Does this site have non-surgical information for gynecomastia

[tallman]

You claim "The website provides the most comprehensive information that exists on gynecomastia", and yet I see very little on non-surgical solutions - i.e., anti-estrogens, diet, etc.  Do you have any information on hormonal imbalances that might cause this condition, and how they can be corrected?

[Paa_Paw]

Analysis of hormone levels and subsequent adjustment of those levels is not a do it yourself job. That is the simple reason you will not find what you are looking for. I think you should be talking to an Endocrinologist.

Dietary plans and herbal remedies have proven to be of little or no worth. So you will not find anything about them here either.

The most common focus does relate to surgery, but you will also find information about simply coping with the condition as well. We are not all good candidates for surgery. Many of us, myself included, are living with the condition. There is a certain amount of comfort that comes simply from knowing you are not alone.

The condition is not a disease, so there will never be a cure as such. Meaning that cosmetic surgery is the only reliable way to diminish the size of the male breast.

[tallman]

I'd disagree that "cosmetic surgery is the only reliable way to diminish the size of the male breast".  The size in my case and many others is a direct result of hormone imbalance.  Seems like you are pushing surgery for people with this condition without evening considering the cause, and in cases such as mine, it is completely reversible by correcting hormone imbalances.  You are not presenting a balanced view of treatments, and could be doing surgeries that are completely unnecessary.

To be honest, you really should state that this site is about surgical remedies only.

[Paa_Paw]

This may come as a surprise to you, but I do not favor surgery. In my opinion, when the simple truth about the condition is widely known any stigma will be removed and there will be no need for surgery ever again.

Sadly, I have even seen misinformation even on the Dr. Oz show. The promise of the internet was that information would be available at light speed. What was not considered was this fact: Misinformation is also available at light speed and since it is more sensational it gets spread wider.

I was told to lose some weight to get rid of my enlarged breasts when I was about 18. At 5' 10" and 130 lbs I was hardly fat. Yet this myth persists even today and I am now almost 75 years old. If a person is genuinely obese, then weight loss can be beneficial obviously.

You claim to have knowledge of some natural method to reduce the male breasts. Frankly, I do not believe you. Sorry.

[hammer]

This may come as a surprise to you, but I do not favor surgery. In my opinion, when the simple truth about the condition is widely known any stigma will be removed and there will be no need for surgery ever again.

Sadly, I have even seen misinformation even on the Dr. Oz show. The promise of the internet was that information would be available at light speed. What was not considered was this fact: Misinformation is also available at light speed and since it is more sensational it gets spread wider.

I was told to lose some weight to get rid of my enlarged breasts when I was about 18. At 5' 10" and 130 lbs I was hardly fat. Yet this myth persists even today and I am now almost 75 years old. If a person is genuinely obese, then weight loss can be beneficial obviously.

You claim to have knowledge of some natural method to reduce the male breasts. Frankly, I do not believe you. Sorry.

Paa_Paw, My dear friend, I could not have said it better!

Bob aka Hammer

[tallman]

I'm not claiming knowledge of natural methods - I'm looking for information from professionals who have studied it.  There are plenty of claims on the web about natural methods - I'm looking for a professional who has actually studied test reports and can give an objective judgment on what is effective.  But it is hard to find an objective physician who will admit when natural alternatives when they are effective - it is contrary to their financial well being to do so.

I do know for a fact that hormone levels are sometimes the cause of gynecomastia - two endochronologists and a lot of personal research and blood testing has told me that mine is caused by testosterone converting to estrogen, and that can be adjusted through medication.  That's not true in all cases, only in some.  There are multiple causes, and not all are caused by hormones.  I'm just surprised that this site seems to recommend surgery or acceptance as the only two solutions when for some there is a third option. It doesn't strike me as very balanced.  

[hammer]

I started with mild gynecomastia as a youth, but my testicles died after a vasectomy and it was over two years before I knew that they had died and needed to be removed. I had a major hormone imbalance! (talk about big boobs) I was put on testosterone replacement but had more problems with that then it was worth. You can read this all in more detail in all that I write in "MY STORY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS" found in stories.

