Burning pain with tissue expanders before first refill.

dmorgan41 - I'm so sorry you're going through this - I feel your pain - literally!!!

I had my TEs put in at the same time as my BMX a year and a half ago. I cried every day for a month after I got home... I was sure the TEs were trying to kill me!!!

The pain was indescribable... like a red-hot iron vise around my chest.... like being caught in a rusty bear trap... well, you get the picture.

I sobbed and told DH to take me back to the hospital so I could get those things out of me, or I would do it myself!!!

He was very patient, and just patted my leg and let me cry.

What I did find out was that I was not taking my pain medication the correct way... I only took it after I felt pain. The wise ladies here told me to take it around the clock at the maximum dosage, so I did. Within days I could tell the difference. It allowed me to get healing sleep, which I desperately needed.

I was not getting enough water, so I was always dehydrated, which made me feel weak, which made me feel pain more sharply. I increased my water intake.

I was also not getting enough protein, so upped that and felt better.

I found that taking a nice warm shower before bedtime, and having DH massage the muscles in my back really reduced my back and shoulder blade pain.

By the time I started fills a month later, I had absolutely no pain whatsoever from the fills. I got up to 620ccs in only five visits, then kept the expanders in for a total of 9 months while I lost weight before exchange.

As always, talk to your PS about your pain levels. Perhaps your meds can be changed, or maybe there is another issue that's causing your discomfort.

For me, a combination of Norco and Valium were exactly what I needed to break the pain cycle.

Wishing you the best!!!!

Yes, it's normal. My ps prescribes Valium to be taken at night, as it is a muscle relaxer. Maybe ask for that? He offered some sort of "nerve block" to me, but I declined that. My exchange is set for June 12th. I can't wait. It's hard to be in some state of pain, 24 hrs a day. Mine have been in since 11/11/11.

I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one experiencing awful pain and soreness/stiffness with TEs and fills. I had my surgery on March 7 2013, and my first fill two weeks later. Now 4 weeks out I am still in a lot of pain and very uncomfortable. My PS gave me a prescription for Valium which I did not fill, but now after reading this I will and will try it tonight. Thank you ladies!!!

Unfortunately I had pain too under my arms,and on the sides of the outer breast too. there are some stretching exercises that really helped me. I know, the last thing I wanted to do is move, but they did help. They are on the Internet : Exercises post mastectomy. I know you had it a while ago but you just started the reconstruction.

I just had last week the expanders changed for the implants and also went through horrible underarm pain. Again, what saved me where those stretching exercises.

Be prepared for the expanders to feel like rocks after a few fills. the good thing is that once you can change them for the implants, they feel back like regular breasts.

hope you feel better

I had immediate reconstruction and have had TE's in for 2 months.  Exchange is only 4 days away.   I had pain/discomfort from day one.  Every day it felt exactly the same so I figure the pain is not from the mastectomy,  but from the expanders.  They itch, especially up near the armpit where they stick out on the side,   they burn,  they pull,   they spasm-always worse during the day.  It all seems to settle down after I fall asleep and when I get up in the morning it isn't too bad but the discomfort and all the weird feelings build up as the day goes on.  I just pray to GOD that this all goes away once the permanent implants go in.  I don't think I could live with this kind of pain and discomfort for the rest of my life.  If I knew it was going to feel like this I would have thought twice about doing it.  Hopefully nothing else is going on inside there where all the feelings are.   I guess I will find out on Friday (7/11).

I have had my te for four weeks...I hate them.I get pinching pains where drains were and after laying semiflat for sleep I wake in the morning and sit up and the pain of the blood rushing to them makes me sick to my stomach...i was filled with 400ml each at time of bmx..too much as my incisions werent healing as my skin was to tight across my chest..last week my ps removed 100ml from each which rendered a bit of relief but not  much...ughhhhh.I'm so fed up alreadyand will be sporting these suckers for at least another 7 months as I need to have at least 3 months of chemo and they cannot do the switch until 3 month after the chemo...my back hurts  24 /7 from favoring my chest muscles and I cry all of the time is there anyone out there with any advice to get through this...

tracirn41 - It really does hurt like h#$l for some ladies. It did for me. I had 200 put in at the mx, and one fill of 150. I was in agony. My pecs did not like stretching one bit. I used a heating pad (check with doc on that), also I used the adhesive pain patches on the area near the mammary fold, that is where it hurt the most for me. Also my back and my neck hurt like crazy. I am not a weenie. Generally I fight through pain no problem, but this HURT! I hear you. PT helped a lot, especially for my neck and back. I also used Bengay on the mammary fold area. PLEASE check with you doc about this. I did it, but I did not ask for permission. Gradually, ever so slowly my pecs stopped squawking. By the exchange (4 mos) it was better, the exchange also helped. I can still feel them, but it doesn't hurt at all, just a wierd tightness.  

