Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So, my most recent period was the 3rd week of November. For more than a week preceding it, I had the worst case of tender boobahs I've ever had. Even wearing wire-free bras were murder (I have A-cups). It took two weeks for the aching to subside, and I've recently started going bra-free, which is basically what I do 75% of the time anyway (at home).

I'm currently in my luteal phase and I've felt myself up for lumps and I can't feel any. However, when I press up into my right boob I get a "bruised" feeling in the main mass (aka milk ducts and whatnot). There's no redness or visible swelling (at least not that I can tell). My left boob has always been underdeveloped and has always had an inverted nipple (which has caused me no end of heightened self-consciousness) and has never felt tender so I'm not particularly concerned about that one.

I do my best to avoid soy (but damn it's hard--shit is in EVERYTHING) and don't really eat many goitrogenic foods (2-3x/week max). Breast cancer doesn't run in either side of my family, however my mom has fibrocystic breasts (apparently that's quite common). I also tend to sleep on my right side.

Could my tit just be bruised? I have a routine physical and pap scheduled for the 20th but I wanted to get some Paleo opinions.

flag	asked Dec 9 2011 at 19:09 Nemesis 11.4k●1●10●40

The title of the thread sounds like a line from a Brett Easton Ellis novel... – Wisper Dec 9 2011 at 22:33

losttraveler · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-09 21:00:10Z UTC

How old are you? I'm in my mid 30s and have found over the last year that I'm experiencing very much the same thing you seem to be experiencing. This is a definite change from the past. It was so painful that I discussed with my doctor and she told me that this is not an uncommon thing to be experiencing at this point and that the cause is hormonal. She advised that I limit my caffeine intake and make sure that I avoided becoming dehydrated. She also suggested the pill (Yaz) but I declined. Good thing too after all the stories that are coming out about Yaz and increased risk for blood clots.

Aravind · Answer 2 · 2011-12-09 19:17:06Z UTC

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Have you considered cacao nipple therapy?

answered Dec 9 2011 at 19:17

Aravind
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Is that for my boyfriend to administer? XD – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 19:18

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I'm a doctor. Let me know if you need a hand – Aravind Dec 9 2011 at 19:20

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BTW - not trivializing any pain you might be experiencing. But I am not mature enough to read the word boob and respond in a mature manner. – Aravind Dec 9 2011 at 19:26

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That's okay, I still lol at poop jokes and I'm 29 XD – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 19:32

Casey · Answer 3 · 2011-12-09 19:33:32Z UTC

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If we could get a better look at it we might be able to help out a bit better.

Can you provide some pictures?

All angles, please.

You know, for diagnostic purposes only.

answered Dec 9 2011 at 19:33

Casey
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Kent - are you a doctor too? Small world – Aravind Dec 9 2011 at 19:36

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So many doctors on PH! – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 19:37

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LOL Kent trust me, there's not much to look at :) – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 20:48

julianne · Answer 4 · 2011-12-09 21:04:28Z UTC

It's unlikely to be the tiny amount of soy.

It may be that you need more brassica vegetables - not less. They help the liver clear estrogen

Check out this post at Robb Wolfs blog: http://robbwolf.com/2011/11/28/testimonial-female-hormones-finding-balance/ ".....One of Robb’s suggestions was acupuncture. I’d had success with that for morning sickness with my pregnancies so I started going weekly. I think it’s made a big difference. Besides, we all need to relax. I’m a type A mom of four. Slowing down is generally not an option in my life. Being stuck under needles for 20 minutes is good for something. I continued to research and found in a previous podcast that Robb mentioned supplements that could help estrogen issues. DIM (diindolylmethane) found in cruciferous vegetables and Calcium D-glucarate which is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables. Instead of taking two different things I found both in one product at my health food store. I saw results almost immediately. I began taking it mid-cycle and instead of the week of P.M.S it was only a 3 or 4 days. The next month it was less and by the next month it was almost non-existent."

mamasaz · Answer 5 · 2011-12-09 20:04:37Z UTC

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How much caffeine or other stimulants do you drink? Even decaf coffee can cause breast pain.

