Breasts hurting, but no more growth.

[Violet Bloom]

  I've been on estrogen for about 19 months now and I'm currently sitting at roughly 34B size in breast development.  There has been some degree of pain associated with this growth non-stop since the beginning.  Recently I had to suspend HRT for surgery, during which time the pain went away, but now that I've resumed hormones the pain has returned just like before.

  The thing that bothers me is they haven't seemed to be growing or changing for a few months at least but they still hurt all the time.  If they aren't going to grow any more I'd really like them to stop hurting.  It's not intense pain but it is annoying.  They've been in the 'puffy-areola' stage for a while and I'm hard pressed to detect any further evidence of change in shape/size/color/nipple.

  I guess I have no way to know if anything visible is going to happen any more.  I've been putting off going for a professional fitting and investing in potentially expensive new bras because I don't want to suddenly out-grow them.  The current favorite ones I own have a little room to spare but they are far from new and I also want some alternatives for different outfit types.

  How has it been for all of you gals?  Did you have long, stagnant periods without growth but with continuous pain?  How many times and for how long did you get 'surprise' growth spurts and were any of them significant?  Do I have any reasonable expectation of further growth in exchange for putting up with the soreness?  In other words, do I take moderate pain to be a good and hopeful sign?  I'm quite happy with my breasts the way they are already but they have a burning pain today and it would be nice if it had a purpose.

[stephaniec]

 I'm not a medical person , but I doubt there would be pain if nothing was going on , unless the pain was from something else.

[Laura_7]

You could think about talking to your endo about bioidentical progesterone...
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,189460.msg1687219.html#msg1687219


hugs

[Andre87]

  I've been on estrogen for about 19 months now and I'm currently sitting at roughly 34B size in breast development.  There has been some degree of pain associated with this growth non-stop since the beginning.  Recently I had to suspend HRT for surgery, during which time the pain went away, but now that I've resumed hormones the pain has returned just like before.

Maybe you should undergo mammography,just to be sure there's nothing in there.You can also make BRCA1 and BRCA2 tests.Did you try to squeeze breasts?Maybe there's milk inside.Pumping can relieve pain and prevent inflammation of breasts(mastitis).Dunno.Good luck!

[Tessa James]

My physician team considers the hurting a normal part of our growth and development with sometimes very subtle changes. I am currently gaining more fullness without a change in cup size. The growing network of blood vessels, nerves and milk ducts all need space.  I too inquired about mammography and my team suggested it was not necessary until the 5 year mark unless lumps (almost always non painful) are discovered in an exam.

I agree that massage and more loving fun helps

[Girl Beyond Doubt]

When I stopped taking my hormones before SRS, the pain in my buds went away, and I would say that there has not been any growth during that period. Five months after the surgery I started taking bioidentical progesterone, and a few weeks later that glorious, sweet pain returned together with some major puffiness. I am still waiting for unmistakable signs, but in my personal experience pain and growth go together. For me it has always taken months for any measurable increase in size to become noticeable, and I will happily bear the discomfort if it means that there is something good going on. Give it time, eat healthily to aid your body with its efforts, and try to see it as a phase in your transition that you will miss when it is over.

[Violet Bloom]

Thanks, everyone.  All very useful input, and keep it coming!

  The "progesterone debate" is nuts.  It's so confusing.  I know that my LGBT-focused health clinic would rather not use it due to lack of consistent evidence of relevant results and also because of side-effects.  They will prescribe it if pressed on the issue, I believe.  The format would be oral.  I'm wondering if it matters at what stage of development you add this or if it really could be whenever.  I assume if it is being used to promote breast maturity then you would ideally only be taking it until you see the results or determine it is clearly not helping.  Maturity of the breast shape and nipple is primarily what I'm interested in rather than purely increased size.

  Realistically, how long should I wait before I ask my doctor about possible medication adjustments?  I figure right now they're going to say the same thing they already have - "You're feeling great - why mess with your meds?".  I don't want to wait five to ten years only to learn I could have harmlessly improved the overall quality of my development much earlier.

[Laura_7]

Thanks, everyone.  All very useful input, and keep it coming!

  The "progesterone debate" is nuts.  It's so confusing.  I know that my LGBT-focused health clinic would rather not use it due to lack of consistent evidence of relevant results and also because of side-effects.  They will prescribe it if pressed on the issue, I believe.  The format would be oral.  I'm wondering if it matters at what stage of development you add this or if it really could be whenever.  I assume if it is being used to promote breast maturity then you would ideally only be taking it until you see the results or determine it is clearly not helping.  Maturity of the breast shape and nipple is primarily what I'm interested in rather than purely increased size.

  Realistically, how long should I wait before I ask my doctor about possible medication adjustments?  I figure right now they're going to say the same thing they already have - "You're feeling great - why mess with your meds?".  I don't want to wait five to ten years only to learn I could have harmlessly improved the overall quality of my development much earlier.

The response is individual but many said bioidentical progesterone
- helps with breast development, with overall form, more rounding and less cone shaped, and with ducts, some said with nipples,
- helps even out some effects of estro, some said with mood,
- has some antiandrogen effects
In natal females its also present, though not all the time.
Quite a few say artificial cycling does not make sense.

It helped many even if it was introduced later.
Imo its more than only helping the breast ducts.

Confused is the whole debate additionally by people not being specific, synthetic progestins are not bioidentical progesterone.

The hint with the breast massage might be an idea, quite a few people said it worked.

hugs

[Violet Bloom]

Thanks again, Laura!  I appreciate the clear, point-form information.  I will definitely ask my doctor about it but I think I'll wait until I hit my two-year hormones anniversary in the fall.  They may be a bit more flexible on the subject at that point.

[brianna1016]

Thanks again, Laura!  I appreciate the clear, point-form information.  I will definitely ask my doctor about it but I think I'll wait until I hit my two-year hormones anniversary in the fall.  They may be a bit more flexible on the subject at that point.

2.5 years hrt and my breasts are 34b..
It doesn't bother me anymore, and id rather be skinny.
Progesterone works well for breast size and roundness, but only works while you are taking it

[Violet Bloom]

Progesterone works well for breast size and roundness, but only works while you are taking it.

  Really?  I wasn't aware of that.  Thanks for telling me!  If that's true then I doubt I would risk taking it, as much as I'd like to get out of this particular visual phase of development I seem to be stuck in right now.  Having the domed-out areolae looks silly and kinda man-boobish.  They look beautiful when cold though.

[Tessa James]

  They look beautiful when cold though.

Keeping your "headlights" on, eh?

[Laura_7]

  Really?  I wasn't aware of that.  Thanks for telling me!  If that's true then I doubt I would risk taking it, as much as I'd like to get out of this particular visual phase of development I seem to be stuck in right now.  Having the domed-out areolae looks silly and kinda man-boobish.  They look beautiful when cold though.

There are two effects of bioidentical progesterone imo:
one is some swelling...
and the other one is duct etc. development...
the first might go back partially...
well how much might go back is individual... and you might see it that way, how much do breasts from menopausal women change ? They are not supposed to change form that much imo...

And it might be seen as overall complimentary to estro... some say it helped with mood, and it balances some side effects of estro.

hugs