reflect on it, you know, it really bothered me at the time, but I really don't care that much what they thought about me..they certainly weren't anything to write home about.  If they're that shallow and mean then I don't want to have anything to do with them in the first place.

I do however care what some people think, and I care what I look like and I don't like what I see (and their comment really did get to me at some level).  So,... I'm pretty sure I'm going to get surgery, but I'm not in a huge hurry, I'm going to research my options as I don't want to rush into something and not be happy with the results.

[Paa_Paw]

crman,

You have made a very good observation in that people need to be more mindful of the side effects of the drugs they take.

Sometimes the good effects outweigh the risks. (as you pointed out) But, sometimes there are effective and safe alternatives. (again, as you said) Laws vary from state to state and country to country but most prescriptions now include a couple of pages of information so there is no reason to be less than well informed.

[headheldhigh01]

you'll probably get your best information exposure here then.  you can even use the site search engine to look for anyone specific in case there's past patients.  as long as you get a gyne-experienced board certified ps though you should be fine. 

[Dave_8]

Dude! That part where the girls said " that's what a mans chest is supposed to look like" is so fu#@ed up!

[Paa_Paw]

Think about his for a few moments: Are you really going to waste a lot of time on a girl who is that superficial and judgemental?

Even IF that girl is a perfect 10 physically, the flaws in her character would be repulsive.

[Dave_8]

Personally I wouldn't date that girl who said even if she were hot, I woulda just called her out on one of her flaws.

[goodbyegynow]

Just a note on the propecia....I'm one of the lucky guys who got gyno and MPB! thanks god! anyway,
I had puffy, oversized nipples from sometime in my early teen years, and they had been suspect for a long time, but nothing drastic enough to require surgery.  At 19, I started taking propecia to try and stop my hairloss.  After about one year of taking the medication, I felt a LUMP in my chest.  Well, what felt like a lump, but was actually just breast tissue forming.  I couldn't believe it so I had some inclination that it could be caused by external factors, ie: propecia.  So I pulled out the little pamphlets that came with the boxes, and sure enough, in the tiny little font, less than 1% of males tested reported "breast enlargement".  I went to see my doctor, and he said that this is what likely caused it.  Stop taking the medication.  So i stopped immediately.  Bald or boobs? Easy choice to make!!  Now I'm not sure what the total impact of that drug was on me, but my gyno continued to get worse.  Earlier this year, about 4 years after finishing the drug, I got some pain in my chest and again noticed some hard tissue.  So this is what prompted me to see a doctor, (to make sure it wasn't dangerous) and then to have surgery.  Again, not sure what propecia actually did to me, but I reckon it did something.