My son....may be a stupid question but I got to ask

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 05-19-2011, 07:06 AM

Okay so I have an 11 year old son and he has a body type EXACTLY like me. I know the troubles I had when i went through puberty, for example I grew the "boobs" and had to deal with them and still do to this day.

So I was wondering would it be out of the question to get him tested for estrogen and maybe start him on an Arimitose Inhibitor when he is going through puberty to try keep him from getting a bad chest?

I know it might be a stupid question, but if you could prevent your son from going through all the teasing wouldn't you do it to help him out.

**GotNoBlueMilk** · 05-19-2011, 07:11 AM

Dude, drugs (hormones included) should be a last resort for everyone, and kids even more so.

If you want to do your son a favor, teach him to eat right, exercise, and manage his body that way! That will last him a lifetime, instead of taking drugs for a lifetime.

Oh, and do the eating and exercising thing by example! It works better that way.

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 05-19-2011, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by GotNoBlueMilk

Dude, drugs (hormones included) should be a last resort for everyone, and kids even more so.

If you want to do your son a favor, teach him to eat right, exercise, and manage his body that way! That will last him a lifetime, instead of taking drugs for a lifetime.

Oh, and do the eating and exercising thing by example! It works better that way.

I do get on him about eating right and exercising. He sees me and my wife eating/cooking our meals for the week, going to the gym 6 days a week etc...

And no I do not want him to be on drugs his whole life. I was thinking that his body is going to be rising in testosterone /hence his estrogen will be rising so if you could keep that estrogen from rising while he went through puberty then maybe he wouldn't have to go through some of the same teasings and feelings I went through as a teenager.

I said in the beginning I thought it was a stupid question, but I just had to ask.

**sirupate** · 05-19-2011, 08:43 AM

Is your son in puberty yet? In any case, I'd wait until he is later in his teenage years to begin exploring his hormone numbers. And yes, stress proper diet and exercise to help him through this sometimes rough period. Since starting on TRT as a mid-50's adult, I've often wondered if I should get some baseline test. numbers for my late teenage sons so they will know in future years what their young bodies kept as "normal" levels. I doubt insurance would pay for this (absent a health reason), but it would be good for them to have a baseline to carry into their adult years.

**THE-DET-OAK** · 05-19-2011, 09:06 AM

AI's for hypo are a no no, at any age, but no dude, dont give you kid anything.

look up the warrior diet and see if you can remedy with food choices.

**Vettester** · 05-19-2011, 09:41 AM

Agree with the previous responses. Definitely don't want to be exploring any AI's with kids.

**zaggahamma** · 05-19-2011, 10:38 AM

Interesting post bro....imo i would consult a doctor and go from there only

**JohnnyVegas** · 05-19-2011, 10:44 AM

I have always held all my fat on my torso. When I was chubby as a kid I had to deal with all the "boobs" jokes...and I know it SUCKS. My fat goes there first, and leaves there last, so the only way to deal with it is to have low body fat. Even now I am in the low 20s and it is all on my abs and chest. Best thing he can do is stay trim.

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 05-19-2011, 11:19 AM

Thanks guys for the opinions. I am not arbitrarily going to put him on anything. I will definately ask the doctor about it though.

I was just thinking it would be nice to help my son not have to go through some of the same things I went through if a simple pill would help.

And I agree with everybody about the proper diet and exercise(which he will start working out with me when he is 12), but just like with us when we start putting test into us the estrogen follows and goes up. So as he hits puberty his test will go up followed by his estrogen.

It was completely an idea I came up with and trust me that I will not do anything to him unless I talk to a doctor first.

**THE-DET-OAK** · 05-19-2011, 12:59 PM

hey man dont be afraid to put him in the gym at 7. there is a huge long term study that just came out not long ago showing all the positives of doing so, and their muscles are very responsive to strength at this age not size though. it was long believed it would stunt their growth, well now they realize that is not true.

