Breast pain - how to stop worrying?

[stick1974]

Really didn’t want to find myself back here but I have a long history of HA and particularly about bc

I have very lumpy breasts, especially the right one, and have always ended up focusing on checking for new or different lumps, with endless poking and prodding. I have pre menstrual soreness in the couple of weeks before my period which doesn’t worry me

About 10 years ago I started getting episodes of other breast pain on and off which might be cyclical but there really doesn't seem a strong pattern. I do get it slightly on the left but the right one is much worse. This pain can be burning, aching, stabbing, throbbing. It comes and goes during the day and it seems to move around to different places in my breast

I had pain most days over about 6 months in 2015. Because it was so much worse on my right side I was really worried and went to my GP. She did an examination and wasn’t concerned but she referred me to the breast clinic. I had an ultrasound and mammogram and all was ok but they never gave me any real explanation for the cause of the pain

It must have calmed down eventually and the last few years have been much better (though I have probably focused on other health concerns for some of that time)

But for the last 3 months I’ve had pain again most days. It’s the same kind as before, again mostly on the right, but this time the pain is also in my armpit. I’ve now become really focused on my lymph nodes and feeling around for all sorts which then made me panic about bc and spread

I have been stewing over it for the last few months and been back lurking on here. Carys’s sensible and calming replies encouraged me to contact my GP again. She puts a lot of my symptoms down to anxiety which I really don't think this is.

Obviously I am anxious but that's because of the pain, not the cause of it. Anyway, she referred me to the breast clinic again
and my appointment was yesterday. The consultant couldn’t feel anything on examination apart from what he said was a normal lymph node on the right side that was easier to feel but he sent me for a mammogram. That came back as M1 (sneaked a look at the report when I was walking back to the desk) but said that I had heterogeneously dense breasts which could obscure very small lesions

So, I’m obviously relieved that nothing was found but I still have the pains and no explanation, and also still thinking about the lymph node and about the dense breasts making it difficult to see very small lesions

How can I let this go? I wish I had pushed for an ultrasound as well but they didn’t think I needed one

Could it be peri menopause? I’m coming up for 48 but still having regular periods though they are getting closer together

I suppose I wish I felt more reassured. But is that justified or is it my HA talking?

So sorry for this massive long message. Thank you for reading if you’ve got to the end

[Starburst8]

Heya, health anxiety is just awful isn't it? I think you *know* that the boobs are OK, but can't shake the feeling of "what if...". I'm trying to accept that when it comes to health there is always a degree of uncertainty... And it's a balance of probabilities. Given you've been thoroughly checked the odds are that you are absolutely fine and you just have random breast pain..like millions of other women out there. I can honestly tell you that I fairly regularly get pain in my boobs that's not cyclical... Tends to be on one side more than the other and sometimes it takes my breath away. But as far as I know my boobs are OK.

Xxx

[Mogwog]

I could have literally written this post myself. I have a history of health anxiety around my boobs and I've been fine for years since being on meds, but since Oct last year , I have random pain in my right breast , just like you describe. My Dr did an exam and couldn't feel anything and said she wasn't worried but it's still there on and off. I won't have it for weeks then it will come on and there's no pattern. Fed up of it now xx

[Blonde123]

Hi, I’m exactly the same. 10 years ago in my right breast I felt a lump. This was just after my HA began and someone I knew was diagnosed with breast cancer and my head spiralled. I’d never really checked my boobs, I’m 46 now so was 36 at the time, so to find a lump totally messed with my head. Anyway long story short, it was decked, had. Mammogram and US and told the same as you, I basically had a very lumpy right breast and the lump was a fibrosis. Fast forward to today, I do worry about them now and again but I’ve just been in the shower and I sure I can feel another small lump in the right breast. I’m due on my period I’d a week so it could be this but I’m now in abit of a spiral of worry. On the one hand I’m thinking give it a week until my period starts and see if it goes but then I think I’m downplaying it and should rush to my GP.

[stick1974]

Thank you Starburst and Mogwog for your replies. It is really helpful to hear from others with similar symptoms and worries. I think I’ve now just got such a strong association with pain being something awful and I panic every time I feel it. I was able to stop myself poking and prodding for lumps but each time I feel pain I’m just back in the same place with worry

I had a better few days after the clinic, knowing I’d been checked and had a mammogram, but today have had more pain than the last few days. The armpit pain is very similar to how the breast pain feels but that seems weird. I almost feel relieved when I feel the pain on the left side as it makes it feel more ‘normal’ though I realise that sounds odd

My period is due very soon so I have pre menstrual tenderness as well. I think the pain does have a cyclical element but it can last most of the month and I can’t really work out much of a pattern - but then I am constantly focused on it. Yes Mogwog, I am totally fed up with it as well

Blonde - I do understand how you’re feeling and it’s horrible worrying about what to go. You could wait until your period and see whether it’s still there. That’s only a week or so. If it is then you probably should work up the courage to see your GP. I stewed over my current pain episode for ages before I made myself contact mine. I was just stuck - worrying about symptoms but worrying about seeing someone about them