How fast do they grow?

[changing]

How quickly does gynecomastia typically progress? I am trying to figure out what to expect with what I assume is the development of gynecomastia. I'm almost 60.  About a year and a half ago, I noticed that my testicles had begun to shrink and they have been steadily getting smaller. A couple of months ago I began to develop subtle fat deposits around my nipples.  I am a skinny guy, so it is easy to see small changes. Now they look like  small female breasts. My nipples are also getting much larger and the areolas are puffy. The only drug I take is lipitor and don't drink much.

I can accept that my body is changing and I've no desire to treat or prevent the gynecomastia. I know it may seem weird, but think I could actually enjoy it.  I have become feminine in a lot of other ways in the last year and have embraced the personality changes I am experiencing.  I know I have symptoms of low testosterone, including hypogonadism, loss of any masculine body odor, a change in my sex drive from being internally driven to being externally driven, and I am much less aggressive. But I feel happy, fulfilled, and comfortable without the testosterone.  I would like to have an idea of what to expect.  I realize there is no precise answer, but is there any way to get a rough idea of how this might progress? Months? Years? Decades?
Thanks

[xelnaga13]

Low/no testosterone is not healthy. Your body counts on testosterone and it's metabolites such as estrogen for hundreds of bodily functions. You may feel content right now, but wait until your brain cannot produce or absorb serotonin due to no estrogen, or you have a small fall resulting in a fracture that wouldnt otherwise occur.

To answer you question: There's no way to predict how fast or to what extent gyne will develop. Its unlikely your case will be severe because without testosterone , there is no estrogen.

Im sensing there is a little more going on than just a case of gyne based on your statements about your current state of mind. This is your life and you have every right to happiness as you define it, just make sure you being healthy about it! Good luck.

[hammer]

I Lost my testicals in 94/95 due to problems after a vasectomy, ( full story in " my story after all these years"). I took hormone for awhile but stopped after having side affects that I and my wife decided was not worth putting up with! My doctor then recommend things for me to do to maintain a healthier life, mostly supplements.

I had gynecomastia long before all this took place, but I now have much large breast of course, but have learn to accept them. I have had to have a bone scan to check bone density and I am great there, however I do take vitamin D with calcium.

I recently had to leave my doctor of 18 years an start going to the VA! After my first few appointments now the doctors I have seen have recommended the same treatment for me and had planed a bone scan, however, that was just done.

I do have a lot of health problems and I am disabled, but none of that is related to low "T"! That would make things much simpler if they were low T ! Most is from years of untreated diabetes, not knowing that I had it, due to a rare blood disorder the masked diabetes, and years of abuse on my body, doing things that I should not have been doing, but did just to prove it could! " show off"!

Yes, your hormones are a natural and important part of your body and you should try to get some help to get things under control. Find a good Endorinologist to try and get things under control and live a good and healthy life.

You have come to the right place for support and help, welcome to the forum.


Bob

[Paa_Paw]

We know that Gynecomastia is a common result of aging and common also as a side effect of drugs used to treat prostate problems. The problem is that we do not often hear from men who develop the condition in their 60s and later.

Mine date from puberty and have not changed  a lot over the years except that the tissue is less elastic and more prone to sag now. I wish I had a good answer for you, but I'm coming up blank.

By the way, I'm 75.

[tpuk]

Low-T levels are often linked with other things as mentioned above by xa. It can cause low bone density, depression, brain fog, low lean muscle mass etc etc.

You say your testicles have already shrunk.... I would get this all checked out. Also do some googling about low-T.

I am 39 & have one testicle & low -T (12 on a scale of 9-28). I requested a bone scan along with my T bloodwork & I do have low bone density (I already knew this because of the amount of fractures I have had).

Some guys find TRT gives them a great lift. I'm kinda scared of it myself because I've only just had surgery.....I will wait & see what the bone density specialist says.

As for progression that could depend on all sorts of things like diet/exercise/age/meds/testosterone/estrogen/ etc etc. Go & see a doctor to put your mind at ease. Prob best not to do the bloke thing & just ignore it.

[changing]

Thank you all for your kind responses to my question. I have not been too concerned with the low testosterone, partly because I assume it is part of the normal aging process.  I will admit that the testicle shrinkage and gynecomastia seem to have had a more rapid onset than I might have expected, but I suppose that it is no different from menopause, which, for my wife at least, seemed to happen pretty quickly. 

The problem with trying to treat it is that I am actually happier, more fulfilled, and more relaxed now than I have ever been.  I don't really want to go back to the way I was. My wife is now the dominant partner in our relationship and we both really enjoy that.  She has been teasing me about turning into a girl (mentally) for a year now and is having fun now that my physical expression (the boobs) are catching up with my state of mind. I have never been a real masculine guy, so this change doesn't bother me that much. And there is so much to like about these changes. My sense of smell, which had diminished over the years, is back full strength.  I stopped on the way home at the grocery and for the first time in years, I could smell the coffee and green onions sitting in the bag in the back seat.  I love being able to smell people again - their perfume or even their BO. I no longer feel anxious competing in traffic in the commute into work.  I enjoy talking to people and helping them out. I'm no longer as focused on getting my work done, but I enjoy it a lot more now.

I understand why this could be distressing and I am a little anxious about how I will deal with it if my breasts become full sized.  Now they are barely an A cup, but because I am so skinny and my nipples stand out, they are very obvious when I wear a t-shirt.  I already have a body that, except for the breasts, looks like that of a woman, so I've considered just dressing as a woman.  So I guess I do have some issues, but a couple of years ago I would have thought the idea of behaving or dressing like a woman was just whacked. I am a little confused about going through so many changes so quickly, but at the same time I feel good about the way I feel. 

