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Non-cyclical breast pain/soreness

Lucinda

Senior Member
Messages
118
Location
UK
I have had non-cyclical breast pain/soreness for about 2 years now (I have had ME for about 9 yrs btw). It started a few months after I stopped having Perrin treatments. Before and during Perrin treatments I had not experienced breast pain/soreness.

I am therefore wandering if it is connected to Perrin treatments in some way? Perrin works on the theory that ME patients have some sort of lymphatic drainage problem and need special massage to get it all working properly. I wasn't sure when I was having the treatments if they were helping so I gave them up after a few months. But now I am wondering if there is something in this lymphatic drainage theory. I experience breast pain/soreness at the side of my breasts where the lymph nodes lie, especially on the left breast. Could it be that the pain is being caused by some sort of lymphatic blockage or something?

I have gone to the doctors and to the breast specialists at the hospital. They say they can't find a problem with the breasts and just said to try Evening Primrose Oil. But this doesn't make sense to me as Evening Primrose Oil is for cyclical breast pain. I experience this pain every day of the month, and it doesn't get any worse before periods.

Does anyone else get breast pain? Or have any idea what could be causing this? It is at its worst when I lie on my side, especially the left hand side (though both hurt). Bras also are painful now.

I would talk to my old Perrin practictioner about this, but I have trouble understanding him. Was one of the reasons I left.

Thanks, x
 

dsdmom

Senior Member
Messages
397
I don't know anything about Perrin but I, too, have had breast pain - non cyclical. I do find that the Evening Primrose Oil helps so it might be worth a try if you haven't tried it yet.

I also have found different bras affect me differently...some I can not wear because I have found a correlation with wearing them and later having more pain which sounds similar to the type of pain you describe. Just a thought.
 

Lucinda

Senior Member
Messages
118
Location
UK
Thanks for the replies.

Ema - why would I be estrogen dominant? How would I know if I was and what could I do about it? I don't really know much about hormones to be honest.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Thanks for the replies.

Ema - why would I be estrogen dominant? How would I know if I was and what could I do about it? I don't really know much about hormones to be honest.
Many peri/menopausal women are estrogen dominant.

The best way to know is to test sex hormones and see your levels (on day 21 if still cycling).

The cheap solution would be to buy some progesterone cream and try it for a month or two and see If it helps.

Ema
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Also, inflammation can make breasts tender. Cutting out some foods that have an inflammatory effect might be worth a try--like tomatoes! :(

Sushi
 

IreneF

Senior Member
Messages
1,552
Location
San Francisco
I also have pain and tender points along the outer side of my breasts, and into my armpit. I was told the tender points were fibrous tissue, not lymph nodes. They seem to wax and wane along with my other aches and tender points. I try not to dwell on it, but at the same time I've gotten to dislike being touched.
 

Lucinda

Senior Member
Messages
118
Location
UK
Many peri/menopausal women are estrogen dominant.

The best way to know is to test sex hormones and see your levels (on day 21 if still cycling).

The cheap solution would be to buy some progesterone cream and try it for a month or two and see If it helps.

Ema

I'm too young to be peri/menopausal. I'm 27 and have regular and pretty normal periods. Some of my ME symptoms get worse before my period (esp headaches, weakness, and the 'wired but tired' feeling), alongside normal PMS stuff, but as far as I know that is common amongst ME sufferers.

Though I remember reading that progesterone cream can help sufferers who are prone to being 'wired but tired', which I most certainly am. I have no idea why that is and don't know if there is any link here.
 

Lucinda

Senior Member
Messages
118
Location
UK
Also, inflammation can make breasts tender. Cutting out some foods that have an inflammatory effect might be worth a try--like tomatoes! :(

Sushi

Are there other signs that a person could have inflammation issues? I have loads of symptoms that could be caused by anything so it's hard to narrow down causes (I suppose this is true of everyone here!).

And what foods encourage inflammation? I'm currently trying to follow Dr Myhill's Stone Age Diet but struggle with how strict it is (it is similar to Paleo, except it is lower in carbs I think as she doesn't allow starchy veg or fruit). Would be hard cutting out even more foods when I'm not managing my current diet (I probably eat about 70% Stone Age, but then add diluted fruit juice, gluten free bread, and a bit of chocolate to the mix which I shouldn't, but I find low carb so difficult).
 

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
I have the pain and soreness on my left side leading to my lymph nodes. Last year they actually did an ultrasound just to be sure it wasn't anything else going on. It would come and go so I wasn't too worried. I have it a couple times a year always in the same spot lasting a few weeks.
I just had my hormone levels tested and I have zero estrogen which would be expected at my age. I do think it is some type of inflammation for who knows what reason. I just recently went through this about a month ago but it is totally gone now. For me it is just another wierd symptom that shows up every so often then disappears.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
I'm too young to be peri/menopausal. I'm 27 and have regular and pretty normal periods. Some of my ME symptoms get worse before my period (esp headaches, weakness, and the 'wired but tired' feeling), alongside normal PMS stuff, but as far as I know that is common amongst ME sufferers.

