Ladies, Hormones change and breast tenderness?

(Q Ish) #1

Hi there, question for my ladies of keto–i have been experiencing tenderness n pain in my breast. I feel this kind of pain and discomfort before my period for a day or two. However, it’s been more than a week and no period or anything, just plain pain. Wanted to know if it is connected to my diet change and using fat as energy. My hormones effected by it in anyways. Can anyone relate?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

Can’t relate personally, of course, but I understand that fat cells can store other chemicals besides fatty acids, and that going keto can release them back into the bloodstream. I believe I’ll let the women of the forum take things from here . . . :grin:

(Q Ish) #3

Lol, thank you, Paul!

(Bunny) #4

Will give you a short run down on what I think happens, this is a very very complex subject so please forgive any inaccuracies:

When you go on a ketogenic or just a lower carb lower sugar diet, your allowing a certain hormone produced by the pituitary gland to actually work correctly; it is called Human Growth Hormone (HGH) (i.e. what actually makes the liver create ketones through IGF-1) and because of the lower carb/sugar diet not blocking the HGH.

When the HGH (very abundant in the human body) is un-inhibited by high glucose, DHEA levels increase exponentially.

The adrenal glands and DHEA allow more conversions (aromatase) of andro-iones and testoste-progeste-rones into gens, diols and rone’s in certain ratios, but this metabolic dysregulation usually goes back to normal the longer you keep the sugars and carbs low, not just in particular a really low carb/high fat LCHF ketogenic diet!

Women have more estrogen receptors so you may be experiencing a temporary homeostasis of less estrogen, progesterone and more or less pre-existing normal levels of testosterone and adrogen or adjustment while your body reconfigures it’s edogenous metabolic circadian hooks for reproduction (not time to mate because food is scarce) hence no periods, some post-menopausal women get their period again on the ketogenic diet.

The pain (breast tenderness)? Not sure what could be causing that!

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  1. Example: How to Increase Estrogen on a Keto Diet

What Happens to Estrogen as You Age?

There are three types of estrogen in your body, depending on which stage of life you’re in[*]:

  • Estrone (E1), is a weaker form of estrogen women who are past the point of childbearing and are in menopause use.
  • Estradiol (E2), which is produced in the ovaries, is the most common form of estrogen in non-pregnant women. This form peaks just before ovulation and drops right after it.
  • Estriol (E3) is created by a woman’s placenta during pregnancy. This is a weaker form of estrogen that becomes more dominant when a woman is pregnant since their body is no longer stimulating the release of an egg each month.

3: Cut Down Your Sugar Intake

In one study on mice and human cell cultures, researchers discovered sugar had enough power to shut down estrogen production[*]. That’s the exact opposite of what someone with low estrogen wants.

The research showed both glucose and fructose (the kind found in fruits and veggies as well as processed foods) had this estrogen-lowering effect. …More

  1. “… DHEA and progesterone can both be converted into testosterone or a form of estrogen called estrone. Testosterone and estrone can then be converted into another form of estrogen called estradiol. By the way, men and women produce all three of the sex hormones. The amount of each one produced depends upon the type of gonads you’ve got. Some of the benefits of DHEA come from its conversion into the sex hormones. Some come from its sparing cholesterol for the conversion to cortisol. …” …More
(Allie) #5

Keto rebalances your hormones so it’s not unusual to get some strange hormonal symptoms in the first few months before things settle down.

(MelissaH) #6

@Q_ish I researched this when I got breast tenderness prior to keto and it was lack of iodine. I got a supplement of iodine with sea kelp. No more tenderness😄 not sure if it’s related

(Q Ish) #7

Thank you all for the advise and helpful information.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #8

^^^^ This all the hormones not just the estrogen can effect you but it will sort itself out, your body is healing itself.

Now if a lump is there and not just tenderness, it is Breast Cancer awareness month in the USA, get a mamo if you feel the lest bit of a lump.

(Deidra) #9

Thank god for this forum. I was about to schedule a mammogram y’all (which I am deathly afraid of)

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #10

It is a good idea to have a baseline. No need to be afraid of them. My sister had a friend who had just been treated who insisted she go and get tested, turned out my sis had ductal carcinoma in situ, but was still stage one. She had surgery and a radiation follow up. That made me get one too. Luckily, nothing found but I get one every 3 years or so. I would never recommend not getting one at all. In my comment above, I forget that lumps are not the only sign of breast cancer and women should take precautions, even finding out if you have the genes for it is a good idea. Luckily I also don’t have that either, but still I’m not taking chances.