[Wren]

Hello all! I've been browsing this forum for a while trying to take things in and this is my first post. Hoping some kind person can help.

My problem is this: I tend to suffer from hormonal break outs and was looking for ways to stop them. I'd heard a lot of people having breast enlargement success with EPO so I thought it was worth a try. Well, it did wonders for my skin; cleared the break outs, moisturiser my very dry skin from the inside and gave my skin a healthy glow. It really has worked for me (just one capsule a day, 1000mg). However! Since I've been taking it I have noticed my breasts have lost quite a bit of fullness and heaviness. I'm naturally about a (UK) 32D and really happy with my breasts - infact I have a few body issues and they were the one part of myself I really loved, so I'm finding it very disheartening to have them shrink and deflate like this. I found this place when googling about the problem and thought perhaps I'd find help here.

I've suspected for a while that I have a hormonal imbalance because of the hormonal breakouts and the fact that my periods have sometimes been debilitating (to the point of throwing up, fainting, cold sweats etc. I should point out this hasn't happened for a year or so, maybe because I'm eating better, but they're still very painful). I dont know what this suggests about my hormones.

A few other bits and bobs that might help: I have a pretty high libido which increases during ovulation and during my period, I don't have any mood changes when my period is due or during it (only the libido, I mean no short temper, mood swings etc), started my period at 12, always had quite a lot of hair on my arms - very fine but a lot of it, I'm bordering on underweight and always have been (my biggest insecurity, but I still naturally had full breasts - thanks genes!), and finally I'm using no hormonal birth control and never have. I'm in my early 20s.

I would be so grateful if anyone could tell me if any of this suggests that I'm lacking/dominant in certain hormones, or why the EPO caused my breasts to lose volume. I'd get a hormone test done but I'm in the UK and I doubt they'd give me one just because I ask for it.

I'm just wanting to get my breasts back to what they were without having to give up the EPO because of what it is doing for my breakouts. I really don't want to have to choose between nice skin or nice breasts.

Sorry this is long! Really any guidance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[isobasic]

I'll be interested to see what responses you get, you sound a lot like me when not on bcp. Just a theory, but maybe you're oestrogen dominant/progesterone deficient? EPO is a weak phytoestrogen I think. Do you get other PMS symptoms? Like luteal swelling/aching/water retention?

[Wren]

Thanks for your reply, isobasic.

Yes I do get luteal swelling which can sometimes be accompanied by mild aches/pain and sometimes very sharp pain, especially in the tissue up towards the armpit. The swelling tends start decreasing a few days into my period (I assume this is the same for most people).

Do you think a progesterone cream might be something worth looking into? Could it change the positive effect the EPO is having on my skin/breakouts? Is a cream the only way to increase progesterone or are there natural things I can eat/take?

Thank you again, all the information here can be a bit overwhelming!

[isobasic]

Thanks for your reply, isobasic.

Yes I do get luteal swelling which can sometimes be accompanied by mild aches/pain and sometimes very sharp pain, especially in the tissue up towards the armpit. The swelling tends start decreasing a few days into my period (I assume this is the same for most people).

Do you think a progesterone cream might be something worth looking into? Could it change the positive effect the EPO is having on my skin/breakouts? Is a cream the only way to increase progesterone or are there natural things I can eat/take?

Thank you again, all the information here can be a bit overwhelming!

There's vitex i think, which is meant to increase your own production, or phytoprogestins like in red clover / fennel (i think, you'll have to check me on that) which simulate the effects of pg in the body. I read that bad pms symptoms were a sign of low pregesterone in luteal stage (I'd have rock solid boobs a week or so before my period, v painful, and horrific cramps). I did try pc but I used to put it straight on my boobs (apparently to be avoided, oops) and every day, so i think I overdid it a bit and I ended up seemingly even smaller than I'd started and having hot flushes etc! So if you do use it, i'd be very careful and only use a tiny bit in the luteal stage only. I'd ask someone a bit more experienced with it (tibetan I think was a fan). The best thing I did for my skin and cramps was marvelon bcp, it balances your hormones out and is anti androgenic so clears up the skin etc.