**snowman** · 05-19-2011, 01:25 PM

Your son is only 11 bro... what you might think its a "simple Pill" now , might be damaging him in the future...instead of a doctor i would try a " good" nutritionist first, and by changing his complete diet it might help, that nutritionist might even tell your son to become a vegetarian for a while to see how it helps.... pills/drugs would be my last choice.
My son is 18 now and started working out with me, and i dont even let him take creatine yet.... food is all he needs until he stops growing.

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 05-19-2011, 01:33 PM

The Det Oak...Our gym will not allow anybody under the age of 12 to workout in the gym area. He does play football so he gets some exercise in during the season, and I have him in an offseason spead and agility clinic twice a week. But as soon as he turns 12 he will be in there doing some weights and cardio. I have told him if you get in the habit now it will be easier the older you get.

Snowman....One of the main reasons I brought this question up in this section of this forum is because its mainly guys wanting to feel better, not people whose first answer is "take this". I knew I would get honest answers here. I definately know that he does not need to be taking a bunch of stuff right now. Thats why I am not going to just do it on my own without an experts opinion.

**meathead320** · 05-19-2011, 02:14 PM

My way of looking at it is first off do NOTHING without medical supervision, especially with a kid.

If low testosterone is a genetic issue for the men in your family, then keep an eye on the things that cannot be changed after puberty.

Things like height for example. It is one thing low T men, who have high E2 tend to lack, as their growth plates close early.

Genital growth too is limited in guys with low T after puberty not much can be done, and nobody wants to be cursed with a smaller than normal penis.

If you are concerned your son may have high E2 do NOT take things into your own hands. I would suggest consulting with a very good doctor about such things, and I do know that AAS, testosterone , and AI's are used in medicine for teenage boys to make sure they reach adult height, get the man parts fully grown etc... but this needs to be supervised.

I say this as a guy who is 30 now, and likely always had a bad T to E ratio. Not very tall. Always had moobs as a teen. Lets say other things did not get as big as they should either.

As a younger adult I got into AAS. Feeling inadequate does in same cases lead men there. Too much time on the sauce and I was not going back to normal, or heck may never have been "normal" in the first place.

Had to battle for many years to get things right. Been on TRT now for 3 years, and am finally getting my E2 Dailed in.

I did lose a lot of bodyfat, my facial hair is now full, my voice is now deeper, I have a lot more self confidence.

The othsmall penis issue was treated successfully with DHT cream, andractim. Yes it works, even in adults if not quite as good as it would have before puberty, but still worked enough to make me much happier. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8326617

One thing I will never get back is my proper adult height. My wingspan is 4" more than my height however.

Had my parents been concerned and known what to look for, and IF an AI had been given by a doctor, to think it could have spared me all that trouble my adult life.

Like I said, NOTHING without a doctor involved.

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 05-20-2011, 02:33 PM

That is very interesting Meathead. I had a lot of those symptoms to growing up.

**forrest_and_trees** · 05-20-2011, 10:16 PM

NSM- I can see where you're coming from, oddly enough, I've pondered the same question myself, should I ever have kids some day. If I had a son with all the signs, what would I do?

...Let's get it out of the way- Obviously,*nothing* without a doctors advice. That said, I would suspect it will be ***extremely*** hard to even find a doc who will work with a kid your age but be persistent.

But all that aside, there's a whole other issue to consider, and that's **don't screw the kid up mentally!!!** Lot's of parents enter into programs intended to "help" their kids and all they end up doing is scarring them for life. I can think if countless people I've known who are screwed up now because their parents "tried to help them" at an early age.

Your kid is clueless at this point about much of the issues he faces, and there's no need to freak him out and make him neurotic by filling his mind with all kinds of stuff that's "wrong with him" or *might* be wrong. Kids that age have enough to worry about, and going on in their little heads as it is, that they don't need any help. Now that said, I too remember what it was like growing up "pudgy" and how I was often embarrassed to do things like swim at the public pool or in front of other kids, or even take my shirt off in front of other people. I had bunches of shirts with holes warn in my chest from all the constant scratching. I did it because it temporarily made my nipples hard and they didn't look so obvious. I also wore over-shirts and jackets, even in the summer when it was boiling out, just to cover it up. So I hear you.

