Breast pain after radiation

Ladyc2020

I finished the hypofractionated schedule Dec 1 and had some fairly severe skin side effects in the end. I can live with that. But today since waking I have had deep unpleasant pain all day (now 9 hours later). It’s tolerable, but I hope it goes away soon. What could this be?

MinusTwo

Lady - did they tell you to stretch every day? If not, call your RO and get the list of approved stretches. Skin & muscles & nerves treated with rads continue to pull back like rubber bands. Likewise if the pain lasts more than a week (usually two but...) give the RO a call.

Ladyc2020

Never heard about doing stretches before. Do you mean wait 2 weeks and if it still hurts, then call? It feels like someone punched my breast hard... but that hasn't happened🤔

MinusTwo

:Lady - radiation caused the tissue to retract. I was told I will have to stretch every day for the rest of my life or - just like a rubber band - the area will pull in.

Traditional wisdom says call the doc if it still hurts in two weeks. Since you are so newly finished, I'd to ahead and call your RO tomorrow.

Ladyc2020

• ok, thank you 🙏🏼 Yeah, not feeling so good! How do you stretch the inside of your breast?! I walk several miles every day and am active most of the time. It’s most painful under where the scar area is.

MinusTwo

Lady - my RO sent me to PT to learn the stretches. The closest I can communicate is like Tai Chi exercises. I walk 6 miles a day and I'm almost 7 years out, but I still try to remember to stretch every day. Let us know what the doc says.

BCat40

I have had chronic pain going on six months since finishing radiation. It has finally started improving to a noticeable degree. For weeks and months at a time very little improvement. It wasn’t a tightness issue, more like feeling like I got punched in the breast. I had separate tightness in my armpit where I had a lymph node removed. So yes some of us lucky ones do come away from radiation with pain, even though this is not an often advertised side effect

Ladyc2020

minus2, thank you so this info 🙏🏼 It hasn’t got worse so I haven’t called yet... hmmm have a zoom appointment early January.

BCat40- yes that’s justhow I would describe it! I’m trying to do some massage techniques... which sorta doesn’t feel very good but I read can help.

BCat40

LadyC yes feeling like getting punched in the breast is the way I have been describing my pain all along. What helps the most for me is just to keep it immobilized--i use one of those heart pillows under my arm when I sleep and when I get up out of bed to avoid the breast rolling to the side or back, as that when it feels the worst. Curious if your doc had anything to say about it. BC.org just posted the new study about ROs not recognizing side effects including breast pain.

MinusTwo

LadyC - have you seen this thread yet?

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topics...

Ladyc2020

oooh thank you! Going to read through now

I’m doing well, have been massaging the area. I do have a dull ache still but definitely greatly reduced.