What are montgomery glands?

[HoldingoutforHope]

Okay so for the past week I've been doing as my doctor says. I've been taking the cream she gave me to treat the chafing and I've been avoiding googling anything related to Pagets or Breast Cancer. And so far it's been going well. But I noticed that my left nip is flatter than my right with an indentation that dips in the middle where I assume the milk gland is.

I heard that the circular glands on the aerola are called the montgomery glands. Well I was noticed in the mirror that there looked like a growth attached to that same nip and it looks like swollen glands that sit right next to the nip. They are soft to the touch, not rock hard, and there is no discharge. Are they just irritated or should I ask my GP?

Any answers I would rather not go back under during another freak out again but I don't have any answers for this :shrug:

[HoldingoutforHope]

I mean I would appreciate it if someone might be able to provide their theory to this. When I look in the mirror the glands are enlarged and look like they are growing out of my nipple when they aren't. :doh:

[Catherine S]

You've obviously found something else to focus your anxiety about breast cancer on. Where did you 'hear' about these glands, ive never seen a thread here asking about them, are you sure you didn't Google it?

Your doctor would know about every part of your breast including these glands around the nipples and would have told you if there was a concern. To answer your question though, apparently not all women have Montgomery glands that can be seen, while others have lots, some are enlarged and some aren't. ..they vary from woman to woman. They can become infected if breast feeding, but it's very rare.

As always though, best to ask your doctor about it if you're worried.

[HoldingoutforHope]

My GP was actually the one who told me about them back when she prescribed me Lamisil to use. I don't know what is going on exactly with the swelling but it's not the nipple itself doing it. It's the skin around it and this has never happened before :huh:

[Catherine S]

Ah, I see, sorry you weren't clear on where you'd heard about them. Well, you're worried about it obviously so id say have another chat to her about your concerns. I'm ok to Google these days so I did, and nothing I read about these glands told me anything sinister.

:)

[TattooArtist]

Mine went through visible changes in pregnancy. You need to trust that you have been examined and do not have evidence of a very rare cancer. If you are prescribed lamisil it's because either you have a mild fungal infection, or it's a catch all treatment for some unknown irritation you perceive. You need to stop manipulating the tissue. I got a weird red spot one time in a sensitive area. Never found the cause and it went away after getting a steroid ointment... I was sure it was precancerous but it wasn't.

[NervUs]

Aren't the montogmery glands just those little bumps on nipples? They come and go, I have them.

[HoldingoutforHope]

My GP actually called me back into the office again because she wanted to have a follow-up. I went in, she examined me again, said that I'm completely normal and that whatever "swelling" I have is natural. I know I need to trust my doctor even if the change on only side still freaks me out a little. I stopped the Lamisil because she doesn't think it's necessary now :ohmy:

Oh and I know I'm not pregnant. It's just my mind being very sensitive to anything my body does :blush:

[HoldingoutforHope]

UPDATE: So apparently these buggers can be irritated and raise on their own if you touch them too much. Just like lymph nodes. It's kind of hard not to examine and prod them but that just leads to MORE problems!

[TattooArtist]

This is one reason why people here will advise others to put firm limits on "checking"... That means turning a limb to "see" if it hurts, poking at a node to "measure" it, "self-examination" of breasts or skin... It's important to allow the brain time without these worries, and the only way to get more time like that is to NOT check so much. It causes more problems for us than it ever helps.

[Fishmanpa]

UPDATE: So apparently these buggers can be irritated and raise on their own if you touch them too much. Just like lymph nodes. It's kind of hard not to examine and prod them but that just leads to MORE problems!

Something occurred to me that made actually chuckle. We're all guilty of touching ourselves. From an undergarment adjustment to an extreme like I see here. Just for a moment, visualize all the HA sufferers you read about obsessively touching and examining their lumps, bumps and "other things"... and then narrow that down to "other things". I'll tell you what, If I walked in and my wife was playing with her boobs, I wouldn't even ask, I'd be like... "Ok baby... let's go upstairs! Let me examine them!" ~lol~

Positive thoughts

[TattooArtist]

I mean, sheer terror and vexation isn't really sexy, though. It could just as easily be checking the back of your throat with your phone light, or pulling apart your urethra to see if it's red inside. Women have a lot of reproductive health anxiety in general, I think. It's because we have to go to the doctor a lot more, experience more pain during and after sex, and deal with the health concerns of childbirth.

[HoldingoutforHope]

I can readily admit that I am very sensitive about my body. Anxiety doesn't help matters and I don't trust my hormones because they are NEVER stable enough :lac:

Reproductive health I believe is a concern that both men and women have to face. But at the same time I've seen a bunch of women who grow concerned about breast cancer, cervical cancer, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, and many others. Small world.

[HoldingoutforHope]

Great. Now my left breast is sore and the glands still have not gone down. It's been a week since I stopped my Lamisil. Probably caused by my poking and prodding. Guess the next step is getting some help with that little obsessive problem :lac: