Symptoms of Breast Implant Illness: Everything You Need to Know About Signs, Diagnosis & Treatment
About Breast Implant Illness
If you have implants or are thinking about getting them, one of the most important things you can do is learn about the risks, possible complications, and what the procedure really involves. Take your time and do your research.
On this page, you’ll find an in-depth overview of symptoms of Breast implant illness. You’ll also access valuable knowledge, what research reveals, why some women develop Breast implant illness while others don’t, and why BII is considered a diagnosis of exclusion.
Whether you’re considering implants, suspect you may have Breast implant illness, or simply looking for information, this page provides a clear starting point to fully understand what Breast implant illness is.
Understanding Breast Implant Illness
Breast Implant Illness (BII) is a term used to describe a wide range of symptoms that thousands of women around the world believe are connected to their breast implants. At this time, there are no specific medical tests that can definitively determine whether your symptoms are caused by the implants. However, since 2019, the FDA has acknowledged that some women may experience systemic symptoms that could be linked to their breast implants.
A growing number of plastic surgeons, physicians, and researchers are beginning to recognize a possible connection between implants and health concerns. For example, a clinical study is now underway in Sweden to explore this link further. In addition, similar reports are appearing in other countries, which adds to the evidence. As awareness continues to grow, more women are asking important questions about their health. Consequently, an increasing number are choosing explant surgery—the removal of breast implants—as a possible path to recovery and healing
Not being believed: A Harsh Reality For Women Suffering From BII
Thousands of women experiencing symptoms of Breast Implant Illness are often misdiagnosed or left without the care they truly need. It’s not uncommon for patients to be bounced from one specialist to another, undergoing countless tests—only to be told everything looks “normal,” even when their bodies are clearly signaling that something is wrong.
When a woman begins to suspect that her breast implants might be the root cause of her symptoms, she is frequently met with skepticism. In many cases, her concerns are dismissed or misattributed to stress, burnout, PMS, perimenopause, menopause, or even psychological issues. This not only delays proper diagnosis but also prolongs unnecessary suffering.
The symptoms of Breast Implant Illness often overlap with those of autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, and neurological disorders. This adds another layer of difficulty to making an accurate diagnosis. That’s why it’s critical that patients are listened to, taken seriously, and given a comprehensive medical evaluation when symptoms arise.
What Are The Symptoms of Breast Implant Illness?
It might sound surprising that breast implants could affect everything from your eyes and teeth to your joints, skin, digestion, and even your brain. But once you understand how the body’s systems are connected, it begins to make sense. Keep reading to learn why this happens — and how it relates to the symptoms of breast implant illness.
Your body is made up of several complex and interconnected systems — including the immune system, nervous system, digestive system, and endocrine (hormonal) system. These systems work together in harmony to keep you healthy, balanced, and functioning every day. Putting something foreign, like a pair of breast implants ⚪️⚪️, into the body can throw off it’s natural balance.
In some individuals, the implants may trigger a response that affects one or several systems at once — sometimes in subtle ways, other times more severely. Because of this, the signs and symptoms of Breast implant illness may vary a great deal and can be challenging to identify. Some women experience brain fog, anxiety and fatigue; others deal with gut issues, chronic pain, or rashes.
Recognizing the connection between these symptoms is the first step toward finding answers. And for many women, it marks the beginning of their healing journey.
Seeking Help Can Feel Overwhelming at Times
Seeking medical help for Breast Implant Illness symptoms can feel overwhelming — even intimidating.
What do you say? Will your doctor listen and take you seriously, or dismiss your concerns as “all in your head”?
Sadly, many women report feeling brushed off or encountering patronizing responses during medical visits. This experience is often described as medical gaslighting — when a patient’s symptoms are downplayed, questioned, or outright dismissed, leaving them feeling unheard and unsupported.
Instead of getting the support they need, many are misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions and prescribed medications that only mask their symptoms. These treatments often fail to address the actual root cause. Pain, anxiety, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, brain fog, and vitamin deficiencies are frequently explained away, despite the growing body of research showing how the body can react to foreign materials—such as breast implants.
A diagnosis of exclusion
Today, BII is recognized as a diagnosis of exclusion. In practice, this means doctors must first rule out other possible causes of symptoms—such as autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, infections, or neurological disorders—through comprehensive medical evaluations, lab tests, and specialist consultations.
Only when no other explanation is found, Breast implant illness may be considered a potential underlying cause. For many women, explant surgery — the removal of breast implants — becomes a last resort. A final hope for regaining their health when everything else has failed.
The Truth Has Been Around For Decades
It might seem like Breast implant illness is something “new” — mainly because it’s still an unfamiliar term to many people. But the truth is, the first reports of breast implant illness go back at least as far as 30+ years (1990).
