[cupcaketits]

I'm currently in the end of my luteal phase, starting my premenstrual stage. I've been massaging almost daily for a couple weeks. I massaged before and took a long break.

I did take PM for a couple weeks before my last period. My cycle altered, my period only lasted three days, so I quit taking PM. My cycle is always clockwork. In the last week I did drink some tea, peppermint, red clover, red raspberry, and nettle mixed together a few times. I've also been enjoying soy milk and coffee every morning, which I wasn't before. And drinking decaf green tea with lemon 4-5 cups daily. I'd been drinking beer daily for a long time. I'm trying to cut back/quit and for some reason the coffee helps. I am still binge drinking once or twice a week. Better than daily but still a shame, I know. I quit taking SP, really just because I forgot. I've been taking that for months because of hair loss.

Now there are very painful lumps that were never there before. I understand at my age, 36, and in the premenstrual stage, this is commonly fibrocystic breasts, especially if the pain and lumps go down after my period.

How should this affect my nbe experience? Is massage still ok, unless too painful? Should I avoid phytoestrogens, take more phytoestrogens, use progesterone cream? Has massaging or nbe caused this or likely coincidental?

Is there anything I can do to lessen or change this?

[Lotus]

Hi there almost,



Castor Oil Packs

Warm castor oil packs may help dissolve lumps and relieve pain. Sometimes lumps will shrink after only a few applications. Warm castor oil packs over the liver not only invigorate, but also reduce inflammation. Some herbalists recommend alternating castor oil packs with ginger packs.

Chasteberry

Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) has been used to relieve FBD. Chasteberry may decrease prolactin, leading to increased progesterone production during the menstrual cycle, and it seems to result in a shift in the estrogen-progesterone balance, regulating hormones and inhibiting release of FSH and LH. This results in less estrogen to stimulate breast tissue. Eat the equivalent of 20-40 mg of fresh chasteberry berries daily or take 175-225 mg daily of a preparation that is standardized to contain 0.5% agnuside.

Caution: Avoid chasteberry if you take oral contraceptives or are pregnant.   Caffeine and Breast Conditions

Some women find that reducing or even eliminating caffeine intake by avoiding coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks significantly decreases breast discomfort (Russell 1989). However, the topic is controversial because studies linking caffeine and FBD have had inconsistent results or have been inconclusive (Allen et al. 1985, 1987; Horner et al. 2000; Imaginis 2000).

An early study by Minton et al. (1981) was widely publicized because it claimed that abstaining totally from caffeine lessened symptoms and resolved FBD completely. According to Minton, abstinence from consuming methylxanthine (a chemical present in foods and beverages that contain caffeine) decreased the need for major breast surgery and breast biopsies because of benign disease (Minton 1979, 1981, 1989). A 2002 study of the literature on causes of breast pain found that some investigations did find an association between caffeine intake and FBD and breast pain (Norlock 2002). However, other studies over the past 20 years have examined the relationship of caffeine to breast conditions and have reported inconclusive or even the opposite conclusions (Boyle et al. 1984; La Vecchia et al. 1985; Rosenberg et al. 1985; Horner et al. 2000). One study of more than 2000 women reported by Rosenberg et al. (1985) concluded that coffee consumption was not associated with an increase of breast cancer among women with a history of FBD. Another study, reported by La Vecchia et al. (1985), even found "slight" evidence that the more coffee a woman consumed, the less likely she was to have breast cancer.

Even though the evidence of a direct link between caffeine and FBD is inconclusive, many clinicians do recommend a low caffeine intake in women with FBD. Some women report significant relief from FBD symptoms after eliminating caffeine from their diets. If you suspect caffeine might have a role in your FBD symptoms, eliminate sources of caffeine (chocolate, coffee, tea, soft drinks) from your diet for 3 months to see if your symptoms improve.

As noted above, methylxanthine is a chemical present in foods and beverages that contain caffeine. Methylxanthines increase circulating catecholamines (chemicals which are present in responses to stress). There is some evidence that women with FBD have an increased sensitivity to catecholamines. However, as with caffeine, the studies are inconclusive. Both the National Cancer Institute and the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs state that there is no association between methylxanthine intake and FBD at this time (AMA 1984; Schairer et al. 1986). - See more at: http://www.lifeextensionvitamins.com/fib...html#.dpuf

Hope this helps.

[cupcaketits]

Thanks Lotus. So I know most associate estrogen with breast growth. Is lessening estrogen via chaste berry compatible with nbe?

I can definitely cut the coffee. I rarely eat chocolate. I'm pretty sure caffeine can raise estrogen, like alcohol, as it makes it harder on the liver to metabolize estrogen?

So lower prolactin increases progesterone? Does this mean I should stop massaging? I actually have leaked a few drops during massage and it increases prolactin, right?

[Lotus]

Thanks Lotus. So I know most associate estrogen with breast growth. Is lessening estrogen via chaste berry compatible with nbe?

I can definitely cut the coffee. I rarely eat chocolate. I'm pretty sure caffeine can raise estrogen, like alcohol, as it makes it harder on the liver to metabolize estrogen?

So lower prolactin increases progesterone? Does this mean I should stop massaging? I actually have leaked a few drops during massage and it increases prolactin, right?

I think why you felt that coffee was helping to ease the pain came from that fact coffee inhibits estrogen receptor alpha, which is the growth receptor, (feeding the pain in the lumps).

Lowering prolactin raises progesterone, but.....high prolactin is inflammatory (yikes huh?). The chasteberry lowers prolactin. Dark chocolate is an antioxidant, the polyphenols are pro-breast health.

Cut sugars and starches, add more fruit and veggies, (red pigments). Check into l-tyrosine and vitamin B (B-3, folic acid, vitamin D too).

Some research I've seen about caffeine is how folks metabolize it, it's either slow or fast.......the half life is approximately 4 hours. Caffeine is metabolized in the liver via the CYP1A2 enzyme. And I see that our friend the CYP3A4 enzyme is also involved. I haven't found it yet, but I believe coffee has an inderct involvement of I inhibiting DHT. But yes, it also up-regulates estradiol. My last blood test revealed an increase of 170% in E2, I was drinking 4-5 cups a day, . Now down to one cup, imo coffee is an antioxidant, good in some ways, but will interfere with breast growth,

https://www.pharmgkb.org/pathway/PA165884757
http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/prola...z40N1L85qr

[Lotus]

I wouldn't stop massaging. Massaging drains the toxins out of the breasts via the lymphatic system.

[Dynseli]

Lumps are from too much of one hormone. I believe it's too much progesterone. You mentioned, it was before premenstrual, and that you took red clover. Premenstrual is after progesterone peaks, and red clover is a strong phytoprogesterone.

[Dynseli]

You've also mentioned beer, which contains a botanical-prolactin, that doubles as a phyto-progesterone during the luteal phase, which adds to the case it could be too much progesterone. Then you've said the problem subsides after menstruation, which is the time, when estrogen peaks.

[cupcaketits]

Hi Lotus, sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant the coffee seems to help with not drinking beer somewhat, not the breast pain. Thanks for the info.

[cupcaketits]

Hi Dynseli, I didn't know those things were phyto progesterone. I'll have to look into that, thanks. I know beer raises estrogen levels, I think because it overworks the liver.