Frustrated and concerned

Walla1986

Hi everyone! I've been stalking this board on and off for a while but my frustration and concern has finally motivated me to join and make my first post. I apologize in advice is this is lengthy or on the wrong board!

To start off, I'm 31 now. Around 4 years ago (2014) my left nipple started itching really bad, I had shooting pains, flaking/peeling skin on my areola,and yellowish discharge. My primary doctor was concerned due to my family history (I lost my mom and a few other relatives to BC) and referred me to a surgeon for biopsy with no other tests first. He made me feel like I was wasting his time and sent me home with steroid cream and a diagnosis of eczema. Needless to say, it didn't get any better.

Fast forward a year and I went to by gyno with my concerns. She dismissed it and just said to put a warm compress on it to see if it helped. It didn't do much and I got even more frustrated and embarrassed with my issue and didn't want to try seeing anyone else. After my gyno left the practice I was assigned to a new doctor in fall 2017 who finally listened to my concerns and referred me for a mammogram.

The tech came in after my mammogram and said I would need an ultrasound which was done immediately after that. I was then scheduled for a biopsy and told it was likely an intraductal papilloma in my nipple but they recommended excision. I had surgery August 2017 and they diagnosed it as a fibroadenoma. I've been having shooting pains in my nipple but at my follow up my surgeon said it was most likely nerve endings healing.

My concern/frustration is that my left nipple is STILL itching like crazy after all these years. The skin around my scar (which is on my areola a little above/to the side of my nipple) is thickened and red, flaky/peeling and it seems like there is scabbing even though I don't pick at it and there is no reason for a scab? It doesn't go all the way around my areola, only in the area on and near my scar. I'm having random shooting pains and I can't even reach my left arm toward the right because it will hit my boob and it hurts. I'm also still having yellowish discharge but not from the same part of my nipple - it was leaking from the right side of my left nipple and now its leaking from the left side if that makes any sense.

My question is can it possibly be eczema when the steroid cream didn't help before? Could it be something else and I need to go back to my doctor for more tests? The itching is driving me crazy and even though I've had to put up with it all these years I need to find something to make it go away or help. I've tried sensitive skin lotions thinking maybe my skin is just dry but that doesn't help at all. If its eczema are there over the counter products that have helped you?

Thank you for any thoughts/insight...I'm about at my wits end.

MelissaDallas

Go to a dermatologist.