Breasts & Hormones

Women often do not realise that their breast tissue, as well as the womb and ovaries, are sensitive to the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. They are directly linked.

Most of us experience swelling of the breasts, painful breasts and a more lumpy feeling in the week or so before our period. This is due to the building levels of progesterone, the hormone that prepares the body for the new life that is supposed to grow within us.  

When, in a normal cycle, you do not get pregnant in the 2 or 3 days after the ovulation, the balance tips over to more progesterone than oestrogen and your period starts roughly after 2 weeks when progesterone is no longer needed and oestrogen becomes dominant again. The thick womb lining (the cushy little nest your body made in anticipation of the new life) is shed and the cycle starts again. Under the influence of oestrogen, your body loses the water weight, breasts shrink and feel soft again and makes you all gorgeous and happy-feeling, ready to have another opportunity to make a baby.

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Sadly, I do see the negative effects of HRT, Merina coil and Pill.

Girls are put on the Pill for irregular, heavy or painful periods as young as 14. Often they stay on some sort of contraception until they want to become pregnant, which nowadays, is later in life, after the age of 30. And of course, in between babies, after babies and then HRT into the menopause. This is an incredible amount of time of hormone interruption.

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There is implanted progesterone contraception (under upper arm usually left arm and of course the inter-uterine device the Merina Coil, whereby a woman never has a period. Let that just sink in for a moment: how unnatural this is for our body. These types of contraception make your body believe you are continually pregnant, suppressing the release of an egg for as long as you are on it.

It also upsets the relationship to oestrogen, there is no ebbing and flowing of the hormonal tides throughout the month.

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In my 13 years working as a clinical thermographer, I have seen several women with left breast tumours, who also had the contraceptive implant in the left upper arm. 

I have seen young women on the Merina coil or Implanted progesterone anticonception, who developed a quick growing lump in their breast. I have seen women in their late 30ties and early to mid 40ties with breast cancer after years of contraception, but also after fertility treatment.

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Mental health and depression 

As a homeopath, I know of the link between suppression of hormones and how women feel. Women on contraception often feel flat and depressed. The passion has gone from their lives. This is possibly an advantage for the men in our lives, to be more level so to speak, but naturally we should have a cycle including in the way we feel.

Women may feel anxious or uncertain, lacking confidence.

Therefore, once the contraception is removed, the body can start re-adjusting itself on all levels and women feel much brighter. Don't forget: when on the Pill or HRT, you are also changing the way your thyroid works, because it is all interlinked.

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Usually there is no need to interfere with medications and given some time, the hormones find their own natural way.

But when it is more difficult, homeopathic treatment and nutritional changes can be very beneficial in restoring order.

Women should not be worried about their periods or menopausal symptoms, but look for alternatives other than contraception.

And if you do not want to get pregnant, you can take control by using condoms or a pessary, which also protects you from the human papilloma virus, a risk for cervical cancer.

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For the sake of the health of your breasts (womb and ovaries), please consider coming off or at least change the contraception to a combined Pill or to bioidentical hormone replacement.

Although trained and qualified as a homeopath, I do not take clients anymore, but I can help you with some suggestions and with finding a good and experienced practitioner.

More info on homeopathy here

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Update 

After having spoken to several of my ladies, I think there is possibly a few good option to control unruly hormones and severe menopausal/post-menopausal issues. It also has the possibility to restore things to a younger you.  I don't know enough about this, but you can inform yourself. It is a a natural, bio-identical hormone support called the Wiley Protocol. This uses oestrogen and progesterone in cycles and with different amounts, as it were as when you were still having cycles. For this you will be under the supervision of a medical practitioner and it is mainly done online, but I believe the first appointment needs to be in person, because there are blood tests involved.  

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Vaginal atrophy and bladder irritation

After menopause the vaginal wall and that of the bladder and urethra will become thin. It is not immediate but probable 5 years or so after your last period you may become sensitive, irritated, itchy down below and feel the need to wee a lot more. It can make you more prone to candida (thrush). You can even have the feeling of pressure behind the pubic bone. Sex can become so painful that intercourse is no longer possible :-(  

The proven safe solution is to use estriol gel or cream at the entrance of the vagina and just inside and around the opening of the urethra. Your GP would probably prescribe suppositories of Oestradiol, which you insert, but I personally think this is not necessary to use this strong oestrogen. And I do not think it is necessary to insert the gel, cream or pessary high into the vagina, unless there is a clear indication the tissues are bleeding on intercourse. If you are suffering pain, discomfort, bladder irritation some time after yourt periods stopped, ask your GP for estiol cream or gel at 0.5 or 1 mg/g. Apply nightly for 2 or 3 weeks and then 3 times per week. This should make things a lot more comfortable and happy :-) 

Vaginal oestrogen is a treatment on the rise, but is it safe? | The BMJ

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HRT

If you are on oestradiol and progestin, please talk to your Dr to have something different. Progestin, an artificial progesterone, is related to many health problems. Any hormone that is taken as a tablet needs to be processed by the liver, which it does not like very much. Better is topical because it bypasses the liver and the natural hormone is directly delivered into your blood stream..

Important is to understand that menopausal symptoms firstly need some help by changing lifestyle, stress and eating the right nutrients to balance your hormones. Then you can see if you need estriol to support vaginal and bladder health and progestrone to help keep your brain well, your bones and weight. Only from pharmaceutical grade natural bioidentical hormones (usually from Yam or Soy).

In general I think bioidentyical progesterone topical creams can work as well as topical estriol or oestradiol. I can talk to you about this and see what can be done to help.

Topical Progesterone: When, Why, and How—Part 1 - HormonesBalance.com