My Story

[marmaduke]

A few months ago at age 64, I began noticing a sharp pain behind my left nipple.  It would come and go.  Then I noticed that I seemed to be growing a breast.  I went to my family doctor who gave me a breast exam and sent me for an ultrasound, a chest Xray, and a mammogram (like that wasn't embarrassing).  All results were negative.  I asked my doctor why I was growing a breast and she said I had gynecomastia.  I asked her what could have caused it and she explained that as we grow older our bodies produce fewer hormones and males become more feminized and females become more masculine.

I asked her why there was only a breast on the left side and she said that our bodies are not necessarily the same from side to side.

It's not that noticeable unless I bend over, my wife thinks it's cute and plays with it from time to time, and she (kiddingly) has offered to take me bra shopping.

So what is the problem? With only one, I feel like a freak.  I've never know of a female to have only one breast unless she's had it removed through surgery.

So, how can I have gynecomastia on one side and not the other? 

[headheldhigh01]

it's called unilateral, and there's no real good explanation.  it's the minority, but it happens, in puberty-onset cases same as senior-onset.  you could get a referral to an endo about maybe minimizing the hormone situation, which you would want to do before an op if you chose to go that route, in order to minimize risk of recurrence from the underlying issue.  good luck.   you just have to decide whether you can make peace and live with it or not. 

[marmaduke]

it's called unilateral, and there's no real good explanation.  it's the minority, but it happens, in puberty-onset cases same as senior-onset.  you could get a referral to an endo about maybe minimizing the hormone situation, which you would want to do before an op if you chose to go that route, in order to minimize risk of recurrence from the underlying issue.  good luck.   you just have to decide whether you can make peace and live with it or not. 

Thanks.  It's not that bad that I would consider surgery.  My doctor gave me testosterone replacement gel for low testosterone so that might slow it down.