Fish , nonfat dairy, and tofu are possible replacements. In one study, women who ran 45 miles per menstrual cycle reported less breast tenderness as well as improvement in other symptoms, such as anxiety. Nonetheless, many women take 400 IU of vitamin E for three months to see if it helps. As with vitamin E, the effectiveness of vitamin B6 remains unclear. Women with premenstrual syndrome in addition to breast tenderness should discuss the use of vitamin B6 with their doctor.
Some doctors use iodine for fibrocystic symptoms.
In animals, iodine deficiency can cause the equivalent of fibrocystic breast disease. Because some people are sensitive to iodine and because high amounts can alter thyroid function, it should not be taken without a doctor's involvement. However, the amount of improvement caused by EPO appears to be slight. One group of researchers has reported that EPO normalizes blood levels of fatty acids in women with fibrocystic disease. However, even these scientists had difficulty correlating the improvement in lab work with an actual reduction in symptoms.