If you're *reallY* concerned and willing to do what it takes, then you will have to take the leading roll, do ***all the hard work*** and start by educating yourself. There's TONS of info on the internet if you just Google it. Look up info on estrogen dominance in pubescent males. Learn as much as you can about "xenoestrogens". Then take steps to eliminate as much as you can from your kids life. But this will be a full time job for you and your wife as it will force you to change your lifestyles and eating and shopping habits. It will be *a lot* of work at first, but over time you will get used to the changes and adopt them as your own. Next I would seek out "natural ways" to lower E. There are foods and natural supplements that can help that wouldn't adversely effect someone his age. Get him involved in physical activities as they naturally increase T levels. Learn about other natural ways and you stand a good chance at helping the kid avoid a difficult childhood and adult life.

I personally don't think it would be horrible to run a blood panel just to see where you stand. But I **would not** tell him why you're doing it. All he needs to know is he's going to the doctor for a check up.

I admire your intentions, I sometimes wish someone had looked out for me at that age. Just make sure you're fully committed and do it *right*.

Here are a couple links to get you started:

Xenoestrogens

Xenoestrogens effects on boys

Google search- "Estrogen in young boys"

Elevated estrogen in boys

That should keep you busy for a while. Best of luck.

F/T

**zaggahamma** · 05-20-2011, 10:43 PM

also be carefull what /where/what source your reading from ....some articles may be geared toward steering the reader to buying their food/product(s)

**forrest_and_trees** · 05-20-2011, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by jpkman

also be carefull what /where/what source your reading from ....some articles may be geared toward steering the reader to buying their food/product(s)

*VERY* good point! As always, be discerning and stay informed. Use common sense. Verify what information you find with multiple sources.

**lovbyts** · 05-20-2011, 11:39 PM

I agree with everyone who said DONT try to self medicate him and it sounds like that is not what you are considering; good.
I say yes defiantly take him to the doctor and get a full blood work up done. Nothing at all wrong with finding out if some thyroid is not producing the proper hormone or to much.

It's good you dont want him to suffer through what you did and he will thank you for it. Along with that I also agree about the diet comments except for your response. (I do get on him about eating right and exercising) Who is the child and who is the adult. The diet is up to you, feed him good food and take him to the gym, to the park, go play catch, baseball, football, Frisbee or any type of outdoor activity that will get the heart rate up. It will be good for you too so you are killing 2 birds with one stone. Considering it's also bonding and will help you have a better relationship with him it's killing 3 birds with one stone.

**meathead320** · 05-21-2011, 12:19 PM

I think I should also add that I agree 100% with the posters who have brought up diet and exercise into the discussion.

There is a good chance my problems were a result of being FAT as a child.

We know that fat increase the aromitase enzyme, and we know that this will scew the T to E ratio.

Other things to avoid too, IMHO is the over medication of children with SSRI's which are well known to increase E2, and we know that increased E2 can lower testosterone and so forth.

I was put on an SSRI at an early age, 14 because I was not up to my fathers expectation in school. C's + B's from a kid who never turns in homework, yet get's A's on tests was not good enough for the son of a professor.

So it was off to the psychologist office. I was put on a Zoloft at the time. Funny thing is, until then I seemed normal. 100% normal healthy kid.

Since that day at 14 when I was put on it, I stopped growing taller. I never grew one inch taller than I was at 14. I gained over 50 pounds of FAT, and the funny thing is my grades got worse.

So when I say "always had problems", that is going back to age 14. I think the SSRI might have screwed up my Estradiol, and that in turn messed up everything else.

