The development of fibrocystic breast disease is usually due to an increased estrogen-to-progesterone ratio or abnormal prolactin secretion by the pituitary, which stimulates breast milk production. It is often estrogen, both internally produced and in birth control pills, which causes an increase in prolactin secretion. The increased hormone production creates lumps that can feel like masses of grain, peas, grapes, or even golf balls.
In this disease, the cysts become filled with fluid and fibrous tissue surrounds the cysts and thickens like a scar. The increased pressure causes pain. If a cyst becomes too large and painful, the fluid can be extracted by needle in the office of a physician.
The cysts themselves are benign. A cancerous growth of the breast, on the other hand, is usually hard, non-tender, fixed in location, and goes not disappear. A cyst is generally tender, freely moveable, and will change in size.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Avoid consumption of coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and caffeinated medications. All of these have been associated with fibrocystic breast disease and stimulate overproduction of fibrous tissue and cyst fluid. Also reduce or eliminate alcohol, tobacco (See “Smoking Addiction”), fried foods, white sugar, salt, and four products.
2. Avoid estrogen medications and estrogen-containing animal products such as oral birth control pills and female glandulars.
3. Ensure that your bowels are moving daily. If necessary, use fiber such as oat bran, brown rice, pectin, or psyllium husk. (See “Constipation”.)
4. Emphasize a vegetarian-like diet. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds. There is less estrogen absorbed from fruits and vegetables than from animal meats and fats in the diet.
5. Massage your breast by holding it vertical on each side with your hands and gently pushing in and up. This helps move fluid out of the breast and into the lymph ducts where it can be transported out of the body.
6. Daily exercise (such as aerobics, cycling, or swimming) helps reduce water retention associated with PMS and can also ease the pain of swollen breasts.
7. Low thyroid function and/or iodine deficiency should be ruled out. (See “Hypothyroidism.”) Check your thyroid function by measuring your basal body temperature. This is done by placing a thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes before arising from bed on two consecutive days. The average basal body temperature should be greater than 97.8 degrees. Check your iodine level by applying a 3" square of 2% brown tincture iodine to your skin. If it disappears within 24 hours then you may need iodine supplementation.
8. Get your progesterone levels up with natural hormone supplementation. Natural hormones don’t have the same risks and side-effects of synthetic hormone medications. Hormone supplements made from plants are available from compound pharmacies and can be applied topically in the cream form or under the tongue in oil form. Pregnenolone, which breaks down to progesterone, is another hormone to consider which is available in a natural form.
9. Supplementing with up to 2400 units of natural vitamin E daily, which lowers estrogen levels associated with fibrocystic breasts, has been found effective. Vitamins A and C, B-complex, Co-Enzyme Q10, germanium, magnesium, zinc, flaxseed oil, kelp, and acidophilus are also helpful.
10. Herbs known to be of benefit include echinacea, goldenseal, pau d’arco, and poke root.
11. Homeopathics which may prove to be of benefit are Conium (if cyst is more painful just before menses) and Phytolacca (for long-standing cases). Phytolacca can also be applied locally. Homeopathic estrogen would also be a logical approach. All of these should be taken in a low potency and repeated frequently until desired results have been obtained.
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