Nipple / Breast Pain

[Kirk001]

I see a number of threads about the enlargement, itching, sensitivity, etc. of the nipple / breast area but not too many about pain.

I don't have any of the above issues except recently, pain. Woke up yesterday and my right nipple had a burning pain to it. I went straight to the anastrozole, 0.125mg. (I've been taking it on an as-needed basis while on clomiphene... up until now I took when anxiety got too bad.)

Nipple pain is gone today but my whole right pec is sore, as if I'd been doing a bunch of dumbbell pec flies with only my right arm. But it's not from the gym, I haven't been in almost a week.

Can I assume this 100% means my estrogen is too high? And is something like this the early stages of gynecomastia?

 

[MarkM]

Could you have bumped it or hit it on anything?

 

[Kirk001]

That's what I thought at first as I was half-awake but then I realized no I just woke up, couldn't have done this while sleeping.

 

[MarkM]

Maybe you had bumped it prior to going to bed, earlier in the day, and not realized it. As the day/night went on it became sore.

 

[Kirk001]

I'd like to believe that but I don't think so man. Only similar thing I've felt like this before would be a spider bite, but that's not the case here

 

[Systemlord]

I've been getting nipple burning (low level sting) every day the peaks at night when in the middle of a protocol change, I have confirmed high E2 as of right now an DIM seems to take the edge off, until I get my anastrozole from Empower.

A spider bite is what I would use to describe it, as a matter of fact I feel it right now.

 

[CoastWatcher]

I've been getting nipple burning (low level sting) every day the peaks at night when in the middle of a protocol change, I have confirmed high E2 as of right now an DIM seems to take the edge off, until I get my anastrozole from Empower.

A spider bite is what I would use to describe it, as a matter of fact I feel it right now.

What was the elevated estradiol threshold that triggered the problem? Dramatically high, in respect to you, or a moderate increase?

 

[Systemlord]

What was the elevated estradiol threshold that triggered the problem? Dramatically high, in respect to you, or a moderate increase?

At the time I was experiencing the nipple burn I scored a (Total T 376, FT 15.1) sensitive E2 of 29.6, had all the classic symptoms. Just got a dosage increase so E2 is expected to increase, I'm a low SHBG guy so it's no surprise.

 

[Kirk001]

Ok well apparently I did some pec flies with my left arm while I was asleep last night, because today the left pec is sore. The right pec/breast definitely feels swollen and I think I can feel a little pea-sized nodule or ball or something just lateral to my right nipple, which I cannot feel around the left nipple.

So I have to estimate where my estrogen was at because I only have E2 lab numbers for pre-treatment and at day 21. I did 30 days of clomiphene at 15mg per day and this issue started right at the end on day 30. Took anastrozole as needed, tried to do without it, but it ended up being about 0.125mg every 3.5 days. My E2 (sensitive) started at 14 pre-treatment, and three weeks in it was up to 24. Based on that rate of increase it should have been around 28 at day 30.

But I also added in DHEA 25mg per day on days 25-30. I've seen some guys say DHEA boosted their E2 so maybe that happened here as well? Best estimate I can make then is that my E2 was in the high 20s or low 30s when this started a couple days ago.

I stopped taking the clomiphene on day 30 (which was planned, I will be transitioning to TRT) and now I think I will also stop taking the DHEA. I think I'm also going to increase the anastrozole... haven't decided by how much yet.

 

[Kirk001]

Been about a week since I discontinued the clomiphene and the DHEA. I've taken 0.875mg anastrozole over the week. Definitely feels a lot better... almost back to normal. I think moving forward I'm going to have to keep anastrozole at the ready and take at the first sign of any worsening of these symptoms.

 

[MarkM]

Glad to hear you got some relief from the nipple pain. Keep us posted on how your transition from clomiphene to TRT goes for you.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Been about a week since I discontinued the clomiphene and the DHEA. I've taken 0.875mg anastrozole over the week. Definitely feels a lot better... almost back to normal. I think moving forward I'm going to have to keep anastrozole at the ready and take at the first sign of any worsening of these symptoms.

You're certainly approaching this in a prudent manner. A very modest dose of anastrozole, on demand dosing (as opposed to a heavy-handed regimen that easily could send your estradiol level to low double digits). You've good reason to be hopeful.