Womens issue. Being brave seeing the GP today.

[Bonnibelle]

I am on the pill and I have been worrying myself about breast cancer alot recently, I have noticed my health anxiety returning a little. I am only on a low dose pill so my GP has told me I am safe but still I worry now I am in my thirties.

The last 2 cycles my boobs especially my left have been very sore on the last week of my pill before my weeks break. As soon as I bleed the pain goes and my boobs feel all soft again. I am just worried as it's mainly my left one I felt the pain but they both are sore. It's like a bruised feeling to touch and even worse when I exercise and jump about lol!

Down my outer side of my left boob I have found a few little lumps and bumps, just little ones but now I am freaking out they are raised glands and I have breast cancer. I cried myself to sleep last night having images of me leaving my beautiful children. I feel sick and can't eat.

I know noone can reassure me or do anything, I have to just be brave and see my GP. There is only 1 female GP there who noone likes to see as she's Dr Google so I am seeing my male GP, he won't mind examining me will he?

I still find appointments tough due to having some agoraphobia lingering so this is really tough for me today as it's a very anxious appointment, it's not like I am just getting my ear checked or a cough :blush: I am terrified what he might say to me. My husband is coming with me, he checked my breast last night and he said there is no lump just like little gristle bumps that he is sure is normal. I just keep worrying with having had sore boobs the last 2 months on and off.

I am thinking I might come of the pill, I am on Loestrin 20. I only went on it 3 years ago because I had severely heavy periods and mid cycle pain too. It was horrible and it ruled my life. The pill has been a huge benefit to me as my periods are barely existent and I have no pain. It's really difficult to know what to do.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. It's an anxious day waiting to see him later today.

Bon.

[emmalj0]

I was checking my breasts last night mine are so lumpy i hope they are normal. Iv always been told you would know if was something serious. Im just gonna check mine again in a few weeks as nearly that time of month. If ur worried no harm in getting gp to check for yoy

[Bonnibelle]

I think it is normal to have some little bumps, I think I am just worried because they are sore again especially the left so my health anxiety is raising its ugly head again. I hope I can relax and get through the GP appointment.

Sure you are ok, sorry hope my post didn't worry you.

Bon.

[emmalj0]

No didnt worry me i shall just go gp if still worried.

good luck

[KeeKee]

Hi bonnibelle, I get this tenderness nearly every month and it is completely normal. I also noticed small bumps on the side of my most tender boob. Honestly it's normal. Absolutely no harm in going to the doctors though as I did and my boobs haven't worried me since (well not unless I'm having a really bad day).
Also I have never taken the pill or anything but it is hormone related. Mine also stops the day before I bleed. I know it's hard not to worry but once you've had your appointment you can stop obsessing over it. I don't regret going in the slightest although it was uncomfortable as I have BDD, but I strongly trust the GP.

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you Keekee.

That is very reassuring. I appreciate you replying. I am so nervous about going as i find appointments tough. My anxiety is having a field day ;-)

Bon

[ktdid2000]

Oh boy, I am in the same boat as you! I've been having left breast pain for about 3 weeks now - mainly just on the left side near my armpit. There is a tender spot that feels like I've bruised a muscle or something. I feel tiny small hard bumps but I have a hard time telling whether it is muscle or something else! They feel gristly, like they are attached to or part of the muscle. I don't have a lot of boob tissue, so poking at it I almost always just feel what is underneath - bone, muscle, glands, etc.

To make it all worse I'm currently pregnant so I can't wait it out and see if it will change as my hormones are crazy right now. My OB has given me two breast exams in the past 3 weeks and can't feel anything unusual. I know I should be reassured by that, but I don't get why I'm having this pain and feel the small bumps. I keep thinking she's missed something even though she's felt thousands of boobs in her lifetime! :unsure:

Good luck at your appt!

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you.

That does sound exactly like me and being pregnant it sounds like yours is hormonal.

My appointment went ok but I wasn't reassured, i have to go back in 2-3 weeks and if he still feels the lumps and I still have pain I will be referred to the breast clinic for a scan. Not the reassurance I hoped for.

I would be reassured by what you have been told, I wish my GP had told me everything was ok.

Take care

Bon

[Emilym80]

Hi Bon,

I went to see my GP for a similar thing and my experience was quite different. Tenderness/lumpiness are expected during menstruation. I understand that's probably not very reassuring but it's totally normal :)

All the best!

[Bonnibelle]

Emily

Thank you so much for your reply.

So did your GP reassure you straight away?

My GP is male so I know men don't know boobs like we do but I honestly thought he would reassure me I was ok but he seemed a little concerned :-(

I am worried being on the pill and I am not stopping the pill until Tuesday so would hormones affect me already?

Thank you so much.

Bon


Hi Bon,

I went to see my GP for a similar thing and my experience was quite different. Tenderness/lumpiness are expected during menstruation. I understand that's probably not very reassuring but it's totally normal :)

All the best!

[Emilym80]

Hi there,

Yeah, I went for an exam and she said that it was to be expected prior to and during menstruation. If your GP was really concerned, he wouldn't be waiting to see if they go away. And, he might be a man, but he would certainly know what to look for in abnormal lumps and bumps!

