Oestrogen (estrogen) Shortage in XXY Males

Posted , 3 users are following.

XXY teenagers sometimes grow very tall because they have insufficient oestrogen.

So even if your XXY son is taking testosterone, if it does not increase at a steady rate like it does in XY boys, he may grow to be very tall anyway.

You might not know this but the testes convert some of the testosterone they produce directly themselves into oestrogen. Oestrogen is also produced in fat and in muscle, but the testes do the most converting.

If the testes are diseased they will not produce sufficient testosterone, there will be less conversion to oestrogen, and it is oestrogen that causes the long bones to stop growing. That is why females are generally shorter than males, they have more oestrogen earlier and their epiphyses (the ends of the bones, where they grow from) stop growing.

Females have their growth spurt at the start of puberty and males at the end of puberty, for a very good reason.

It takes time for the testes to produce sufficient testosterone to be converted at sufficient rate to cause boys’ long bones to stop growing. XXY boys are then at risk of growing excessively tall because of a disease in their testes called Seminiferous Tubule Dysgenesis.

It may be appropriate to give XXY boys additional oestrogen as well as testosterone especially if they don’t have much fat or muscle?

Ask your sons’ doctor to think about this.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    I achieved my height before puberty where I distinctly remember the pain of what the hospital described as dislocating hip joints with walking as all of a sudden I grew and grew erratically and became the tallest amongst my peers and most certainly the tallest in my school, tall and thin, where I am still thin with much the same weight I was in my teens.
    • Posted

      So if there was checking for XXY's in your school you would have been discovered earlier.  We really do need the medical profession to 'pull their finger out' and get on with finding us.    
  • Posted

    One thing I understand of the medical profession is that they are interested in anywhere they can obtain funding to research and act, where of course given children, well children's issues attract funding and with it perhaps the most interested and best minds. We used to have it on ASD forums various medics requesting ASD adults to fill in questionairres to help them with their research, but when we asked them who will the research benefit they replied children, to which we asked what about adults and they told us they were not interested in adults because there is no funding for adult ASD.
  • Posted

    It is my suspicion the same exists for adult XXY, for yes I do research and I do notice of XXY research how much of it is about boys and how little of it is about men, where I suppose given that statement '' By their forties MOST XXY males will have sorted their problems out and go on to live successful lives'' or something of that order. Most does not mean all but most implies majority where of course no one  is interested in minorities unless there is funding to be had and minorities of adults stuggling oft unemployed and unhappy, the medical appears not to care about them, and then there is the known anti male bias within the NHS, a bias that was subject to a government order in 2008 for the NHS to start treating males equally, it was that bad. But males are still ignored, where here's an example particular to XXY, if XXY hasd the same risk for breast cancer as women, where's the national screening and education for XXY, we are simply not included.
    • Posted

      By the time someone has reached adulthood, and they've had the influence of family and society on them, what can be done for them?  

      I thought for years that I was diagnsoed late, and I set about having the next generation of XXY's diagnosed a lot earlier.  Then when the internet came to fruition it became apparent that I was diagnosed early compared to my same age peers.

      The problems experienced by me and others relate to the fact that we look normal, yet fail to relate socially.  Once that primary/secondary school period is over the chances of changing anything in the communication/learning areas is virtually nil.

      In New Zealand there is no research programmes for anybody, our population is far too small.  None of us are considered. But I have influence in many areas of the internet simply by putting information out there, and I expect in time more people will be diagnosed as a result.  I have been contacted even by American parents who read my posts, think to themselves 'that sounds like my boy' have him checked, and sure enough he is XXY.

      So professional studies are not the only way the next generation can be found.

      XXY's are human beings, we pop up in all walks of life. many of us have no difficulties other than infertility.  However there is a wide variety of diffuclties that can affect us, how can all those individuals be helped by any research, even research targeted to adults?  

      In my opinion, the thing that will improve the lives of all adult XXY's is INFORMATION.  It is certainly the thing that has improved my life.  

  • Posted

    The Psycho social is the biggest problem I perceive of XXY, certainly as it applies to myself where I am finding there is not the understanding nor the help in the UK, where even today the IAPT of what I was subject to was terminated through the inability to help with my issues. I have one course of action left, the regional gender identity clinic to wrangle out the confusions and discover options as well I am an unmedicated XXY, I am not on testosterone therapy through having been denied. Now Graeme, take your T away how well will you function?
  • Posted

    Hi XXYGuy,

    I always thought it was the lack of testosterone that prevented our bones from fusing.

    I know that T gets converted into oestrogen for some of us to a lesser or greater degree and that, curiously women produce T after going through the change of life.

    For your interest I am 47,XXY and was diagnosed when I was 37 - I am now 72. Small world, eh?

    John 03425

     

    • Posted

      No John it has always been oestrogen. lol   Have you never wondered why women are genaerally shorter than men?

      Apparently XXY guys have a much greater conversion of testosterone to oestrogen in % than normal males, but since they have insufficient testosterone it makes no difference for most.  My father had 'ducks disease' very short legs and a long body.  I may have got my leg length genes from him, and late epiphyseal closure because I'm XXY, it turned out  I am of normal height.  My XY brother is substantially taller than me.

      I was diagnosed at 17, treated since I was 18, and I've been diagnosed for 40 years, 5 years longer than you!   rolleyes 

       

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