View Full Version : Results are fine - now what?
So I’ve been having all these random pains in my underarm. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound of my underarm and everything is fine. The pain won’t get away and I’m not sure what to do now. As long as the pain is there, the anxiety won’t go away. Seeing a therapist and trying to implement meditation & exercise, but I just can’t feel normal. I was hoping after the test results, I’d get an explanation, but my doctor doesn’t really know what’s causing it. I have been in a HA swirl since February and can’t get out of it no matter what I do. I have read through so much of this site and am inspired by how many of you have gotten past it. Should I go and see another doctor? Or is that feeding into my anxiety more?
If all your tests are clear and your doctor is happy then I would relax. Could it be the worry that is causing the pain perhaps?
So it’s been a few weeks since my tests came back and usually by now my HA has quieted down. Not this time. I still have the weird sensation. I went to urgent care last weekend as I was sure I could feel an enlarged lymph node and after a 2 hour wait the dr felt it and said there was nothing there and I should try to think about it less. I really feel like I have Ben trying to move past it. I’m living my life and engaging with things, but I still feel this weird pain. A couple weeks back I broke out in a heat rash and I almost felt relief that there was something physical causing the feeling, but the rash disappeared overnight and never came back.
My GP is not concerned at all, but has only spoken to me on the phone, which is not that reassuring. I’m not sure if I should demand an I person visit or if that’s feeding the anxiety more.
I feel so stuck. I have read through so much of this site and try to incorporate the advice that has been given to others. Any thoughts on how to move on from
this?
What meds did they put you on?
I’m not on any medication. I have a few vacation plans coming up so my GP & I agrees that we would revisit in August once I’m back as I don’t want to be trying something new when I’m away from home.
Any thoughts on how to move on from
this?
Psychological therapy..
Thanks @norab! I am seeing a psychologist and am definitely trying to incorporate the strategies but I’m sure I could be doing more to help myself as well. Last night I went out with friends and had such a good laugh and then came home and starting prodding my underarm again to the point where I made it red and then had the worst sleep I’ve had in weeks. So I know I need to stop behaviours like this as they’re keeping me stuck.
I also want to say a sincere thank you to you. I have read so much of your advice on this site and have taken screen shots a few times because your advice is so helpful. Thank you!
Thanks @norab! I am seeing a psychologist and am definitely trying to incorporate the strategies but I’m sure I could be doing more to help myself as well. Last night I went out with friends and had such a good laugh and then came home and starting prodding my underarm again to the point where I made it red and then had the worst sleep I’ve had in weeks. So I know I need to stop behaviours like this as they’re keeping me stuck.
If the last thing you were doing last night was prodding ya pit and imagining all kinds of hideous (but extremely unlikely) scenarios for yourself - then that will GUARANTEE you a crap night's sleep!
You need to trust me on this one. I've experimented with this.
You need to be making sure that the last thing you see, do, or think before you go to sleep is positive, happy - calming. You get my drift?
You went out and had a great time. That's what you should have been thinking about, not ya pits!
I also want to say a sincere thank you to you. I have read so much of your advice on this site and have taken screen shots a few times because your advice is so helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome Sel. My trip to hell and back was worth it when people tell me that I'm helping them, so thank you for the feedback.
AnxietySufferer
15-08-21, 09:00
So I’ve been having all these random pains in my underarm. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound of my underarm and everything is fine. The pain won’t get away and I’m not sure what to do now. As long as the pain is there, the anxiety won’t go away. Seeing a therapist and trying to implement meditation & exercise, but I just can’t feel normal. I was hoping after the test results, I’d get an explanation, but my doctor doesn’t really know what’s causing it. I have been in a HA swirl since February and can’t get out of it no matter what I do. I have read through so much of this site and am inspired by how many of you have gotten past it. Should I go and see another doctor? Or is that feeding into my anxiety more?
You have had the all clear that is great news! The pain could be posture related, I know I get back pain since WFH. Could you being lying on your arm at night?
