What do I tell my parents?

[BadCaseGyno]

I have had gyno for a little over a year now, and I'm 16. I have been talking to my parents about it the last couple of weeks, and they seem to think its no big deal and are not willing to spend the money for surgery. They want me to wait another year and see if it goes away. I am confident this is not going away. It is very thick, painful, glandular tissue. They also refuse to put me on Tamoxifen or other estrogen inhibiting drug that will most likely shrink the masses. I can scrounge together enough for surgery within a year, but my parents want me to save for college. The past 6 months have been hell, and I can't go another 6 months let alone a year. What do I tell my parents? What will make them understand the seriousness of the situation?

I guess I'm just sick of waiting. Another problem I have is that my voice hasn't changed yet. If you think hiding your chest is tough, try being an outgoing person and not being able to talk! I've been waiting for it to change since 7 grade, telling myself "hold on, it'll happen next year", and it never has. Although, that will eventually happen. The chances of my moobs going away are slim at this point.

[DrBermant]

I have had gyno for a little over a year now, and I'm 16. I have been talking to my parents about it the last couple of weeks, and they seem to think its no big deal and are not willing to spend the money for surgery. They want me to wait another year and see if it goes away. I am confident this is not going away. It is very thick, painful, glandular tissue. They also refuse to put me on Tamoxifen or other estrogen inhibiting drug that will most likely shrink the masses. I can scrounge together enough for surgery within a year, but my parents want me to save for college. The past 6 months have been hell, and I can't go another 6 months let alone a year. What do I tell my parents? What will make them understand the seriousness of the situation?

I guess I'm just sick of waiting. Another problem I have is that my voice hasn't changed yet. If you think hiding your chest is tough, try being an outgoing person and not being able to talk! I've been waiting for it to change since 7 grade, telling myself "hold on, it'll happen next year", and it never has. Although, that will eventually happen. The chances of my moobs going away are slim at this point.

Moobs is a public term for gynecomastia. 

There can be a great deal of Emotion Living with Gynecomastia. Many have told me the video posted on that link has been a good tool in helping others better understand the stress.  Following the links on that page can also be a good introduction for your parents to better understand the issues of gynecomastia.

How Old Before Considering Gynecomastia Surgery is a common question.  If breast growth has not resolved by 2 years it will typically not go away by itself.  If breasts are still painful and growing, stabilizing the problem first is a better option since surgery will not stop breast growth.

No Surgery Body Shaping Garments are an option that many have used until the problem has stabilized or had surgery to deal with contour issues like gynecomastia.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[Jack17]

I'm sure this is very little consolation, but if you're 16 and you've had it for a year, there's still a good chance it's going to go away. They say as much as 30% of guys have it at some point in their life, but for about 5% of those men, it sticks, and surgery is the only way to go.

I'm 17, and I've had it for maybe 4 years. My doc says if you have it for more than three years, it's probably going to stick.

Like I said, probably little consolation. If you’re like me, you want it gone yesterday. haha

Just some food for thought though.

[Paa_Paw]

Estrogen inhibing drugs do not diminish established Gynecomastia. They are helpful in stopping the growth if the condition is actively growing. For most of us they are of no value.

These drugs are commonly used in conjunction with steroids by body builders as a preventative. It is rather difficult to establish their effectiveness however. How do you prove something that did not happen?

We require a small amount of Estrogen anyhow. It is not the presence of Estrogen that is a problem, but the relationship between it and the other hormones.

There is a "Black Market" for those drugs, but they should not be used without competent medical supervision. Adjusting your reproductive physiology is not a DIY job.

[thetodd]

times are hard mate, dont expect your parents to stump up a few k out of nowhere

all you can do is tell them how hard it is for you, and that you are saving money for it. But if you were my child honestley i would tell you to wait till your 18 and followed the doctors advice

[Gyno-more]

I've been on Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for almost a month - like Todd said, it won't "shrink" Gyno, it'll only block the estrogen and stop it from growing.

BTW - Todd, your pics aren't coming up for me - don't know why, they always did before.

[thetodd]

cheers mate they should work now if they dont ill rehost them tommorow when im putting my new pics on

it was actually paa_paw who said it but i will back this up by saying i spent a good £700+ on pills (mite have been £900). letzerole tamoxifen and cabergoline. They didnt work and fucked up my libido for a few months lol

so dont waste your time with that

[haisook]

It looks like you're currently going through puberty, as your voice hasn't changed or at least hasn't stabilized to an adult male's. This means you could be lucky, because you may be having pubertal gynecomastia that can go away as you progress through puberty. It looks like you're a late bloomer (I was one), so I know it's hard to wait, but you really should wait for at least 2 more years, or more precisely, wait until your puberty has stabilized. You will know when that happens.

Now what you need to do is get in shape and try to keep your body fat within the normal range. Try to keep it as low as possible. Go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm certain that by doing this you'll be increasing the chances of your gyne going away by a HUGE percent. My biggest mistake was that at the time my gyne could've been going away I put on a LOT of weight (I was depressed because of college). Fat is a close friend of estrogen. The more the fat you have in your body, the more estrogen will be produced. Also, fat on the chest traps the gland within, preventing it from dissolving.

Good luck.