My gosh. I thought I was the only one in the world, and here you all are! I'm 55. I had an hysterectomy when I was 41 and my ovaries removed at 43. I have been on estrogen only HRT since I was 44 with no issues. I had a normal mammogram six months ago. I started taking methotrexate for arthritis six months ago and my extremely sore and swollen breasts seemed to start when I moved to the higher doses of that drug. I even had some evidence of lactation from my right breast. My GP ordered hormone tests and they all came back in the normal range except SHBG which is a protein that binds to sex hormones to carry them around in the blood stream. I also had a mammogram which showed enlarged ducts with some debris. (My boobs are trashed after breast-feeding five kids but nothing they did is anything on this pain and tenderness.) I missed a couple of doses of methotrexate (taken weekly) and my breast pain seemed to start to diminish. I also stopped my HRT because I was so desperate for some relief. After a month, the pain has substantially subsided but I still have a residual tingly burn and they haven decreased much in size. I am yet to have repeat hormone tests or a repeat mammogram. I will try the flaxseed recommended above and post anything else that changes.

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I swear by Wacoal bras!! Not only are they exceedingly comfortable, but they look pretty good as well :-) I am pretty well endowed and not all bra manufacturers are able to properly accommodate big breasted women for both support, comfort and style. And thank you but I need no extra padding and most smooth or t-shirt bra styles insist on padding the cups - Wacoal does not! They are not cheap but I do not mind spending on quality undergarments that last and fit properly. These are worth every penny!! ETA: I will ditch the bra and any shoes as soon as I walk into the house :-) The older I get the more comfort plays a major role in my life and going bra-less, no matter how comfortable the thing may be when out in public, cannot compare to letting the girls loose at home!! Good thing I live alone :-)

Unless a bra is custom made for you, how is a bra fitter to provide you with such and such bra that is "the right size". I have the most discomfort with the band. If I buy for the comfort of the band, it is difficult to find the right cup size. There are only so many bands sizes and cup size combinations to choose from. It is limited. So, I could go in and try on numerous bras with all combinations of band size and cup size and still curse them all to hell. Then, there are those that cut into the armpit or those that leave love handles spilling out over the top of band. If all the bra fitter is doing is pulling the bras from the racks, what is the difference? Really, if there is a difference between me trying on various sizes and the bra fitter giving me ones to try, I seriously want to know, really. Some of you have been a fitter and maybe can address this. Do the bras get customized or custom made? Or, are they just pulled from the racks? I can try any and all from a 36 to a 40 in all cup sizes until I arrive at one that just falls off and that is the most comfortable one. So, I hang it back up and walk away braless, having found the one that I like the most.......the one that remains on the rack at the store. Those little hangers and the way they hang on the racks just makes me crazy. It is like juggling hair. I havd heard many attest to the fact that corsets are more comfortable than bras. Wearing bras is still a relatively modern thing as we know them to be. Most of female humanity has done quite well without them. Breasts are a functional part of female bodies and are often occupied by small infants. We need them to be accessible when needed to keep tiny helpless humans alive. Except that time has passed for me and I just want to be comfortable and wear warm soft undershirts and camisoles. Sometimes, though, a garment needs for the breasts to be in a certain position on the body for the garment to fit well and feel good. I try to avoid those types of things. Sometimes I have to dig out one of the varieties that I keep on hand and pull it on. It gets either unhooked or pulled off as soon as possible. I am too old to be uncomfortable or to care too much about what anyone thinks. Slinky tops are not my thing anyway and never have been.