I don't think that your going to find anyone, doctor included that can control gyne with hormone balancing, as each person will be different on his needs as to what he needs and the amounts of each to maintain a perfect balance. If there was anyone, you would find them here!

As an insulin dependent diabetic, I can tell you that it is hard to control diabetes which is more studied and researched, and has been for many more years then gyne. I can have several days that are very much the same. Same activity, (I'm disabled) same food (I eat the same for weight control), and my insulin needs can change from day to day as the sugar spikes one day and goes to low or stays normal on others.

Oh ya, insulin is also a hormone!

[Paa_Paw]

Vendors of "Natural" remedies deliberately walk a very narrow line and intentionally avoid haveing to have their products evaluated as drugs. This means that they really do not have to prove anything. On every container of these "Natural" products are a series of disclaimers which state that the products are not for the treatment of any disease and that the dosages and claims have not been evaluated by the FDA.

The only proof would have to come from a double blind study and the purveyors of these products have carefully avoided that because they know they would fail.

When a product has been around long enough that everyone knows it is a scam, The product is simply rebranded and sold under a new name.

If you are absolutely determined to try something, You might try to find a MD who practices "Holistic" medicine.

I do wish you well, but I think you are about to spend your money unwisely.

[Alchemist]

I'm not claiming knowledge of natural methods - I'm looking for information from professionals who have studied it.  There are plenty of claims on the web about natural methods - I'm looking for a professional who has actually studied test reports and can give an objective judgment on what is effective.  But it is hard to find an objective physician who will admit when natural alternatives when they are effective - it is contrary to their financial well being to do so.

I do know for a fact that hormone levels are sometimes the cause of gynecomastia - two endochronologists and a lot of personal research and blood testing has told me that mine is caused by testosterone converting to estrogen, and that can be adjusted through medication.  That's not true in all cases, only in some.  There are multiple causes, and not all are caused by hormones.  I'm just surprised that this site seems to recommend surgery or acceptance as the only two solutions when for some there is a third option. It doesn't strike me as very balanced.  

Hi Tallman,

I'm just surprised that this site seems to recommend surgery or acceptance as the only two solutions when for some there is a third option.

Mythology abounds.  I grew breasts at age 12 in 1960.  In 50+ years I have never found a "natural method" for making a whole lot of excess tissue go away.  Neither have any doctors.  I have found plenty of practitioners willing to sell you whatever mythology you want to believe and can afford.  It doesn't work.  It's like phone pseudo sex, the longer they keep you taking the more they make.

I'm not for surgery.  I went the acceptance route.  I had a whole lot of real health problems to deal with that were far more important than the appearance of breasts.  It was actually rather easy.  I just became a nudist and got rid of the whole body shame business, all of it.  It just doesn't matter and never give an inch to body bullies.

[gotgyne]

Since the posting of links to other web sites is disabled use the most common search engine and type in "gynecomastia" and "tamoxifen".

[headheldhigh01]

Mythology abounds.  I grew breasts at age 12 in 1960.  In 50+ years I have never found a "natural method" for making a whole lot of excess tissue go away.  Neither have any doctors.  I have found plenty of practitioners willing to sell you whatever mythology you want to believe and can afford.  It doesn't work.  It's like phone pseudo sex, the longer they keep you taking the more they make.

well said.  people come here all the time asking about supplement x or pill y.  they want to believe so they don't have to spend $5000 instead of 99.95, and they get mad when someone tells them it's not going to work.  a few of them will sheepishly admit a half a year later they got nowhere. 

if a hammer smashes a glass, swinging it backwards is not going to unsmash it.  your levels (ratios are more important, but even that's an oversimplification) can go back to normal, but the gyne is going to stay there. 

the fact most people understand this simple truth is why the board may SEEM to be a surgery-favoring place, when in truth there are lots of opinions here, but that one is still a fact.  save your money for what works, don't waste it on what won't. 

[nogojoe]

Interesting.

Basically, you want professionals who research and study the issue to provide information contrary to their research and professional opinions. The reason you'll find little information from these professionals is because the research indicates that these 'natural cures' are worth less than the paper or electrons on which they're advertised.