1990, the journalist Connie Chung aired personal stories from women who were experiencing “mysterious” symptoms believed to be connected to their breast implants. The report was broadcast by CBS News in the United States, causing widespread attention — and backlash.
Many plastic surgeons criticized the segment, claiming it caused unnecessary fear and stress among women. They also argued that there was no scientific proof behind the claims.
However, evidence has continued to grow. For those willing to look, there’s now a significant body of data, personal testimonials, and emerging research linking breast implants to various systemic symptoms. You’ll find a selection of that information on this site under Research.
Download The List of Symptoms
Just as stated above, the symptoms of Breast implant illness vary, but there are still many symptoms that are mentioned more frequently than others.
These symptoms have been compiled into a list that you can print and check off the symptoms you experience.
Your Whole Body Can Be Affected by Breast Implant Illness
Breast implants can disrupt and negatively impact the entire body and its systems. This is why it can be difficult to connect the wide range of symptoms directly to breast implants.
Breast implants can cause disturbances in all of the bodys systems:
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Metabolic system: energy levels
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Endocrine system: thyroid, adrenal glands, and hormones
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Immune system: viruses, bacteria, parasites, autoimmunity, and more
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Neurological system: cognitive functions
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Digestive system: nutrient deficiencies, food intolerances, allergies, IBS, and more
Why Do Some Women Develop Breast Implant Illness While Others Don’t?
Despite many women having breast implants without obvious issues, thousands experience severe and sometimes life-changing symptoms — physical, neurological, and psychological. It’s important to understand that BII is not linked to any specific type or brand. Simply put, BII can occur regardless of whether the implants are filled with silicone gel or saline, have a smooth or textured surface, are round or teardrop-shaped.
An individual reaction
The prevailing view among many doctors, researchers, and women is that BII is a complex and highly individual reaction to breast implants. In fact, what may cause severe illness in one woman can, on the other hand, be tolerated by another without any obvious symptoms. Furthermore, our genetics, immune system, hormonal balance, and even medical history strongly influence how the body responds to foreign materials such as implants.
Moreover, some experts argue that silicone toxicity could be a contributing factor. In addition, others believe that chronic inflammation or autoimmune reactions may explain why certain women develop symptoms. Because of this, the exact cause remains uncertain and is, therefore, likely the result of several overlapping factors. Ultimately, growing research and patient experiences continue to shed more light on these possibilities.
As a result, it is crucial that women are fully informed about potential risks before undergoing breast augmentation. Read on below for a clear list of possible causes of Breast Implant Illness!
6 Possible Causes of Breast Implant Illness
1. Inflammatory or Autoimmune Reaction
Your body is naturally designed to defend itself against anything it perceives as foreign. Medical science has long acknowledged that implants — including breast implants — can trigger inflammatory or autoimmune responses. This is considered one of the possible causes of breast implant illness. Some women experience symptoms soon after surgery, while for others, symptoms may appear years later.
Importantly, BII-like symptoms have also been reported in individuals with other types of medical implants, suggesting that the immune system’s reaction to foreign materials plays a key role in developing these symptoms.
When the immune system becomes overloaded
Constant immune activation caused by the presence of implants can make the body more vulnerable to viruses, bacterial infections, and chronic fatigue. The immune system is essentially “distracted”, leading to long-term inflammation and, in some cases, autoimmune diseases. Over time, this can result in widespread immune system stress and systemic overload.
Related terms
Medical research and patient experiences have led to other names for similar reactions:
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ASIA Syndrome or Adjuvant Disease (Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants)
These terms are often used in medical literature to describe conditions that may be related to immune responses triggered by foreign substances like silicone or implant materials.
2. Toxic Load From Chemicals and Heavy Metals
Another possible cause of breast implant illness symptoms is the body’s reaction to the chemicals and heavy metals found in implants. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), silicone breast implants can contain more than 40 different chemical substances — including known neurotoxins and heavy metals such as platinum, arsenic, and formaldehyde.
This has led researchers and patients to theorize that some women may develop symptoms of BII due to their body reacting to these toxic components.
Can silicone or chemicals leak?
Even though breast implants are FDA-approved, concerns are growing about their long-term safety. Studies have shown that small amounts of silicone and other compounds can “bleed” or leak out, even from intact, undamaged implants. This slow leakage may silently activate the immune system, triggering chronic inflammation.
Brands like Motiva, Allergan, and Mentor are currently being studied in long-term follow-ups to better understand how these substances may affect human health.
