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Breast pain/tenderness

Oceane

By Oceane
in Related Issues & Disorders

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Oceane Newbie
Oceane
Posted

Hi!

I have been gluten-free for six weeks now and in the past couple of weeks have had really bad breast tenderness/pain/feeling of fullness, almost like when I was breast feeding. I'm 52 and hadn't had this problem for a couple of years now. I definitely get the impression that it's linked to stopping gluten because I haven't changed anything else in my diet or lifestyle recently...

Help! It's horrible and painful. Any advice or confirmation that this is normal gratefully received..

 

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I have one thought -

 

If you have Celiac disease, You will be absorbing nutrients and medications better as you heal.  If you are taking any kind of hormone replacement medication, perhaps you are absorbing it better and may not need such a high dose?

Oceane Newbie
Oceane
Posted
  • Author

That is very true. Do you think it could even have an effect on how topically-applied hormone replacement creams are absorbed? The thing is that I'm not 100% sure whether I have Celiac disease or not, as I'm not really willing to start eating gluten again to do a biopsy. My joints and stomach issues have totally cleared though since I've stopped eating gluten, which is why I'm loathe to start eating it again! I will try cutting my doses to see if that helps. Thank you!

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted
5 minutes ago, Oceane said:

That is very true. Do you think it could even have an effect on how topically-applied hormone replacement creams are absorbed? The thing is that I'm not 100% sure whether I have Celiac disease or not, as I'm not really willing to start eating gluten again to do a biopsy. My joints and stomach issues have totally cleared though since I've stopped eating gluten, which is why I'm loathe to start eating it again! I will try cutting my doses to see if that helps. Thank you!

No. topical does not go through your intestinal tract.

It is possible that it is completely unrelated to eating gluten free.

 

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Too much progestrone can definitely cause breast tenderness.  It is most likely not related to going gluten free.  If you  have been noticing a reduction in symptoms that led you to going gluten free, your body may be making and using hormones more effectively (healing).    Try lowering your HRT cream or consult with your doctor for a lab test to check hormone levels.  Karen is right, topical HRT creams do not affect the intestinal tract (unless you are eating it! :lol:)  I know that my wild thyroid swings calmed down after going gluten free and it was not just related to better absorption of my thyroid meds.  

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Oh, one more thing.  Have you actually gone through menopause or are you in peri-menopause?  52 is close to the average for most women.   The last year before I hit the official menopause was crazy (I was 51).   My perimenopausal symptoms increased so I figured this was the "year".  That's the same year I was diagnosed with celiac disease too!  Both can contribute to wild or crazy hormone changes.  

Oceane Newbie
Oceane
Posted
  • Author
6 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

Oh, one more thing.  Have you actually gone through menopause or are you in peri-menopause?  52 is close to the average for most women.   The last year before I hit the official menopause was crazy (I was 51).   My perimenopausal symptoms increased so I figured this was the "year".  That's the same year I was diagnosed with celiac disease too!  Both can contribute to wild or crazy hormone changes.  

I have been in menopause since I was 47 so my hormonal swings had really calmed down a lot before going gluten-free! I thought that it was usually too much oestrogen that caused breast tenderness and progesterone calmed it?

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Estes Contributor
Estes
Posted

I had breast pain a month ago and had a mammogram and armpit ultrasound.  It was related to inflamed lymph nodes.  Now the lymph nodes in my neck and jaw are very painful.  Is yours related to lymph nodes?  I don't have an answer for you I am just on a similar gluten free timeline as you are.  I don't know why my lymph nodes are so mad.  Maybe someone here has info regarding celiac and lymph nodes.

Oceane Newbie
Oceane
Posted
  • Author
14 minutes ago, Estes said:

I had breast pain a month ago and had a mammogram and armpit ultrasound.  It was related to inflamed lymph nodes.  Now the lymph nodes in my neck and jaw are very painful.  Is yours related to lymph nodes?  I don't have an answer for you I am just on a similar gluten free timeline as you are.  I don't know why my lymph nodes are so mad.  Maybe someone here has info regarding celiac and lymph nodes.

It could be lymph nodes - it's certainly very painful. I don't have pain anywhere else though... Thinking about it before going gluten-free, I did have quite bad adrenal fatigue, caused in part no doubt by the gluten intolerance and inflammation problems. Since stopping gluten, my adrenal issues have got better so maybe they're now producing hormones now that they don't have to fight inflammation...? Could the lymph problem perhaps be related to detox? The only time I've had lymph pain was when I had mono. 

This link may be of interest 

 

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted
1 hour ago, Oceane said:

I have been in menopause since I was 47 so my hormonal swings had really calmed down a lot before going gluten-free! I thought that it was usually too much oestrogen that caused breast tenderness and progesterone calmed it?

No, it can be progestrone too:

Open Original Shared Link

With this additional information you have given, I would not try to second guess anything.  Please consult with a medical doctor.  Better to be safe than sorry!  :)

Oceane Newbie
Oceane
Posted
  • Author
12 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

No, it can be progestrone too:

Open Original Shared Link

With this additional information you have given, I would not try to second guess anything.  Please consult with a medical doctor.  Better to be safe than sorry!  :)

Yes - thanks I will :-)

  • 2 months later...
*Kel* Newbie
*Kel*
Posted
On 4/25/2016 at 10:32 PM, Estes said:

I had breast pain a month ago and had a mammogram and armpit ultrasound.  It was related to inflamed lymph nodes.  Now the lymph nodes in my neck and jaw are very painful.  Is yours related to lymph nodes?  I don't have an answer for you I am just on a similar gluten free timeline as you are.  I don't know why my lymph nodes are so mad.  Maybe someone here has info regarding celiac and lymph nodes.

I also have swollen lymph nodes in the back of my head and my tongue gets sore. It seems to get worse if I eat sugar the day before. I would also be interested about info on celiac and lymph nodes.

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