Burning and pain almost a year after mastectomy

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nchoate310
nchoate310 Member Posts: 1
edited June 2016 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy

Has anyone experienced burning and pain in the mastectomy scar? It will be a year in July and Im starting to have all kinds of phantom pains and burning around and in my scar. Anyone else have this issue?

SurvivorByNature


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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2016

    Dear nchoate310, Welcome to the community. We are so glad you reached out here for answers around your pain. Since you have not seen any responses here you may also want to check out this thread on Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome. There may be others there that can lend experiences. Keep us posted. The Mods

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  • rianne2580
    rianne2580 Member Posts: 191
    edited May 2016

    I don't think one is ever free of aches after a MX. I had a unilateral MX five years ago and still feel aches and burning, depends on my activity. I tread water pretty hard for an hour or more 3X a week. That helps strengthen my arm, shoulder, muscles. But that ache is there, I guess I'm used to it. What helps (a lot) is massaging the area with a really good lubricant or lotion and stretching. I reach for the ceiling and stretch. Or lay flat on your back and raise your arms over your head (elbows straight) and stretch. Nerves and muscles don't like surgery :((. PT just reinforces the idea of good blood flow to the body. Exercise helps, movement helps.

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  • Lizardbeth1968
    Lizardbeth1968 Member Posts: 21
    edited May 2016

    I'm five years out, and sometime in the last few years, it got a lot better. It just takes time. (((Hugs))

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  • crystalphm
    crystalphm Member Posts: 1,138
    edited May 2016

    Yes, I am 6 years out now. I have to say it has gotten easier, but those first years, I could not even consider wearing a bra or foobs, it hurt!!! My doctor said after all this time, no doubt my nerves were not connected right during surgery, so when there is pressure, I feel pain. Certainly try to get help. Physical therapy and yoga have "slowly" helped me. Sometimes there are adhesion's, which a PT could help with.

    I know how you feel, at 1 year out, I felt like I belonged no where, no one understood, no one seemed to relate. I am so glad I have found all of you here. There are quite a few of us why have remaining pain. Wishing you the best.

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  • aunt_paula
    aunt_paula Member Posts: 271
    edited May 2016

    I am almost 2.5 years post-BMX and still have itching/burning/pain. They're weird because the sensations don't feel like they "should," and sometimes I know I'm itching, for example, but can't tell exactly where. I'm the opposite of crystalphm in that pressure helps my pain and burning, so where I would sometimes like to be able to go bra-free, I need the pressure of it. I also have lymphedema, so there may be some crossover, though the burning and itching don't seem connected to the LE.

    Hang in there!

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  • sherrmue
    sherrmue Member Posts: 25
    edited June 2016

    Hi! I too, have had these nerve pains mostly on my chest and I agree with others who replied to your post that it does get better. My onc doc told me the intense burning and sharp shooting pains the first year or so after surgery are nerves recovering. I still have burning and shooting pains occasionally 6 years out, but they don't have the intensity or duration as in the first 1-1.5 years

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