Hi Pricey, I suffer with breast discomfort more days than I don’t. I am now 49 and this has been going on since I was 44. I would consider it, along with anxiety, to be my main perimenopause symptom. I have kept a diary and, yes, there are times in the month when it is worse than others but no hard and fast fixed pattern. Sometimes it is more on the left than the right, and vice versa. It often radiates out to my armpits. The cause? Hormones for sure. Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone. Originally, I thought it was just too much oestrogen but I have also read it’s down to progesterone as well. The solution? I wear a firm bra 24/7 (I only remove it to shower in the morning and bathe at night). I take Starflower Oil daily. 1500mg. This contains more GLA than Evening Primrose Oil, I believe. If you are in the US, Starflower is Borage, by the way.
On a medical level, the breast discomfort is so bad that it makes me check my breasts all the time, and I am often convinced that there must be something terrible wrong. I have an examination and a mammogram or ultrasound yearly anyway (I alternate) and have done since my mid 30’s (breast cancer in my family) and it was my consultant who suggested the Starflower Oil and bra wearing. He told me it could take a good month or so to feel the benefit of the Starflower Oil. I’ve taken it for years now, so I’m uncertain as to how much it helps me. I’m sure a psychologist might say that my family history and health anxiety worsen the breast discomfort but it is definitely real for me and sometimes upsetting. It occasionally reminds of how my boobs felt after I had just had my children.
In terms of breast size, I am a 36 E/F, with noticeable big boobs, that are also dense. My research tells me that breast pain sufferers often have dense tissue and are sometimes but definitely not always big boobed.
I hope that information might be helpful and even reassuring. I am not on HRT, nor have I ever taken it.
As an aside, I have also followed your polyp story (I sent a PM). I had a cervical polyp removed at the end of November following mid cycle spotting every other month since March. This was painless and removed easily and turned out to be benign. They are, apparently, caused by excess oestrogen and are common in ladies in their 40’s and 50’s who have had more than one child.
My consultant said that this was most likely the cause of my mid cycle spotting, although I very much felt it was hormonal (occurring exactly mid cycle for 48 hours, with other ovulation symptoms). Interestingly, no mid cycle spotting the next month (December) and then the mother of all periods in January - this was my first long period (16 days) which has left me feeling rather rough! I feel like my symptoms are starting to ramp up a bit now. It has certainly helped me mentally having just had a gynae check 6 weeks earlier, otherwise I would have thought I was dying.
I hope that answers some breast tenderness and cervical polyp questions for you, Pricey, from my own experiences. Wishing you well on your menopause journey x