No problem! I try and share my experience but everyone is different, you might have to do a bit of experimenting before you find your sweet spot hormonally!

[djt-d]

Hi
I'm currently taking EPO to try and enlarge my breasts as it's suppose to increase your breasts. I've not come across anywhere that says it decreases them.
I seem to remember someone posting on here that the reason EPO helps increase your breasts was because it had small amounts of estrogen in (and estrogen does increase not decrease breasts).
Regarding your painful periods - have you been checked out for endometriosis?
I'm too in the UK and wanting my hormones testing, but like you, I can't go to my doctor as I'm pretty sure they wouldn't give me a hormone test, and I'm not sure where to get any online salvia tests done.

[Wren]

Hi djt-d,

Yes almost everything I've read about EPO is the breast increase side effect (like I said, I already really liked my breasts; I was taking it for the skin benefits) except one single comment someone had posted below an article about EPO that I read. She also said she had noticed a decrease in her breasts since starting EPO. I really wish I knew what article it was but it was a month or so ago and I can't remember. This is why I was hoping I'd find some help here, because there's no information on this particular side effect anywhere else.

I haven't been tested for endometriosis, but it is something that has crossed my mind and my best friend keeps telling me I should mention it to a GP. I guess I'm a bit scared that I'll be told I do have it, but it definitely is something I need to get checked.

I really can't think what else it could be that changed my breasts - starting the EPO was literally the only change I made. I will perhaps try stopping it for a few weeks and seeing if they gain their volume back. This is very frustrating!

Thank you both for your replies

[Outofstyle]

I read someone say, I can't remember who it was awhile ago, Bonita maybe? That before growth your breasts can start to feel jello-y. Mine were feeling like this a couple months ago and this definitely made them feel smaller and not as full, but now I am out of that stage and starting to see growth, and they feel very firm and nice. So that could be what you are experiencing, but you could just research around for another herb that is also good for nice skin as well as breast growth and start taking that with your EPO just in case

[PetiteFille]

I am researching it right now because me too i want to start taking it .

I head its 6000 mg to treat acne, some people have reported bigger breast , but each person is different

we should really try it to see what will happen

[rocketmelon]

http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=8419&pid=35038#pid35038

go to "healthy fats section ..." scroll down

I have some of this in my house I was thinking of using for massage..........bad idea now thinking ......I have flax seed oil too to mix =D I've seen ppl get good results on flax seed it so it's no last resort or anything .............according to link it cause excess androgen.....so should thinking avoid?
has anybody notices good effects.......if I took with sp, licorice or a anti-androgen (orally) would I be safe ? .......or would I have to mix it with the oil......l unless there anybody who says it worked for them ..maybe I'll stroke it out

=/ hmm will anyway by the looks of things the answer to why some girls are shrinking is likely it's chemistry..borage oil way safer.....and higher fats too =D

[Wren]

I read someone say, I can't remember who it was awhile ago, Bonita maybe? That before growth your breasts can start to feel jello-y. Mine were feeling like this a couple months ago and this definitely made them feel smaller and not as full, but now I am out of that stage and starting to see growth, and they feel very firm and nice. So that could be what you are experiencing, but you could just research around for another herb that is also good for nice skin as well as breast growth and start taking that with your EPO just in case

This is exactly what they were feeling like - jelly. Just really squishy, and it's not a way my breasts have ever felt before. Well I stopped taking the EPO on the day of my last post (the 9th) as an experiment, but my period started about an hour ago so I can't attribute my current fullness to stopping the EPO, just luteal swelling. It was a stupid time to try and see the effects of stopping it really. I will see just how much volume I lose after my luteal swelling has gone down.

I think I will start taking some other herbs as suggested; I was thinking vitex would be fairly safe to help me balance things out. I'm also going to try and push my GP for a hormone test. Can't hurt to try!

Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions, it's been very helpful.