Appreciate the response! The whole thing is very frustrating and tbh has ruined most of my summer. I’m still worried but have been able to calm my anxiety a bit by implementing some of my strategies. I wish I knew what was causing the feeling as I’ve had it now for about 3 months. It feels fine when I’m sleeping and in the morning but once I start moving my arm the sensation comes back. I’m going to see a new GP as I have had a hard time seeing mine over the Pandemic, so I will see if she has any suggestions. It’s almost like the right side gets sweatier and then all the feeling start. I really don’t know.
Well I finally got a face to face appt with my dr and she did a fully check of my underarm (could not feel anything) and assured me that the mammogram & ultrasound would have caught anything worrisome. She suggested I try physical therapy in case the pain is something physical. It just doesn’t feel like that to me but I’m not sure what else to do. Three drs have felt it and I’ve had the imaging done.
My anxiety has calmed down but the pain/sensation still lingers. I’m implementing my strategies and staying away from google etc.
it’s just frustrating to continue to experience this pain when there doesn’t seem to be an answer. Anyone else have a similar experience where the drs dont know what the issue is?
it’s just frustrating to continue to experience this pain when there doesn’t seem to be an answer. Anyone else have a similar experience where the drs dont know what the issue is?
I have underarm discomfort on and off, and have done for years, but I have fibromyalgia and sometimes I only have to roll on some deodorant and it hurts. There's never anything visible or palpable with me, and my bloods are fine except for a few vitamin and mineral deficiencies - so it must be down to my condition. :shrug:
With you it could be something as simple as a muscle injury - which can take months to repair itself. Think about what you were doing at the time the pain started? Exercising? Throwing overarm? Painting? Anything which uses those underarm muscles can cause a strain..
The main thing is that there is nothing to worry about, clearly, or the imaging would have found it and if imaging found the 'slight' inflammation deep within my buttock - you can be sure it's going to find anything under ya pit.
What do you think is being missed here, sel? Is it the "unexplained" nature of the pain and the lack of further investigation that is worrying you? Would you prefer to have further tests? What would reassure you? I know it would be an explanation but maybe there isn't one?
Hi NoraB & Pulisa - thank you both for responding! You two give me so much hope with your wisdom. You’re right, the u/s would have shown anything sinister and all three doctors have said the same.
It is the unexplained pain which is driving me mad. I just had to take off my sports bra because it feels like whenever there is something close to my right armpit it becomes irritated and almost burning. I just don’t know what else to do.
Im no longer in my anxiety fog, have stopped going to sites that are feeding my anxiety and am engaging with life. But still the pain persists. My dr is at a loss and my husband thinks everything is fine and not taking this seriously. I understand his POV because over the last 25!years I’ve had my up & downs with HA for sure. I hate going to the drs but now I’ve done it, had the imaging, bloodwork etc but still no reason. My deep down fear is that it’s some type of cancer, if I’m being honest but I know the imaging would have shown enlarged lymph nodes.
I am seeing a naturopath next week as I was hoping to get on some sort of natural regime to help with my anxiety and I will talk to her too. She said she deals with all kinds of pain issues, so maybe she will have some insight. It’s been three months of this now.
Thank you again! This really is the only site I’m visiting these days as I find that the people here Really understand.
thx :)
I've had a chronic pain condition since having pleurisy nearly 4 years ago. At first the GP thought I had shingles as the pain mimicked that but no rash developed and the burning and stinging continued. Nothing showed up on the MRI or bloodwork but my anxiety was really bad as I fought to cope with the pain alongside caring for my 2 adult autistic children.
Apparently it's the nerve endings which are irritated but the more stressed I am the more prominent the pain is. I've got to the stage where I'm really not bothered about it and have tried to make it a background presence. It doesn't play a significant role in my life. Chronic pain and acute pain are very different and you manage them in different ways.
See what the naturopath has to say and make your own decisions about whether her suggestions are viable? It could be a trigger point issue though Maybe have a look at this option? Trigger points are literally a right pain!
Thx for sharing Pulisa! Interestingly my therapist wondered if it could be nerve related as well. How did you go about figuring out that was the issue? How do they diagnose that?
I actually had it diagnosed at a chronic pain clinic. I saw a chronic pain consultant and he knew what it was straight away. I also had psychological therapy for chronic pain management.
