Vitamin E for Mastalgia

According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, approximately 70 percent of women worldwide will develop breast pain, also known as mastalgia, during their lifetime. Although the vast majority of cases aren't associated with cancer, they can cause fear and discomfort in patients, especially when accompanied by cysts. There aren't any known cures, although dietary changesm such as adding vitamin E supplements, may help relieve symptoms.

Identification

Mastalgia breast pain is classified as cyclical -- the type made worse before and during a menstrual period -- or non-cyclical, meaning that it's unrelated to menstruation. Cyclical pain is usually more severe in the upper, outer portions of the breast and may extend into the tissue around the armpit and into the arms themselves. Non-cyclical pain tends to be located over the chest cartilage. Both types can be chronic, although at least half of cases eventually resolve on their own.

Vitamin E Benefits

Researchers at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted a double blind trial on 150 women with cyclic mastalgia, divided into a control group and one receiving vitamin E supplements twice daily for four months. The results, published in "The Breast Journal" in 2009, showed symptoms in the supplement group improved significantly compared to the placebo group, as measured by the Cardiff Breast Pain Chart and the Visual Analog Scale. A study published in "Alternative Medicine Review" in April 2010 assigned women to treatment with 1,200 IU per day of vitamin E, 3,000 mg per day of evening primrose oil, a combination of the two or placebo. After six months, all subjects in the treatment groups experienced a decrease in the severity of cyclical mastalgia compared to placebo.

Contradictory Evidence

Other double-blind studies have not found a link between vitamin E supplements and improvements in mastalgia, such as two studies published in the journal "Surgery" in April 1985 and May 1990. The first gave subjects a daily supplement of 600 IU of vitamin E for two months with no improvements over a placebo group, and the second used 600 IU of vitamin E for three months on 105 women with no appreciable difference between the supplement and placebo.

Considerations

The researchers in the May 1990 "Surgery" study cautioned that self-treating with vitamin E for breast discomfort might delay the diagnosis of breast cancer if used as a substitute for a medical exam. However, when used in conjunction with regular breast exams, vitamin E is generally considered to be safe, with the upper tolerable limit by the Food and Nutrition Board set at 1,500 IU daily for adults age 19 and older. Higher doses may cause bleeding, especially if used with blood thinners. A few people have experienced mild side effects from higher doses of vitamin E, including gastrointestinal problems, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, fatigue, headache, weakness or blurred vision.