Though I remember reading that progesterone cream can help sufferers who are prone to being 'wired but tired', which I most certainly am. I have no idea why that is and don't know if there is any link here.
Unfortunately you can easily be perimenopausal and estrogen dominant in your 20s. I had the worst episode of breast pain in my mid 20s. I tried everything including the messiest ever castor oil packs and nothing worked until I found out I was estrogen dominant and started using P cream.

Progesterone works on GABA receptors and that can promote feelings of calm.

Progesterone may also convert to cortisol and reduce panic and anxiety due to adrenaline.

Do you have dense, fibrous breasts?

Ema
 

Lucinda

Senior Member
Messages
118
Location
UK
Unfortunately you can easily be perimenopausal and estrogen dominant in your 20s. I had the worst episode of breast pain in my mid 20s. I tried everything including the messiest ever castor oil packs and nothing worked until I found out I was estrogen dominant and started using P cream.

Progesterone works on GABA receptors and that can promote feelings of calm.

Progesterone may also convert to cortisol and reduce panic and anxiety due to adrenaline.

Do you have dense, fibrous breasts?

Ema

I don't know. I seem to remember my doctor saying something about my breasts - it may have been that they were 'fibrous' - my memory isn't great but I think that is most likely the thing she said. I don't remember the word dense being used though.

By the way I originally wrote in my post that the right breast is more painful. This was wrong (brain fog). Just corrected it - the left breast is much worse than the right.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Why not try doing the lymph massage gently whilst in the shower thats what I do. Don't foret the shoulder shrugs as well.
I also noticed the breast pain is worse when I am worse overall too. I can't lie on my left side either.
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
You know about soy, right ? If not google it to see how it affects estrogen levels. BTW. Soy is found in a lot of places you may not expect like ink. tc ... x
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Are there other signs that a person could have inflammation issues? I have loads of symptoms that could be caused by anything so it's hard to narrow down causes (I suppose this is true of everyone here!).

And what foods encourage inflammation? I'm currently trying to follow Dr Myhill's Stone Age Diet but struggle with how strict it is (it is similar to Paleo, except it is lower in carbs I think as she doesn't allow starchy veg or fruit). Would be hard cutting out even more foods when I'm not managing my current diet (I probably eat about 70% Stone Age, but then add diluted fruit juice, gluten free bread, and a bit of chocolate to the mix which I shouldn't, but I find low carb so difficult).


You can find the inflammatory foods with a google search. I don't have a document at hand.

If you have ME you almost certainly have inflammation to a greater or lesser degree. I am doing one protocol that increases inflammation as it promotes the immune system attacking pathogens (inflammation is built into that process) and I notice breast tenderness when my inflammation gets too high from this.

When you get a fever, that is inflammation, when your limbs ache from the flu, that is inflammation--in fact quite a bit of body pain comes from inflammation. BTW, chocolate is supposed to have an inflammatory effect :( --at least I read that here from another member.

Best with this!
Sushi
 

John H Wolfe

Senior Member
Messages
220
Location
London
I get this when I get slack with my breast massage (I receive Perrin Technique). I've stopped going so regularly for sessions with my practitioner now (only going monthly, which seems like it's enough) and the last time I went the one thing he noticed was a bit of a tough reservoir of lymph had accumulated on my left breast (I could feel it beneath the skin as he tried to work it out and it was a bit tender)

Another possibility is that it could be a concentration of fat soluble toxins (in women) and another, perhaps more likely one, is neuromuscular tension (perhaps try trigger point release/neuromuscular massage and see if this improves things)

Aside: In my hypothesis article I link impaired lymphatic drainage (including out of the system, at the left subclavian vein) to neuromuscular tension associated with increased resting muscle tone as per Dr. Rowe's working hypothesis on neuromuscular strain/tension:

ii) Lymphatic Drainage Dysfunction: Examples of direct impacts of neurogenic sensitisation include the impact of increased resting muscle tone or ‘tightness’ on 4th ventricular flow of CSF, and lymph transit both to and, theoretically, from the lymphatic system e.g. a mild form of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome at the left subclavian vein

Hope this helps :)
 

Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
I have fibrocystic breasts which are made WORSE by evening primrose. Mine are not cyclical. Evening primrose can be inflammatory in some people I would have thought more so in people with ME.

I forget the details but it's due to it's breakdown needing certain cofactors and if you don't have these it causes inflammation.

Perrin has recently made my breasts much more tender. I was going every 2 weeks but now go weekly. I have a lot of lymph congestion in my chest at the moment and assume that there is lymph congestion in my breasts.

If you've been checked out then I wouldn't worry too much about it - just keep an eye on it and make sure you do regular breast exams to know how your breasts usually feel.