I'm new....constant health anxiety with armpit!

[sel123]

Hi there -

After reading so many of your posts, I feel like I have finally found the right place to post. I have dealt with health anxiety most of my life, but it has been especially bad the past few years. The 'trigger' for me was finding a lump in my breast six years ago (which ended up being a fibroid), but the process of testing and waiting was really hard. From there I went on to have throat issues - found a thyroid nodule (benign) - but put myself through months of agonizing as I waited to see the specialists.

Anyway, fast forward to this year. In February, the throat sensation came back and I became acutely aware that I hadn't had my thyroid checked in years. This also brought on some acid reflux issues. I finally got myself to get an u/s and all was well but the spiral of HA started. My GP reminded me I needed to book my annual mammogram (it's been 18 months now) and I was feeling OK in doing so as I hadn't felt anything, but then boom, I started getting such a weird and random pain in my underarm. It's been there for a few weeks now. I don't feel it when I'm sleeping but it slowly creeps in throughout the day. It's random and it actually feels like my armpit stuck so I'm constantly pushing out my right arm (like a chicken) to let some air in. My GP said to go for my mammogram and then to come in and see her.

Sorry for the long story!! I guess my question is has anyone ever had any armpit pain like this? I'm really working on my anxiety, seeing a therapist and doing a ton of reading. If it was any other symptom I would feel like I could chalk it up to anxiety, but this one feels different and is really stressing me out. I'm terrified of going for the mammogram now and it's really taking up so much of my energy and leaving me drained.

Any thoughts are welcome!!!

[Speranza]

Hi, do go for the mammogram. I think if anything in your armpit was really causing that much pain you would be able to feel something there.

HA finds its own special place within us and works on it relentlessly. You know this. Be brave and have the test because it's the only way you will get anything approaching peace.
And yes, they DO find anything there is to find...

[sel123]

Thank you! There are no lumps or bumps and to be honest I've touching it daily. Even asked my husband to check and he can't feel anything. I go from a state of calm to pure panic. I know, peace can only come if I do the test! Thank you again

[sel123]

Hi there -

I am a couple of weeks away from my mammogram/ultrasound. I have dealt with HA most of my life - it's been really bad the last 6 years and definitely the last 3 months. I was in the shower last month when I noticed that when I raised my arm, the muscle felt tight. Of course, then I started becoming obsessed with my armpit and comparing them, touching them, obsessing etc. I can't feel any lumps/bumps in the armpit, but I am super worried, as I feel random pain throughout the day (doesn't hurt when I sleep, but starts throughout the day). The tightness went away and now when I raise my arm, I don't feel anything.

Of course when you google 'armpit pain' you only find the worse case scenario, so this is putting me into a panic. The pain is very random. The worst part is that when my doctor reminded me of my mammogram, I thought I was finally going to get through it without panicking as I really didn't have any symptoms, and then these random pains started.

I find that some parts of my day (when I don't feel any pain) are OK, but once I start thinking about it, I start to panic. It also sounds really weird, but it sometimes hurts more a day after I shave, when the hair comes back.

UGH. I'm super stressed. I want to get to the mammogram but also freaking out in case they find something. I really really really hate these appointments.

Has anyone ever had any armpit pain that turned out to be nothing?? Or anything??

Thanks for reading/listening!! I've thought I've had so many other diseases, that it's getting hard to find anyone who will really listen.

Thx,
Sel

[Kuraimoar]

I'm your current state is it possible the pain comes from tension? I have had armpit pain more times than I can count from being tense. I know it's not serious in my case because it moves from side to side.

[sel123]

Thank you for responding. It could be? The pain definitely moves around and comes & goes. It's not constant. I am terrified of going for my mammogram and all of these pains started as soon as it was time for me to make my appointment. Logically, I know, that that is likely related; but then the irrational side of me, panics.

What did your pain feel like?

[Fishmanpa]

Thank you for responding. It could be? The pain definitely moves around and comes & goes. It's not constant.

It's apparent this is a fear of cancer of some sort. As a survivor, I share this quite often here....

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

It also doesn't move around I agree with the others that this is anxiety related, stress, tension as well as a lot of poking and prodding.

Positive thoughts

[longnovember]

This past March I went through the same thing. Started getting left armpit pain for no apparent reason. I too checked constantly for lumps. It felt more irritated after hair started growing after shaving. Went on for weeks and stressed me out. During that time I had my annual mammogram and it was normal. Took several more weeks, but eventually the pain stopped and I haven’t had it since early April.

[sel123]

Ok thank you so much -- that is incredibly reassuring!!! Ugh, I hate this. My mammogram isn't for another three weeks and in that time, I'm sure I will go mad!

I just went through a whole series of tests related to my thyroid in April and then boom, this starts.

It's just all so exhausting! I walk around like a zombie most of the time.

[Kuraimoar]

Thank you for responding. It could be? The pain definitely moves around and comes & goes. It's not constant. I am terrified of going for my mammogram and all of these pains started as soon as it was time for me to make my appointment. Logically, I know, that that is likely related; but then the irrational side of me, panics.

What did your pain feel like?

Mine is like an ache or sometimes sharp. It's not actually inside my armpit but more on the front and it works its way up towards my shoulder. It can last for days sometimes. That fact that yours came on as a direct response to needing to schedule the test makes me positive its anxiety related. Try to relax the worrying won't change anything and is doing far more harm than good. Have you scheduled the test yet?