How long are breasts sore after stopping birth control

Breast pain or mastalgia is common among women. While it does not usually indicate a severe medical condition, this pain can be concerning when it is very severe or ongoing. Painful breasts are not a symptom of breast cancer, but painful lumps in the breasts are. It can be easy to confuse the two and assume you may have a lump if you have pain in your breasts.

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The Two Types of Mastalgia
Is Birth Control Causing My Breast Pain?
How to Treat Mild Breast Pain
Why Do Breasts Change?
Other Side Effects From Birth Control
When to Talk to Your Doctor
Is it normal to have sore breasts after stopping birth control?
How long until birth control symptoms go away after stopping?
What are symptoms of coming off birth control?

The Two Types of Mastalgia

There are two types of mastalgia: cyclic and non-cyclic.

Cyclic mastalgia is caused by the monthly hormonal changes females experience. The pain occurs in both breasts and is described as heaviness or soreness. It radiates to the armpit and down to the arm. It is generally the most severe during a menstrual period and often goes away once the period ends. This form of mastalgia is most common with younger women and will usually go away without treatment. It typically disappears once menopause begins.
Noncyclic breast pain is common in women between the ages of 30 and 50. This pain may only be present in one breast and is often described as a burning or sharp pain in one area of the breast. Sometimes noncyclic pain can be caused by a cyst or fibroadenoma. If a doctor can locate the main cause of noncyclic pain, it may be treatable.

Is Birth Control Causing My Breast Pain?

Several factors can cause breast pain or make it worse. Certain medications and stress can affect your breast pain. Changes in hormone levels, such as menopause or the side effects of birth control, can also contribute to the problem.

Breast pain and tenderness are both common side effects of hormonal birth control. Those who are taking combination pills that contain both estrogen and progestin, instead of only progestin, are more likely to have side effects that include breast pain.

Estrogen and progesterone naturally contribute to breast pain during a woman's menstrual cycle. That is why many women notice their breasts are tender right before their period begins. Birth control alters or increases these hormones, so some women will experience even more breast pain and discomfort. Alternatively, some women find that the combination of hormones helps to decrease their breast pain and tenderness. If you experience more pain while taking contraceptives and the problem persists or is too painful, it may be best to switch to aprogestin-only birth control pill.

How to Treat Mild Breast Pain

Some women experience mild to moderate cyclic breast pain every month. While this pain goes away on its own, it can be challenging to deal with at times. Here are a few suggestions on how to ease the tenderness while experiencing cyclic breast pain.

Apply heat or ice to your breasts for a few minutes each day to help alleviate the pain.
Limit your salt intake. Excessive salt can cause your body to retain too much water. When the body holds in extra fluid, the tissue of the breast will as well, and that can cause your pain and tenderness to increase.
Wear a sports bra or other bra that is supportive.
Take an over-the-counter NSAID such as ibuprofen for pain.

If you have questions or concerns about breast pain, the professionals at BASS Medical Group are here to assist you. Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment. We can help you learn more about what’s causing your pain and how to treat it.

This article was originally published on April 5, 2016.

The first time I stopped taking the pill after breaking up with a long-term, live-in boyfriend, I assumed nothing much would change except that I’d stop having to stress about forgetting to pick up my prescription. Then, my next period came.

The main thing I remember now is the volume of blood. Carrie-at-the-prom levels of blood. Waves-pouring-out-of-the-elevator-in-The-Shining amounts of blood. Rick-Grimes-after-a-Walking-Dead-killing-spree kinds of blood. You get the picture. I seriously thought I might be hemorrhaging.

I wasn’t, and the bleeding lessened as time went on. But it turns out this is a not-uncommon occurrence after going off the pill, according to Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. And a deluge of blood is not the only thing that can happen.

Read on for everything you need to know about the unexpected side effects of going off the pill.

Medically Reviewed by Nivin Todd, MD on August 22, 2022

When you start using hormonal birth control, your breasts might feel a little swollen or look a little bigger. This is usually temporary and goes away within a few months.

Why Do Breasts Change?

These changes are similar to breast changes that usually happen around your period. That’s because hormonal birth control methods, like pills, patches, rings, shots, implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), put human-made versions of the hormones estrogen and progestin into your body to prevent pregnancy.

These hormones can also cause your body to retain fluids. That means extra water gets trapped in your breast tissues and they feel or look a little bigger.

Other Side Effects From Birth Control

Birth control can also cause breast tenderness or pain. This is normal around your period, but the hormones can make the pain stronger.

Breast tenderness is a heavy or sore feeling that may spread to your armpit or upper arm. It happens in both breasts and is usually at its worst right before your period.

The hormones in birth control can affect other parts of your body, too. These side effects are usually not serious and will go away after your system adjusts to the medication. You may have:

Headaches
Breast tingling
Irregular periods
Mood changes
Lower sex drive
Acne
Nausea

Over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen can ease the pain.

When to Talk to Your Doctor

Speak to your doctor if you want to go on hormonal birth control. They can help you decide which option is best. If you don’t want your breasts to change, ask your doctor about the best option to prevent pregnancies without hormones or with very little hormones.

Tell the doctor right away if you have:

Belly pain
Chest aches
Eye issues
Seizures
Severe mood swings
Depression
Lumps in your breasts
Fainting

These symptoms aren’t normal for hormonal birth control. You may have another health issue.

Is it normal to have sore breasts after stopping birth control?

Tender breasts So, sure, while you might have conceived before you got your first period after going off birth control, your sore breasts may actually just be a side effect of your ovaries ramping up again — making estrogen and building an egg.

How long until birth control symptoms go away after stopping?

For most women, it takes only 2-3 days for hormone levels to return to normal after they stop taking most forms of hormonal birth control (pill, patch, ring, IUD, implant).