I've been around this site for a while now and have seen many a doctor recommend seeking an experienced Endocrinologist to check for hormone imbalances but as someone pointed out, that's as far as the responsible discussion should go. The rest of that discussion is between you and your Endocrinologist and cannot be nor should it be provided via a public forum.

[headheldhigh01]

it's much simpler than you are making it.  

my reply did not rest on what a bunch of (generally quite competent) physicians fed me somewhere, but on my own direct observation of dozens and dozens of real men's actual experiences with a lot of snake oil over close to nine years on this site (as well as reading through almost the entire archive contents of maybe 2-3 years of the very first boards  before that).  plus grasping the simple fact that removing the inducing factor does not make a half a kilo's worth of tissue disappear into nothing, no matter what the pill sellers promise they can cure. and having read the claims, i know they do falsely promise that.  seriously.  some of them are no more competent than the idea you need more testosterone - never mind that an excess will just aromatize to estro.  the effects of the more expensive big pharma versions will generally be not much better either.  i assume you get my analogy above about trying to unbreak the glass.  

you are correct the discussion should be with the endo, who at least understands the great complexities of the problem, even if that will not translate to a cure in any but the most marginal cases, if even those.  however, the reason the doctors recommend that discussion, like you say, is to be sure things are relatively stable in order to minimize the risk of recurrence.  you should not imagine that it is because it will lead to a cure.  

i am all for people's rights to choose alternative remedies for themselves, independent of a big-brother state, and i oppose the excesses of an fda that's in bed with the pharmaceutical megacorporations. i even believe firmly in your right to choose acceptance for yourself if that's what works for you, anyone else, gyne or non-gyne, be d@mned.  i just also believe in telling the truth about scams and false hopes on a subject i know something about.  

i hope that makes things a little clearer.  

[Alchemist]

I'd disagree that "cosmetic surgery is the only reliable way to diminish the size of the male breast".  The size in my case and many others is a direct result of hormone imbalance.  Seems like you are pushing surgery for people with this condition without evening considering the cause, and in cases such as mine, it is completely reversible by correcting hormone imbalances.  You are not presenting a balanced view of treatments, and could be doing surgeries that are completely unnecessary.

To be honest, you really should state that this site is about surgical remedies only.

Hi Tallman,

I have a hypothesis about the teenaged formation of breasts based on limited case histories.  It might also apply to men in the 50s and after.  So here is how you prevent yourself from growing breasts when you were twelve or 13.  Find somebody with a time machine.  Go back to your age 10 and give yourself enough bottles of methylb12, adnosylb12 and Metafolin to last your younger self until age 18.  These vitamins might normalize the metabolism and hormones during that period.  Deficiencies certainly cause all sorts of hormone problems.  I don't know anybody with an operable time machine.  However for $20,000,000 I know somebody who would be willing to try to build one.

Somewhat less expensively I know a shaman who might be able to send you back into your younger self with the knowledge.  Unfortunately none of those supplements were available before 1998, and remembering what you were supposed to doesn't usually work.  See THE STRANGE LIFE OF IVAN OSAKIN by Peter Ouspensky.  Another good cautionary tale is BUTTERFLY EFFECT.

[Paa_Paw]

Unfortunately it has been mentioned here several times in the past. The results are based on personal belief. You want it to work and you think it might work and as long as you keep believing it seems to be working, until the day when you actually face the truth, that there has actually been no improvement.

Most of the Herbal remedies work on the same principle. as long as they can keep you believing they can keep selling you their stuff. Ultimately you have to face the truth, that it does no good at all.

If the condition of Gynecomastia is caused by a medication, and the medication is withdrawn soon enough, It may revert. The operative word is May.

If the condition is caused by a hormonal imbalance and the imbalance is rectified, partial reversal of the growth is possible. The opertive words being Partial and Possible.

Reversal of the condition is not possible once the growth has stabilized. I liken it to trying to uncook a boiled egg. I like HHH's analogy of unbreaking  pane of glass too.