Hello everyone. I'm new to this site (very cool site, btw) and new to perimenopause. I'm 38 yrs old. My mom and grandmother both went into early menopause in their late 30's/early 40's (though that's their term for it, I'm sure it was never actually diagnosed as such). Anyway, for the past year or so I've been having insanely irregular periods with the longest time between visits from af at 68 days. I've always hovered at 33-35 days so I was a little concerned. This month I'm at cycle day 42. AND MY BOOBS ARE KILLING ME! Is this seriously a symptom of perimenopause? I've got several other symptoms as well but this boob thing is horrible.

I have an appointment with my dr. on the 25th to discuss my 'issues' as the nurse called it. Mom also has thyroid problems so I'm hoping that my rapid weight gain can be partially attributed to that (that sounds so strange to say but much better than no, Zemmii, you just eat way too much).

Back to the original question...Is it normal for my breasts to be this tender? Even my 'big' bra hurts. sigh....

~Zemmii

Hi Zemmii and welcome to Power Surge!

Painful breasts are definitely a symptom of menopause. I have fibrocystic disease, so mine have always been somewhat painful. BUT JEESH! Since entering peri they JUST PLAIN HURT! Some months are so bad I have to use heat or ice packs on the sides just to alleviate the pain! That and good old ibuprofen. Getting checked out by your doc is a smart thing to do....just to make sure there are no other complications. After you do you'll have a piece of mind, which is ALWAYS a good thing!

But the long and short of it, is YES! Painful boobs ARE a symptom of menopause, and YES they can really hurt THAT BAD!
HUGS!

My boobs swell up terribly and hurt like living h*ll before I get a period, which is usually once or twice a year. I know it's a very common symptom.

I've had this, too. Once I actually had to have a mammogram while in that state. I almost fainted!

Got so that I mastered the "Frankenstein" walk: hands out in front of me - DON'T ANYONE TOUCH MY BREASTS!!! And how about going up stairs really slowly, so you don't get any "bounce?" And I have really tiny breasts!

Your periods being as whacky as they are sounds like what happened with me, zemmii. I had about a year of that, and then they began really spreading out. I had 2 periods last year, and haven't had one now since early November. Praying this is finally IT!!!

The NICE part of it is that my breasts have NO soreness for months at a time - NONE!

Oh, the joy of lying on your belly!!!


Hang in!

Jacquie

Oh my gosh, Jacquie! I hear you LOUD and clear with the painful breasts and MAMMOGRAMS! The last one I had in November I actually HAD early because my boobs were SO sore. And the woman that did the mammo was a HEARTLESS B*TCH (sorry, but true!) who when I told her (with tears in my eyes!) it was killing me just having her HOLD the breast, said: "Do you want the mammogram or not?" CAN you imagine? Some people should NOT work in the medical field for Pete's sake! I was very surprised with my disposition these days (which is NOT good) that I didn't slap her right up side the head! She deserved it for sure. Thank GOD my mammo came out fine and I didn't have to return. I feel SO bad for women that have to return to the 'Evil Tech' for further testing. She's down right spooky.

The few minutes that it took to get that test done, felt like HOURS to me! But it's something that we HAVE to do, and the short time of discomfort is well worth the piece of mind.

Period started and boobs magically not sore anymore....sigh. I talked with my mom last night and she just started laughing!

Thanks for the empathizing ladies...this place rocks!

Hi ladies -
I have those same problems w/the sore boobs... My GYN told me that when the breast is swollen and it hurts - that's because the estrogen level is going down... So Zemmi - it definetly is a peri-meno. symptom... Good luck at your next Dr. appt.

When that hurts - like you - I actually cry and I don't want to take the bra off because I know it will hurt with the sag of the boobs... ouch!! Now - I'm a size B - not a huge size - but when it sags..it sags - it hurts like crazy....

Once I had a mammagram scheduled and it was a bad booby day - I called and cancelled the appt. and they were very, very compassionate - they certainly understood - and they told me to reschedule when the pain stops... Kleeo - I'm amazed that you didn't slap the evil tech - geez, what the heck was wrong with her - I would have reported her!!!

