Sentinel Node Biopsy - I now have pain and numbness

Had the same problem.  More pain from the node dissection than from the breast surgery.  Along my side and into my back.  It has eased considerably since the surgery in August.

Hope you are doing better. I had sentiel biopsy right before my surgery the same day, Lumpectomy. I was very sore, seemed more sore from biopsy than surgery. I work full time. Went back 2 weeks after surgery. Im sure it will get better. I think light stretching and exercise is good. It seemed to take a while, was very sore. good luck to you.

Hi all!  I to have the feeling of pins and needles under my arm, but have noticed that it has let up.  It was driving me a bit crazy, but I keep telling me myself is that it does get better with everydays passing.  The thing I find strange is that I had more nodes taken on my left side and have none of this going on. Strange huh?

Ladies thank you all for sharing your stories. I've had pain that comes and goes as you describe.  I saw my Rad Onc on Thus. and she said she believes the pain is from nerves damaged or severed during the SNB procedure.  I've been doing stretching and it helps and I began a yoga class today, and fingers crossed it helps too.  It's good to know this is normal, even if it is annoying.

HI there. I had pain, numbness and tingling down to my fingers.  I did the stretching excercises the BS gave me starting 3 days after surgery.  I did them faithfully every day and they really helped.  I am 5 mos out from surgery now and have almost no pain. Just a little tenderness around SN biopsy site. But all the other issues have gone away.  Ask you BS to give you a chart showing the stretching you can do. It honestly helped me a ton.  Good luck to you.

Hi all. I've had very little pain from the SNB, but a fierce and persistent itching in my arm-pit. I'm not giving in to the urge to scratch. Putting pressure in the arm-pit seems to help. It comes and goes. Tried hydrocortisone, but figured it's really internal--the nerves healing. I'm going to take a Sudafed to see it that helps.

Hi,  I was diagnosed on 1/20 and if all goes according to plan I will have lumpectomy on 2/14 and start bracytherapy on 2/21.  I noticed you said you start tomorrow.  I will be thinking about you and hope you will respond to me sometime about how it is going.  Good luck!

Yes,  I have that, just as you describe, and after BLMX I have scar tissue pain.  PT can help, especially with shoulder pain.  So can a GOOD experienced massage therapist

Hi, I had snb and there was no pain post surgery. It was around the 2nd or 3rd week of rads that irritated it. I'm 60 days out of rads and my underarm is still tiny bit swollen and at times sensitive. There is slight pain under shoulder blade too. When will this go away?

annielynn, my underarm was completely numb (except for the pain from the nerves regenerating) for 6 months.  I went out and bought an electric razor. 

Be prepared for the sharp shooting pains that run from your underarm right down your arm.  Mine started a couple of weeks after my surgery.  That's the nerves regenerating.  I can't recall how long those pains lasted but I don't think it was too long.  Overall my arm was numb for about 4 months; my underarm for 6 months.

Hi all,my SNB was on 12/1. With a second incision later that day to repair a bleeding blood vessel that had formed a hemotoma and started to bleed out as I was leaving the hospital....

I still have tingling in my pinkie on the left side...and pressure in scar area even fromapplyimg deodorant was sore in beginning much much improved now.

BS said it was all the nerves regenerating and will take awhile to repair.



Jean