Patient's question:
I am 52 years old and have experienced menopause. I often have breast tenderness and occasionally have a small amount of dark menstrual blood. After the menstrual blood stops, the breast tenderness lasts for a long time, then disappears, and then the pain returns after a while. What could be the reason? What kind of medicine should I take?Doctor's answer:
Hello, after menopause, due to the significant decrease in estrogen levels in the body, the breast, as a target organ for estrogen, no longer exhibits the cyclical changes of hyperplasia and regression with the menstrual cycle, thus entering a relatively "quiet" period. If breast pain occurs after menopause, disrupting the breast's expected "quiet," there are several possible scenarios.First, during the premenopausal perimenopausal period, the secretion of endogenous estrogen undergoes a rapid decline, and the breast tissue has not yet adapted to this hormonal change. The response of different parts of the breast to the decrease in hormones is also uneven, which may lead to corresponding changes such as localized pain, nodules, or glandular thickening. This reaction may cease after menopause or persist for a considerable period afterward. Since it is only a special response during a certain physiological period, there is no need to be alarmed. Following medical advice for regular check-ups and taking medications to treat menopausal symptoms when necessary can also be effective.
Another situation warrants special attention: if breast pain reappears several years after menopause, it may present as mild pain, with or without palpable lumps. The breast may also feel thickened without a lump. In such cases, it is essential to be vigilant about the possibility of early breast cancer and not to take it lightly. Since postmenopausal elderly women are already part of the high-risk group for breast cancer by age, close monitoring is necessary. Any case of breast pain in postmenopausal women must be given high attention.