Breast Pain in Perimenopause
Eliminate Trigger Substances
There are many foods and herbs that have been found to contribute to breast pain in women. You may want to eliminate these products for a few weeks (one at a time) to see if doing so helps reduce your symptoms:
| Alfalfa |
Guava |
| Aloe |
Hawthorn |
| Astragalus |
Herbal Teas |
| Bilberry |
Horse Chestnut |
| Black Cohosh |
Kalms |
| Caffeine |
Kava |
| Capsicum |
Kelp |
| Catnip |
Lecithin |
| Cat's Claw |
Licorice |
| Chamomile |
Milk Thistle |
| Chocolates |
Passelflora |
| Condyceps |
Red Clover |
| COQ10 |
Red Yeast Rice |
| Cranberry |
Reishi |
| Dong Quai |
Rhubarb |
| Dried Orange Peel |
Rose Hips |
| Echinacea |
Rutin (Buch Wheat) |
| Eleuthero |
Safflower See Oil |
| Evening Primrose Oil |
Saw Palmetto |
| Feverfew |
Schisandra |
| Flax Seed |
Sodas |
| Garlic (pills, not vegetable) |
Soy/Tofu |
| Ginger |
St. John's Wort |
| Ginkgo Biloba |
Tea Tree |
| Ginseng |
Uva Ursi |
| Glucosamine |
Valerian |
| Goldenrod |
Vitex |
| Goldenseal |
Watercress |
| Grape Seed |
Yeast |
| Green Teas |
|
A Personal Experience
"Two thirds of the month, I wear my harness, er, bra 24 hours a day. Removing it causes paroxysms of pain. Without the bra, it feels like two exploding bowling ball grenades. I've seen numerous breast specialists, and luckily, there is no organic cause for the pain. Seems to be hormonally related for me.
Oh, and try having sex with a full-figured bra on. Hmmm, sexy, right. I figure if I keep them barricaded, I'll be able to get through it. And it's a hint to my husband to "KEEP OUT!"
Unfortunately, I sometimes drink coffee to help with my hormonal migraines. And caffeine is ABSOLUTELY one thing I am certain will worsen breast pain. So you have to "pick your poison" ... so to speak.
I truly believe this is one of those cases that acceptance is simply part of the process. Well, when each doctor just shrugs and says, "Nothing we can do about it," you might as well just accept it.
There's a good likelihood that cyclical breast pain will diminish or disappear after menopause. So, I figure I have to just wait it out."
Evening Primrose Oil May Not Work
There is a lot of discussion about using Evening Primrose Oil to alleviate breast pain. All of the perimenopause books we offer have a lot of terrific information on the "good fatty acids" (e.g., GLA), contained in substances such as Evening Primrose oil, which may help regulate fatty acids and calm those aching breasts. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting the use of Evening Primrose oil, flaxseed oil, etc., and positive clinical information, such as a long-term study by St. Thomas' hospital in England in which well over half the women found relief from breast pain.
But there are also studies that have shown no improvement by women taking these supplements. According to Bandolier, a print and Internet journal about health care, using evidence-based medicine techniques to provide advice about particular treatments or diseases for healthcare professionals and consumers, a study in 1996 following women taking Evening Primrose oil over 2-6 menstrual cycles showed no improvement over the placebo.
The Berkeley Wellness letter also states that "there's actually little good clinical evidence that the oil has any benefits." They cite a British Medical Journal article, written in 1994 that "concluded that although the oil was in wide use, there was hardly any justification for such use because the studies were flawed."
Breast Pain in Perimenopause
Natural Tips for Relief & Healthy Breasts
Other Resources |
