Pre HRT Gynecomastia

[Erica b]

I was curious if any Transwomen taking hormones on this site had gynecomastia before they started hrt. Did it seem to help or hurt breast development? I cant find information on this. I ask because I have had it since I was about 13.

FYI Ive had my hormones levels checked for unrelated reasons and nothing was out of the ordinary.

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[RobynD]

I did - i was a larger A cup, even could wear some B cups prior to HRT and i want to stress that i was not overweight. I think it came from the stomach med Tagamet that i took as a late teen/early adult. That is just my theory though.

I'm now a 38D and i believe still growing, so i predict i will end as DD. Was the previous breast tissue a launchpad for the new stuff, my guess is yes but it could also just be genetics.

[2.B.Dana]

I had significant gynecomastia from puberty onward. Over recent years I was I testosterone therapy for low T and that activated growth in a major way. By the time I unraveled my situation and realized I was transgender I wore a 40G bra. I was unable to find good anecdotes or data on what HRT does to this condition. I have only recently started estradiol but I intend to write about changes that occur for others to have the information and I hope you will as well.

[Erica b]

Im hoping for a B or C but I am also probably an A pre everything. Ive been overweight but only slightly. Now that I am loosing alot of weight its becoming blatently odvious without a shirt. In the past this has discouraged me from weight loss for fear of ridicule but this time im tired of worrying about it.

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[Jenna Marie]

I did, and it was confirmed that it included some minor glandular development. I had a very fast response to HRT (visible growth and soreness within a week), which seemed to me to be partly because even very slight changes made what I already had "perk up" and stick out. I also ended up developing very quickly; I was a 42C within three months and a 42D within a year. However, I don't think "fast" necessarily equates with "large"; I think you get what you get, some of us just get it faster.

(I'm now 38DDD and about 7 years on HRT.)

[AshleyP]

I was curious if any Transwomen taking hormones on this site had gynecomastia before they started hrt. Did it seem to help or hurt breast development?

I had gynecomastia before starting HT. I think taking spiro for CHF for a number of years helped it along. I'm pretty sure that I'd developed some glandular tissue and it was not all fat. It felt like a donut behind the nipple. My measurements indicated a "B" cup, but there really wasn't that much volume. I certainly couldn't fill a "B" cup.

About four months into HT, and I'd gained another two inches and a lot of bulk. So, I'd say that it seems to have helped me. I think it may make a difference whether you have mostly fatty tissue or glandular tissue. But I can only speak for my experience.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[Erica b]

I had gynecomastia before starting HT. I think taking spiro for CHF for a number of years helped it along. I'm pretty sure that I'd developed some glandular tissue and it was not all fat. It felt like a donut behind the nipple. My measurements indicated a "B" cup, but there really wasn't that much volume. I certainly couldn't fill a "B" cup.

About four months into HT, and I'd gained another two inches and a lot of bulk. So, I'd say that it seems to have helped me. I think it may make a difference whether you have mostly fatty tissue or glandular tissue. But I can only speak for my experience.

All the best,
--AshleyP

It feels like a bunch of hard small bumps under the skin where ever it sticks out. Thats glands right?

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[AshleyP]

It feels like a bunch of hard small bumps under the skin where ever it sticks out. Thats glands right?

I can't say that mine felt like that. I don't remember it that way and right now they certainly don't feel like they did back then. I just remember it feeling like a donut with more mass in a ring around the areolae and less mass right behind the areolae. The donuts were almost three inches across, or extending about an inch beyond the areolae in each direction. I never did develop the "little traffic cones" and sensitivity/pain that so many others describe. In fact, the growth happened so fast, over a month or so that I've wondered if more like swelling than actual tissue growth.

Here are the measurements before starting HT: taken across the breast: 44"; below breasts: 41.5"; above breasts: 42". The hemi-circumferential measurement was 12cm. At six months: across the breast 46"; below breasts: 42"; above breasts: 44". The hemi-circumferential is 16.5cm now.

I'm about six months in HT and they've been big, full and quite perky for about two months. For a while, I was afraid they might "deflate" but I'm beginning to get attached to 'em. The sensations are interesting. For example, when driving, I can feel them pressing against the inside of my biceps or when I'm smoking my little pipe, I can feel my nipples against the inside of my forearms. Before HT, they used to "jiggle" some when going down stairs or hitting a pothole in the car. Not now; it takes a much more vigorous action and the result is more of a "bounce" than a "jiggle."

I'd be interested in hearing from others, too, if they've had an experience like I've described.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[Dani]

Yes, I have developed some breast enlargement from finasteride I was taking for prostate reasons. About 1% of men who take finasteride get some degree of gynecomastia.

[Brooke]

Same, solid A cup that developed in puberty. I jumped to a B cup within a few months of low dose hrt. My mom mentioned recently that we are the same cup/band size now. Just coming up on 5 months of transitional levels and one year on hrt. Will definitely be interesting to see where things end up. In the past few months things have rounded much more, and as others have stated the growth that was already there perked up pretty immediately.


~Brooke~

[2.B.Dana]

I am so glad that you ladies have been adding your experiences to this thread. Regarding the little lumps, pebbles, beans etc behind the nipple. That may or may not be glandular tissue. I've had that and was positive in my own mind that it was glandular tissue.

I had a mammogram last year and the radiologist said all I had was "fatty replaced tissue". I was quite puzzled and the nurse explained to me that I had the breasts of an older woman. Wasn't sure how to take that so I had to study up on this a bit.

We all have glandular tissue but in men it remains inactive most of the time. A woman has active glands that develop in preparation for rearing children. As she ages, they become inactive, deflate, and are replaced by fat. Although that doesn't have the same consistency, hence the sagging boobs that older women lament.