Otherwise...Is there a possibility you could be pregnant? Sore boobs are very common in the early weeks.

answered Dec 9 2011 at 20:04

mamasaz
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	Nope, my bf and I use condoms every time and the only caffeine I get is from one cup of black coffee in the morning. I might switch back to decaf green tea and see if that has any effect. However, my next period is 10 days away. Maybe the rise in progesterone is triggering the soreness? So far it's not nearly as bad as it was last month. – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 20:10
	For me, even the small amounts of theobromide in chocolate will have an effect :( – Marnee Dec 9 2011 at 20:17

Kristin · Answer 6 · 2011-12-09 20:26:46Z UTC

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hormones...are your periods regular? are you on birth control? what are you eating that has soy in it?

answered Dec 9 2011 at 20:26

Kristin
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	Birth control makes me very ill so I don't take it. My periods are regular. The only things I think I'm eating which have soy in them are like pre-made Thai and Indian sauces, but even then I don't eat those very often :( – Nemesis Dec 9 2011 at 20:45
	If you are interested, I am a FDN (Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist) We can run a salivary hormones panel on you and see if hormones is the factor. Sounds like it could be. Will never really know until you test! – Kristin Dec 14 2011 at 19:32

VeeDub · Answer 7 · 2011-12-10 00:11:23Z UTC

This sounds exactly like what I've been experiencing! I've been feeling excess tenderness, particularly between ovulation and the start of my period. I second losttraveler in that mine may be related to age as the pain seems to have changed in intensity and depth the past few years. When I was younger it would be just my nipples, while now it's more the fleshy part (but no lumps and no history of breast cancer, knock on wood). I'm 28 and have been using non-hormonal birth control BC for about 6 years. Some months are worse than others, and I haven't noticed a difference with what I eat.

That being said, this week I finally realized a major part of my problem: my boyfriend. The man likes to spoon with a death-grip! He wraps his arms around my chest and hangs on for life all night (until he rolls over and inevitably farts on me... I should mention he is not committed to the paleo way). I didn't make the connection until he cuddled me one night and his hand went right into a sore spot. I have sensitive skin and sometimes bruise easily, so my case may be N=1.

henny · Answer 8 · 2011-12-10 19:12:05Z UTC

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Just can't bring myself to hack a boob that is already sore!

answered Dec 10 2011 at 19:12

henny

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I prefer when both boobs are unharmed. Hacking is for meat and nerds. – primallykosher Dec 10 2011 at 19:18

:) Hacking is for meat and nerds. :) – henny Dec 10 2011 at 19:36

Nance · Answer 9 · 2011-12-09 19:21:00Z UTC

It could be any of the things you mentioned. My boobs fill up and get quite sore and it happened before menopause and (still) now. Before menopause, it seemed to track with my monthly cycle but now not so much. Frankly, I'd hoped it would quit once I was post-menopausal but the only positive change was that I stopped sprouting watery cysts on a steady basis.

I've never totally figured it out, because the sore/happy cycles don't seem to correspond directly with my known food intake although we all know how likely it is we're taking in unwanted things even when we try hard to be careful. The soreness I feel is definitely in the milk glands/channels/nipples so my best guess is that it's tied to the mastitis.

PaleoDel · Answer 10 · 2011-12-10 01:42:22Z UTC

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Sounds like high progesterone to me. When I was doing fertility treatments (and taking progesterone), I always got like this during the luteal phase. Now that I'm pregnant they're sore all the time. Maybe you should get a hormone workup.

answered Dec 10 2011 at 1:42

PaleoDel
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I think you're right about the progesterone. The soreness has faded over the past few days and is pretty much gone now that I've started my period. – Nemesis Dec 17 2011 at 1:49

Sue · Answer 11 · 2011-12-09 22:01:04Z UTC

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It may be this even though you can't feel lumps. http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/cysticbreasts/a/fibcysbrlubupan.htm

answered Dec 9 2011 at 22:01

Sue
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Hack my sore boob

11 Answers