Chemical sensitivity and systemic symptoms
Some doctors believe that certain women may become chemically sensitive or intolerant to the materials used in implants. This reaction can resemble low-grade poisoning or inflammatory stress, leading to widespread symptoms such as:
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Fatigue
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Brain fog
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Joint or muscle pain
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Skin issues
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Hormonal imbalances
— all of which are commonly reported in women with symptoms of Breast implant illness.
What does this mean?
It means that even if your implants haven’t ruptured, and the outer shell appears intact, your body could still be negatively affected. Many women report a significant improvement or complete resolution of symptoms after explant surgery — strengthening the link between the materials in breast implants and BII symptoms.
3. Implant Rupture and Gel Bleed: When Toxins Leak Even Without a Rupture
One of the lesser-known risks of breast implants is gel bleed — a silent process where microscopic particles from the implant slowly leak into the body, even if the implant appears fully intact.
What is gel bleed?
Even when your implant hasn’t ruptured, the silicone shell can still “sweat” or release tiny amounts of silicone gel or chemicals into the surrounding tissue. This phenomenon is known as gel bleed, and it’s been documented in medical studies. Over time, these particles can travel through your lymphatic system and end up in various parts of your body, possibly contributing to symptoms of breast implant illness.
Implant rupture
Most women are informed about the risk of implant rupture — when the implant breaks or leaks — during breast augmentation consultations. But gel bleed is something many aren’t warned about, despite growing evidence that it happens even in fully intact implants.
What does gel bleed look like?
Women who’ve had their implants removed (explant) often report that the surface of the implant is sticky, tacky, or discolored — a physical sign that gel bleed has occurred. In some cases, the surrounding scar capsule may also show signs of inflammation or chemical exposure.
Why it matters
Continuous low-level exposure to silicone particles and chemicals may trigger the immune system, cause chronic inflammation, and result in systemic symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, rashes, and joint pain. This adds to the theory that breast implant illness can be caused by toxic exposure, not just physical rupture.
This picture is borrowed from Dr Chun
4. Genetic Sensitivity: Why some women react more strongly to breast implants
Not all bodies respond the same way to breast implants — and one reason may lie deep within our DNA.
Could your genes make you more sensitive?
Some women experience symptoms of Breast implant illness shortly after their surgery, while others feel fine for years before their health slowly declines. This variation is believed to be linked to genetic predispositions — inherited traits that influence how the body responds to foreign materials like silicone.
Easily explaied, some people may be genetically more sensitive to the chemicals and substances found in implants. Their bodies may struggle more with detoxification, which can lead to an accumulation of toxins over time.
The role of detox genes like MTHFR
Researchers suspect that certain gene mutations — such as variations in the MTHFR gene — may interfere with the body’s ability to detoxify effectively. This means toxins released from breast implants could build up more easily in the body, triggering chronic inflammation, fatigue, and other symptoms linked to BII.
Some bodies cope better — others don’t
While some individuals may never develop symptoms, others become ill even with intact implants. Genetics may explain why — some immune systems and detox pathways can simply handle more stress than others. Unfortunately, there’s no definitive test to predict how your body will react in advance.
5. Pre-existing health conditions before breast augmentation
While Breast implant illness can affect anyone with breast implants, research and patient reports suggest that women with certain health conditions — such as autoimmune diseases or hormonal imbalances — may be more vulnerable to developing BII symptoms. Their immune systems are often already overactive or compromised, which can make the body more reactive to the presence of breast implants, regardless of the type or brand.
Potential Risk Factors for Breast implant illness:
👉🏼 Autoimmune diseases
Women diagnosed with conditions like lupus (SLE), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Sjögren’s syndrome, or rheumatoid arthritis often have a heightened immune response. This may increase the risk of a stronger inflammatory or autoimmune reaction to breast implants, which are recognized by the body as foreign objects.
👉🏼 Hormonal imbalances
Conditions such as PCOS, thyroid disorders, endometriosis, or hormonal shifts related to menopause can intensify or mask BII symptoms. They can also increase the body’s stress response, making symptoms more severe or harder to trace back to the implants.
👉🏼 Allergies and chemical sensitivities
Individuals with known allergies to metals, plastics, or chemicals—or who are sensitive to medications, fragrances, or cosmetics—may be more likely to react negatively to substances found in implants, such as silicone, heavy metals, or industrial compounds.
👉🏼 Previous implant or surgical complications
Women who have had breast implants before and experienced BII symptoms may face a higher risk of developing similar symptoms again if new implants are placed.
👉🏼 Chronic stress, trauma, or ongoing illness
Bodies that are already under long-term stress or dealing with other chronic health conditions may be less resilient to the added burden that breast implants can place on the immune, hormonal, or nervous systems.
