<p>I am trying to find out about gynecomastia and ways to alleviate the problem. Anyone out there have experience with this? Surgery? Other solutions?</p>
<p>Never mind…</p>
<p>I happen to know a lot about the subject, as my S has had quite a time with it. It is caused by the natural estrogen that is produced in the male, which can get out of whack during puberty. He first noticed it 2 years ago, at 13. One side grew large enough to be noticeable, and it hurt. Many, many young men experience some type of gynecomastia (I have seen estimates as high as 80%). Our doctor explained this, and she told us that it generally goes away in 6-18 months. However, when the first side stayed the same & the other side grew even larger than the first a year later … she sent us to a pediatric endicronologist. The endocrinologist was incredible with my son! He was very respectful of the situation and how my son felt. He told him that while his situation was worse than many, it was also far better than the worst he has seen. He told S that plastic surgery is done in the worst cases, but it is only done if absolutely necessary (growing body = bad scarring if that kind of surgery is done too soon). He assured my son that if he could get through the next couple years with the condition, it would most likely go away … and if not, he could deal with it surgically later on. But he offered an alternative: Tamoxifin is now being used to block estrogen in teenage boys who experience gynecomastia. We could try it for S, monitoring his estrogen levels on a regular basis. It would keep things from getting worse. He did not try to talk us into it; he left it as a simple option available.</p>
<p>I talked it over with the pediatrician, and she & I felt that Tamoxifin had too many drawbacks to justify its use in S’s case. My H agreed. We talked to S’s counselor & were able to put off freshman gym class to 2nd semester. He was going to a new school, so we wanted him to feel comfortable before the swimming portion of gym! As it turned out, the gynecomastia did not get worse … swimming was fine because he had friends in the class & no one cared … and he is growing so much that he doesn’t seem to notice it anymore.</p>
<p>I can’t give you advice, because it depends on the individual. I definitely suggest a visit to a pediatric endocrinologist. It will really help to clarify options for your specific case. It is much too important to the young man to just say it’ll go away. I recommend treating it with the utmost respect and consideration. It might be bad enough to warrant surgery or Tamoxifin.</p>
<p>I should add that we took S’s social situation into consideration in making the decision not to use Tamoxifin. Had he been depressed or withdrawn as a result of the condition, we may well have tried the estrogen blocker. I think weighing the possibility of suicide against the unknown effects of the Tamoxifin is wise.</p>
<p>My son had outpatient surgery for this as a senior in high school with no complications. One breast more pronounced. I was very nervous about the idea of surgery but he is very glad he did it.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who replied. As one can imagine, as a parent this is very nerve racking.</p>