Hormones - I'm not a fan!
The way Finasteride works, as I understand it, is that it prevents the conversion of testosterone from being converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Lowering DHT helps shrink an enlarged prostate.
Getting on to Gynaecomastia - It's the change in the ratio of Testosterone, DHT and the male levels of Oestrogen that lead to breast tissue growth. (My understanding is minimal, so check this for yourself)
So in effect, you've ended up with a lot (relatively) of Oestrogen which is predominantly a female hormone.
This is why you're suffering not only with breasts, but breasts that can hurt and be sensitive. And, to compound matters, you can have sensitive, prominent nipples on dark areolas.
I've got the breasts, and they intermittently ache; I've got sensitive, occasionally prominent nipples. But nothing else just yet
The hormonal breast ache has a distinctly different feel to the pain from bouncing, moving and vibration - impossible to describe, but even I (as a newbie) can tell the difference. My nicely fitting bras can deal with the bounce but not the hormones.
Very early this morning I was woken up with a dreadful aching in my breasts. I tried co-codamol which just made me irritable; I covered my chest in liberal quantities of Ibuprofen gel - which might have helped because by breakfast time it had eased off.
The same discomfort started at a lower level again this afternoon. I chased it off with a couple of paracetamol tablets.
One concern I've got - and this comes from an on-line discussion forum - is that the excess Oestrogen might cause some emotional upsets.
If I've definitely got pre-menstrual breasts, so have I got some of the other issues that women face on a regular basis too?
This is a lot for a bloke with a small brain (and big breasts)!
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