Frankly, I don't really know how birth control affects your hormones, but the lumpiness is normal with or without being on the pill. It could just be that you hadn't noticed it happening before.

What are your concerns with being on the pill in the first place? Did you talk to your GP about it?

Best,
Emily

[pinky260]

I have seen my dr twice about my right boob ( first a male dr who didn't even examine me) & second a female dr who was lovely. My right boobs hurts round the side & shooting pains in it from ovulation to when my period finishes every month. It worries me as it only seems to be the right, the left does hurt a bit but the right is always worse. She reassured me it's totally normal. Dr's are always cautious about boobs. Try not to worry x

---------- Post added at 09:45 ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 ----------

Oh & the little bumps on the side of your boobs are apparently milk glands so my dr tells me. Definitely go back though if they have told you to x

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you Emily.

That's reassuring, thank you.

I am only on the pill as I had heavy periods making me unwell so I had to try something to lighten them, which it did. I told him i was worried as I know it increases the risk of breast cancer to which he said it's a minute increase and I am only on 20mg so not to worry about that.

Fingers crossed all turns out ok.

Bon
Hi there,

Yeah, I went for an exam and she said that it was to be expected prior to and during menstruation. If your GP was really concerned, he wouldn't be waiting to see if they go away. And, he might be a man, but he would certainly know what to look for in abnormal lumps and bumps!

Frankly, I don't really know how birth control affects your hormones, but the lumpiness is normal with or without being on the pill. It could just be that you hadn't noticed it happening before.

What are your concerns with being on the pill in the first place? Did you talk to your GP about it?

Best,
Emily

---------- Post added at 10:33 ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 ----------

Pinky

Thank you so much, that's really helped and I cant thank you enough.

It is around the outer edge he and I can feel the lumps, I describe them as squashed smarties or skittles lol! They go up towards the muscle just to the side of the armpit. I have quite a big muscle there as I weight train.

I have both breasts sore but yes it's always the left that feels much more sore, like a bruised feeling and so heavy. When I get up in the morning they hurt as i walk lol! I am only small too.

Thanks again. I appreciate it.

Bon.

[Munchlet]

Hi Bonibelle,

I have had many BC fears over the years and like you I worried about being on the pill in my thirties.

I have pain most months and I also find that I have pain more so on my right side. It kind of niggled at me and when I went for a breast check before even mentioning it the doctor said "you have more breast tissue on your right side". I asked if it was normal and she said "perfectly, most women have more breast tissue on one side than the other" I then said is that why I feel more pain on that side and she said "quite possibly but trust me breast cancer isn't painful, so any pain you feel is just normal breast tissue pain fluctuating through hormones".

So that instantly reassured me, I know these things are worrying but it takes minutes to get that peace of mind as is always worth doing I'm sure yours will be nothing to worry about.

Take care

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you so much Munchlet

You have really helped me to stay positive. I am hoping that this is all hormones and I will get the all clear soon. It's a very worrying time, I haven't been through anything like this before so I feel a little frightened.

Thank you again, it means alot.

Bon.


Hi Bonibelle,

I have had many BC fears over the years and like you I worried about being on the pill in my thirties.

I have pain most months and I also find that I have pain more so on my right side. It kind of niggled at me and when I went for a breast check before even mentioning it the doctor said "you have more breast tissue on your right side". I asked if it was normal and she said "perfectly, most women have more breast tissue on one side than the other" I then said is that why I feel more pain on that side and she said "quite possibly but trust me breast cancer isn't painful, so any pain you feel is just normal breast tissue pain fluctuating through hormones".

So that instantly reassured me, I know these things are worrying but it takes minutes to get that peace of mind as is always worth doing I'm sure yours will be nothing to worry about.

Take care

[ktdid2000]

I can totally understand about your doctor being male! I'm lucky my OB is female so all she is looking at is lady parts and breasts all day long. Have you been to your gynecologist or just a general practitioner?

For me it's a little bit more reassurance to know that I've gotten the opinion of a "specialist", even if she's not part of a breast clinic per se. I've actually been in the office when I've seen her refer someone to a breast clinic for breast pain and a lump so I know she knows what she's looking for (which apparently I do not have)!

Doesn't stop all the anxiety of course - I would definitely be more reassured with some sort of scan/testing just to make sure. But that's the tricky part about health anxiety - after a while almost nothing is reassuring it seems! Even scans can still miss something. :wacko:

I'm still feeling my left breast tons during the day, looking for the tiny bumps I feel. One of them feels sort of hard to me which bothers me. I can't always find it though - it seems to go away when I move my arm up and down. I keep telling myself that a breast cancer lump probably would not do that (and I can't feel it at all when I do an exam like they ask you to do with the pads of your fingers) but it's hard to believe myself. I think I'm actually making myself sore with all the poking and prodding I'm doing!

One thing I would definitely recommend is to NOT read stories about BC on the internet because they always make my anxiety way worse. And they are almost always the once-in-a-million pregnant lady with BC or person whose doctor missed the BC or whatnot that makes nothing anyone can say (or scans can show) reassuring! I had actually talked myself down quite a bit late last week until I read a story about a 31 year old woman with inflammatory breast cancer who could only feel her lump when she held her arm out to the side. Argh!! There goes my rationale for not being worried anymore!