Anyone Dealing With Fibrocystic Breasts?

Bubs711

Since I haven't been poked and prodded enough in my IF journey, when I had my mammogram (baseline plus required for DE IVF) they decided to do a sonogram to follow up because my breasts are too dense.

The sonographer reminded me that she is not a doctor, but said that I have fibrocystic breasts (lots of little cysts in the soft tissue), and to not panic because I might get a call to come back in yet again for an MRI or a biopsy.  She said I should probably expect this to be the case for the rest of my life.  Oh, the joys of being over 40!

Is there anyone who's gone through this while going through other treatments?  I just started BCP's yesterday for our DE IVF cycle, and I really would hate to have to delay everything because of my stupid big boobs. 

Mrs.McIrish

Raises hand!

I have the breast cancer "gene" so I go every six months alternating for a mamm and breast MRI. I will do this for the rest of time unless I elect to get a prophylactic mastectomy.

Even though my boobs aren't gigantic(not small either), they are dense and it can make the film hard to read and cause some false positives.  My recc is to get the mamm done around Cd5 or 6 when your estrogen is lower as higher estrogen causes breast cells to swell, leading to more false positives. You can try to minimize the need for a follow up ultrasound/biopsy etc. if you do that.  I'm not sure what the BCP's will do though to estrogen levels?  Another thing is that my hospital was able to get the radiologist to read the mamm that I had done in July right then and there so I could be cleared to start that IVF cycle a few days later. I would be sure to mention that you need to be cleared ASAP for IVF and see if they will read immediately. It may be the way the doc orders the mamm on how fast they read them.

Bubs711

Thanks for the info, Mrs. McIrish!  Sorry to hear you have the breast cancer gene.  Hopefully the regular screenings will help keep it at bay.

I just talked to my mom and found out she had this, too, but it lessened after menopause. 

Given timing issues, my mamm AND the sono both ended up being on CD 2/3.  Hopefully in the future I won't be TTC and can plan better for CD 5/6 like you suggested.  Luckily, my imaging center seems to be pretty quick about getting results out.  I would assume this would only cancel my IVF if they found something, and the sonographer seemed pretty optimistic that everything looked "normal." 

 

Mrs.McIrish

Bubs711:

Thanks for the info, Mrs. McIrish!  Sorry to hear you have the breast cancer gene.  Hopefully the regular screenings will help keep it at bay.

I just talked to my mom and found out she had this, too, but it lessened after menopause. 

Given timing issues, my mamm AND the sono both ended up being on CD 2/3.  Hopefully in the future I won't be TTC and can plan better for CD 5/6 like you suggested.  Luckily, my imaging center seems to be pretty quick about getting results out.  I would assume this would only cancel my IVF if they found something, and the sonographer seemed pretty optimistic that everything looked "normal." 

 

E2 should be low on Cd2-3.  I only day CD5-6 because my hosital wants it done between cd7-14(for an MRI) but I "know" my E2 is already high by that point since I O early. I just "adjust" my cycle day (tell them it is Cd7 when it is really cd5) when I tell them what day it is since they don't listen to me that I am not the "norm"...

drslizndan

I had some cysts (one was as big as my thumbnail) on my right boob ~6 months ago.  I really freaked out, but my OB was really positive b/c it would move around as I did my self check.  I went for a full workup (regular mammo and sonogram), and they saw the cyst, but they said it was benign and didn't recommend a biopsy.  I think b/c it was clear inside or something.  They said that with changing hormones they will come and go. Grrrreattt.  Since I restarted birth control two months ago, they haven't come back.  I don't know if the hormones keep them at-bay.  I have big tatas and a little dense so it was a little difficult for them to read the mammogram.  they kept calling me back and moving the boob.  I think I was called back ~4 times.  I'm 38, so it was a good baseline.  

Bubs711

So can you both feel the cysts?  That's the weird part for me - I don't feel any lumps, I don't have any pain, random discharge, discoloration, etc.  I do self breast exams and never had any problem.  The mamm was purely a combo of baseline/needed for DE IVF at my clinic.

drslizndan

I felt the bigg-o cyst.  You could also sorta see it from the "outside".  The other little ones, I couldn't tell if they were cysts or milk glands.  I didn't have any other symptoms like discharge, pain, etc. as well.

Mrs.McIrish

Bubs711:

So can you both feel the cysts?  That's the weird part for me - I don't feel any lumps, I don't have any pain, random discharge, discoloration, etc.  I do self breast exams and never had any problem.  The mamm was purely a combo of baseline/needed for DE IVF at my clinic.

Nope, I've never felt anything either.