**bass** · 05-21-2011, 03:23 PM

way too young! let nature take its course and once hes an adult then maybe revisit the doctor! not sure if its true but one of the members posted saying that white head mushrooms can reduce E2, and based on his experience he lowered it quite a bit within two weeks eating a handful every night. it wouldn't hurt do do a blood test to see where everything is, its good to have this information anyway so you can compare and monitor changes!

**zaggahamma** · 05-21-2011, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by meathead320

I think I should also add that I agree 100% with the posters who have brought up diet and exercise into the discussion.

There is a good chance my problems were a result of being FAT as a child.

We know that fat increase the aromitase enzyme, and we know that this will scew the T to E ratio.

Other things to avoid too, IMHO is the over medication of children with SSRI's which are well known to increase E2, and we know that increased E2 can lower testosterone and so forth.

I was put on an SSRI at an early age, 14 because I was not up to my fathers expectation in school. C's + B's from a kid who never turns in homework, yet get's A's on tests was not good enough for the son of a professor.

So it was off to the psychologist office. I was put on a Zoloft at the time. Funny thing is, until then I seemed normal. 100% normal healthy kid.

Since that day at 14 when I was put on it, I stopped growing taller. I never grew one inch taller than I was at 14. I gained over 50 pounds of FAT, and the funny thing is my grades got worse.

So when I say "always had problems", that is going back to age 14. I think the SSRI might have screwed up my Estradiol, and that in turn messed up everything else.

that sucks bro...sorry to hear...just move forward bro

**kbm12345** · 05-26-2011, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by vetteman08

Agree with the previous responses. Definitely don't want to be exploring any AI's with kids.

lol at all these people pretending they know what they are talking about, i wish i had an AI when i was a kid then i would not have grown a breast and probably would have grown taller.

Estrogen closes your growth plates also, its a known fact doctors prescibe letro to small kids that want to be taller as an adult.

But see a doctor, but 11 is abit young, you should wait till puberty and then if he starts to feel lumps under his niples then resort to an AI

**GotNoBlueMilk** · 05-26-2011, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by kbm12345

lol at all these people pretending they know what they are talking about, i wish i had an AI when i was a kid then i would not have grown a breast and probably would have grown taller.

Estrogen closes your growth plates also, its a known fact doctors prescibe letro to small kids that want to be taller as an adult.

And the lack of E as a kid is bad too. I would rather be a short fat kid with breasts rather than a suicidal kid, brittle boned kid, and all the other negatives.

Oh wait, I am short, I did have gyno. But I was happy, not suicidal, and have the bones and teeth of a titan. A great trade off. A doc can cut out the gyno if it bothers you. I doc can NOT change brittle bones, and suicide is final.

**meathead320** · 05-26-2011, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by GotNoBlueMilk

And the lack of E as a kid is bad too. I would rather be a short fat kid with breasts rather than a suicidal kid, brittle boned kid, and all the other negatives.

Oh wait, I am short, I did have gyno. But I was happy, not suicidal, and have the bones and teeth of a titan. A great trade off. A doc can cut out the gyno if it bothers you. I doc can NOT change brittle bones, and suicide is final.

Which is exactly the reason to have the doc involved if anything needs to be done.

Those serious negatives are only if too much AI is taken and E2 is too low for too long.

**zaggahamma** · 05-26-2011, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by kbm12345

lol at all these people pretending they know what they are talking about, i wish i had an AI when i was a kid then i would not have grown a breast and probably would have grown taller.

Estrogen closes your growth plates also, its a known fact doctors prescibe letro to small kids that want to be taller as an adult.

But see a doctor, but 11 is abit young, you should wait till puberty and then if he starts to feel lumps under his niples then resort to an AI

i think everyone recommended a doctor including the statement you quoted..by not exploring without a doctor...no need to bring sarcasm into a serious thread where we all care about the situation...do you think youre the only one who knows what theyre talking about...if you want to offer advice around here..do it without sarcasm and it will be welcomed

**THE-DET-OAK** · 05-27-2011, 12:11 PM

hi sledge

**forrest_and_trees** · 06-01-2011, 10:16 AM

NSM-

Came across this interesting article that covers much of what I mentioned in my previous post... best of luck.

http://healthca.health.officelive.co...fManBoobs.aspx

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 06-01-2011, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by forrest_and_trees

NSM-

Came across this interesting article that covers much of what I mentioned in my previous post... best of luck.

http://healthca.health.officelive.co...fManBoobs.aspx

Very good read.

