I have a problem with Galactorrhea. Means that my body is unnecessarily making breast milk. I stopped breastfeeding my youngest child over 2 years ago, but my breastmilk won't dry up.
Doctors won't give me any help. I have scar tissue from all the blood tests. It is also causing me to not lose weight. Which is really getting me down. I am active (though it drains me) and don't eat junk or sweet snacks.
This condition does increase my appetite, as my body thinks it needs the extra calories to make milk, as the milk doesn't get consumed by a baby the fat goes straight to my butt, tummy, thighs...you name it! I am careful about what I put into my body (so please no comments like - why don't you just stop eating junk or limit what I eat). I have tried not responding to hunger pangs and nearly fainted. I only eat when I am hungry and just enough for my tummy to stop nagging me.
I have tried sage tea, chinese medicine and usual doctors. Now I'm just getting depressed. I weigh 72kgs (158lbs). Before having my second child I weighed 58kgs(127lbs), and did for most of my adult life.
Please no "self esteem" spells. I want to dry up this blasted milk. It's also effecting the healing of my wounds. Can't think of anything (magickal) that I could do to dry it up. (Short of having a mastectomy) Please help?
Oh yes, it is also causing infertility as it make my cycle irregular. So it's causing many problems for me.
Please just want to know if there's a spell (though it is a rare condition) that might help.
Flutterfly xx
Galactorrhea
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Moon_Stone
- Posts: 1078
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Well, that sucks! I remember breastfeeding my daughter and all the discomfort from the engorging, etc... I feel for you!
Here are some non-magical ideas that you didn't mention trying yet... (I'll look through my herbal almanacs this weekend and see if I can find something there too...) -can't hurt to try, eh? (Who woulda thought... cabbage??)
-I hope some of these give you at least some relief.
(re. engorgement and stopping milk production:)
-Wear a snug fitting bra.
-Place refrigerated cabbage leaves inside your bra for a couple of hours or till they wilt. Cabbage leaves have been used for years to help relieve engorgement. We do not know exactly why cabbage leaves help with engorgement but some researchers believe that there are substances in the cabbage that help to reduce swelling and inflammation. Break up the cabbage leaves so that there are no hard veins in them. Arrange them in your bra so they are comfortable and there are no hard spots pressing against your breast. Do not use cabbage leaves if you are allergic to cabbage or sulfa.
(alternate source:) -You can try putting fresh green cabbage leaves over your breasts to help dry up the milk supply.
-Wash the leaves, crush them slightly and place them over your breasts inside your bra. Change them when they wilt, but leave them on around-the-clock for 48 hours or so. (end alternate cabbage source -I did see cabbage recommended for about a week or so... till a change is noticed. Also, both sites discuss drinking the sage tea right after they detail the cabbage, so maybe drink your tea too while wearing your breast-veggies.)
-Use ice packs or frozen vegetables for compresses. Use cold compresses for twenty minutes a few times a day. Do not put ice or frozen veggies directly on your skin. Use a towel between the ice and skin. You may have used heat before to relieve discomfort; this is not advised for engorgement. Warm compresses may encourage your milk to let down and increase milk production.
-Use an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprophen, as needed.
-Do not pump. Pumping will signal your body to make more milk. Your body works on supply and demand. If you empty your breast, your body will think that it needs to make milk. When your breast becomes full it signals your body to make less milk. If you are very engorged, hand expressing milk is okay, but just empty enough to relieve discomfort. There is no point in being miserable while you are drying out.
-Avoid any nipple stimulation.
-Do not restrict water intake. Some moms try to dry out milk by drinking less. Restricting your fluids will not reduce your engorgement and may lead to dehydration.
PS, I've read that the pill they used to prescribe had caused seizures in a lot of women... so it's realistically best to try anything else possible-- but there are still some doc's that will prescribe it... if you end up desperate enough and don't care if you have some seizure issue (talk to a pharmacist for more specific info on the drug before taking it,) you can always keep trying doctors (with your medical file in hand), until you find one who's willing to give you the prescription.
Bright, *drying* blessings
~MoonStone
Here are some non-magical ideas that you didn't mention trying yet... (I'll look through my herbal almanacs this weekend and see if I can find something there too...) -can't hurt to try, eh? (Who woulda thought... cabbage??)
-I hope some of these give you at least some relief.(re. engorgement and stopping milk production:)
-Wear a snug fitting bra.
-Place refrigerated cabbage leaves inside your bra for a couple of hours or till they wilt. Cabbage leaves have been used for years to help relieve engorgement. We do not know exactly why cabbage leaves help with engorgement but some researchers believe that there are substances in the cabbage that help to reduce swelling and inflammation. Break up the cabbage leaves so that there are no hard veins in them. Arrange them in your bra so they are comfortable and there are no hard spots pressing against your breast. Do not use cabbage leaves if you are allergic to cabbage or sulfa.
(alternate source:) -You can try putting fresh green cabbage leaves over your breasts to help dry up the milk supply.
-Wash the leaves, crush them slightly and place them over your breasts inside your bra. Change them when they wilt, but leave them on around-the-clock for 48 hours or so. (end alternate cabbage source -I did see cabbage recommended for about a week or so... till a change is noticed. Also, both sites discuss drinking the sage tea right after they detail the cabbage, so maybe drink your tea too while wearing your breast-veggies.)
-Use ice packs or frozen vegetables for compresses. Use cold compresses for twenty minutes a few times a day. Do not put ice or frozen veggies directly on your skin. Use a towel between the ice and skin. You may have used heat before to relieve discomfort; this is not advised for engorgement. Warm compresses may encourage your milk to let down and increase milk production.
-Use an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprophen, as needed.
-Do not pump. Pumping will signal your body to make more milk. Your body works on supply and demand. If you empty your breast, your body will think that it needs to make milk. When your breast becomes full it signals your body to make less milk. If you are very engorged, hand expressing milk is okay, but just empty enough to relieve discomfort. There is no point in being miserable while you are drying out.
-Avoid any nipple stimulation.
-Do not restrict water intake. Some moms try to dry out milk by drinking less. Restricting your fluids will not reduce your engorgement and may lead to dehydration.
PS, I've read that the pill they used to prescribe had caused seizures in a lot of women... so it's realistically best to try anything else possible-- but there are still some doc's that will prescribe it... if you end up desperate enough and don't care if you have some seizure issue (talk to a pharmacist for more specific info on the drug before taking it,) you can always keep trying doctors (with your medical file in hand), until you find one who's willing to give you the prescription.
Bright, *drying* blessings
~MoonStone
-
Kaskade
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