Oh no! I have gynoca... mast... man boobs

[abbraxis]

Some quick background...

I've been going to the gym fairly regularly for the last several months and am really happy with my progress. I started out fairly skinny but am actually adding some shape and tone to my body. These changes are of course invisible to others (for now ) but obvious to me.

As a result, I've noticed one of my... let's call them "pecs" (though really they're only discernible from my rib cage because I the skin there is a bit thicker than everywhere else) is shaped differently than the other. I've also noticed a "cap" - almost like the cap of a gallon milk jug - or something under the nipple that's about a half inch larger than the rest of the nipple. It's also really tender.

As a pessimist, my first thought was breast cancer - though I'm relatively sure that's not it, so I looked at some of the symptoms of gynecomastia and saw some similarities. I've always wondered why that nipple was sometimes a bit bigger than the other. I used to think it was just warmer or something, which is retrospect, was pretty dumb.

So anyway, I'd like to hear any experiences from anyone here if they have or had gynecomastia. Assuming I get it officially diagnosed by a doctor, I'd like to get it removed if the surgery isn't too expensive, intense or ineffective. Does anyone here have some insight?

Thanks in advance.

[Mdlftr]

...and it is due to a hormonal imbalance or other fairly "benign" condition, as opposed to breast tissue growth due to steroids or some dangerous condition.

I'd go to your internist and have him/her examine you, and possibly draw blood to get some sense of your testosterone and other hormone levels. They might refer you to an endocrinologist who could perform more detailed examinations which could identify what is going on, if anything is.

Sometimes we just have asymmetries in our bodies and they are not a sign of any condition. Try not to stress over it and try not to read symptoms on the web and start obsessing over what you think you might have.

Chances are, it's no big deal. My doctor noted an asymmetry in my chest and a fattiness under one nipple when I started to up my workout intensity and frequency. It had something to do with a new surge of hormones and it evened out as I kept working out.

Until you get the doctor to check it out definitively, try not to worry about it. Do get it looked at. It will bring you peace of mind, if nothing else.

Mdlftr