Redness as the one and only symptom?

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annab22100
annab22100 Member Posts: 24

I decided to set my own topic and describe my story in details. First of all, I come from Poland, I am 30 and have a 5 year-old son. I couldn't breasftfeed as I went through a severe case of preeclampsia and after cesarian i didn't have much milk. then, I had an infection and took metronidazole so they told me even if I had had some milk I couldn't have breastfed my son. My first period came when I was 13. I have always had long cycles, massive bleeding during my periods. I suspect I have too much estrogen or lack of progesterone but I haven't done any blood tests yet to confirm that. Before pregnancy I had been taking oral contraceptives for 1,5 year and soon after I had stopped taking them, I got pregnant. After pregnancy I was also taking contraceptives. During my life I took them for 4 or 5 years in total. I stopped taking them 3 or 4 months ago. After pregnancy my cycles are rather regular 28-30 days, but it's always massive bleeding. I have never smoked, I haven't been drinkning any alcohol for about two years, I try to exercise a lot, I keep a healthy diet. I weigh 106 pounds, height 5'3. I have no cases of bc in my family history.  Ok, this is just a long intro about me. Thanks a lot for patience.

Now, let's come back to the breasts ...

Last December I saw a small, dirty stain on my bra, I knew that was some kind of a leak from my left breast only. It happened only once but I did the US immediately, it was clear. I also went to the oncologist just to make sure. She said that everything was ok and this could be the rest of milk after breastfeeding ( I never breasftfed, I gave birth 5 years ago... and I told her about it but she didn't say a word). The onco doc advised me just to do the US every year and observe. Then, after I had given up the pills ( contraceptives) I started having strange, rather strong pains just in the left breast, the one I had had problems before. I visited the obgyn , he told me to check my prolactin and do the US again. The US is ok, so is the prolactin level and I soon started having watery leaks from the both breasts. The pain in the left one is constant, but more severe during ovulation. And a few days ago I saw redness, again on my left breast, it stopped hurting, though. The breast isn't bigger, it is not warm, no swelling, the nipple is OK. Just the redness, or pinky look maybe. I put some steroid ointment on it and it got much worse. Now I think it has almost disappeared but still visible. Should I go to an oncologist again? I read that the redness can come and go during this type of cancer, maybe some sisters who experienced it could tell me. Did it go away after they started taking antibiotics or went away without any treatment and then came again? I have to mention again, i still see some kind of slightly pink area, very light one. The breast is not as whote as the right one.

Comments

  • faerie1111
    faerie1111 Member Posts: 203
    edited August 2013

    The only thing i can suggest is when rash comes up take some pictures of it and take take it to obgyn and see what they think , thats what i did ok consultant dismissed ibc and said he didnt know what it was but i still have the pictures to go back on after my lump is taken out , it might be worth a try . thinking of you x

  • annab22100
    annab22100 Member Posts: 24
    edited August 2013

    Thanks dear for such a prompt reply. I take pics every day and now i am looking at my breast and it seems it looks worse than yesterday :/ I got scared again.It doesn't even look like a rash, just pink skin, like a stain or so. I have just taken a pic and it looks better than a few days ago but worse than yesterday. I am so much worried. Unfortunately, doctors here seem not to know much about IBC. I heard about one prof, who is a good specialist but I would have to go far away for a  visit, my husband would have to take some days off and I have no idea if his boss lets him go. Of course the visit would be private and expensive but if only my husband took a few days off, I guess I would go there. Warm hugs.

  • annab22100
    annab22100 Member Posts: 24
    edited August 2013

    I found something on this forum written by Bon: 'IBC is clinical diagnosis that requires erythema and dermal edema (peau d'orange) of a third or more of the skin of the breast with palpable border to the erythema' do I get it correct that there is a border that you can feel by hands of this redness? Mine is just visible. Or I got it wrong? Or it depends on the stage of IBC?Another question: Is this skin thickening always observed on US image?

  • Onic28
    Onic28 Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2013

    Hi Anna :) I know we've talked on my thread but I wanted you to know that, I, too, take pictures daily. This is going to sound odd but I don't quite know how helpful it is for me... when the flash is on it looks much different than flash off, and my husband can look at the pictures (flash on, flash off) and then my actual breast and tell me that he doesn't think they look like the picture. So frustrating!!

    One thing my dermatologist told me (Which may or may not be true with IBC--- someone with more knowledge, please help!) was that IBC rash wouldn't respond to a steroid ointment... mine flared up using hydrocortisone cream. But I don't know if that's a true statement...to me, a reaction to a steriod makes it sound dermatological, which eases my mind...

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited August 2013

    Anna,

    I believe the redness we get with ibc is due to inflammation.  There most likely will be other symptoms.  I had them all:redness on R breast, warm to touch, spider bite look,  itching, orange skin like dimpling, band of hardness across breast and my R breast became much larger than L one.  Time increased symtoms.

    It's always good to check symptoms out but I would not be too concerned if you have one symptom which does not change over time.

    Terri

  • annab22100
    annab22100 Member Posts: 24
    edited August 2013

    Terri, you are an angel to me. Your words do comfort me a lot. I woke up in the morning and see no redness at all, we will see if it changes during the day. I have never had : swelling, warmth, itchiness, skin thickening etc. I wonder if some ladies who finally got IBC and before had only the redness bafore getting IBc maybe they coincidentally had just some kind of skin irritation or minor form of skin inflammation? Does that make any sense? Thanks a lot for support and valuable info. Lots of love. I will update.

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited August 2013

    Glad you are being checked out where you live.  Just keep a watch on it.  We are here to help you should things change.

    Terri

  • alicki
    alicki Member Posts: 661
    edited August 2013

    Hello IBCmets, 

    Just wondering how long did it take you to get diagnosed? 

    Alicki

  • annab22100
    annab22100 Member Posts: 24
    edited August 2013

    Thank you ladies. I see that the redness completely disappeared but i have to keep watching since I used to have a few problems with this left breast. What is more, I read the latest news that women who got preeclampsia during pregnancy (i did) are less likely to get breast cancer (there was a serious research done). So preeclampsia decreases the likelihood of breast cancer for about 15-20 %. I decided to post this news as it may be of help for some other women.

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