Another 43 year old with a few questions

[suffering4long]

Hello, Everyone!

First of let me thanks you all for supporting this forum which is so important to people afflicted with gynecomastia. I've been lurking a while and it has taught me so much. I’ve been suffering with this curse all of my life and am ready for a consultation with a surgeon to have it remedied. Before even getting that far, however, I would like to pose a few questions after summarizing my situation. 

I am 43 years old and have always had gyno. It runs in my family and both my father and little brother are inflicted with it, too. No pain involved at any point, no sudden change in appearance, really nothing to note except that my chest has the characteristic feminine appearance.

Once, when I was in high school, I was fed-up enough to loose enough weight that completely rid me of the gyno.  I got to spend one wonderful summer gyno-free but it was too hard to maintain such a low body weight at 16, so at 43 it’s pretty much impossible. It wasn’t that I was body-builder “ripped” or anything close - just lean enough and I got many compliments on my physique at the time. I was jogging a lot, exercising constantly, and eating very little. At this point I am definitely over-weight but not by any extreme amount. I think I am about 5’ 8” or 5’ 9” and around 180 last I checked. I’ve also been a strict vegetarian for the last 22 years and hardy ever eat in restaurants, no junk food, etc. I’d love to go back to the gym, pool, take yoga classes, etc. but I am too embarrassed at this point. 

So, a few quick questions: since I was able to completely rid myself of it by strenuous exercise and diet, can it be assumed that the majority of my problem is due to fatty tissue and not glandular? I’ve seen pics of body-builders with minimal body-fat who still had pronounced nipples due to the glands, but in my case everything was about perfect once I hit that ideal body-weight. I had been exercising a lot and was always conscious about my diet but the I went for a stretch eating terribly little and suddenly I woke up one morning and looked in the mirror and the gyno was gone and my chest looked good enough to get whistles from girls at the beach! This makes me feel that my problem is mostly fatty tissue but I am no doctor to say anything for sure. Any ideas?

Secondly, since this is obviously a genetic problem as it is apparent in all the male members of my family and it has been steady all of my life can I make the assumption that it is not hormone-related?

My goal is simply to be able to wear clothing that fits properly without the baggy shirts, etc. At this age I am not to concerned about the beach and singles bars. Fortunately, I have a wonderful and supportive wife so at least emotionally this is all a bit easier for me.

Thanks so much!

[alphajc]

Gyne 101 says that if you are able to get rid of it without surgery after age 18, then you had pseudogyne, so yeah you had predominantly fatty tissue that was shrunk from diet and exercise.

[Raider Fan]

Really, a picture is the only way to say with any certainty what you have.  But if this runs in your family, then I think it's more likely that you have it as well. I have it, and my son has had bouts of it as well. 

True gyne looks like a woman's breast development.  With true gyne, you can just tell that if you lost weight, the breasts would still be there because actual tissue is beneath them.  Losing weight won't help that, no more than a female would lose her boobs if she lost weight.  With real gyne, the actual gland underneath has grown....it's not just fat. 

Similarly, if you're just overweight, you can tell that, too.  Your boobs might be a little fat, but in general, it still looks like a guys chest that is simply fat.  It really doesn't have the appearance of a female's chest.....at least I don't think it does.   

[suffering4long]

Thank you so much for your replies. Every tidbit of knowledge and experience helps tremendously.

I suppose that only a doctor could say for sure whether or not I have true gyne or pseudo. I have my suspicions that it may be due to fat, but the body weight which I would need to rid myself of the (definitely feminine looking) "moobs" completely would be nearly impossible, as the fat deposits there are very stubborn and will not come off even by strenuous exercise and dieting. When I did rid myself of it, I practically had to starve myself and then I could only maintain that for a few months... and I was only 15 at the time! That's why I am considering surgery. I am wondering, however, if just lipo may be needed and not excision.

Thanks again!