Can you ladies describe your breast pain?

sarahr30

I've been experiencing a kind of stinging/burning pain in my left breast, armpit and collarbone along with a dull ache that is typical of hormonal changes (I think). I have a complex cyst in the left breast and duct ectasia. I'm about two to three days away from ovulating and both breasts are really tender and painful. I've been drinking A LOT of coffee lately so I think this why they are extra tender this month.I'm not so concerned with the tenderness but the stinging is not something i've ever really felt until fairly recently. I stopped breastfeeding about six months ago.

I was wondering for those of you who have breast pain, when do you feel it most often and how would you describe the pain? I acknowledge, of course, that those of you with breast cancer might experience more or a different kind of pain depending on the kind of cancer, whether you have had surgery, etc. I appreciate your insight. I've been really worried about my left breast lately.

614

Dear Sara:

I did not have any pain. 

 

Lynette73

bump. This is a good question. ...i'm wondering the same thing

Annie88

Sarahr30- I had breast pain leading up to my DX. The pain was in my breast and radiated down my arm. It was a sort of dull ache. When I felt around on my breast the pain was more intense. I found a lump where the pain seemed to be coming from. The pain did go away. I am so glad I went to have it checked out when the pain began, as it saved my life

sarahr30

Thank you for sharing your responses ladies! My pain persists but I met with a breast specialist yesterday and he said it isn't clear why I have pain--he doesn't think it is from my cyst or duct ectasia and that it might be my bra. I kind of disagree because I don't wear an underwire and my pain goes up to my collarbone and is in my shoulder. It is also more of a burning/stinging pain a lot of the time. Anyway--i'm under pretty close monitoring for a benign cyst. Ultrasound in six months and I see my OB-GYN in December to follow an endometrioma on my ovary so I will have her check my breasts then. Not much else I can really do right now but take NSAIDS and vitamin E (suggested by breast surgeon) but I feel satisfied that i'm pretty ok for now.

Thanks again!

knorg86

hi Sarahr30

I wondered if you got any of your pain sorted? I am going through exactly the same, I was put on a 3 month waiting list to be seen and am still waiting. My pain is the same painful all the time and worse at ovulation and carrying on until about day 3 of period. I have around 7-8 days of moderate pain and then the rest of the time severe, also have pain in collar bone, shoulder, neck, underarm, arm, tingling in the arm. My Dr doesn't seem concerned and isn't speeding up my breast specialist exam.

sarahr30

hi knorg86,

I hadn't been on this particular forum in a while and just happened to browse and saw you had responded to my post from a few months ago. I actually just had my six month follow up ultrasound yesterday. Pain has persisted and a new vein has popped up in the area around where I feel pain but ultrasound results are still pretty good. My BIRADS score went up from a 2 to a 3 but still "probably benign." I meet with the breast surgeon in April to discuss and the radiologist recommended another ultrasound in six months. I do have a swollen lymph node in the armpit of the bad side which showed on the ultrasound but the radiologist didn't seem concerned about it. So--no concrete answers yet unfortunately but no bad news either, which i'm relieved about. I'm sorry to hear you are going through the same thing and that you have to wait so long for an exam. Is there any way to get it pushed closer? I know this pain can be really uncomfortable but it's also terrible not knowing the cause of it. I hope you get some answers soon!!!

shu

my pain is on left side quadrant

pinching kinda burning..dr said its benign calcification...shall i worried about it?

Janeway69

Hi. Last year in April I had my annual mammo/sono. Something they had seen the year before which disappeared when I went for a return, and extra mammo, was now staying put. I had an MRI, which gave a bi-rads rating of 3 ( they tell you that this means it's anywhere from 97% to 99% likely to be NOT cancer), with descriptions of slow chemical uptake, similar to fibrocystic changes and no evidence of malignancy.


I went six months later for a follow-up diagnostic mammogram and sonogram. No changes seen. However, weeks before then I was feeling a dull but strong ache in my left breast. I asked if fibrocystic tissue can cause pain and they said "Yes." These were the techs and nurses I guess. The pain went away for a couple of months.

Now the pain has returned for several weeks. I just had my annual visit with my GYN and discussed it with her. I'm not sure she realized, though I believe I told her, that the pain is in the armpit. Oddly, there is an occasional "twinge" in the right armpit and breast, but that's pretty much nothing; almost unnoticeable. The pain on the left is strong today. It has waxed and waned a lot more over the last couple of weeks. Wouldn't you know, when I was AT my GYN visit, it was painless.

I just read a list of people in this forum, discussing how they had breast pain and it turned out to be cancer, and all the doctors that told them not to worry. I don't want to let that make me get carried away, and I think a lot of those people hadn't already had tests like I did. Whatever kind of growth we have, pain vs no pain probably has to do with what nerve network the lump happens to be hitting. But I AM considering asking for a referral to a breast specialist for another opinion. My latest mammogram/sonogram isn't until April 25th.

Lynn45

Did any of you ladies have dizziness with this pain like I have? I have had unexplained dizziness for over a month, dizzy pills are not working, the mammogram tech really hurt my left breast yest which is the one that has a light to med brown soft crustiness, but this dizziness has been unexplained with blood tests, ECG's etc? Curious?

phaila

my cancer was in my armpit region and I would have NEVER found it IF it hadn't hurt. Like even when I was getting mammosand ultrasounds I was going to have it removed BECAUSE it hurt. It ended up being idc and dcis. Just started stupid chemo yesterday. My oconotypedx was 47 which pretty much meant I needed chemo