[Alo]

Just a run-down of my experience so far, then some questions and calls for advice.

I started taking my PM on the first of December last year at 1,000mg a day (500 morning/night). This, along with some chi breast massaging (A little ambitious, I know, since I didn't have anything there to massage... ), brought about a surprising puffiness and sensitivity to my nipples, and later on a visible swelling beneath them soon after a dose. When I noticed the tips starting to toughen up like callouses, I stopped the massages, hoping they'd eventually go away. They didn't, and a few weeks ago the noticeable swelling after a dose stopped happening. I started to slowly up my dosage (1,500 - 2,000mg a day), but before I got far I had a fit of frustration and set myself at 4,000mg a day (2,000mg morning/night). This brought back the noticeable swelling behind my nipples for a while, but it eventually faded away again. Not sure what to do next, I simply kept up the (very) high dosage, until just recently I think I've started budding... It's very subtle, but there seems to be something more... dense behind my nipples now. They are a little sore when pressed against, something like an old bruise. My left nipple seems to have shed the callous-like skin, but my right still seems to be a little tough...

My first question is about my dosage. I'm sure if I stay at the dosage I am, things will continue to happen, but I'm also chewing through my supply rather quickly! Was I being too eager when I upped it that much? Should I lower it back down to 3,000 or 2,000 mg a day?

Next is about budding. Am I starting to bud? Or is it just wishful thinking? Will it be blatantly obvious when it does start to happen?

And this slight callous that seems to have formed on my right nipple... Is there anything I can do besides wait?

And finally... A long-term goal of mine is to someday lactate... I realize that this won't happen for a very long time, but is there anything I should start doing now to start working toward that?

[sfem]

It sounds like things are happening. I wouldn't go with 4,000/day. I think that the time-frame is about right for budding, and it may well be that the high dose isn't what is making things happen so much as the fact that you are sticking with it. Congrats on your achievement so far! The rough skin I sometimes get and it is a sign of growth in my experience and will pass, although it will be itchy at times. The puffiness and sensitivity of the nipples is the surest sign that you are getting real growth, not just fat or skin changes. As for blatantly obvious, I don't recall the budding stage to be blatantly obvious other than the nipples getting puffy. The "hard knot" others have referred to was never very much of a hard knot for me. To help with the drying itchy nipples I have used vaseline moisturizers in the past to help sooth them and let them recover.
Someone else will have to answer about lactation. It has never been something I wanted or tried for.

[Pansy-Mae]

I agree with sfem, 4000mg is almost certainly too much, I dont think I've ever heard of anyone taking that much even as an experiment, and the fact that you got an immediate response followed by nothing suggests that you overloaded your system and the feedback mechanism which measures hormone level and regulates things, decided your levels were too high and just shut things down for a while - a stall in fact!
OTOH, 1000mg a day is generally reckoned to be about maintenance dose level, so that may not be enough to get things moving, although you were just being impatient a few weeks back!
I'd back right down to 1000mg for a few days ( or even stop altogether for 2 or 3 days) and then work yourself back up to 2000mg, and reserve the 3000mg for a couple of days a month.

I can't say I've ever had a hard skin problem, although my fingers have gone very dry, ( as in 'not sweaty', not dry and hard/flaky).

The denseness behind the nipples and the soreness sounds like budding to me and as sfem said, the timing of 2.5 months is about right. I've often reffered to the feeling as being like a bruise, myself, and as it's sub-cutaneous swelling its probably not far off the truth! No, it wont be blatantly obvious to anyone at this stage, and only you can decide when/if they are getting too big - at which point you drop down to 500/1000mg maintenance dose.

As for lactation, there is nothing you can do now and probably not for another 12 months or more... you need to grow some tissue before you can develop the milk production side and for that you will probably need to add progesterone and then stimulate prolactin levels to develop the milk ducts etc. Whether its actually a good idea, rather than a nice dream/fantasy, is another matter and one that has been discussed on here a number of times if you do a search.

[Alo]

I've already dropped myself back down to 2000mg a day, and might take a break as you suggest, Pansy-Mae. I realize I was being impatient, and hopefully I haven't set things TOO far back...

It's also good to know that I'm not the only one with the dead-skin problem, sfem. I've been using some lip balm I have on them occasionally, which is the only vaseline-like stuff I have at the moment. It does seem to help, so I'll keep that up until the problem goes away.

As for the lactation, would adding progesterone at this point do anything useful? Or would it be best to wait until I have some tissue to work with? And I'll also be sure to look up stuff on the... viability of lactation as well.

[JanetCD]

I've already dropped myself back down to 2000mg a day, and might take a break as you suggest, Pansy-Mae. I realize I was being impatient, and hopefully I haven't set things TOO far back...

It's also good to know that I'm not the only one with the dead-skin problem, sfem. I've been using some lip balm I have on them occasionally, which is the only vaseline-like stuff I have at the moment. It does seem to help, so I'll keep that up until the problem goes away.

As for the lactation, would adding progesterone at this point do anything useful? Or would it be best to wait until I have some tissue to work with? And I'll also be sure to look up stuff on the... viability of lactation as well.

Alo,
Might try Bag Balm, the product used on cows udders! I apply that to my breasts before noogleing. Creates a good seal for one and then seems to soften the skin too.

[chrishoney]

Bag balm is great, but I use lip balm for small skin lesions, especially on my finger tips where I often get splits this time of year (of necessity, I have to wash my hands a lot and that dries my skin out, which is also complicated by not being able to use lotion during the day at work since I need friction to do manual therapy correctly.)

The absolute BEST thing for healing dried, cracked skin and just about ANY kind of contact dermatitis is Weleda's calendula diaper cream. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=weleda+diaper+cream&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=795534931833240227&sa=X&ei=gj9AT-PuFPS80AH2mMDOBw&ved=0CIQBEPMCMAI#ps-sellers

Finger splits literally heal over night with this stuff! If it was gentle enough for my kids' butts, it will definitely be gentle enough on nipples! It's a little pricey, but a tube will last you forever. (TMI alert) I still have the tube I bought for when my daughter was still in diapers! Actually she still uses it when she has any kind of irritated skin 'down there'.

[JanetCD]

Bag balm is great, but I use lip balm for small skin lesions, especially on my finger tips where I often get splits this time of year (of necessity, I have to wash my hands a lot and that dries my skin out, which is also complicated by not being able to use lotion during the day at work since I need friction to do manual therapy correctly.)

The absolute BEST thing for healing dried, cracked skin and just about ANY kind of contact dermatitis is Weleda's calendula diaper cream. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=weleda+diaper+cream&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=795534931833240227&sa=X&ei=gj9AT-PuFPS80AH2mMDOBw&ved=0CIQBEPMCMAI#ps-sellers

Finger splits literally heal over night with this stuff! If it was gentle enough for my kids' butts, it will definitely be gentle enough on nipples! It's a little pricey, but a tube will last you forever. (TMI alert) I still have the tube I bought for when my daughter was still in diapers! Actually she still uses it when she has any kind of irritated skin 'down there'.

Great tip on the diaper cream. I used some (another brand) once when I had hemorrhoids and noticed the diaper cream in the medicine chest and didn't have hemorrhoid cream. It worked great! Figured if it was good for babies behind it would be great for my behind
Janet