Breast Tenderness

As you enter perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall in unpredictable patterns before starting to taper off. The spikes in hormone levels can affect breast tissue, causing pain or discomfort. Shifting hormone levels can also lead to fluid buildup in the breasts, making them feel swollen, tender, or painful, similar to how they might feel during menstruation or pregnancy. These changing levels of estrogen and progesterone are the usual cause of breast pain during perimenopause.