Terrified I have Paget's.

[spidergrrrl]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I am absolutely terrified that I have Paget's in my right and possibly left nipple. I am 33, no kids. No family history of breast cancer but I'm not really sure how much that has to do with my situation. It all started at the beginning of this August with one tiny dry scale of skin on my right nipple. I didn't think much of it, picked it off (which hurt) and then a day or two later the itching started...which has persisted for a month. The itching is in my right nipple and deep in the tissue. I was initially concerned about inflammatory breast cancer but because of the peeling skin my worry has shifted to Paget's. I have read that Paget's doesn't usually occur in both nipples, but both of mine have peeling skin on them. But I am more concerned about the right one, because that's the one that had the scale. And the itching. I've also had burning, tingling and pain in the right nipple. And just the other day, I squeezed my right areola (not the nipple, the areola,) and a milky/pus-like fluid came out of one of the areola bumps. Since a month has gone by now, the dry skin has mostly cleared up but it's still there a tiny bit. I know the NP won't order a biopsy which is what I need to move on. Great. I am barely functioning. To make matters worse, I don't have insurance and I feel brushed off by the nurse practitioner. I told her that something isn't right and was told "if you're that concerned, go to the ER." Which is awful advice for someone without insurance, because yes, although they can't refuse to see me, I'd get slapped with bills for thousands of dollars from the ER physician, tests, etc. No thanks. I'm supposed to see the NP again tomorrow on September 5th but I don't have the option of a second opinion. I am living in poverty. What am I supposed to do?
Also, I read that eczema of the nipples is rare which just scares me more. I thought maybe that was an explanation but it's seeming unlikely. I keep having crying fits and I don't really have anyone to talk to about this. Please help.

[emlica]

Hiya,
don't know if this will help much but I very occasionally get an incredibly itchy nipple/areola. Both sides have itched on and off. I've always just put it down to dry skin, or a bra irritating it - an odd seam on a bra, maybe? Gets worse if I let myself scratch it, and does go a bit 'peely' looking sometimes. Eczema of the nipple might be rare, but it doesn't have to be eczema, could just be dry or irritated skin, and it'll get worse if you're rubbing it, squeezing it, scratching it, picking it off.

The bumps on your areola are called something like Montgomery glands and they produce a kind of oily substance. If you squeeze them (like you'd squeeze a spot) then white stuff will come out - it's just the oily secretions. Some probably 'squeeze' easier than others and I guess the larger ones probably produce more of it. It's not pus/infected, just the normal stuff those glands produce. Not really a great idea to squeeze them though!

It doesn't sound like too much to worry about to me - I'd use some kind of simple stuff on your nipples to stop them drying out and flaking, a bog standard unperfumed petroleum jelly or something

[spidergrrrl]

Emilca,
That actually really does help, thank you. I didn't know if regular dry skin is just called dry skin or if it's eczema. From what I've read, Paget's occurs (generally) in only one nipple so I take some comfort in the fact that only my right one is itching. And you are right about the glands, because I did google that, of course, and read that if greenish looking stuff comes out that's ok, and you should only be concerned if it's spontaneous discharge,m and I squeezed mine so it wasn't spontaneous. If the dry skin comes back I'll go get a biopsy at the dermatologist.

[spidergrrrl]

Ok, I'm back to worrying again. I cannot go to the dermatologist for 2 weeks since I am uninsured, and there's a free clinic every two weeks in my city. I missed this week's clinic. The itching and dry skin are back. Both nipples, more so on the right, and also spreading onto the areola on the right (which is a symptom of Paget's.) The itching actually never went away and it's only in the right nipple. Someone please help me I am having a hard time sleeping and functioning. Worrying is one thing, but not having insurance on top of it makes it near impossible to deal with , because I have to jump through a million hoops just to try to see a doctor to tell me what's going on. I am terrified - why is my breast/nipple itching? Even when I google "dry skin on nipple," or "itchy breasts," the results are always inflammatory breast cancer and Paget's. Help.

---------- Post added at 23:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:56 ----------

It's either inflammatory breast cancer or Paget's. There's no explanation for the itching in my right breast, in the breast tissue, for a month now. I can't afford a biopsy or even to see a doctor to order me one. What am I going to do? Something is going on in my body at a cellular level and I cannot function or think straight and I don't know how to get help. I got an ultrasound/mammo for the lumps in my right breast through a charity care program and ended up getting billed almost $400 for what they told me would cost $85. Biopsies cost $1,000 and up. I can't find out what's wrong with me and something is happening in my body and no one cares and I'm going to end up in a seriously bad situation if I don't get some help. I'm not eligible for Medicaid because I don't have a kid.