View Full Version : Need some info about breast pain please
Hi, not been here in a long time, but I have a bit of a concern about some breast pain. I have had to cancel a mammogram appt as I am going away so it's now next week, which I thought was fine but I have been getting pain in my breasts, mostly the left, which is niggling away at my HA a lot and is making me very aware of it. The pain is there in the background but also sore to touch. I was always told pain isn't usually a symptom of BC but the accompanying mammogram leaflet mentions pain and now I'm worried that I cancelled appt. There are no visible changes and I can't feel any lumps apart from the normal lumpiness I usually have. I also have a general sensitivity there too. Is this just quite normal tender breasts?
nomorepanic
09-03-18, 15:28
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.
This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.
Please also read this post:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239
My post has been moved again, although I posted to the right forum this time?
I posted the other day and my post was moved, but I didn't hear from anyone. I think that I'm not that good at describing what is wrong but I'll try again.
I have painful breasts, mostly the left but feel pain in the right too. It feels like a burning pain at times and sometimes an ache and then it's just a typical pain. I have been taking painkillers and sometimes they alleviate it. It isn't there all the time, ie when I'm asleep, but comes on when I get up. I wondered if it could be an infection or maybe glandular.
On another post I read, someone had replied to it and said they'd had experience of this kind of thing and would happily speak in a pm to them, however I can't find the post now.
Anyone out there who might have been through similar?
nomorepanic
12-03-18, 12:08
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.
Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.
It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.
I'm trying my best to ignore it but when something is hurting it's really hard to. I have still got a painful breast, both actually but mainly in one. What other things could cause this pain and sensitivity, I know mastitis is for people who have breastfed, which I haven't as have no children. Can anyone just reach out with similar experiences? It is affecting my work and enjoyment of anything. Thank you in advance.
Hiyer Ceecee,
I've just read the last post here - how old are you ? Why was the mammo appointment made to start with ?
Hi, thank you for the reply, I thought my post mustn't have been getting seen.
I am having the mammogram as it's 3 years since my last one and I am sent a letter requesting me to go in for it. Could it still be hormonal as I am past menopause, so no periods. I keep trying to brush it away but when the pain is there it makes me so aware. It's no even intense pain and I have had some slight pains in my other breast but not as bad or as often. I'm terrified they might pick something up as I won't be good at coping with it all.
Hiyer CCC (again),
Ok, so it is your routine screening mammo - second one?
I know you are saying 'if they pick something up', but thats why we/you/people go for screening, so that any breast changes can be found very early and successfully treated. Its part of the reason that breast cancer has such a good outcome, in prognosis, for the vast majority of women. Of course, modern individual treatments also make things so much better than in past eras. IF they were to pick something up, then (and I know it won't immediately feel that way) it is good news, as it will be early and treated.
So, the pain in both breasts, that feels hormonal (but you are post menopausal) - is it accompanied by any other breast changes that you can tell ? You know the things they ask you to check - discharge, lumps, skin changes like dimpling and redness etc. If you are unsure of the changes to look for then go to breast cancer care.org.uk, which has a leaflet detailing the things to look for.
I think to be honest, that you need to have the mammo - not that I think they will find something - but because until you do it will really play on your mind that there is something there. I don't know how far menopausal you are, but hormones do still fluctuate for a number of years, and those oestrogen and progesterone changes can still give hormonal reactions in breast tissue. The most common reasons for breast pain are benign changes or conditions, that is the overriding reason that women are seen at breast clinics - of ANY age. MOST breast pain isn't caused by cancer. :D
Ahhha I've just read your starting post - you said there are no other changes that you are aware of and can't find an obvious lump. Well, thats good news isn't it.
Thank you so much Carys, you put it very plainly and succinctly. I am 10 years past it, also, I have always had quite lumpy breasts so don't like feeling for lumps as I often think I find one. I had a benign lump removed years ago, it was a fibroadenoma or something like that, but I was a lot younger and not such a worrier.
Painkillers do seem to help, Ibuprofen especially. At times I'm not sure whether I am making it worse by dwelling on it. I also have a bit of a headache and sore neck, at times the pain is in my side/back too. That is why I thought it might be an infection of some kine.
You are welcome -so your mammo is now next week ?
It's on Thursday, it's 3 years since my last one. Hate them at the best of times but this one will probably hurt even more as they are sore to touch too. :weep: Have taken some Ibuprofen and seems to have helped. I just want them to say all is fine. I hate that I get like this, especially after a long while of coping quite well.
Its not a nice thing to have done and can be very uncomfortable, I know. I'm not good with tests either - I don't know anyone that is really. However, you know you'll regret it if you don't have it, in the future, if there was something that could have been stopped in its path. What gets to me most is that it seems to stop me being able to breathe in properly. I know its only seconds really, but when you are 'clamped' and panic....you know how it is.
