Hormones/Bloodwork/Gynecomastia Help

[essuk88]

Hi Guys,

I'm making this thread just to get some advice, and it will hopefully help to talk... I'm 25, based in the UK, height is about 5'10", weight is about 78kgs, go to the gym often but i have never done anything like steroids , TRT, etc.

Recently i'm 99% sure that i've started to develop gynecomastia - Amongst quite a few other symptoms... At first i thought that i was being paranoid and it was just fat stores (i'd just finished a 12 week bulk - fairly clean, quite high carbs, alot of brown rice and wholegrains etc) but i've been on a 500 calorie deficit the last 5-6 weeks (low carbs, good fats) with plenty of HIIT/heavy weight sessions - And they now seem more pronounced if anything. A few weeks ago they were tingling and looked slightly bigger than normal, now there is what feels like a hard mass behind each nipple aswell as some soft, rubbery tissue (?) around the outside - They are not really painful but feel a little tender at times.

It is really getting me down and affecting my life in most areas - Relationships, work, etc. My confidence has dropped massively and i just haven't felt myself for a while... When i go to the gym or out with friends i'm wearing tape over my nipples otherwise they stand out through tops and i hate it.

Other symptoms other than the puffy nipples/gyno include:
- I'm really tired most of the time, constantly yawning etc.
- Even though i'm trying to cut i feel like i am constantly bloated and storing fat around my stomach and chest.
- Sometimes i feel agitated and get annoyed easily, at other times i feel low and upset.
- My sex drive seems to have almost gone, and i rarely get 'morning wood' or random erections.
- Sometimes i feel almost like confused and tend to forget things.
- I've been getting short of breath when doing weights/cardio... Well more than usual anyways!
- Not as common but at times i've been getting a dull ache in my testicles, and around my armpits/chest.

I've been to see my GP a few times but it seems a rather long winded affair. During my first visit she sort of disregarded my worry about my nipples and said i should take some blood tests (You can see the results attached).

When i went back she told me that all my results were normal and within range - I think she was about to mention antidepressants to me (i do feel low but i think this is because of everything going on), so i asked her to check my chest/nipples again and practically showed her where i could feel the hard mass and soft rubbery fluid/tissue (?)... She could also feel them but said she would need to look into it and speak to a colleague to talk about what we do next. The next day she called me to say they want me to come in and do some more blood work, she also checked my testicles after i told her about the pains/aches and she said they seemed fine and normal.

So now i'm just waiting for the bloodtest results which she said could take up to a week (Took them yesterday - the 12th)... She said if there is anything wrong with the results then i will more than likely be referred to an endocrinologist, if not then i will be referred to the breast clinic to investigate the lumps etc.

I really want to get this sorted, i'm scared that the gynecomastia will become permanent and the only option will be surgery - Although if that was what it would take to feel like myself and confident again then i probably would.

I've been taking various vitamins/supplements the last week or so to try and help but i'm not sure whether i should carry on or stop everything for now (They seem to have improved my energy levels abit)... The things i've started to take are:
- Multivitamin
- Magnesium & B6
- Zinc (50mg)
- Vitamin C (2000mg)
- Vitamin D (5000iu)
- Vitamin B Complex
- Cod Liver Oil
- Fish Oil w/ Vitamins A & E
- Maca (300mg - To try and help with the sex drive)
- Grapeseed Extract (500mg)
- Natural Resveratrol

If anyone has any idea of what could help, what i should/shouldn't take etc... That would be great and i appreciate any comments... Also i don't know whether to carry on cutting, incase it makes it even more visible? And i don't like the idea of bulking since this has happened around that time.

[essuk88]

Okay, so i've had some more results back today... Within a week my testosterone seems to have gone up from 13 nmol/L to 17 nmol/L? Not sure why... I have sorted out my diet and introduced Zinc, Vit C & D etc.

Anyways the results were:
Test - 17 nmol/L (9.9 - 27.8)
SHGB - 44nmol/L (14.5 - 48.4)
Oestradiol - < 50pmol/L (28.0 - 156.0)
Free Androgen Index - 39% (34.0 - 106)
HCG - < 2iu/L (<5.0)

Also, using issam.... i've calculated the following (using the Albumin reading from my first tests - Not sure if that would be diff now?)

Free T - 1.7%
Bio T - 42.4%

And the results from last week:
Test - 13 nmol/L (9.9 - 27.8)
FSH - 2.1 iu/L (1.5 - 12.4)
LH - 2.2 iu/L (1.7 - 8.6)
Prolactin - 148miu/L (86 - 324)

I didn't get chance to ask for the Sensitive Test as they had already taken the blood etc... Alot of these numbers don't mean much to me but i just don't feel myself at the moment. The nipple thing is really getting me down, i think that could be why i feel so low?

Once again she said everything was 'within range', so she has referred me to a breast clinic (This was over the phone)... I don't know whether it's just me or the fact i'm cutting but they seem to be getting bigger or more obvious. I just haven't got a clue what's going on. Do these numbers look alright to you guys?

She said it's more than likely they will say at the consultation that there's not alot they can do (NHS!!)... And i'm probably in the 50% of gynecomastia sufferers whose cause is unknown (If that is definitely what it is, guess i'll find out soon, the way she spoke sounded like it was.)

[Beethoven]

Some of the other more knowledgeable members will chime in but your SHBG is high and free t is low, that's a starting point. I don't know if some of your supplements may be causing that.

[kelkel]

On your first set of tests your LH & FSH were in the toilet, imho. Low T will always follow that.
Much improved on your second set but why?
Any pro-hormone use in the past?
You need the Sensitive Estrogen Assay.

Ask your doc to look into Raloxifene (or Nolva) to combat your gyno, if in fact is actually is. Plenty of informative threads here on both.

Do I have Gynecomastia? If you're asking this question, read this thread.

Ancillary Reference Guide

[essuk88]

Thanks for the replies. I think i'm going to look into seeing somebody who specialises in hormones etc, i just don't know where to start... Doesn't seem as straight forward in the UK, if things are 'within range' then that seems to be that! I guess i will find out whether it really is Gynecomastia when i visit the clinic (Although i'm sure it is, lumps under both nipples, a change of shape, sometimes tender - On one side it almost feels like rope about 2 inches long!!)

I've never used anything other than Whey, BCAA's etc. I did try this about 6 or 7 weeks back....
store.blackstonelabs.co/growth

After 6 or 7 days i stopped because i didn't like how it made me feel, so i doubt that would be a factor.

I'm thinking of self treating with Tamoxifen after reading the threads, i don't want this to go on long enough that it becomes permanent and the only way back is surgery! But again, i don't even know where to start with getting this stuff in the UK.

[Lee_1978]

Mate,

I'm from the U.K and trust me, you can readily get help. I was recently diagnosed with a mild case of gyno and I feel better now I know.

[essuk88]

Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply? What was your next step.. Have they offered you any treatment - Surgey, medication, etc?

[Lee_1978]

Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply? What was your next step.. Have they offered you any treatment - Surgey, medication, etc?

My G.P said the only effective treatment would be surgery to suck all the fat away from the pectoral area, so this is something I'm considering in the future.

If it's established gyno, i.e - pubertal gyno, no amount of Raloxifene is going to reverse it.