Scarleteen

Hi! I have been on the pill for about two and a half years now, and occasionally I will have sore breasts mid-cycle, similar to how I had breast tenderness when I ovulated before the pill.
I was wondering, do your hormones still fluctuate when on the pill, as they would normally, causing breast soreness?
I haven't switched medications so I know it's not a new side effect, and I always take my pill on time (also using condoms) so it is very unlikely for me to be pregnant.
Thank you!!

Hi elainabee,

Your body is still likely experiencing some hormone fluctuation, which could explain the tenderness. Too, side effects can arise even after a year or two of use, so that's another possible explanation.

Sam W wrote:Hi elainabee,

Your body is still likely experiencing some hormone fluctuation, which could explain the tenderness. Too, side effects can arise even after a year or two of use, so that's another possible explanation.

Thank you Sam! This has happened to me several times before, where I experience tenderness mid-pill pack. Obviously I wasn't pregnant in those cases either so I was curious about what could be causing this. Thanks!

Bear in mind, too, that hormonal methods of contraception don't actually eradicate or take away your own cycles, they just influence them. So, people can still, for instance, experience pre-menstrual symptoms and other things that occur because of cyclical shifts -- both with your method and your body -- of estrogen and progestin.

But if you find the tenderness has moved from something that's no big to being painful, you can always check in with your prescribing physician: sometimes one pill brand or type is more likely to result in certain specific side effects that another isn't.

Heather wrote:Bear in mind, too, that hormonal methods of contraception don't actually eradicate or take away your own cycles, they just influence them. So, people can still, for instance, experience pre-menstrual symptoms and other things that occur because of cyclical shifts -- both with your method and your body -- of estrogen and progestin.

But if you find the tenderness has moved from something that's no big to being painful, you can always check in with your prescribing physician: sometimes one pill brand or type is more likely to result in certain specific side effects that another isn't.

Thanks Heather! I was thinking along the same lines but just wanted to check & make sure that what I am experiencing is normal. Thank you

My pleasure.