To think I *do* need a breast reduction for medical reasons?

[Questionablmouse]

I have absolutely enormous, heavy boobs. Last time I was measured (which is a couple of years ago now) I was a 36M. I'm five foot tall and while I'm overweight I used to be very active.

Now I have constant back, neck and shoulder pain so bad I was prescribed strong codiene, have stopped wearing underwired bras because even the properly fitted ones from Bravissimo were leaving my ribs in agony, and have to be extremely careful to keep underneath perfectly dry or I get sores. I can't sleep on my front without pillows under my chest and I feel like I'm suffocating on my back.

I had an appointment this morning with my GP and she was pretty dismissive, told me to exercise more to lose weight (I'm trying, but it genuinely feels impossible because I'm in so much pain even in a sports bra). I bought a bathing suit and tried swimming- my boobs escaped by the end of one lap on front of a packed pool which was incredibly embarrassing. I've lost almost two stone recently and my boobs haven't changed size at all.

I just want them gone and feel like they're smothering me! I wish private was an option but it's out of my reach unfortunately.

That seems very unfair OP, I would look into a loan if you can.

You’ll have to find a way to go private.

I am looking into both but unfortunately I was made redundant last year and due to a combination of caring responsibilities, my own ill health and a couple of other things I'm still out of work.

Try for a second opinion...

It certainly sounds very uncomfortable for you. If you lose a certain amount of weight then they might be able to refer you for surgery? Don't give up on swimming. You can get full coverage swimwear and looser fabrics I think.

If you are very overweight would you consider WLI? Though obviously it's great if you can try and stick to a lower calorie diet with willpower alone. That can be difficult though as we all know.

That sounds miserable OP.

Firstly diet is the best way to lose weight, not exercise.

How overweight are you? If you can get down closer to a healthier weight and they are still causing you problems then you may have a better case? Could you give yourself eg 6 months (probably less than nhs waiting list for an op anyway) to lose another stone or two and see how things are then?

I agree - get a second opinion. It sounds intolerable, poor you.

Massive sympathies op. Is a payment plan an option with a private clinic? Definitely get a second opinion. Be very clear about the pain and the impact on your mental health.

I'm currently 16 stone but genuinely at least two of that is boobs, if not more. I am still working away at it. Swimsuit was alright pretty full coverage!

Get a second opinion, the first surgeon I saw said I was “borderline”, I asked to see a different surgeon and he immediately agreed to the surgery. This was all on the NHS, I was a 36J at the time.

I've been referred to the committee for funding apparently but she said it basically is never approved. A friend had hers reduced recently as a size H and had 800mls removed from each side. Mine are genuinely severely times hers.

That sounds really tough @Questionablmouse . Unfortunately, the criteria for NHS funded breast reduction is very restrictive. Normal BMI maintained before you would be considered for referral. It’s really frustrating but is evidence based.

I wear a rash vest over my swimsuit, and double sports bras for exercise.
Good luck.

Have a look at what the NHS criteria is for your local trust area, this should be available to see online and will give you an idea of what you might need to do. Most will want you to have a BMI that’s consistently within the normal range.
I agree there should be funding for cases such as yours where this is medical need. It’s not cosmetic and weight loss doesn’t always help in all cases.

I’d get a second opinion.

When you were slimmer I suspect they were still huge?

I think the criteria for having this done on the NHS probably varies depending on where you are.

For example, where I am, criteria used to include not being overweight at all (may be different now ).

People who have pain from breast size should be eligible imo.

Kindly, OP - if you are 5 foot tall and 16 stone
you are around BMI 43 ??
you’d be expected to lose weight to be fit enough for surgery anyway, unless emergency surgery ?
could you go on weight loss injections ? That would go some way to reduce the boobs and be good for health ??

As far as the back and shoulder pain I can highly recommend trying bras that have crossed straps at the back. I've found them really helpful for shoulder pain, although I'm not quite as big as you.

I've also found that I've never lost weight on my bust with losing weight. No matter my weight I've always been very big chested.

Is she the same NHS trust as you? If so I'd make sure that you have details to demonstrate hers were smaller. For example if you are still a 36M (go and get fitted again so you know) then your boobs weigh 11 lb between them whereas if your friend was a 36H then hers were literally half the weight of yours. Usually you need a BMI of less than 27 but if you can show that you would be that with smaller boobs its a decent argument. I'd pull down the NHS guidelines for surgery and go through them one by one listing all the symptoms you have to prove you meet them. Demonstrate that you have lost weight but that the weight doesn't fall off your boobs (mine never does either). Then explain the problems they cause for exercising - you can't run as you can't support them, so any activity that involves an element of running or jumping (eg zumba/aerobics etc) is also out. Balance on a bike is probably difficult and you can't swim either. Take photos of any skin problems you have and make a note of bra fittings you have had and where you had them. In addition to the pain do you have problems with numbness/tingling/lack of full touch sensation in your hands/fingers etc as that could well be evidence of nerve damage etc etc. Basically go in prepared to spell out point by point how you meet the criteria. Personally I'd put 11 lb of weight in a rucksack and take it with me to demonstrate how much they weigh.

16 stone at 5 foot tall is significantly overweight, even with your boobs accounting for part of it. You need to get the weight off. As others have said, diet works better than exercise. It’s very unlikely you’ll get the surgery on the NHS without losing the weight first. They will
want to see you do everything you can on your own before accepting you need the surgery. I’d ask to referred for support with the weight loss as a first step. You do absolutely have my sympathy though. It sounds absolutely miserable. And I know how hard it is to lose weight.

I've lost 50 kgs. Mine have gone from a very uncomfortable and painful 44H to 36F. I no longer have sweaty or sore underboob or backache.

this is one of the scenarios that the BMI scale really doesn't work that well for. Fortunately most HCPs will understand that. However, the bar for getting a breast reduction on the NHS is really high.

I’d go in at a different angle and see if you qualify for weight loss injections through to NHS. I know you’ve lost a couple of stone but if you could get down to a healthy weight you could see what your breast size is at that point and see if you qualify for breast reduction surgery.

From watching Botched in the past I know the reduction surgery is pretty risky and that’s probably why they’d much rather you lost weight.

I’d guess you need to lose around half your body weight to be a healthy weight. At the weight you are now, a lot of your breast size is bound to be fat so losing weight is very likely to reduce them. As a pp said, losing weight is mostly diet not exercise, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the exercise for now.

You need to meet the criteria for a reduction before it can be considered. One criteria is to do with your BMI being lower than 26/27 amongst a few other things. And this is only if your Trust is commissioned to carry them out. You can write to your local ICB and ask for its criteria.

People on this thread don’t seem to understand back sizes. If OP is a 36 back size, there is no physical way she can be massively overweight, maybe just slightly. I think the boobs are likely a big source of the weight. OP try for a second opinion as the few sensible pps have said.