Pain with DCIS?

Lefty_Lucy

Hey all,

I had no symptoms when I was diagnosed a couple weeks ago. My biopsy was about 1 month ago. In the last two days I've started having radiating pain throughout my entire affected breast. I called my surgeon and the nurse was really dismissive, but said "I guuuessssss I can pass this on to the doctor."

Anyone have pain with their DCIS?

Thanks!

Beesie

No pain here.

Your pain could be from nerves that were cut during the biopsy and that are now regenerating. A radiating pain would be about right for that.

Or it could be psychosomatic. This is extremely common after a breast cancer diagnosis - or probably any cancer diagnosis. Many of us, myself included, suddenly started to have all sorts of pains, often in our breasts or sometimes in other parts of our bodies (related to the fear of mets) after we received our diagnosis. Our minds are powerful and after the shock of a diagnosis, it's not surprising that we might start to feel pain in areas directly related to our diagnoses.

The good news is that the pain is highly unlikely to be anything serious.

Lefty_Lucy

Beesie, that makes a lot of sense, thank you. At first I thought nerve pain wouldn’t make sense, but thinking back to how my pain was when healing from c-section, I think that might be it.

Or psychosomatic. My anxiety has been high.

Thanks

blah333

I started having pain in between my DCIS diagnosis and surgery. And actually, a little while after too. I think it was just stress and paranoia. Worry can cause aching. I brood a lot and fixate and so I think any little ache became pronounced during those times. But yes, you might be having some nerve reactions to the biopsy. Try not to worry too much in between your appointments.

Lomlin

I still have pain but not nearly as bad as after surgery. I had 3 lymph nodes taken out as well. They cut into the nerves, it is bound to be painful. My Oncologist keeps telling me not worry about the pain too much, I had my surgery in Spring of 2018, so in time it does go away. They also recommended physical therapy for it, you want to keep your range of motion, it can reduce the pain as time goes on.

HopeWins

I agree it could be psychosomatic but I had a searing pain in my breast a few weeks after my excisional biopsy in a different area than the surgery and it was like a shocking deja vu experience that stops you in your tracks. It was deja vu for me. I had that exact same pain periodically over the year or so before my diagnosis. Maybe it's not related... I don't know, but i haven't had that pain since my bmx. I understand most bc isnt associated with pain but my experience makes me wonder if that's always true...

Lefty_Lucy

Hope: That's interesting. I don't remember having pain like this before my dx, but I also know I sometimes got breast pains and ignored them. The pain has stopped now, and it ends up it was only there for a few days before my period started, but only on the one side?? Hormone related pain?

LomLin: Hope your pain is all better soon. I know I'm really in for it with surgeries coming up... when was yours?

blah: Always trying not to worry

Lomlin

lefty lucy, I don't have periods anymore, so pain maybe on a different scale. Surgery was the end of May 2018.

We had snow here on Saturday and I shoveled, the next day, pain! Could be the surgery could be SE's from Tamoxifen. Geez, this sucks. Dry everything, I mean everything. Mouth, skin, vagina, hair falling out. At one point in time I had 20 different shampoos to try for my hair/scalp. Seriously how can you ask me if I am cancer free? Even if you are for 5 years, their mile marker, you aren't. My mom had a mastectocmy when she was in her 40's, then a lump when she was in her 60's. Yeah, cancer free. I don't think she was on tamoxifen though. So even though you have no lumps within 5 years of your first diagnosis does not make you cancer free.

Shock collar!!

Lefty_Lucy

I'm sorry LomLin, that sounds so rough.