Yes, I will Definitely have it, just have to bear with it until then. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your support :)
Hi Carys, an update for you. I had a rally bad night, woke up and had a bit of a panic, also a headache and palpitations. I did deep breathing to try and calm down and get back to sleep but it was awful. This morning, I feel less anxious but still have the pain and some blotching, it's on both breasts, along with slight pain, also in both breasts but mainly in one. I'm hoping this might be a good sign if it's in both breasts?
Also, I just found a link that you posted somewhere else, which I think I saw last week but couldn't find again. It's a link to a breast pain forum. I have downloaded the PDF and will read it today as it looks very helpful and will hopefully give me much needed positive information without having to look at actual BC info, which would make me feel worse. So thank you for that.
YOu have some blotching ? What type of blotching ?
Well it's quite pale and not really on the surface, more under the skin and not raised at all, I can only see it in certain lights. I have quite large boobs and thin skin too. When I say blotchy, I mean like a slight marbling kind of, it's hard to explain. Also, it might have been there a long time but I wouldn't have noticed it without looking.
I'm really scared now that you've asked that? Please don't say it's possibly something bad?
Well, no, not now you've described it LOL I thought you meant like obvious redness and ezcema type stuff, and spots and skin changes. You sound like me, I'm like one of those neon tetra tropical fish, you can practically see through it to the organs.
Thank you and Phew! My heart really sunk there. I'm not keeping this HA at bay very well at all, it's just that when there is pain or discomfort it is hard to put it to the back of your mind. I couldn't stand another night like last night, that's for sure.
I used some Anti inflammatory gel on the breast and it seems to have helped, surely it wouldn't help if it was anything sinister? Also, I have had some circular rashes on my body for over a year, I think it is ringworm or a fungal related thing. I hadn't realised that it's not actually a worm, thankfully. It doesn't bother me at all but I wondered if it could be related to the slight red bits.
Well, I was going to ask after you said 'blotching' LOL
Has your doctor seen your body rashes ? Yeah, ringworm is a fungal infection, and can be easily treated, but is very infections.
I honest think you should pop along to your GP, despite the fact a mammo is coming up, and ask about this pain and see if theres a latent infection going on or something. I think you might feel better if you did this, as it is clearly really getting to you that there are some symptoms you can't account for.
Yes, think that what it is, not sure how I got it though, and yes maybe some kind of infection. I have tried to get an appointment this week but no joy. I might make one for next week anyway ans can always cancel if it gets resolved.
I'll also use the gel more, it really helped on both boobs :-)
Well if its ringworm you can get it even from soil and gardening, and infected animals (like hedgehogs for example).
Hi again, Just a thought. I had full bloods taken a few weeks ago for my yearly GP review. All came up fine, surely anything bad would have showed up in the tests? (I know you aren't a doc but you seem quite knowledgeable, sorry :wacko:)
Ha ha, no I'm absolutely not medical - but - only 'seem' knowledgeable as I'd just read a lot :winks:. If by 'bad' you mean breast cancer, then I think it depends on what type of blood tests you had taken. The standard blood counts and electrolyte balances, various hormones and stuff would give an indication of general state of health and alert them to 'ill health' in general for example with kidneys or liver function (which would merit further checks tests to find out the reasons for it). There are blood tests that can be done for 'tumour markers', to check on various substances that you produce when your body has a cancer presence. I think it depends what your GP ordered and how much blood testing was done. I just have a feeling though that those tumour marker blood tests are a 'special order' jobby.
It was a total full blood count which was alongside the ones you mentioned. There are 12 parts to it, a very thorough test the nurse said. Others like liver and kidney Thyroid etc were done too :-)
All the best for today Ceeceecee, thinking of you.
Thank you, I've been and it's over, thankfully! It was a bit painful but they were great with me as they knew I was anxious. I told them about the pain I've been having when they asked if I had any issues and she wrote it down. I'm sure they were talking when I left the room but that's probably normal. Just have to wait for the results now and hope for the best snf try and stay strong :) No real pain at the moment either, used the gel this morning so it definitely helps.
Well done ! Facing your fears, and having the necessary screening tests takes a lot of bravery. Its horrible how all mammos have that waiting period....my last one I waited over 4 weeks for 'the letter'. Its easy when we are hyper anxious to try and read things into the staff interaction, and try and look for signs and signals. They might have just been talking about their lunch break lol
Wishing you the best CeeCeeCee! xx
Thank you Lily83 :)
---------- Post added at 12:25 ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 ----------
Well done ! Facing your fears, and having the necessary screening tests takes a lot of bravery. Its horrible how all mammos have that waiting period....my last one I waited over 4 weeks for 'the letter'. Its easy when we are hyper anxious to try and read things into the staff interaction, and try and look for signs and signals. They might have just been talking about their lunch break lol
Yes, the waiting is awful, in a way I hope I wait the 2-3 weeks because if I get a letter sooner, I'll know that something is wrong. I'm dreading it. AIso, I keep thinking about the radiologists talking in the room I had just been in for the mammogram, as I'm sure I heard one say something about "that left one" and that's the one with more pain. :shrug:
I wonder if an infection or inflammation would show up on a mammo? The anti inflammatory gel is still working and even after it wears off sometimes there is no pain there.
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