Breast pain months after mastectomy?

pp729 · July 2011

Hi ladies, I also posted this on the IDC forum but I wanted to post here as well. My mom has experienced some pain in her breast -- the one that she had a unilateral mastectomy/no reconstruction on about 3 months ago. We are concerned about the pain. Have any of you ever experienced this?

She is heading back to see her breast surgeon this week to discuss this.

carcharm · July 2011

Did she have LN taken? Sometimes the fluid can build up back into the remaining breast tissue. I get this. I am 2 years out post mastectomy and some days I can't even wear a bra due to pain. It feels like the lymph fluid fills up in the breast tissue. Also, the rim of where they removed the breast is still very tender.

pp729 · July 2011

Thanks for your post. She had two LN removed during the MX -- both clear. She has had some fluid buildup, first in the lower part of the breast and they removed some fluid. She has also had some fluid buildup in the upper part of the breast which is closer to where the LNs were. Maybe that's part of it? Will post what the BS says when she sees him later this week.

Celtic_Spirit · July 2011

I had a bilateral mastectomy over three years ago. I still have tightness and slight pain in my chest area and shooting pains under my arms. I asked my oncologist about this last spring, and she said my body is still rebuilding nerve pathways that were severed during surgery. She said it was normal and could continue for several more years. Perhaps this is what your mother is experiencing.

jennyboog · July 2011

Yeah, I have pain and burning pains from time to time....did my BMX in Jan and finished rads in Apr. I hope they improve but I'm thinking its from all we've been through.

SharonMH · July 2011

Hi all, I also have pain and burning after my MX and rads. I have been out of treatment for a year. I am working on it. They say it just takes time. All and all things are pretty good. SharonH

DiamondGirl · July 2011

I have the same thing, I had partial mx, 1 SNB and rads. My underarm hurts intermittently and my breast area is still sore although I am one year out. Take a look at a Lymphedema website :

www.stepup-speakout.org

socalif · August 2011

Just found this website....my mastectomy and reconstruction was a year ago, stage 3b. Just now I feel pain and fluid buildup, which I thought was unique for me. It is good to hear I am not alone with this. I had 6 chemo sessions and 30 radiation. All went really well, except for the lose of taste, Now I am on the cancel pill for at least 5years. thanks for the messages, it helps. I have been going through what I call dark days....

CoolBreeze · August 2011

My mastectomy was 2 years ago and I'm still experiencing problems. I would recommend googling "post-mastectomy pain syndrome" and "post-mastectomy adhestive capsulitis"

I always ask women to think twice about doing a proplylactic mastecomy on their non-cancerous breast because of my experience, and what I've read about in the two years I've been here. I have been disabled on my right side since the exchange and I was a very healthy, fit women.

It happens. Not infrequently. Sometimes it happens a year or so after mx.

Thank goodness I still have my left arm.

crystalphm · August 2011

I was glad to see this topic tonight. I am 14 months after a mastectomy and 8 lymph nodes removed, and I do have times where there is little discomfort, and times where it just plain hurts. The ridge, and under my arm where it swells a bit. The drain place also can hurt...

I am having a MRI next month to be sure all is well, and my surgeon feels this is all part of my new normal.

Point well taken, I have been considering a proplylatic mastectomy on the right side, maybe things are better off left alone.

Thanks all for your input.

Denise

Binney4 · August 2011

socalif and Denise, do take a look at the breast/chest lymphedema page here:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm

Truncal lymphedema is often painful, results in some swelling that may even come and go at first, and can show up at any time after bc treatment, even years later. It's treatable with a gentle, directional lymph massage you can learn to do, and with gentle compression. Treatment by a well-qualified lymphedema therapist relieves both pain and any swelling you may have, and it can help reduce any fibrosis as well. Here's how to find one near you:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

Many doctors aren't familiar with truncal lymphedema and think it can only happen in the arm, but many of us here have it -- me, for instance, with only one node removed Frown -- so you may have to suggest it to them.

Be well!
Binney

Marl5900 · August 2011

After chemo, I had a bilateral MX (+ 8 nodes) on November 12, 2010. I ended radiation February 24, 2011 and herceptin at the end of May 2011. After each "phase" I thought I would heal and feel less pain. I thought by now I would be pain free. But the radiated breast, or rather the TE and the skin around, is sometimes so painful I cannot sleep. And it is not getting better. It is actually more painful than around Christmas! My PS says it is the radiation' results and that I have to be patient. So, I have to take pain killers everyday. The worst is at night. However, I found that exercising gently (no weight just stretching) my arm/shoulder helps a little. I do much better if I can go to the gym or the pool. Maybe it's the sports bra and compression? Sometimes I have to put ice on the swollen side (against my doctor's advice). I do worst if I drive too much or write/type too long. Because people assume (and need to think) I am done with cancer and treatment etc I do not share how much pain I still have. But I suspect they are many of us.

Breast pain months after mastectomy?

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