Clinical effectiveness of vitamin E and vitamin B6 for improving pain severity in cyclic mastalgia

Abstract

Background:Recent attempts have been focused on employing chemical and natural supplemental agents for treatment of cyclic mastalgia. Among various agents, the potential effects of vitamins remain questionable. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of two types of these vitamin supplements (vitamin E and vitamin B6) in improving pain severity in cyclic mastalgia.Materials and Methods:In a randomized double-blinded clinical trial, 80 patients suffering from cyclic mastalgia were randomly assigned to receive 200 IU of vitamin E daily or 40 mg/day of vitamin B6 for 2 months. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Severity of breast pain was detected by the Cardiff breast pain score during one menstrual cycle before and two menstrual cycles after the intervention. Data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-squared test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression with SPSS version 19 and P < 0.05 was considered significant.Results:There was no significant difference in the mean of severity of cyclic mastalgia during one menstrual cycle before the intervention between the vitamin E and B6 groups (9.1 ± 2.1 and 8.4 ± 3.1, respectively), but the difference was significant during the first cycle (5.1 ± 1.6 and 5.2 ± 2.5, respectively) and the second menstrual cycle (2.3 ± 1.0 and 2.6 ± 2.0, respectively) in the two groups after the intervention. The trend of changes in pain severity score showed significant downward trend of pain severity score within the study period in both the treatment groups (P < 0.001), while these trends were similar in both groups when examined by the repeated-measure ANOVA test. By multivariable linear regression analysis adjusted for baseline variables, we found that both the treatment regimens resulted in similar reduction in breast pain severity (P = 0.067).Conclusions:Both regimens containing vitamin E and vitamin B6 are similar in reducing breast pain severity in cyclic mastalgia.

Effect of Evening Primrose Oil and Vitamin B6 on Pain Control of Cyclic Mastalgia Associated with Fibrocystic Breast Changes: A Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Another medicine that has been studied in the present study was vitamin B6. In a study by Soberiri et al the severity of breast pain reduced in both groups of vitamins B6 and E at the end of the first and second months after the intervention (P < 0.001) while the results of the two medicines were statistically similar (6). Another study showed that vitamin B6 reduced the severity of periodic and non-periodic mastalgia (P < 0.01).…”

“…Another medicine that is recommended for the treatment of mastalgia is vitamin B6. In a study by Soberiri et al aiming to study the clinical effectiveness of vitamin B6 and vitamin E on decreasing periodic mastalgia, the trend of changes in mastalgia severity showed a significant reduction in the two groups after the intervention (P < 0.001) (6). Moreover, in a study by Soltany and Alavy Toussy it was found that vitamin B6 reduced the prevalence and the mean pain severity in periodic and non-periodic mastalgia, especially in periodic mastalgia (P < 0.01) (14).…”

“…Some evidence suggests that women with fibrocystic breast changes and women with mastalgia have a higher risk of breast cancer. In addition, fibrocystic breast changes can conceal true breast cancer (3)(4)(5)(6). Cycli-cal mastalgia interferes with sexual (48%), physical (37%), social (12%), occupational and educational (8%) activities and behaviors (2,7,8).…”

“…Mastalgia medical treatments mostly include medicines with many side effects and low effectiveness, which limit the use of them (6). Today, herbal and nutritional supplements are often suggested as alternative treatments for women with moderate to severe breast pain (8).…”

Effective Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of the Cyclic Mastalgia (Breast Pain): A Review

“…Given the nature and its response to the treatment, Mastalgia is divided into 4 groups including cyclic mastalgia, acyclic mastalgia, chest pain, and unrelated chest pain [5]. By prevalence, the cyclic mastalgia is the most common type of mastalgia by about two third of referring the mastalgia cases to the physicians [6]. Cyclic mastalgia may be caused by endocrine changes including an increment in the levels of estrogen, prolactin, estrogen/progesterone ratio, and their receptors susceptibility due to the decrement of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio, and decreases in the levels of progesterone, FSH, LH, and androgens, the main reason is still unknown [7].…”