Single breast pain for months, no clues after mammo & u/s

stephkd

Hi, I am hoping that someone here may have any ideas of what could be causing persistent pain in one breast for months with apparently no findings on mammogram and ultrasound (don't have report yet, but tech told me that they found nothing other than dense tissue).

The pain is a random shooting/stabbing pain that occurs briefly, several times a day, in the upper/inner part of my left breast. It's been going on for at least 7 months. It does not seem to be related to my cycle at all. If I press it, it increases the pain temporarily while pressed but then it kind of subsides, like the pressing pushed it out or something. I have recently felt an even less frequent pain behind my nipple. It doesn't last long. I thought I felt a lump a few weeks ago, now I'm not as sure. I have felt a random itch here and there on the outside, not sure if related or me overthinking (thanks, Google).

I have endometriosis and adenomyosis, and I take daily Prometrium to "help" with that (not really helping). I've been on the medication for 3 months, so less time than the breast pain has been happening. My OBGYN didn't test my hormone levels but suspects excess estrogen based on other symptoms. I consider myself otherwise healthy. My OBGYN, GP, and the radiologist didn't really give any indication what else it could be. I've been told some women just have unexplained breast pain.

I'm wondering....can it be hormonal even if it happens all throughout my whole cycle? Could it be like breast changes (fibrosis?) due to my age (32) that might be irritated by my other hormonal issues? Thanks in advance for any insight or information!

Lmjohn

did you ever get answers. I have very similar symptoms. Been about 2 months.

stephkd

Hi, the short answer is no. I never got any definitive answer. Anecdotally I can say that while my breast pain was growing increasingly worse and more frequent, a couple months into my progesterone-only attempt to treat my endometriosis and adenomyosis, the pain started to subside. After almost a year on the medication, the pain in my breast was gone.

I recently stopped taking the medication due to side effects... Already my endo/adeno symptoms have gotten worse, and this week I noticed the breast pain starting to return. It's led me to believe my pain may have been hormone-related after all. It's still baffling since it was one location in one breast.

Have you been to the doctor or had any tests?

Lmjohn

No not yet. I am going Thursday for a mammogram. My first one ever. I am just 34. Never really had breast pain other then mild soreness around cycle or when pregnant. I have been having this breast pain for about 2 months in 1 breast. Comes and goes but there more then not. Tried to see if it was cycle related but can’t find a pattern. It makes me stress even more and google doesn’t help. I feel no lumps. I have wondered if mine was hormonal relate. I stopped taking birth control for a while this started. I have started it back to see if pain goes away

mommasaurus

How are things going with you ladies...any new developments? I have been having similar symptoms for a while now. I have sharp shooting pain in one breast that itches like crazy on occasion. I also have a dry patch on my areola that extends out to my breast skin a little. I had a mammo and US in Dec 2017 and the tech saw two benign lesions and had me go back to recheck 6 months later. I went back in June 2018 and the lesions were the same size. Last Wednesday I went back for my final 6 month recheck and they said they were still the same size. However, they found a suspicious mass this time that I just had biopsied yesterday. Now, waiting on the pathology report but the radiologist believe it will come back benign

Princess0303

I have the same situation going on. Also have a mass . The first time i had a followup mammo and ultra sound done after all my treatment i got this mass. I just went back again cause its scareing me. I find the mass hard myself. Doctor thinks its benign . I want to know for sure. I dont like this we will just keep an eye on it stuff .I should find out this week.

DATNY

Just wanted to share my experience. I started to have pain in my left breast in 2014. Had US and mamo, all negative. Have been assured pain is common and not related to BC. The pain subsided for a while, then came back. In 2017 the routine mamo picked the cancer in the left breast, multi-focal. Nodes looked fine in imaging, but were biopsied for precaution, and the cancer was there too. I wished I would have done an MRI back in 2014, when all started.

Laurenjeanine

hi there! You had pain from lymph nodes?

Hunts08

I am having very similar symptoms and I have considered taking a low dose BC. I have been having my symtpoms since Nov 2017. How long were you on the progesterone before it relieved your symptoms? I am so willing to try anything at this point!

I also have had mammogram, U/S, and MRI and they have all been clear. I just have extremely dense breast tissue.

stephkd

It took several months on the progesterone before it was a noticeable change. Almost a full year and it was gone completely, though. Now that I'm off it, the pain is back somewhat but not full force, not all the time. It is the same exact spot. Mentioned to GP last month at check up. She suggested I go to new gyno and try progestrrone IUD for endo & adeno, consider hysterectomy, and said I should have a 3d breast scan every 2 years, so next year go again, due to pain and density. Haven't decided on the IUD yet.