Dense breast tissue, piercings, pain, general anxiety - Advice?

mckayn

New here - I am a 27 year old female. I have had dense breast tissue since puberty, and truly did not know that some women's breasts weren't "thick" like mine until pretty recently. I had both nipples pierced for about 5 years and during that time my nipples went through a lot, and one or both would often have small abscesses by the openings and both would often flake. This past November I decided enough was enough and when I visited my gyn for a routine exam and I asked for a round of antibiotics so I could safely remove the piercings without trapping the infections inside. This process went somewhat smoothly, and although my nipples looked a little aggravated for a while I felt okay. About a month later, I developed pain in my right breast so I went back to the gyn concerned that I may have trapped an infection inside. I also noticed around that time that the nipple on that side looks a lot like a benign cleft nipple. Since they were modified for so long, I cannot remember if it looked this way before, if this is damage from the piercing, or if this is a new thing. My gyn examined them again and said she didn't think there was an infection, that my pain was most likely due to fibrocystic breast changes and to wear sports bras to reduce the amount of bouncing around they do. I began wearing sports bras daily and noticed the pain subsided for the most part. In May, however, just as I was getting ready to leave the states for the summer, the pains returned in the same breast so back I went. Since I am young, my dr ordered an ultrasound first, to be followed up by a mammogram should anything be detected on ultra. The ultrasound was in mid-May and the technician found nothing of concern. They only scanned my right breast since it is the one I was having pain in at the time. Now I am abroad for the summer living with 3 other women, who have been taking turns menstruating non-stop since I arrived. I am on a birth control pill that prevents me from getting periods for 3 months at a time. I feel i am sensitive to these group hormones and have been having intermittent breast pain since last week. I am now having random pains in both breasts (not necessarily at the same time) and am having some anxiety about this. I wonder if this could be due to living with menstruating women but not having a cycle ? (my skin is a clear indicator that their hormones are having some kind of effect on me as I am now having horrible acne on my chin) I have access to medical care but worry about trying to figure that out + the cost of doing so on top of completing my master's degree. I am under an immense amount of stress for and prone to anxiety & googling symptoms. I acknowledge that most likely absolutely nothing is wrong with me and it's all in my mind but that doesn't help me sleep at night. I doubt anyone has dealt with my exact circumstances but am seeking advice from other's who might have had similar experiences with any combination of the above. Should I seek medical attention? Think it could wait until I get home in August? Think it's all in my head? Thanks in advance!

-M

MelissaDallas

mckayn, almost everyone who isn't elderly has dense breasts. Most of us fall in the 50-75% category, and I would venture a guess that a big percentage of women in their teens or twenties have very dense breasts

That said, what you are describing sounds like pretty typical hormonal and/or fibrocystic breasts, which is the most common cause of breast pain (as I assume your googling told you.) Since you had an ultrasound a month ago I think I'd try to stop worrying about it unless you have symptoms of infection. When you get back in August you can check in with you Gyn again if you are still bothered. Maybe a different birth control pill might help. Breast pain is one of the most common reasons women go to the doctor and only rarely is cancer the cause

mckayn

Thanks MelissaDallas, I will try to stop worrying. It is what I do best, though.. I will plan to reassess when I get home.

MTwoman

mckayn, I agree with MelissaDallas, and will add that being "under an immense amount of stress for and prone to anxiety" will also affect your skin, not to mention the different climate (temperatures, humidity and local bacterial populations). If you're interested, here is some new research regarding acne and the microbiome:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/dermatology/generaldermatology/66055