Blessings,
Stacy

I agree with Stacy, Kleeo - that technician was SADISTIC!!!

Anyone who is trained in doing mammograms should have gotten a lesson somewhere that this can be very painful for women with cystic breasts. That day I went, I had tears streaming down my face. At least the tech was a very kind woman who felt bad, and tried to do the tests quickly.

I have also cancelled mammo appointments because my breasts were too sore. Now that I rarely have the soreness anymore, it's GREAT, because I can just schedule anytime, and know that although my poor breasts will be crushed to the size of a pancake, I won't have all those cysts in there.

Again, the good part is that when you get hormonally depleted enough, the soreness just goes away. Feels nice to be celebrating SOMETHING about peri!


Jacquie

My GYN said it's a sure sign it's hormones when the breasts are sore... isn't it funny when they are swollen, mine are like that this month and they are nice and perky like when I was 20
I just had a mammogram in this condition and I always need extra films due to some scar tissues from a auto accident which left a bad breast injury> 9 films I endear, but the tech was great, OK she just went through peri-meno. We had some war stories to exchange!

Actually, I did report her, in a way. I told my doctor who has been a Physician with this particular hospital for years. He was absolutely MORTIFIED that she treated me that way. His comment was: "This will not go unnoticed". He's a doll, and I believe what he said.

Hey, I am the first to admit (BELIEVE ME!) that there are days when I could THROTTLE some of my customers/clients, and some mornings I wake up feeling so nasty that it stays with me througout the day. (It's all a hormone thing!) But BEING a professional, I wait and take the anger/frustration home with me. Remembering your ethics is so important in the working world. At least IMO.
Mammograms are SO painful and SO nerve wracking to BEGIN with, a woman doesn't need a nasty old cow to add to the misery. I'm hoping she is there when I go back the next time for my exam. Because GOD pity her. I have all my guns loaded this time, and I will stand in the middle of that waiting room floor and throw a COMPLETE temper tantrum until they bring someone else in to give me the test. (And ladies, believe me when I say......I can be the QUEEN of bEEtches!!) LOL!

Jacquie you poor baby! I know just what you mean about the tears rolling down your cheeks! I have actually asked a tech in the past if she thought my cysts were breaking when they squashed my boob! That's how painful it is when you have fibrocystic disease!

Snowmoon, isn't it comforting when someone else talks peri with you? For some reason that ALWAYS puts me at ease especially when it comes to testing on boobs, pap smears, etc. Nice knowing that the person administering the test understands what we are going through! Eases some of the anxiety.
HUGS!

I am waiting for someone to invent a new method for screening breasts. It would involve a soft, furry-lined cup that we would gently "place" our breasts into.

They would serve us wine or tea while they took the pictures, and we could do it sitting down, with our feet up on lovely ottomans. Maybe the techs could massage our feet.

Everyone would fuss and speak soothingly to us.

Haven't we sent a man to the moon???


Jacquie


PS - My old doc was a hoot. He once said, "If men had to put their testicles into a mammogram machine, they would NEVER go through the tests!"

Oh Jacquie! You SURE are dreamy tonight, aren't you? LMBO! SUCH a lovely thought, however! Shoot, if this was the way mammograms REALLY were, I'd make a monthly appointment JUST to be pampered!

You may have hit on something here...the Mammogram as a Spa Treatment!!

I had my yearly mammogram this morning - NO PAIN!!!!! The first time ever!

Now I can post in the "Anything Good About Menopause" forum. I've never found a single good thing about perimenopause before!!!


BTW, I decided to take all my nervous energy while waiting to have the mammo done, and use it to send prayers for gunner, who just tested positive for breast cancer (a curable form, but still, that poor gal to have to deal with this on top of peri ). She's been on my mind so much these past few days. Isn't it hard not being able to give our P-S sisters a real-life (((HUG)))?

Love you all!