**Bigfoot66** · 06-01-2011, 09:14 PM

I had the moobs as a kid and at 38 I finally decided to deal with them surgically. I will tell you that I was very heavy as a kid, and at about 14 I basically starved myself to get the weight off. Had bad acne as well and was part of the first group who took Accutane. Took for 24 months straight with no break. Now I know that was not good for me hormone wise.

Never had hormones tested till 3 years ago...I had low T for my age. I am convinced that Accutane killed my T production and I had estradiol issues all along, which would have caused the moobs, love handles, depression, etc. Even surgery didn't totally eliminate either. Wasn't till BW showed my Estradiol level at 110 that I was prescribed AI. Slowly they have all but disappeared.

The point of this long post is to encourage you to get baseline BW for your son. If there is a problem a good endo will recognize the problem and offer options. If you don't you will always wonder if his issues were genetic. This can all be done via a physical and he won't know any different.

I wish my parents would have been as attentive back then. Imagine I would have been spared a lot of grief.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by NOSUPERMODEL

Okay so I have an 11 year old son and he has a body type EXACTLY like me. I know the troubles I had when i went through puberty, for example I grew the "boobs" and had to deal with them and still do to this day.

So I was wondering would it be out of the question to get him tested for estrogen and maybe start him on an Arimitose Inhibitor when he is going through puberty to try keep him from getting a bad chest?

I know it might be a stupid question, but if you could prevent your son from going through all the teasing wouldn't you do it to help him out.

**zaggahamma** · 06-01-2011, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Bigfoot66

I had the moobs as a kid and at 38 I finally decided to deal with them surgically. I will tell you that I was very heavy as a kid, and at about 14 I basically starved myself to get the weight off. Had bad acne as well and was part of the first group who took Accutane. Took for 24 months straight with no break.

Never had hormones tested till 3 years ago. I am convinced that Accutane killed my T production and I had estradiol issues all along, which would have caused the moobs and love handles. Even surgery didn't totally eliminate either. Wasn't till BW showed my Estradiol level at 110 that I was prescribed AI. Slowly they have all but disappeared.

The point of this long post is to encourage you to get baseline BW for your son. If there is a problem a good endo will recognize the problem and offer options. If you don't you will always wonder if his issues were genetic.

Hope this helps.

QUOTE=NOSUPERMODEL;5645014]Okay so I have an 11 year old son and he has a body type EXACTLY like me. I know the troubles I had when i went through puberty, for example I grew the "boobs" and had to deal with them and still do to this day.

So I was wondering would it be out of the question to get him tested for estrogen and maybe start him on an Arimitose Inhibitor when he is going through puberty to try keep him from getting a bad chest?

I know it might be a stupid question, but if you could prevent your son from going through all the teasing wouldn't you do it to help him out.

[/QUOTE]

i think your experience WILL help and commend you and thank you for sharing...

i think hormones should be baselined and monitored at different stages

**GGot FFina?** · 06-02-2011, 02:14 AM

I don't think its a stupid question at all. You as a parent are concerned about life lasting scars from teasing, bullying and some of the other similar treatment you received, and since you know exactly how that felt, and what it did to you, you want to help him out. Nothing wrong with that at all.

I'm all for the helping your son out and looking out for him, but what i think is wrong here is the approach you are thinking about taking in order to accomplish these goals.

I believe there are many safer alternatives to tackling this problem, and drugs is probably all the way at the bottom of the list.

I think a better, safer, way to go about this is to start teaching him young how to eat, workout (simple stuff since hes young) and try doing it in a way he finds it fun.

