New member - about me

[inorbit]

Afternoon all,

I'm fairly sure i have this and it causes me quite alot of heartache.   It began when i was in my teens and i had the hard discs under each nipple which tended to ache constantly.  At that time it was quite bad and was a complete nightmare at school and then consequently at college.  My friends would kind of make fun if we went swimming at my 'womans nipples'.  I never went to the doctor about them when i was young.

Anyway, since they were really bad, they're not quite as bad as they were back then.  Although they still look like women's nipples and i just avoid swimming, and wear my top all the time on holiday - which people poke fun at.  I'm 27 now and i admit they're not as bad as they were and they would be classified as being fairly mild i'm just not happy about them.  I'm not a vain person, but they have just knocked my confidence over a long time.  I do all the stuff people tend to do like using the shower on cold so the nipples don't look puffy etc etc. 

By chance in Nov 2006, i was having a check up for a completely different reason at a BUPA centre (as it was quicker) - nothing serious and i'm in good health.  I was talking to a GP there on this check up, and i mentioned my chest.  He examined it as said i had mild gynecomastia and that it would be worth going to see my GP on the NHS for a hormonal blood test and then to see what happens from there.  I went to see my GP and he blew me out of the water and refused to.  I think he was working on the basis that there are worse cases and mine was mild - i was quite disappointed as i wasn't actively seeking surgery or anthing like that - i just wanted to know if it was an hormonal imbalance and could be sorted.  To me, it seems like since my teens it has regressed, but there is still something there under the nipple (just not as much) and when they go puffy they just look odd (they actually make me feel fat!!) but they're not going to go away by themselves.  Back in my teens they used to get very painful, and although they're not like that now they do ache slighty sometimes (as they are now) as if there is something there.

I'm not overweight or anything like that, i'm 5 ft 8" tall and around 10 St 7lbs to 10st 10lbs (i usually hover round that weight) and last time i worked out my BMI it was bang in the middle (22.5 i believe).  I've been running fairly regular for a few years now and i'm slim everywhere else, waist, not much fat etc etc which kinda makes it llok worse than it may be because i look trim and quite thin, it looks odd to have nipples which can sometimes be associated with people who are over weight a little.  None of my brothers suffer from this - i'm fitter than two but they just don't have these fat looking chest.

Ah well, i'm not sure exactly what to do now - i'm not sure whether to try NHS again, or get the test done privately - i could afford to pay for a test, not sure about anything else!

Has anyone had any positive results from the blood test!

Anyway that's me!

JC

[ScotlandGuy]

I would say change your GP.  I went to my GP about it and I hadn't even mentioned the Hormone tests and she had me take them.  My Gyne isn't that bad either, I think some GPs just aren't as sympathetic as others and only arrange for the tests if the Gyne is really bad.  Try another GP you'll probably have better luck!

[headheldhigh01]

the uk sub-boards have a lot of stories including successes about dealing with the nhs.  like he said you have to find somebody willing to take giving you a referral seriously.  lot of twits out there who don't realize "mild" gyne can be as destructive as more severe cases