How soon should I see a doctor?

BreastWorrier
BreastWorrier Member Posts: 2
edited June 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)

Hi, there. So I know you probably have a lot of people like me coming through, but I am worried about a rash on my right breast.

Last month I took one dose of double-strength Bactrim for a UTI. Turns out I'm allergic to sulfa antibiotics. I broke out in hives on my arms and also developed red bumps on my skin wherever I would scratch. One of the places I happened to scratch was my left breast, which resulted in a rash involving several tiny pink dots and a little bit of redness/irritation. The rash disappeared within about a week.

It's been about four weeks since then, and now I'm noticing a similar but larger rash on the other breast. There are several red/pink dots (most of them smaller than pea-sized) on the outside of my breast. They look a little scaly but aren't actually peeling. The breast itself is itchy in the place where the rash is. I'm not noticing any other changes. I did experience a lot of breast pain before my last menstrual cycle, but I also experienced debilitating cramps that sent me to the hospital, so... I think it might've just been a really really horrible period. My breasts aren't sore now. There are still some tiny dots on the left breast. I did use bodywash for the first time in a while the other day when I was showering, along with a new bar of soap (same soap I always use, so... Not sure why it would cause irritation.) 

So yeah... There's a little background. I'm not terribly worried right now, but I know it's good to keep an eye on these things. About how long should I wait for this to clear up before I see a doctor? What changes should I beware of in the meantime? Thank you for reading, I appreciate it. 

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Comments

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2014

    Hi BreastWorrier, and welcome to Breastcancer.org. 

    For your own peace of mind, you might want to visit your primary care doctor, or a dermatologist, to have your concerns checked out. IBC is very rare, and there are other causes that are much more likely, so try to rule them out first, without worrying about IBC.

    Best wishes!

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited February 2014

    See a DR to find out what is going on - so MANY possibilities!  A 'Rash' and pain go with a lot of 'things'.  Neither were involved with my IBC - never any pain or ichiness and though in the time between DX and starting neoadjuvant chemo I did develope peau d'orange there was no redness.  

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  • BreastWorrier
    BreastWorrier Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2014

    I saw a doctor because I wanted to discuss some other issues anyway. She said it looks like eczema to her though she thought the shape of the lesions seemed pretty strange (looked like small, open rings.) The rash ended up spreading to my other breast, too, and a little on my upper chest. I also see a couple of red spots on my arms, though I can't tell if it's the same thing. From what she could feel and see everything seemed normal, so she gave me some steroid cream and told me to come back if anything changed/got worse and go see a dermatologist if the rash didn't go away or kept spreading. 

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