Age of Onset

[Bman41]

I really started being aware this summer, 41 yo, fairly overweight, been that way for a probably 4-5 years now, spent 8 years in the Army, always had some size but never bothered me, but this summer went swimming with the family and I really wasn't to thrilled, seems now that it bothers me more and more, at times, sorta feel like I have a lot there (38B/C-40B) that is really bugging me more now.  No one makes comments, but makes me wonder....

[iki4life]

@ approx age 14, i had gone to my cousins house to spend a night...it was a hot summer, so we were chillin with our shirts off/undershirts and they pointed out that chest as big

[mezwell]

10 yrs old it was before puberty i was getting out the water at the swiming baths and noticed these lumps sticking out it comes on very fast ,ok they must have been there before i got into the pool but thats my first memory.

[phile85212]

Hello guys:

This is my first post for a newly diagnosed adventure.  On November 11, 2008, at 46 1/2 years of age, I had an unexplained, obsessive, urge to play with my nipples.  I had never wanted my (now ex-)wife to touch them, or any partner since then, as it did nothing for me.  So why the sudden change?  My nipples immediately began to grow in size, and went from inversion to eversion.  They are now 3/8"-1/2" diameter, and were that way within the first three weeks.  My areola also grew.  What has been strange for me is the way in which the breast has grown.  I have had the acorn-sized knots under my areola at the beginning of the "change" only when my nipples were erect, but my "breasts" grew, although they were only fatty tissue.  I thought I was growing true breast tissue.It was not until the fifth week that I noticed that the knot was gone, and my breast was changing shape.  I was finally able to get a doctor's appointment for December 18, 2008, when I was diagnosed with gynecomastia.  It was just that week that I could feel that while my breast appeared smaller than it had been, it was now totally glandular and connective tissue.  And have they ever been tender for weeks!!  I'm not really concerned about the factor that i have gotten them, as it is just a fact of life to which I will adjust.  In fact, I intend to enjoy them if I can!  I just want to make sure that there are no health concerns, especially since I do not fall into any of the "normal" groups that get gynecomastia.   The doc ruled out pituitary tumor, and said I have apparently enough testosterone production due to the amount of muscle mass put on at work. He  wonders if my non-muscle tissues are being blocked from receiving testosterone.  Are there others out there who got it in middle age for no apparent reason?

[elvenrune]

I have to say I identify with PhillyPUFF. I look overall at my life and it's all pretty good atm - except having gyno. From what I've seen it's not half as bad as a lot of people's, it's just awkward! No-one's ever said anything to me about it, I just thought it was part of puberty until last year as I'm only 18. Hopefully it'll go away by the time I'm 20 - it's just freakin awkward to be wearing a rashie when the sun isn't out 

[Dave_8]

Back when I was 11, my parents were seperated at that time, plus with gyne my life was pretty stressfull. My mom made fun of me once when I was in the car, she said she'll have to buy me a bra, in front of my uncles and aunts too. This Arab who was like 17 called me penguin for some reason because I was fat, and my older cousin called me titty boy. But I just shrugged it all off. I think all those past events is what makes me so self concious, plus after my cousin called me titty boy, I pissed in his drink, it was a 40 ounce bottle of liqour. Funny as hell, he deserved it.

[PSC0002]

I don't remember the exact age, but I do know I was in third grade the first time I can remember it being an issue.  (I'm guessing that's   One of the kids in my grade told me "you need a bra".  Guess the joke's on him, I think he's in jail now.  Anyway, I was a fairly overweight child, but nothing crazy like you see on TV.  They called it "husky".  Ha ha..  Anyway, I can't really remember NOT having them in some form. 

Back when I was like 13 or 14, my mom took me to my pediatrician for a "check up".  Which was strange cause I hadn't been to the MD in years when I wasn't sick.  Anyway, he did a check up and told me that my boobs would go away if I lost weight and got a little older - without prompting.  Never really asked about that "checkup", actually forgot about it until I research gyne on my own. 

But consult Monday, so I'll get the story from someone who can fix it. 

[VariLex]

I was 11 when I began the Puberty thing. I felt SO self conscious.... I began making excuses to not change for Gym class in front of the other (regular guys), as the months and years went on..... I dropped Gym class altogether in grade 9 and took Latin class as a substitute. Its OK -- I did learn allot from the Latin class. Years later I understood I was only "Transferring" my own fears and shame.  I was once asked by a guy in front of 6 of his (so-called at the time) friends at high school when I was just in grade 9, " Hey , You were once Chick, weren't You?"..... " Are You a Hermaphrodite?"