Again, I appreciate your responses. From your comments and from reading through other discussions on this website, I don't feel so alone.  I know everyone will respond differently to having something like this happen to them.  It's not what I would have chosen, but as long as it is happening, I want to embrace the changes and enjoy them as much as possible.  I am lucky to have a wife who is supportive and kinky enough to get something out of this as well.
Thank you.

[xelnaga13]

Isn't it interesting how distressed we all get when we hear about someone embracing atypical sex roles? As a younger man I was not very accepting of others differences. As I got older I realized my mind set was a reflection of my own insecurities, rather than having anything to do with others.

Being diagnosed with aspergers, it took me 27 years of self abuse with drugs and alcohol to finally be happy with myself. I only found true peace and happiness when I stopped trying to fit everyone's mold, and started making my own.  It would be shame if we all reached the end of our lives, having spent it living a lie.

I encourage you to continue posting here.

[hammer]

Sometime self acceptance can be just as hard as accepting others! It is great when you/we have the support of wife, family and others!

Xelnaga 13, living with aspergers is tough. My oldest daughter has it, however, never had a doctor confirm it! Because it is rare in females it is hard to get a doctor to confirm it, so it was hard to get others to understand her!

She was confirmed to have verbal approxia (sp)? And other things that go along with it and aspergers often does as well, but I go back to she is female and at that time verbal approxia was a new thing to the professionals! Since then they have found that there are multiple problems that go along with approxia.

What that is, is the inability to form words naturally due to the lips and tongue are not connected to your brain, so you need to be trained how to form each letter, then each word! So along with speech therapy most of grade school years she had to deal with a multitude of other thing to get though, that is an entire new subject!

She will be graduating in May with a four year degree in animal science, and now thinking about going for her masters! She is married and has a son that is 4 months old, so all in all everything did work out and we are very proud of her hard work, and she did have to work hard!

So, Xelnaga13 you have also come a long ways too, and should be proud of yourself as well! You have moved forward from your self abuse as posted on other post and self understanding. So congrats goes out to you as well!

Changing, I know I went of subject here a bit, and I do that sometimes! I am glad to hear that you are not having any trouble with acceptance! The support of your wife can make that so much easier. I have gone through so many other life changes and surgeries that having breast didn't mean that much to me. I also had the support of my wife and family.

I was a manly man! I was a Navy diver in the service and owned a construction company before becoming disabled, but because of the the things I had gone through, like losing a son at the age of six in 1988, health going down hill and disability, and having a very strong faith in God and Jesus Christ made going through all this much easier and posible.

You are on a good forum for support as well! Welcome, we are here for each other,  and God bless!


Bob

[Alchemist]

Hi Changing,

I grew mine in puberty way back in the dark ages of the late 50s and early 60s.  Junior High school is hell and it was double hell as a boy with the biggest breasts in the school.  IN college I started going out with the girls that had founded the schools nudist club.  That is the direction my life took.  I've had a lifetime of health problems and gynecomastia became as nothing at all in the face of life destroying health problems.  I'm 65 now.  At 39 my testosterone fell through the floor with severe unrecognized vitamin deficiencies.  I've been on testosterone since 2000.  It improved my mood and energy, reduced pain and improved most everything including sexual functioning.  I'm much easier going now and it has nothing to do with the hormones. Let's put it this way, I've finally grew up.  Like Paa-Paw I got kind of banged up, a car wreck at 24, being a professional skier,falling down mountain sides, being an anti war protester in the 60s.  And now at 65 I'll quote the Stones of our generation, "What a drag it is getting old".  No drug or hormone affected my breast size in any way.  They grew for about 4 years during puberty and stayed there.  Fat has come and gone a few times.  They are much more noticeable when my belly doesn't stick out even though in loosing weight I also lost a cup size down to D.  I spend as much of the summer as possible in an RV in the woods on the side of the foothills at 7200 feet at a nudist club. It's a tough life sitting around the pool and hot-tub, hiking in the hills, going to parties and dances if the mood strikes, participating in events and activities and being social.  I do all this with my beloved lady.

Good luck and have fun.  Breasts are just more flesh and skin.  At the nudist club it is obvious that about half of men have some degree of breast enlargement by the time they are my age, so many are catching up to me.  At the club it doesn't matter and nobody cares. I get a good share of hugs from the ladies and all is well. There are bodies of every variety and everybody there used to have body shame and fear as they were raised to have as a cultural norm, except the ones raised nudist.

[Paa_Paw]

I think the greatest value of this site lies in the comforting fact that we are not some kind if freak but are actually quite normal and even more important, we are not alone.

[dbweb]

Changing, you are lucky in that you can accept your situation and you have the support of your family.

You have a very healthy attitude towards your life going forward, and these days it is not difficult to dress in a neutral gender, many do.

Not all of us would be able to do what you are, as we don't fit the mold with a very tall or large body, or don't get the support that you have, so count your blessings.

Myself, while I have the support of my wife in understanding the changes that are occuring, I will never be able to walk out into the public as anything but a guy with large breasts, so will dress accordinly.  That doesn't mean I will wear things that cause me discomfort, only that I will always wear bulky clothes to  avoid a lot of un needed attention. 

So while we all have to come to a level of comfort with where we are in life, anyone that accepts his condition and does not let it impact his life,  should have all our support.