It may be worth you trying some ice treatment on the area? Anti inflammatories do nothing and I didn't want to go down the gabapentin route. I did try imipramine-a tricyclic AD which can be used for pain management at low doses-but it didn't do much and i didn't want to up the dose.
Nerve related pain is hard to treat with medication but I've been able to manage the pain better with specific exercises and treating it as a nuisance rather than a big deal.
I just had to take off my sports bra because it feels like whenever there is something close to my right armpit it becomes irritated and almost burning. I just don’t know what else to do.
This could literally be down to something as simple as wearing a new (different) bra..
My deep down fear is that it’s some type of cancer
That's because you have health anxiety and HA only deals with worst case (and most unlikely) scenarios.
I am seeing a naturopath next week as I was hoping to get on some sort of natural regime to help with my anxiety and I will talk to her too. She said she deals with all kinds of pain issues, so maybe she will have some insight. It’s been three months of this now.
Great stuff. Orthodox medicine is great for dealing with disease of the body and it's excellent with physical trauma but it's pretty stuffed when it comes to conditions of the mind. Mind numbing drugs and CBT and that's the docs out of options, right? I'm all for a holistic approach with anxiety and GOOD ON YOU for being proactive! I wish I could see more of this on here. There's lots of symptom dumping etc but too many people just want a magic wand to be waved and they're Ok again..
Thank you again! This really is the only site I’m visiting these days as I find that the people here Really understand.
It is an awesome forum.
Just a bit of an update as it helps me to write things out. So I went to the naturopath today and it was great. We really discussed all my anxiety and she gave me some recommendations on some things to try and I was feeling really good.... for a few hours. You know what HA is like... a few moments of peace and then the 'what ifs' start.
My underarm has still been bothering me. I explained it to her and she suggested that maybe my recent weight gain could be causing the increased friction in my arm (I've gained 10 lbs in the last few months with all the stress eating) which actually makes a lot of sense to me as the sensations started around the time I was gaining weight. She looked at it quickly and didn't seem concerned and I was satisfied.
But.....(and here's where my HA kicks in!) earlier this week I started fixating on a part of my underarm which feels a little raised and then I noticed that when I flex my arm a certain way, you can see a bump under my arm. It's completely soft and again there is nothing under it - my GP just did a exam of my underarm three weeks ago - but I don't know if it's new. When I look back at pictures from a few months ago (I started taking pictures of the area a few months ago) I can definitely see the area, but I never tried flexing it, so I don't know if the bump has always been that visible and I didn't think to show her today.
Anyway I'm super frustrated and disappointed in myself. For a few hours this afternoon, I was feeling good and now the only reason I didn't go to urgent care is that it's Saturday night and everything is closed. It feels like I won't get passed this and now I'm worried again that it's 'something!'
But.....(and here's where my HA kicks in!) earlier this week I started fixating on a part of my underarm which feels a little raised and then I noticed that when I flex my arm a certain way, you can see a bump under my arm. It's completely soft and again there is nothing under it - my GP just did a exam of my underarm three weeks ago - but I don't know if it's new. When I look back at pictures from a few months ago (I started taking pictures of the area a few months ago) I can definitely see the area, but I never tried flexing it, so I don't know if the bump has always been that visible and I didn't think to show her today.
Muscle, fat, or just your individual frame that you've never noticed before?
Stop taking photographs of your body. It's HA fodder. Go take pictures of the leaves changing colour. Or squirrels. Or whatever.
Anyway I'm super frustrated and disappointed in myself. For a few hours this afternoon, I was feeling good and now the only reason I didn't go to urgent care is that it's Saturday night and everything is closed. It feels like I won't get passed this and now I'm worried again that it's 'something!'
Reassurance from doctors should be the end of the matter, right? But it rarely is when it comes to HA because HA needs fear in order to exist. You have to learn how to challenge those irrational thoughts and to re-frame them. These thoughts will come. They'll always come, but the difference is in how we respond to them when they do come..
The human body isn't perfect. It isn't symmetrical, though a lot of people presume it is. We have lumps and bumps and fat can distribute itself anywhere on the body..