I threatened many many times to take the suckers out. Overall I still think it is a good option, but I've learned that breast reconstruction with implants is not for sissies! I am glad that all the remaining breast tissue is right up front, and I'm glad the prosthesis in on the inside so I don't have to fool with one. I do think, however, that flat would be a good option for me, and I will seriously consider it if I ever need to have the implants replaced. 

am having pain between my shoulder blades like gas pains can it be my tissue expanders leaked

Hi, I'm on my second fill but remember the pain and burning sensation. I was on all kinds of pain meds none worked really. It got better after a few weeks. Just had my second fill and was in pain all day , a stabbing pain in my back. muscle relxers don't help much. what works for you?? Hot showers are the best

dmorgan41, I had the tissue expanders put in when I had my mastectomy on 5/23, I haven't have a fill yet, other than what they put in that day, I am in excruciating pain, just like you. (And I'm sorry you are going thrue this). I am actually going to talk to my breast surgeon tomorrow about this and then to the plastic surgeon, bc I am going to have them remove. I cannot handle this pain and be uncomfortable every minute of the day. (I will be starting chemo in July) I am too experiencing the same as you and I thought it was just me.

I hope you get thrue this and the pain goes away for you.

I actually had more pain when mine were smaller than when they are fully expanded. I think when they are flatter, they stick out on the sides more, and that pulling/pushing sensation on the sides is more painful to me than the stretching part of filling. After each fill, I am miserable for a couple of days, but then it settles down. I am on an aggressive fill schedule due to beginning radiation, so even though I was not able to go the small and slow fill route, with just Advil I got through it. I had to stop filling the left side to allow for radiation, I will complete fills on it after I am done. The right side has been over-filled since that is the side the radiation will be on. And its crazy, but right (which is huge) hurts less now (pain from the fills is done.) The left feels like it is jabbing me constantly around the edges. If you have ever seen them, its like a baggie- when its flat, the edges are sharper, when its iflated, they round out. I have mine in for awhile since I still have to get radiation and then let my skin heal before swapping them out, so I am trying to just get used to the new normal of these things. But its possible you may actually get some relief once you start filling them! I am sure it also depends on how big they are, the bigger they are the more I imagine they stick out in the corners.

Hi all, I am 11 days out from my surgery. I had a double Mastectomy with tissue expanders and a nipple saving procedure and a hysterectomy at the same time. I felt I would chicken out on the procedures if I did not do them all at the same time. I would have been right. My hysterectomy was no big deal. Dont even feel it, except when the sutures poke through my shirt. The mastectomy was terrible. I was in the hospital 1 day only. kept on the pain meds as this is not my first surgery rodeo so know what happens when the pain gets out of control. Problem is at 2 pills every 4 hours thats only almost 4 days of pills.I also got the terrible burning pain around the underarms towards the back. That was without a doubt the worst pain. I dealt pretty well with the rest of it, but the burning pain made me cry. I thought it was the ace wrap digging in so went to a sports bra as soon as I could it has helped. forcing my arm down against my body actually help relieve it aside from pulling away from it. I feel my expanders, feels as though I have some balloons under there. They expanded right away at surgery for a 200cc fill. I am not sure if they meant 200 each or 200 total. Right now, I have bruising showing up in my chest, the top of the expanders. I assume is normal. I see my breast surgeon today, and my second follow up with my plastic surgeon and my OB/GYN on Thursday. I still have drain tubes, and the sticky tape stuff on my breasts until this week hopefully. I bet one of the drains will come out, but cannot until it is draining less than 20cc in a 24hr period. the other, my dominant hand side, has the most drainage, the most burning pain, and the most bruising. I can only assume its because its my more dominant side.

Would I do it all again? Absolutely. I am 43. While it has been hell of a lot of pain, the 9 people in my moms family that have had cancer (whether breast of reproductive) I did not want to be like. Most of the ones with cancer had the BRCA2 gene, some did not. I carry the BRCA2 gene, my mom does not have cancer though. My best friend in high school, just got diagnosed in November and went through a double mastectomy and currently through radiation. No reconstruction. She was diagnosed a month or so from her mom with lung cancer who died a few weeks ago. Cancer has touched so many of my family and friends. I fear death. I love my life, and if having this done can prevent what almost feels inevitable, and avoid me the pain of cancer, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hi ddpilar, welcome to Breastcancer.org! Besides the wonderful advice you'll get from members here, we would recommend that you take a look at our Implant Reconstruction section from our main site, where you'll find a helpful saline vs. silicone implants comparison chart and much more about what to expect with implant reconstruction.

Hope this helps!

The Mods

t10,

Welcome to Breastcancer.org! We're so sorry you're dealing with this uncomfortable side effect of tissue expanders. You're definitely not alone, as you can see!

However, this thread has been pretty quiet since November. We'd suggest maybe posting a new thread with your message, to get some responses. Or, the thread TE's: A beginner's primer is a very popular thread with lots of members posting regularly. Someone there should have some insight and advice for you!

(((((Gentle hugs)))))

--The Mods