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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffVitamins and dietary supplements lessen breast pain symptoms and severity for some women. Ask your doctor if one of these might help you:
- Evening primrose oil. This supplement appears to change the balance of fatty acids in your cells, which may reduce breast pain. Some doctors recommend taking a 1,000-milligram capsule up to three times a day.
- Vitamin E. Early studies showed a possible beneficial effect of vitamin E on breast pain in premenstrual women who experience breast pain that fluctuates during the menstrual cycle, but the medical literature to date remains inconclusive. Some doctors recommend taking 400 international units up to three times a day.
If you try a supplement for breast pain, stop taking it after two or three months if you don't notice any improvement in your breast pain.
References
- Smith RL, et al. Evaluation and management of breast pain. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2004;79:353.
- Miltenburg DM, et al. Benign breast disease. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:285.
- Richardson J. Breast signs and symptoms: Breast pain. In: Adams Hillard PJ. The 5-Minute Obstetrics and Gynecology Consult. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:22.
- Golshan M, et al. Breast pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
- Millet AV, et al. Clinical management of breast pain: A review. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 2002;57:451.
- Pruthi S, et al. Vitamin E and evening primrose oil for management of cyclical mastalgia: A randomized pilot study. Alternative Medicine Review. 2010;15:59.
- Rodden AM. Common breast concerns. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2009;36:103.
- Parsay S, et al. Therapeutic effects of vitamin E on cyclic mastalgia. The Breast Journal. 2009;15:510.
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