6. Capsules around breast implants and the link to chronic inflammation
Step-by-Step: What to do if You Suspect That You Have Breast Implant Illness
Below you’ll find a clear, step-by-step guide on what to do if you think you might be experiencing symptoms of Breast Implant Illness. Because there’s currently no specific test or lab result that can confirm BII, the path to understanding your symptoms can feel frustrating or slow. But don’t give up — you’re not alone. Thousands of women around the world have walked this same road and many have found their way back to health and well-being.
Step 1: Rule Out Other Possible Causes
If you’re experiencing symptoms that make you suspect BII, the first step is to reach out to a medical professional. It’s important to rule out other health conditions, nutrient deficiencies, or underlying medical issues that could be causing your symptoms.
Right now, there’s no single test or scan that can confirm BII — and unfortunately, many doctors are still hesitant to recognize it as a legitimate diagnosis. That’s why many women end up relying on their own symptom tracking, intuition, and persistence in the journey to get their health back again.
BII is what’s known as a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning the symptoms often overlap with many other illnesses. That’s why it’s so important to start with a full medical workup to rule out other potential causes.
📌 Advocate for yourself. Ask for thorough testing. If your concerns are dismissed, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion or find a doctor who listens and takes you seriously.
Step 2: Educate Yourself
If you’ve gone through proper medical testing as suggested in Step 1 and still suspect that you may be dealing with Breast implant illness. the next crucial step is to educate yourself.
Start by learning about BII and its wide range of symptoms. You’ll find a wealth of helpful information right here on breastimplantillness.se, but don’t stop there — explore other trusted sources, articles, and platforms too.
A highly recommended action is to visit the Research section of the site and dive into the linked studies and clinical data. Take the time to truly understand the science and stories behind BII.
Many of us were never properly informed about the risks before getting breast implants. That lack of information often meant we couldn’t make a fully informed decision.
🔍 Now is your time to change that. Take the time to honor yourself and your health by learning everything you can. Explore the facts, listen to your instincts, and reflect on what feels right for you. Whatever choice you make, let it come from a place of clarity, confidence, and self-trust
Own your decision. Let it be yours—fully and truly.
Step 3: Track And Map Out Your Symptoms
Understanding when your symptoms started and how they’ve progressed can be a powerful tool. Try creating a timeline to help visualize your health journey. If your memory is fuzzy, you can log in to online health portals to access old medical records. You can also use AI tools like ChatGPT to help you gather links, organize thoughts, or ask specific health-related questions.
Many women with BII have visited multiple doctors over the years for a wide range of symptoms — sometimes without realizing they might all be connected. That’s why tracking everything can feel overwhelming, but it’s worth doing. Seeing your symptoms laid out clearly may help both you and your doctor better understand what’s going on.
Step 4: Considering Explant Surgery?
If you’re convinced that you may be suffering from Breast implant illness, you might be thinking about removing your breast implants in the future — a procedure known as an explant. You can read more about explant surgery on this site.
Explant refers to the removal of breast implants, with or without the surrounding capsule of scar tissue that naturally forms around them. These fibrous capsules develop as part of the body’s immune response to foreign materials. Therefore, they have become a central point of discussion within the Breast Implant Illness (BII) community.
After doing their own research, many women ultimately decide to remove not only the implants but also the capsule tissue. This is because complete capsule removal is believed to provide the best possible chance of healing. In addition, it may reduce the risk of future complications or the need for additional surgery.
🧠 Informed decision-making is key. No one can tell you exactly what’s right or wrong for your body — especially since guidelines vary across countries. In the U.S., leading explant surgeons almost always remove the implant and capsule together in one piece, known as an en bloc explant or more accurately, a total intact capsulectomy.
🇸🇪 If you’re in Sweden and looking for a qualified plastic surgeon for a consultation, we warmly recommend Dr. Oya at Strandkliniken — a specialist with great experience in explant surgery. Through this link, you can easily find surgeons all around the world.
Step 5: Support Your Body After Explant Surgery
If you choose to go through with an explant, your body will begin a healing journey — one that may take months or, for some, even years. Trust your body’s ability to recover, and try to be patient with the process. Healing can’t be rushed, and your body needs time, rest, and care to restore itself. 🌱
If you want to read more about wound healing after explant surgery, you’ll find helpful information on this site.
💬 Need emotional or practical support? You’re not alone. Join the wonderful Facebook group Breast Implant Illness Nordic — a supportive community where many women share their recovery journeys, insights and tips.
🩺 When we treat the body well and give it the right conditions, it often has an amazing ability to repair itself, regain strength, and return to balance. Nourish it with rest, healthy food, gentle movement, and kindness.
Healing is a process — be kind to yourself ❤️