After just a few days my boobs are all twitchy inside so something is activating and quite quickly. Only time will tell how they will change, but I know they are going to deflate. And I did worry about that for some time as well. I would have to agree that you become attached to them and the thought of breast cancer and a mastectomy have a whole new meaning at this point.

Looking forward to more comments,

[AshleyP]

Looking forward to more comments,

Here's some relevant information from the healthcare website UpToDate.com:

GYNECOMASTIA EVALUATION

"Gynecomastia should not be confused with pseudogynecomastia, which occurs in overweight men whose breasts enlarge because of fat deposits.

If you are a man or boy with enlarged or tender breasts, your health care provider will perform an examination to determine whether the tissue in your breasts is fatty or glandular. Glandular tissue is designed to secrete substances, such as milk or hormones, and usually has a network of ducts that can be felt."

The article points out that a number of different factors may cause gynecomastia, including puberty, hormonal imbalance, medications, etc.

Drugs — Many drugs have been associated with gynecomastia, including:

● "Spironolactone (brand name: Aldactone), a drug used to treat heart failure, high blood pressure, and several other conditions."

As I mentioned, I had been taking a low dosage of spiro for about eight years prior beginning HT. So I'm pretty sure that what I had was some glandular development and not just fatty deposits. Actually, I didn't realize that enlarged breasts due to fatty tissue is called pseudogynecomastia.

I will add one other thing that I'd forgotten until I saw the mention of duct development. After my breasts began to swell, I found that I could express a stream of clear liquid if I squeezed them vigorously. That has stopped and a good "squeezin" only produces some droplets now. Both phenomenon struck me as odd, first that I was able to do it, and then that it wouldn't do it any more. I'm not quite sure what to think about that.

All the best,
--AshleyP

[mako9802]

I had significant gynecomastia from puberty onward. Over recent years I was I testosterone therapy for low T and that activated growth in a major way. By the time I unraveled my situation and realized I was transgender I wore a 40G bra. I was unable to find good anecdotes or data on what HRT does to this condition. I have only recently started estradiol but I intend to write about changes that occur for others to have the information and I hope you will as well.

40G Wowzers!!

[2.B.Dana]

"Gynecomastia should not be confused with pseudogynecomastia, which occurs in overweight men whose breasts enlarge because of fat deposits.

Prior to switching to Susans, I spent most of my online forum time in areas dedicated to men who wear bras. Most were from medication induced gynecomastia. After my mammogram there was a reference to pseudogynecomastia from nine folks which was quite distressing to me at the time. While I won't try to debate the subject here, there is actually a lot of disagreement on the subject within the medical community.

As my brother likes to say, it all comes down to money. Well there is a big business in getting rid of breasts for men. Referring to it as pseudogynecomastia and "just fat" makes for a much easier sell to a mans vanity. He doesn't want to be referred to as having breasts or man boobs or moobs, whatever. He just wants a nip and tuck and the "fat" to disappear.

Spending time on sites like 007b.com and surgeons sites that deal in removing breasts it is easy to see that there are many different shapes these things come in. Yes, many overweight men look like the have nipples attached to a fat roll. Others have two well defined breasts that would be similar to any woman. Not much pseudo about them.

I'm not certain but I don't think anyone on Susans really cares what's inside her boobs as long as they grow to a size she is happy with, as quickly as possible

[Daniellekai]

I'm not certain but I don't think anyone on Susans really cares what's inside her boobs as long as they grow to a size she is happy with, as quickly as possible

Just to be contrary here, I greatly prefer actual breast tissue, so that the subdermal "texture" is just right, and who knows, maybe "working" mammaries will come in handy (after discussing with doctors if that would be a danger to either me or the child of course, although preliminary research indicates that on the proper regiment it should be reasonably safe for both)

[josie76]

I had some that developed over several years with lower T after getting a vesectomy. It started with a hard spot behind the nipple. This slowly grew to behind the areoles. It would hurt if bumped directly or if one of my kids hit them when laying back their head while on my lap. Before getting on HRT I did use some dietary supplements to help lower my T further. It seemed to work and as a side effect I did have some greater tissue growth. I had the aching for a couple of months, sometimes for days on end. So I'd say the early growth definately primed my breasts. Now on HRT I have definately had a good growth for the last 3 months.

[Balerie]

I've had gynecomastia all my life and I am overweight. I was a 44C prior to HRT and 2 weeks in I'd grown to a 44D. I'm at one month now and my breasts are starting to feel heavier and very different to how they felt pre HRT when they were just man boobs. My doctor says that in time they will develop into actual breasts.

[Brooke]

Anyone here that developed gynecomastia during puberty also Not develop strong male sex characteristics?

For instance I developed a solid A cup during my teens, but also have no Adam's apple, voice never deepened, sparse facial and body hair, androgynous bone structure.


~Brooke~

[Erica b]

Anyone here that developed gynecomastia during puberty also Not develop strong male sex characteristics?

For instance I developed a solid A cup during my teens, but also have no Adam's apple, voice never deepened, sparse facial and body hair, androgynous bone structure.


~Brooke~

I got an A cup during puberty but i also got a large brow and a square chin. Other than that I do have small wrists and im not to tall. And without my muscle I have a small frame.

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[Dani]

Anyone here that developed gynecomastia during puberty also Not develop strong male sex characteristics?

For instance I developed a solid A cup during my teens, but also have no Adam's apple, voice never deepened, sparse facial and body hair, androgynous bone structure.


~Brooke~

I developed a tender lump in my right breast which never went away. Today my right breast is slightly larger than the left breast.