Fibrocystic Breast Questions

SKWUT04

Hi all! You may have read my post in the not diagnosed area about finding a lump and having a fair amount of pain, then going in to a new GP to have it looked it. She diagnosed me with fibrocystic breasts and I'll have it re-checked when I go in for an annual physical in a few weeks. I still feel said lump, but it's only palpable when I raise my ar,. She checked that area thoroughly while I had my arm lifted and my chart says "no mass" and since the pain went away (All of this happened in the days before and right after my period last month) we're holding off on imaging.

Anyway, not my questions! I figured here was as best of a place to ask as any:

- Do you have more fibrocystic tissue in one breast? A lot of what I see online says its generally in both, but my right one is VERY ropey/lumpy compared to my left one and it's the one that hurts. Doctor assures me this is normal.

- How are your symptoms around your period? I ovulated a few days ago and my right boob has been more sensitive and there's been hints of aching ever since. My app says I'm about 8 days out from my period and I'm usually pretty on point. I hit the offending boob while taking off a top in a dressing room earlier today and had about a half hour of a sort of burning pain. Not a disabling pain by any means, but it wasn't comfortable - and then it went away.

- What do you do to treat yours? I'm working on reducing coffee - down from 3 mugs (not cups - I definitely had more than 3 cups a day!) to about 1.5 and looking to drop that even more this week - and I started Evening Primrose per my GP's recommendation. That's been about 2 weeks now. I try to avoid taking NSAIDs after having some stomach issues a few months ago.

- Last one! What do your lumps feel like? The one that bothers me feels oval and maybe movable? I can't really tell. The rest of my boob just feels like it has a bunch of "stuff" in it - lumpy, bumpy stuff. The other has some of it, but as I said, it's largely one-sided. Rude.

Thanks for humoring me! I have diagnosed health anxiety and while I've had therapy and have lots of tools to work with it, I can go hard down the worst case scenario path and the least little thing can send me spiraling. Lots of CBT happening in my world as of late. I've been trying to avoid feeling up the boob these last few days as that likely only irritates it more, plus I wouldn't be as likely to note changes if i'm touching it every single day.

Beesie

About 60% of women have fibrocystic breasts; some people experience a lot of symptoms, others hardly notice it. So it's different for everyone, and it can change as you age.

What you describe - pain prior to your period, lumpy bumpy breasts, sounds perfectly normal. And yes, while both breasts will be fibrocystic, they won't necessarily feel the same. When I was younger it was more noticeable in my left breast; as I got older, it was more noticeable in my right breast.

Have you had any imaging? The lump sounds like it could be a fibroadenoma or a cyst - both very common, and both benign and harmless.

And how old are you?

MinusTwo

I gave up coffee entirely when I was younger. Amazing that the pain in my breasts went away. No other breast issues for 30 years except consistently fibrocystic, lumpy breasts.

SKWUT04

@Bessie - So many lumps! I spent some time feeling around last night and was honestly reassured to find similar feeling ones in my other breast. I'll be 35 in a couple of weeks, so from what I've read, this is pretty much "right on schedule" for the cystic breasts to really show themselves.

SKWUT04

@MinusTwo - Trying hard to quit the coffee! I LOVE coffee. I went 3 months without it at the end of last year while I had a stomach ulcer caused by h.pylori and got right back on it the moment I felt better. I had actually cut down to using a 1/2 caff brew right before this started up and my goal this week is to drop my afternoon cup, replace it with herbal tea. It feels like a punishment if I'm being honest, but I can tell my hormones are just losing their mind right now and everything I've read implicates caffeine as a culprit and I've got pretty much every symptom you can have of being estrogen dominant. I never ever break out and I've suddenly got pimples all over my forehead and cheek and a few on my chin to boot on top of boob pain. I plan to ask my doctor to run my hormone levels when I have my checkup in a couple of weeks.

clarebarez

Hi, last year, my first ultrasound showed many cluster of cysts on both but its more on left whic hurt before. Im turning 34 and second ultrasound showed d same cysts but on d left shrinked, and d right grow a little, this time, my right breast hurt always. I lessened my cafe but i still didnt give up my milk tea. I wonder if i give up all cafe, will my cysts start to shrink. I felt a large lump deep in my right breast before, then it was gone. But d ultrasound showed cluster of cysts on that area where i felt d lump, under d nipple

SKWUT04

I am having a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound on the 27th to see what's going on. Last cycle, I had minimal pain in the right side. I'd also pretty much cut caffeine entirely. But I let it creep back in and I've had some pretty decent pain on the right in the same spot that started all of this since around ovulation. I'm about 5 days out from my period and it ACHES. It's also super sensitive to the touch and is definitely swollen more and feels like it goes up into my armpit. I'm feeling pretty confident that it's cyclical and limited to one side, but I have diagnosed health anxiety and have certainly "what if'd" the situation to death.

But it was good to hear from someone that has a similar issue going on. My PCP feels pretty good about it being cysts and mentioned she thought it could be a cluster, and that the right one was "At least" a centimeter.

Being a woman is hard!

clarebarez

Currently, my right one is in pain starting this january. But it lessened now althought there is still pain. And it also goes up to my armpit, where a cluster of cysts has been found too. The radiologist told me before that this could be d culprit why im feeling pain. I just dont know when it will disappear, now im 3 days delay and having pms so my ryt breast now feels more painful lol. Im just putting warm pad and painkiller balm. I keep feeling on it but i believe theres no lump. Just thickness and pain

clarebarez

I hope your appointment goes well, i hope its just cluster of cysts like mine. ^

SKWUT04

Thank you! Here's to hoping! It makes me feel a little better to knw that someone else has similar issues that are one-sided and into the armpit. For me, it feels like my boob just needs to be popped - like if you stuck something in there and poked it, instant relief. The aching ebbs and flows. It was kinda rough this AM, BUT I also slept on that side. Now it's just very tender.

clarebarez

Try not to sleep on that side sis. Just sleep with your back and put warm pad on that side. Youll be able to sleep wel