Teen Problems

[dleee]

I've had gynecomastia for around 2-3 years.  I am currently 17 years old and I have a unilateral man breast.  So, obviously it does not look good on me.  I'm not sure if I have psuedo-gynecomastia or just regular gynecomastia.  I have a gained weight lost weight so I don't think it is pseudo-gynecomastia.  I also have a history of excessive marijuana use.  So it could be that or puberty and I'm not sure.  It is not big so it has a chance of disappearing.  I was wondering what are my possible solutions besides surgery. During these economically hard times, 5k-7.5k is not easy money for my parents.  It is around 3mm wide and I need help.  Thank you for your time.

[Litlriki]

Sorry to hear about your problem with unilateral gynecomastia.  Most likely, this is true gynecomastia related to puberty, which resolves in 95% of cases within three years of onset.  At this point, I'd recommend a little more time to see if it goes away.  Whether your marijuana use has anything to do with the condition is debatable, as has been discussed elsewhere on this forum.  There are certainly other reasons to minimize use, but if resolution of your gynecomastia is a potential motivator for you, you might consider cutting back on that to see if it helps.  I would not recommend hormonal manipulation to try and manage the gynecomastia, since such intervention is not without risk and not of proven benefit.  As tough as it is to tolerate the condition at this sensitive stage in your life, the best thing to have right now is patience.

Good luck,

Rick Silverman

[dleee]

I have been off the marijuana use for good and I also hit puberty late.  It's just that doing research it says it usually goes away in one year.  So I was just wondering if surgery is the only option.  But if it is still early to decide more information would be appreciated.

[Litlriki]

If you hit puberty late, and if it hasn't been 3 years since the onset of the mass, give it time and see what happens.  Typically, 95% of cases resolve within 3 years.  But 5% don't, and those 5% either live with the condition or have surgery to correct it.

RS

[DrPensler]

I would recommend you discuss this with your parents. I would say there are several options but I cannot go into detail with you without approval from one of your parents.