This is a very similar situation as to one that i'm going through rite now with my nephew. Hes a bit over weight and i know first hand how bad that feels going into junior high looking totally different than the other kids. Hey it happened to me the first few years until i got so obsessed with loosing this weight i had, that i made it happen.

I would try to, little at a time, incorporate him into some of the things your doing to look so good. I learned this early on in life (12) and think its very important to start teaching them so young about dieting and how important it really is. Its a lesson that will serve him extremely well and will never forget.

Good luck!

**NOSUPERMODEL** · 06-02-2011, 07:21 AM

I will keep you updated on this. I am definately going to ask my doctor about getting baseline BW done and see what his opinion is. I am going to get him into working out with me when he turns 12. Football season is fixing to start so he will be active during that season. Off season though I will have him doing light weight lifting and cardio at the gym with me.

The eating is going to be the hard part. So hard to break old habits. Plus I honestly believe food is a drug. I still struggle with eating healthy every day. But I am going to work with him on that.

**forrest_and_trees** · 06-02-2011, 10:02 AM

Good to hear NSM. Sports, like football, are a good activity as they not only get him exercising, but help to build confidence, which is huge. I know it helped me a lot as a kid.

Good luck with the healthy eating. Just be aware, as a parent you are one of the single most significant influences in your child's life, and that your actions speak louder than your words. Even if you teach him the importance of healthy eating, if he sees you and his mother "indulging", then you undermine all your efforts. If you're going to "go off plan", then at least do it when he's not around. You're son is worth it.

We're all pulling for you. Keep us posted.

**GGot FFina?** · 06-02-2011, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by NOSUPERMODEL

I will keep you updated on this. I am definately going to ask my doctor about getting baseline BW done and see what his opinion is. I am going to get him into working out with me when he turns 12. Football season is fixing to start so he will be active during that season. Off season though I will have him doing light weight lifting and cardio at the gym with me.

The eating is going to be the hard part. So hard to break old habits. Plus I honestly believe food is a drug. I still struggle with eating healthy every day. But I am going to work with him on that.

You are 100% rite, food is a drug. A lot of times eating uncontrollably goes hand in hand with depression because just like drugs it releases chemicals (serotonin) in the brain which make you feel better. Drugs release this chemical as well. serotonin is responsible for the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, as well as muscle contraction.

**bruary17** · 06-02-2011, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by NOSUPERMODEL

Okay so I have an 11 year old son and he has a body type EXACTLY like me. I know the troubles I had when i went through puberty, for example I grew the "boobs" and had to deal with them and still do to this day.

So I was wondering would it be out of the question to get him tested for estrogen and maybe start him on an Arimitose Inhibitor when he is going through puberty to try keep him from getting a bad chest?

I know it might be a stupid question, but if you could prevent your son from going through all the teasing wouldn't you do it to help him out.

I would NOT look to an AI for your 11 year old son. Get him into wrestling and make him a bad ass. That should prevent any teasing.

**prop402** · 06-02-2011, 06:36 PM

I would definitely get him checked out. If his estrogen is high, the doc can possibly prescribe a little aromasin . It's better than growing gyno and paying for surgery and the kid growing up feeling like shit and becoming nothing because self esteem issues. The side effects of aromasin are overrated - if there even are any. I don't know if I would give him the other AIs. OF course this is the doctor's call...

**Bonaparte** · 06-02-2011, 07:07 PM

His best bet would just be to stay lean throughout puberty. I stayed real lean throughout puberty (wrestling) and never had any issues. Same with the rest of my (lightweight) teammates. It's generally the flabbier kids who get gyno (since aromatase enzymes are concentrated in fat tissue).

**Shol'va** · 06-02-2011, 08:12 PM

And if he doesn't like wrestling then try a self defense class of judo or karate lessons. That way when some bully flips him crap calling him gay and fat and punches on him he can beat the kid back into a pulp like in this video...