---
title: Is cyclical breast pain always a sign of premenstrual syndrome?
description: No. In this study, 82% of women with regular monthly breast pain did not meet criteria for PMS, suggesting cyclical breast pain is often a separate condition.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/cyclical-mastalgia-premenstrual-syndrome-or-recurrent-pain-disorder-1999/
---

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- Is cyclical breast pain always a sign of premenstrual syndrome?

Cohort study, 1999

# Is cyclical breast pain always a sign of premenstrual syndrome?

No. In this study, 82% of women with regular monthly breast pain did not meet criteria for PMS, suggesting cyclical breast pain is often a separate condition.

 Early or limited evidence

32 premenopausal women reporting recent cyclical breast pain

## What they did

32 women reporting recent breast pain tracked their breast pain and menstrual symptoms daily for 3 to 6 months using standardized scales.

## What they found

11 women (34.4%) met criteria for clinically significant cyclical breast pain, averaging 10.2 days of moderate to severe pain each month. Only 5 women (15.6%) met criteria for PMS. 82% of women with clinical cyclical breast pain did not have PMS.

## What it means for you

Cyclical breast pain appears to be a separate recurrent pain condition, not simply a PMS symptom. This means it may need different investigation and treatment than PMS. The study size was relatively small.

32

women studied

82%

with breast pain but no PMS

10.2 days

average monthly severe pain

## About the study

Original title Cyclical mastalgia: premenstrual syndrome or recurrent pain disorder? Authors Ader DN, Shriver CD, Browne MW Journal Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology Year 1999 Study design Cohort study What was tested None (symptom tracking only) Read the paper [doi.org/10.3109/01674829909075596](https://doi.org/10.3109/01674829909075596)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)

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