Breast Disease and Fibromyalgia

Around half of the women with fibromyalgia report experiencing breast pain.
Fibrocystic breast disease is quite common in women with fibromyalgia.

What Is Fibrocystic Breast Disease?

Fibrocystic breast disease is a condition where the tissue of the breasts changes. The fibers begin to form cysts. And the cysts can change the way the breasts look and feel.

Often, fibrocystic breast disease doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. But some women with the condition notice pain or tenderness in the breast. In addition, they may be able to feel the cysts under the tissue. They may even notice a dark-colored discharge from the nipple.

The cysts can swell with the monthly menstrual cycle, which can make the symptoms worse. So, breast pain that gets worse during menstruation is a good sign of fibrocystic breast disease.

The condition is extremely common. And more than half of all women will experience it at some point in their lives. In fact, it’s so common that many doctors don’t consider it a disease, but rather a natural change that happens in some women’s bodies. For that reason, many prefer the term fibrocystic breasts instead of fibrocystic breast disease.

Besides the pain, the condition isn’t really serious. Having fibrocystic breasts doesn’t increase your risk of breast disease. And it doesn’t lead to severe complications. But it can be an unpleasant condition to live with, especially if you’re already struggling with fibromyalgia.

Is It Related To Fibromyalgia?

We also think that fibromyalgia might be linked to sex hormones. The vast majority of people with fibromyalgia are women. That implies that there may be a role for hormones like estrogen in the condition since otherwise there’s no obvious explanation for the difference in the rate of the condition among the genders.

Fibrocystic breasts are simply very common, which explains why so many women with fibromyalgia have the condition. The good news is that there are things you can do to treat the condition.

How Is It Treated?

Usually, basic, over-the-counter painkillers can help treat the pain from the condition. If the pain is especially bad, a doctor may be able to prescribe something stronger.

Birth control medication can help manage the hormonal cycle that causes the breasts to swell.
Doctors can also help resolve this problem by lancing the cysts with a very fine needle, allowing the fluid inside to drain out.

Yes !!😃 I have experienced breast pain. My nipples were very tender to painful to touch . Seemed as if the pain radiates from them. So when I made an effort to keep that area as warm as I could the pain would go away. Warmer clothing in the area may help. Especially when in air conditioned rooms , shopping in freezer section of grocery stores like Walmart. I always have some type of sweater or jacket with me just in case😊. Sometimes I find myself pulling my clothes tighter to my chest area to keep the cold air out of there😂 Tis sounds like a crazy conversation I know. But the stuff Fibromyalgia puts us through looks crazy!!! I hope this helps in some way. Well, at least you know that you are not alone. 😂😂

Yes, i had shooting pain in my right breast along with random pain throughout my body that felt like needle jabs for years. Breast exams twice - came out ok. Gabapentin finally helped.

Yes 🥰 have breast ache and tenderness most days

I have breast pain often