Post Mastectomy w/ Direct Implants Strange Sensations

Hi! I had BMX, direct to implants last April. I felt like I had aliens in my chest! I kept looking down my shirt to see if my breasts were moving! During the first two weeks, it felt like the sensation you have when you're lactating. The PS said it was nerves reconnecting. By week three, the "movement" kept me awake at night. The PS prescribed Valium because I was having muscle spasms. I'm not big on taking drugs, but Valium stopped the night spasms and helped me sleep. After I returned to work, like you, it felt like fluid was moving around. It was worse if I ate salty foods. PS confirmed this at my 8 week check up. Due to the node removal, fluid was trying to re-route. Try a low salt diet and see if that helps.

TealWarrior: I had my NSPBMX on Jan 21st with direct implants and fat grafting and I cannot stand the constant cramping in my pec muscles. I have no pain/discomfort from the mid-breast area and down...but the upper poles feel squeezed sooooo tight at times that it feels like the implants are going to pop out through my collarbone and armpits. The valium really does not seem to help. One thing I discovered that seems to help is slightly heating my microwaveable rice neck wrap. It only extends to the upper part of my chest but the pressure and the warmth definitely calm things down. I've been wearing the darn thing all day for the past 48 hours. My PS thought I should be ready to go back to work next week (week 4 post-op) but I could cry thinking about getting through a full day with the 26 very busy first graders I teach! How long does this sensation last? Do you work and if so....are you back yet?

Yikes! Does everyone have muscle spasms like that? That's really scary!

BMX 7/3/14. Left one popped out of pocket on the way to my hospital room. Reconstruction of it on 7/22/14. A lot of strange sensations, gurgling, itching even though I'm numb. Tightness is severe. Swelling & valley midline along muscle, still. Severe muscle cramps. PT is helping.

I am 2 years post op of receiving implants,you get used to the numbness and forget their there. The only thing I always have is pain along sides where incision is and under arm/pectoral muscle, pinching and sonetimes throbbing. I think it is because the lymph nodes we're taken on that side so it will never be the same. It almost feels likes something cutting I into the circulation an you feel tingling in fingers. I hope that's normal

Jilly59: I am doing really well now but it took 5 weeks to get there. The change was pretty much overnight....rock hard tightness and spasms to barely noticing them. The only time I really feel them is when I get cold...the pecs seem to clamp down around the implants but it is no longer painful...just uncomfortable. Are you stretching several times each day? Also, if you read one of my above posts, I found a lot of comfort with the heat and weight of my microwaveable rice pack. I made sure it wasn't extra hot and I didn't let it cover the implants. You are not quite a month out...give it another week or so and I bet you'll be turning the corner.

I did have direct implants placed along with fat grafting done the day of mastectomy.

DMarie... so I am now 6 weeks post op. Still have tightness. I'm a little miffed that no one has said anything to me ever about post op exrecises or activity restrictions. Also, I wish I had known about fat grafting prior to surgery as none was done. I have dents, rippling, etc...and don't see that going away.  The thought of another surgery to fix this sickens me. The incision under my areola opened 2 weeks ago so I'm having healing issues.

Thoughts?

DMarie... Where in PA is your PS located?  My Sientra anatomicals card says 450...yikes. I look like a B cup. I don't like that they're so hard. I am seriously considering fat grafting as much as I hate the OR but think I have to wait a year for revisions?  I'm hoping it will not only fix the ripples but give me more of a squishiness factor.

I still have the rubber band tightness but not nearly as bad as before.  I do not yet have full range of motion.

DMarie...I am in south central PA, daughter in Philly. I may have to look him up. My PS never said anything about fat-grafting. I have issues with the cancer side and at some point a revision of some sort will be necessary. Sigh.

I am 5 weeks post op and am now having muscle spasms that are quite painful. I had these the first week after surgery before but was taking muscle relaxers which really helped.