Menopause & Breast Pain
When a woman's hormones are raging, this results in numerous symptoms, many of which are annoying, uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful, including breasts that are so sensitive that they are painful to the slightest touch.
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Hormones Go Viral or .. Kaput
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When a woman is transitioning into menopause and through menopause, her hormones--estrogen, progesterone, and a dollop of testosterone--may well go viral. If a menopausal woman has too much estrogen, which is considered estrogen dominance, this can make her breasts sore. Your breasts may feel like they did when you went through puberty and much like they did during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
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Some menopausal women choose to undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This can make your breasts sore. Sometimes, the hormonal level in the drug is too high for a woman and this makes her breasts sore, tender and sensitive. If you are experiencing pain in your breasts and are on HRT, discuss this with your doctor. Maybe the dosage needs to be lowered.
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Medications
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If you are taking heart medication or cholesterol-lowering medications, this can cause breast pain as can some psychiatric medicines and antidepressants. If your hormones are topsy-turvy and this is coupled with taking the wrong medication, you can end up with painful breasts.
Breast Enlargement
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When estrogen levels are down and progesterone levels are up instead of in sync as they used to be (pre-menopause), the breast size will increase and they become more susceptible to pain (see link in References).
Fibrocystic Breasts
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Fibrocystic breasts (sore and lumpy) are caused by too much estrogen or estrogen dominance or over-load, as discussed earlier (see link in References). Estrogen overload and too much progesterone can both result in breasts that hurt.
Herbs
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Womentowomen.com and Dr. Dixie Mills note that mastalgia, the medical term for breast pain, may be relieved via phytotherapy or the use of herbs that promote hormonal balance (see link in References).
Diet
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Essentially, too much estrogen, or not enough estrogen in comparison to progesterone, can both cause breast sensitivity and pain, according to Mills. This is part and parcel of menopause. If you are menopausal and already struggling with breast pain, make sure that you do not worsen the situation by consuming too much caffeine. Cyclic breast pain can be aggravated by the medications you are taking and the foods and drinks you are consuming. Caffeine, for example, contains methylxanthine, which is a chemical that prompts blood vessels to dilate, which causes the breasts to distend and results in discomfort to the woman. If you eat a lot of salt, this will also increase breast tissue fluid because you will retain water. The added water will put a strain on breast tissue.
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