Fibrocystic Breast Tissue

I've got it and have never seen a specialist for it either nor have any of my DRs seemed too concerned about it. It just makes doing a self exam on me harder cause it all feels like a bunch of peas in my boobs and the DRs have to press a little firm to feel for lumps.

S.

I've had this off and on for about 35 years! Lumps and Bumps.

I recently started have breast pain and was referred to a breast specialist. She said she felt many fibrous cysts. She told me to take Evening of Primrose Oil, increasing slowly over three months. She was very specific about how much to take. The pain went away after the 2nd month on the Evening of primrose and I have an appt. next month for another breast exam with her. She is just double checking that the cysts have decreased in size so that I don't have to worry.

You might reduce intake of chocolate and caffeine to help reduce the size as well. My friend did this and immediately her lump began to shrink.

This is very common. Don't stress out. If your OB had thought it was something different he/she would have told you. That the OB is being cautious and sending you to a specialist is the right thing to do, but chances are you are fine. Fight the stress. I learned a long time ago that worrying cannot make things better...... generally worse.

I have very fibrous breast tissue and have several cysts, it's good to get them checked. Don't stress yourself out, you will feel better getting in and knowing!

I have a condition called fibroadenomas (sp) that create lumps. At the age of 21 I noticed two of them and called my mom to tell her. I had them checked by an OB who then sent me to a surgeon to have an ultrasound done on them. He felt both lumps should be removed, which turned out they were nothing, no cancer at all. I do know that caffeine aggravates my condition so if I want to stay away from nasty, lumpy boobies, I stay off caffeine. I did notice though, that when I started birth control at 24, right before I got married, the birth control actually shrunk the third one that had developed. It's never grown or changed in size so my OB just tells me to keep an eye on it but the chances of it ever developing into something more are actually slim. I rarely think about my firbroadenomas, no need to stress myself out:)

I had this for years - it's uncomfortable and it makes self-breast exams difficult at best, and useless at worst. I mean really, checking yourself for lumps, when you know there are a bunch of them there to start?

It's a nuisance and can be stressful when you have a mammogram and they ask you to repeat it, but it's often just to get a better image. I often had repeat mammograms because the first films weren't always clear, although that is less of a problem with better digital imaging. With all of the new research on the dangers of too much radiation from the tests, I'm rethinking the conventional wisdom of yearly mammography - and many doctors are rethinking it as well.

If your cysts are painful, that's kind of a good sign - cancer lumps aren't usually painful. The cystic pain can fluctuate with hormones and be worse at certain times of the month.

After many years, I got rid of them completely by using comprehensive nutritional supplementation. My doctor told me she can't find any, and she is almost as thrilled as I am. I'm in the field of nutrition, and I can tell you that doctors don't often have much training in nutrition - and the good ones will admit it. I'd be very careful about choosing a single nutrient or herb (as one person suggested with primrose oil) because so many people get in trouble with these. You don't know of the quality of the product (doesn't matter if it's sold in a health food store or a whole foods market - it matters where it's manufactured and what the quality of the ingredients is). Lots of hospitalizations or cardiac episodes by trying to get your body to process and absorb a specific vitamin or mineral or element without all the "partner" ingredients it needs. So I would be very careful about believing that a single nutrient can help you.

I do think it's wise to cut back on things like caffeine, but that wasn't enough for me even over 10 years. It's when I did the right things for breast health and general health that I got relief and a clear medical report.

Yes, I have fibrocystic breasts, and from what I understand from what he told me it's not a "condition" or a "diagnosis" rather just a quality of the breast tissue. Mine are quite dense and tend to get rather lumpy with hormone changes. A doctor told me YEARS ago that I just will have a harder time determining changes because my breasts, by nature are a little lumpy so not to miss a mammogram when it come time to get them annually.

I guess I inherited mine from my mom. I have had a few instances where the Gyn has found lumps. I have had mammograms since 32 but mostly get sent for a sonogram. Twice I have had to visit a surgeon for an aspiration. Both times the lumps looked like there was something in them besides fluid so the Gyn sent me to the surgeon for the aspiration. Turns out there was a little blood in the fluid and that makes it show up like a white color not clear.
I was told to reduce caffeine and change my birth control pill and have regular checkups.
It is something you will have to be aware of but you will get used to it and checking yourself. I would recommend limiting caffeine (it really made some of mine go AWAY! when I cut back), ask your Gyn for sonograms if they find something (less painful than a mammogram) and if you need to see a surgeon, find one you are comfortable with. I don't live in Chicago so can't recommend - sorry- but find someone who is caring & warm - yes, that does exist in a surgeon. The one I saw actually showed me the x-rays each time and explained what was happening. She was more worried about me feeling pain and then let me know her best opinion when I left so I wasn't stuck waiting on the results for weeks. It can make a BIG difference in your stress level.
Best of Luck and start limiting that caffeine - it can make a difference even by your appt. next week :>)

My sister and I have always had fibrocystic breast tissue. Between the two of us, we've had countless aspirations, often with ultrasound to guide the breast specialist/surgeon. Mine are fluid-filled and benign, and only cause pain if they're large (3-4 inches in diameter). My sister's have sometimes been solid, requiring biopsy from time to time, but always test benign. We've tried various birth control pills and cutting out caffeine, but neither seems to help for us. Our mother had breast cancer (10 years now totally cancer-free!), but she's not fibrocystic - go figure. It's wise to have regular mammograms, follow up as needed, and know your body's monthly changes. It helps to know others share this condition, and to discuss what works for them. I can provide the name of the Breast Specialist I see in Bloomingdale, IL, if you're interested.

C., I feel for you! I have this too. As others note, it does make things stressful at first but you and your doctor will get used to knowing what is fibrocystic lumps and what is not.

My dr. recommended evening primrose oil too and it does help but don't take it indefinitely. Even more important - critical, I would say - is getting off caffeine. Caffeine can cause the lumps to form. If someone working in a coffee shop accidentally serves me caffeinated coffee, I have shooting breast pains within hours and into the next day. If you drink coffee or caffeinated soft drinks etc. please try hard to get off it ASAP.

The lumps do indeed go away -- and come back and go away. Avoiding caffeine helps keep them at bay for me. You will not be "cured" of this but it is manageable. If you are not experiencing any pain that's good! If your dr. is really concerned she can order a breast MRI as a baseline at some point -- that is what my dr. did a few years back. And be sure to keep up with your mammograms (start now if you are not already getting them).

I have this as well. I am working on the no stress part, but as you know- it's hard!

I knew for a long time that I had this, but only in the last few years did the bumps and lumps come up. My doc is always conservative in wanting things checked out (which I'm grateful for). But it is just what I do now. I see him every year, he finds something, I go get it checked (mammo or ultasound), it's nothing, but go to recheck in 6 months. So I'm on this 6 month cycle of having things checked. I do worry on the day of the appt, the what if's are natural. But otherwise, I just do what the doc tells me and pray for the best. You'll feel better once you hear officially that it's nothing. As others said, your doc would have told you if they were concerned that it was cancer.

I have been told about the lower caffeine benefit, still working on that!! I hope and pray the best for you. But from what you wrote, you sound just like me and the other posters, and we're all fine! Good luck, and let us know what happens.