  I just wanted to leave High-School altogether, luckily I did have some True friends that helped me keep my Self esteem. 

  but i was devastated by that stupid comment, from an ignorant guy

V-Lex

[Grandpa Bambu]

i was devastated by that stupid comment, from an ignorant guy

I feel your pain Broh! 

I'm sure that rectumhole will be going to a dark and nasty place when his time is up...

GB

[Jake]

It seems everyone shares the same or a variation of the same stories and signs of people noticing the gyne.  I knew something was up in 5th grade when my nips started to itch all the time and ache.  It was horrible.  Then they started poking through some of the shirts I wore and some guys would point and laugh.  It quit around the end of 6th grade and my nips just stayed the same.  The only taunting I got was from my brother and my parents kind of ignored it for a while.  I became a frickin' professional at hiding it though in high school.  Do the pinch trick in gym when changing shirts or swimming.  Shirts and skins was no problem either, just refuse to take your shirt off.  They can't force you to expose skin!  It was all rather humiliating and quite draining though. 

Gynecomastia can force you into a dark place.  I know it did for me but in the end it made me do a lot of growing up.  I have so much respect now for people with physical problems they live with.

[zane949]

It's your reaction to the comments that causes your pain, you your self are responsible for your feelings about it.  We must learn to overcome this shit mentally.  The people who make fun are expressing their own lack within.

[jdb]

I was about 50 when I had bilateral orchitis (infection of both testes). Apart from being really painful it permanently knocked my testosterone levels for six. About 2 years later I was shaving and stripped to the waist and looking in the mirror when I froze, suddenly aware that I was developing small but defined breasts. Not puffy nipples, but true rounded breasts. A panic trip to the doctor and a comprehensive hormone test showed testosterone at the bottom level of just normal and oestrogen at the top of just normal level.  I am not fat so they appeared well defined but not obvious when dressed at that time. Four years after that and I have fully developed C sized breasts. My wife doesn't care and I am phylosophical about it.  If it had happened to me in my teens I do not think I could have coped but now I just get on with life. I dress to hide them, loose shirts and a jacket.  On occasion I will wear a compression type sports bra which hides them really well and going topless in public is out of the question. My doctor has offered to refer me to an NHS surgeon to have them removed but they are large enough to require skin removal, so scaring of some sort is inevitable and he warned me that they might well grow again. So for the time being, here they stay.  If they ever grow large enough for me to not be able to hide them, then I will definitely be off to the surgeon.

[a7x]

my life is a living hell,infact i havnt had a girlfriend im to much of a whimp to tell my parents or mom im 16 but a junior this has ruined my life i cant swim i hate the summer i cant do anything i want the suregry so bad..

[Merangue]

I think I was in grade 5 when I first noticed it. We were on vacation, I came out of the bathroom after having taken a shower and all I had was a towel covering my waist down (like all the other kids were doing). This time though my mom said something like "You need to cover your chest, everyone can see what you have". I remember I was confused at first as to what she meant but figured it out a few seconds later. That was pretty depressing.

Later when I was at the hospital for something different, the doctor asked me to change into a gown (when I was about 14-15). The front of it was open and in the room were: my parents and the doc. And here's the kicker: my dad said to the doctor "He's a boy", didn't take a second for that to register... one of the most devastating moments of my life.

I'm sure they didn't mean to say it like they did but... there it is.

[jackwalsh93]

my life is a living hell,infact i havnt had a girlfriend im to much of a whimp to tell my parents or mom im 16 but a junior this has ruined my life i cant swim i hate the summer i cant do anything i want the suregry so bad..

I feel for what your saying,it took me years to tell my parents.Do you go to to the beach or to a pool or anything which involves you taking of your shirt with your parents?If so while your there your mam or dad might notice you feeling or acting awkward with your shirt of and they might ask you "Are you ok?" or something along the lines of that and then you could say it to them because I`m almost certain they`ll of noticed it already.So thats one way of bringing up the subject, but it does involve taking of your shirt which I know is to much for most to bare but thats how I brought it up with my parents and I just had my surgery on thursday so it worked very well but remember to tell them how big an impact this has on your life.
                 Hope this helps you even the tiniest bit,
                                                                      John