Welcome to Healing Breast Implant Illness
This website is a live book about breast implant illness first published in February 2013 and is the culmination of breast implant illness medical information from over 150,000 women in our Facebook group Breast Implant Illness and Healing By Nicole. Our personal experience of breast implant illness is the foundation of our wisdom and may it be of benefit to you. If you have breast implants or are thinking of them, please read this website and then join our Facebook group for support and access to important research.
After years of our members activism on the internet and social media, on May 2, 2019, the FDA issued a statement acknowledging breast implant illness and the systemic symptoms caused by silicone including various cancers. For more information regarding recent FDA announcements, breast implant studies, medical case reports, silicone toxicity and silicone gel bleed please see Breast Implant Safety.
If you have breast implants now, stay calm and focus on identification of Breast Implant Illness Symptoms, when you recognize yourself in these symptoms, then move to Explant. Proper removal of your breast implants is the most important step to recovery from breast implant illness. Breast implants should ideally be removed En Bloc (in a manner that prevents contamination to you) and always with a Total Capsulectomy (remove all surrounding capsule tissue). The body, when treated well has an amazing healing and regenerative capacity. Trust in your body’s ability to heal. Choose a surgeon that is skilled and experienced at En Bloc and Total Capsulectomy removal of breast implants and is dedicated to removing all capsule tissue. Here is an international list of Explant Surgeons recommended by the members of our Facebook group who used these surgeons.
Unfortunately, you will likely not get much help identifying breast implant illness from your doctor or plastic surgeon. There is no test for breast implant illness and it’s acknowledgement is being minimized by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and some plastic surgeons in order to continue to sell toxic breast implants. Many women suffering from breast implant illness are misdiagnosed and mistreated for diseases that have similar symptoms and have been repeatedly told their breast implants are not the problem when they are the problem. Don’t waste time on misdiagnoses and mistreatment. Time is of the essence to your health. Trust your inner wisdom. Saline and silicone breast implants made with toxic chemicals and heavy metals do not belong in our healthy bodies. Further, some plastic surgeons may attempt to talk you out of explant or tell you a Total Capsulectomy is not necessary. Do not believe this, in fact, we suggest not using a plastic surgeon for explant unless he/she readily acknowledges breast implant illness symptoms and insists on a En Bloc or Total Capsulectomy explant and is experienced at proper explant and can prove it to you with photos of En Bloc and Total Capsulectomy explants.
After your proper explant, detoxification and healing will unfold over a year or two and here are some Silicone Detox guidelines to help you support yourself during your detox. Step by step you can heal. Under our RESOURCES section, we have compiled other important information which will assist you through this process and contribute to your healing. Due to so many women being affected negatively by breast implants, litigation is picking up, please go here to Breast Implant Lawsuits to learn of trends in lawsuits being filed and also which attorneys are accepting cases.
Please enjoy the first ever documentary about breast implant illness by Leigh Wood of South Africa: Toxic Tits .
We welcome your comments and questions below or directly to our email at [email protected]. Recent comments, after approved, appear first. Most questions will receive a reply.
Best wishes in your recovery,
Nicole
Wow!
just found this site today.
was looking for detox info just had my explant two days ago,
my joints are feeling better already.
Can’t wait to see if my hair stops coming out, and the fatigue subsides.
Some of The doctors I’ve seen over the years had me checking my self.
It took a while to save up for this but i happy i did it.
I am so thankful for finding this Facebook Group I am crying, this is my first day since I was approved to join. Cancer survivor 2011/12 double mastectomy (stage 3) 3 littles back then. I did not want implants in the first place, ex husband urged so I “would not have body imaging issues” . I have been sick and blown off by Drs since 2017 because after cancer, divorced (23 years married) he remarried. I have been sick and hospitalized because of the implants. The right one was lanced in ER last summer, am on state insurance. I tried to jump through the hoops and finally am paying to have them out. The plastic surgeon (met last wee) took one look and said omg. God is great, my ex husband retired early and I received 1/2 of his pension. 9k , surgery is September 16. I’m in antibiotics again now. Is there a fund that we can donate to help women who do not have insurance? Thankyou ladies. Praying and I can’t wait ti start running again. I haven’t since 2012.
I wish I’d known about this group sooner. I’m an experienced oncology & genetics nurse and even hold a certification in clinical breast health navigation but BII was a brand new concept to me a year ago when I finally realized it was likely causing the myriad of symptoms I’d been having for years. I’ve done an incredible amount of research this past year and had my proper explant this week. I am looking forward to learning more about detox and how I can help raise awareness.
I had breast cancer last year. After having reconstruction in April of 2022, I started getting hives across my chest the following summer. It is now July 2023 and my hands are swollen and hurt, my back, hips and knees hurt. I’m in the process of scheduling them to be taken out. My dr has spoken with me about having saline put in. What is your recommendation on a safe and healthy way for me to have a chest but not make myself sick? Thank you so much! I’m so happy a friend of mine gave me your website!
Hi Jennifer, likely if you are reacting the the silicone implants, you will also have same reaction to saline implants too. Now having said this some ladies can go a decade or even two with saline implants before noticing significant symptoms and health problems. My worry for you is that your body is already having a reaction and replacing likely won’t solve your symptoms.
Hello, I’m having health issues due to breast implants I’m currently being seen at Stanford and my platelets are very elevated due to an infection. They thought it was cancer, but they ruled all that out with a bone marrow biopsy and now my hematologist is trying to figure out if the implants are causing high platelet count. Does anyone have this problem?
Omg yes I have that problem. Every blood work said I have an infection, or the doctor asks if I just got over a cold. They did a bone marrow biopsy and ruled it out Had my implants in 2005. 2015 they said I have low/abnormal red blood cells. So I went to see a hematologist and he said my iron was super low. Started iron infusion 2 months ago.
I have felt an unknown illness for years always tired, always aching, depressed and at times hopeless. I want to have my implants removed but can not possibly afford to. Is there assistance to help?
Hi Tammy, there is no formal assistance program. Some insurance covers explant for ruptured implants, bad capsular contracture or chronic pain. Have you looked into insurance?
Hi, Aline
I just want to let you know I’m Australian and I have a double rupture and I understand how expensive it is in Australia is there no way that you can get on Medicare? I think if you can get on Medicare and there is a good enough reason. Obviously capital of contraction, ruptue through causing you illness. You should be able to get them removed by Medicare but I just don’t know if you can pick the surgeon that you want, and nor will they replace the implants and do you know what do plants they are?
I’m so sorry that you’re going through this, but I understand.
I am Brazilian living in Australia. I have a ruptured prosthesis and my doctor said he has never seen a case as serious as mine. ASIA. I don’t have government coverage or health insurance PLEASE HELP
Thankyou! Very good reading.
I have implants & for several years felt un well.
I went today & had a consultation about getting them removed plus capsular!
I can’t wait!! As I’m sure these implants are making me sick. My symptoms have been, tiredness, nausea! hair loss, body aches, one breast particular has always ached! So excited to have these foreign things out to see if I feel better :).
Omg Kay! Ive been sick since 2019 ever since I got my implants redone. I went from saline to silicon and feel nauseous at times and hot sweats at night. My blood work shows I have an infection going around and they can’t figure out what kind of infection it is. My doctor said it can be the breast implants but she has too do more research.