You felt good for a few hours? Great! Remember that feeling because you will get more of the same if you put the work in here, especially now when it's a lot harder!
Instead of beating yourself up because you 'would have gone to urgent care if they hadn't have been closed' to you not resorting to emergency care? That's a win with HA. There was another level here and you didn't go there, so well done!
You will get past this, but you have to work on those thoughts. Don't try and fight them. It's important that you allow them in. You just need to observe them and take them for what they are - annoying, attention seeking little blighters..
I think you have to consider how you were considering going to "urgent" care for this but didn't because it was the weekend...What would you have said to the doctor/nurse? What would you have said if they looked at the tests you have had done recently and challenged you on this? Nothing showed up on them. What would you expect to get out of urgent care? Reassurance which doesn't last? Another trip to the GP? Do you just want and need any test to rule out anything sinister?
As Nora says..you need to sit with the thoughts and not do anything to trigger the doubts/fears ie constant checking/photo taking/poking and prodding. It's become a habit now but you can break it if you are truly determined to get on top of this and I reckon you are! Remember what the doctors have told you and see the HA thoughts for what they are...background noise which only have power if you give them too much significance and attention.
Thank you Nora & Pulisa! I had a normalish weekend despite the armpit thingy, but I did my best to say 'not now...I have things to do' and I resisted the urge to check it a few times.
I had a good laugh actually when I thought of what I would have done at the emergency. Can you imagine me flexing my arm to say, oh it looks different when I do this?
I had a good therapy session and I will continue to work on reframing my thoughts. Between this and the naturopath regimen, I'm hoping I can get to the other side of this. Also you are absolutely right about taking pictures, the continual prodding etc. That's only feeding the HA - which is always always lurking.
You both help me so much. I have your voices in my mind and continue to go back to your advice.
THANK YOU!
I think it's always a good strategy to think of what you would actually say to the doctor and how ridiculous would it sound? How would you justify being there?
I'm glad that you're feeling more positive- you have a great approach to all this. Thank you for your kind words too.
Well I'm still struggling, I'm afraid! Implementing all the strategies... therapy, naturopathic regimen, getting a lot of steps in and still can't shake it!
I ended up seeing my husband's doctor in a moment of panic one day and he gave me a full exam and said that he couldn't feel anything worrisome that would be causing my ongoing underarm issue. But here's the thing.... it's 5 months and my underarm still gets so irritated when I wear anything with long sleeves (and by irritated I mean uncomfortable, no rash) and it's now fall in Canada so I'm left with no other choice! I know this sounds so weird but it's like the right side is just so much more sensitive ... sweatier, hair regrowth happens faster & more denser etc. etc. It's really really hard for me to shake the anxiety when I have to deal with the sensation every day. I know I'm supposed to not react to it, just acknowledge and let it be, but my HA brain keeps swirling with all the scary thoughts!!!
Anyway, if anyone has heard of anything similar, any advice would be helpful. I'm not googling or going anywhere else.... just not sure to what to do and unfortunately I feel like I'm falling into a depression because of the endless sprial.
Thx!
Well I'm still struggling, I'm afraid! Implementing all the strategies... therapy, naturopathic regimen, getting a lot of steps in and still can't shake it!
This isn't a quick fix Sel. It's taken me four years of hard work to overcome my HA..
Anyway, if anyone has heard of anything similar, any advice would be helpful.
This is reassurance seeking behaviour, and it's not helpful.
just not sure to what to do and unfortunately I feel like I'm falling into a depression because of the endless sprial.
You've been checked out physically and there's nothing like cancer. You have to find a way to accept this..
P.S the hair growing faster on one side thing? That's normal for everybody. Happens with nails too..
Thanks @NoraB. Super helpful as always!! :) Appreciate your ongoing support!
I had armpit pain which freaked me out a couple of years ago. I had all the tests as you did and nothing was found. The pain which felt like my armpit was on fire and ached, ended up being a nerve entrapment in my shoulder. I went to a wonderful Physiotherapist who was able to relieve the issue with shoulder manipulation. How is your pain at present?
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