# Wondering if anyone has found anything for breast cysts.



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Had my mammogram yesterday and the left breast is different from the right. The ultrasound indicated cysts (I think the doc said fibrocystic changes...but I don't really have any discomfort from this)I've been looking around the web for treatment/prevention options and things are pretty slim pickings.The stop taking caffiene and eat low fat thing which is the conventional wisdom seems to not hold up well when rigorously tested...Then there is that alternative stuff. Progesterone cream and going braless....but that I think may have even LESS hard clinical data for it, but great testimonials...So has anyone found anything that helps? Mostly if it is they don't bother me, I'm not going to bother them (like getting them drained) but if I can make it be better....that may save on trips to the people that feel woman up for a living







The ones the mammogram picked up are going to be needle biopsied so they may go away once they are drained...but I'd like to keep things less cysty if I can







K.


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Hi K!, Sorry to hear you are experiencing such problems. I know it must be bothersome for you and cause you some worry.I have definitely found that cutting out coffee and chocolate help. My mother found out more about the coffee thing because she used to drink a lot of coffee and had a problem with fibrocystic breasts and uterine fibroids as well. I found out that my breasts were sore and hard after eating too much chocolate. I stopped that and it seemed to have gone away. Have you been doing a certain amount of the caffeine thing? I am not sure about the fat thing though. I never had or heard of that connection. Good luck. I will be hoping for a good outcome for you. UM


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## persian26 (Mar 2, 2003)

i have one on my right breast..constantly painful...notice a diff when cutting out choclate & caffeine...


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Hi K,I have about 8 or 10 of cysts in both breasts combined that get bigger and smaller with my cycle. Several months ago I had a painful one drained, and I had a bruise for almost a week. No guarantee it won't grow back and it hurts either way so I don't think I'll do it again. I sure have dealt with a lot of people looking at and feeling my breasts, I know what you mean.Going braless? I hadn't heard that one. I've had a home office for a few years now and often go braless all day. Absolutely no difference. I've been eating low fat meals for years too. I confess to coffee though, one cup a day. It probably would make a difference to cut back on that but I don't know for sure. I don't eat chocolate at all.I've had these things for so long it's just routine for me, I expect them to come and go like menstrual cramps. I only see a doctor if I feel one during my self exam, which would be a funny time of the month for them to be noticable, but that's happening more often as I get older. They're not pre-cancerous or anything like that.


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## GinaChick (May 7, 2003)

Cutting the chocolate definitely made a big difference for me. My breasts used to hurt all of the time, until I decided I was eating WAY too much chocolate. The suggestion came from my gyno, who told me I have fibrocystic breasts.


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## Tlyon (Feb 20, 2001)

K, as I said over in the meeting place, I am glad that it turned out well. However, I have a cyst in my left breast, that will flare up now and again, and I know it can be painful, or in the least uncomfortable. Ture cutting out ANY/all, caffine is helpful, but my doctor told me that when it gets bad to up my dosage of vitamins E and C. My multi-vitamins have 30IU of E so I take an extra 800, and my C I up to 1000IU's. This takes about a week or so before I notice the difference, but it works for me. The reason I don't do this on a daily basis is simple....I tend to forget to take my vitamins at the best of times. You also get an added benefit, your hair and skin start looking better! Hope this helps. T


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The strange thing is that I really don't have any discomfort from them other than the "is that a bad lump or a not so bad lump







" anxiety.I am one of those woman who generally doesn't get any breast tenderness (or menstral cramps either....it is OK to hate me for that







Although entering perimenopause age I do get some cramps sometimes...but the IBS was so much worse they aren't that big a deal...we think the cysts may be just part of the hormones fluxing a bit...I do have some skin problems that I never had as a teenager...so that adds to the idea that the hormonal cycling is getting a bit ragged ) So they really aren't painful or tender, just lumpy.I have started adding some E and C to my vitamin regime, so I will see if that will help. I have a very hard time cutting caffiene out entirely...I don't consume that much, but without it I get terrible headaches (yep...addicted is what I am







) I may just have to adopt a "if you don't get painful I won't have you punctured with needles" approach to them







You don't mess with me, I won't mess with you...K.


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

All I can say is that, yes, progesterone cream *might* be helpful.


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