Help for premenstrual breast pain

By naturopath Margaret Jasinska

Premenstrual breast pain is also called cyclic mastalgia. It’s common and caused by hormonal changes before a period, leading to pain or tenderness, and fluid retention in the breasts.

Symptoms can be mild or severe and usually improve after the period starts. The symptoms can vary in intensity from month to month.

Premenstrual breast tenderness is usually caused by the rise in oestrogen and progesterone before your period. This causes milk ducts and glands to swell and retain fluid. The increased fluid puts pressure on nerves in the breasts, making them feel achy and swollen.

Iodine may help relieve breast pain and tenderness

Iodine is a mineral with several important functions in the body.  It is required for the production of thyroid hormones. In women, a large amount of iodine is stored in the ovaries and breasts.  Research has shown that iodine deficiency increases the risk of lumpy and painful breasts, particularly before menstruation.

Iodine promotes the healthy detoxification of oestrogen and also makes breast cells less sensitive to oestrogen. Women have a higher requirement for iodine than men. It supports progesterone production. That makes it one of the most important remedies for oestrogen excess and estrogen dominance symptoms like breast pain.

Iodine deficiency is an increasingly common problem in many parts of the world.  Your iodine level can be accurately checked with a simple urine test that your doctor can arrange for you.  Seafood that comes from the ocean and seaweed are good sources of iodine.  Unfortunately much of the seafood available these days is farmed, where the food given to the fish is iodine deficient, therefore the fish you eat doesn’t contain much at all

Wild caught seafood can be very expensive and is not always available, and even patients of mine who regularly consume it are often found to be iodine deficient. Therefore, if you suffer with breast pain or other symptoms of oestrogen dominance, additional iodine is advisable.

Breast PMS Relief capsules contain iodine, selenium, vitamin D and zinc. They help to relieve breast pain and tenderness associated with premenstrual tension.

Diet changes may help

Caffeine and a high salt intake can worsen breast tenderness. Ordinarily I believe salt is healthy and a necessary part of your diet, but you may want to cut down your intake in the week before your period if breast tenderness and fluid retention are a problem for you.

Make sure you are not constipated because that impairs your body’s ability to excrete excess oestrogen. A build up of oestrogen can make all premenstrual symptoms worse. Fibretone is a gentle bulk laxative that helps to keep the stool soft, making it easier to pass bowel motions.

Magnesium helps to relieve the symptoms of premenstrual tension as well as muscle cramps. Many people are not getting enough magnesium in their diet and losing too much of it in their urine due to stress and a high caffeine intake.

Reference:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15239792/