Vitamin E versus Evening Primrose Oil versus Placebo for the Treatment of Cyclic Mastalgia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Reassurance is important because it influences lifestyle choices or fears of breast cancer in 70% of women of reproductive age who have breast discomfort and seek medical attention. Either cyclic or noncyclic mastalgia exists. Breast discomfort needs to be carefully evaluated and should be looked into the same way as any other breast symptom. Natural remedies like evening primrose oil and vitamin E are now being used as therapeutic options because of the undesirable side effects of other treatment approaches. Objective: In order to treat cyclic mastalgia, we compared the efficacy and adverse effects of vitamin E and evening primrose oil. Patients and Methods: We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial between February 2018 and February 2019 at Al-Jedaani Hospitals, KSA. A total of 160 women of reproductive age with a chief complaint of cyclic mastalgia were enrolled into this study. They were randomly assigned into 3 groups: group A of 55 patients (34.4%) received vitamin E, group B of 45 patients (28.1%) received evening primrose oil and group C of 60 patients (37.5%) received placebo. Overall pain severity and the effect of pain on patients' lifestyle were assessed at 1-month and 3-month follow-up visits. ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 31.23 ± 6.82 years. Highest respondents were aged between 30 and 38 years (34.5%). The median pain score and the effect of pain on patients' lifestyle were significantly decreased on successive follow-up visits. Although this decrease was significant in each individual group, it was not statistically significant compared to one another (P value = 0.619 and 0.621 respectively). Conclusion Vitamin E and evening primrose oil have a good impact on cyclic breast pain but their effect is not much different than placebo effect