Just had biopsy..SO MUCH PAIN

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swg
swg Member Posts: 461
edited May 2018 in Waiting for Test Results

I just had an ultrasound guided biopsy. They had to go in through the top of my breast because the mass is just above my nipple.

Can I just say it was TERRIBLE. Terrible terrible.

They gave me so much novacaine but I'm home now, and I am still in a lot of pain.

Is that normal? I'm starting to be scared they hit a nerve or something..


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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited September 2017

    swg, I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I had an MRI guided biopsy that was quite painful because of the location of the tumor. I was really sore afterward, for maybe a week. Compression helped alot, the nurse wrapped my breasts/torso in a compression bandage. Are you wrapped? Also, ice pack--20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. If you have excessive bleeding this is cause for concern but the pain itself should ease gradually--of course always call your doctor if you feel the need!

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  • Grammy2be
    Grammy2be Member Posts: 89
    edited September 2017

    Hope you feel better soon! I will have my biopsy on Sept. 18 and the area to be biopsied is at the 12:00 position, so may be painful as you say?

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited September 2017

    I too had an MRI one that hurt a lot because of the location, though my ultrasound guided one barely hurt. I think it can be normal depending...but is it painful and rock hard/swelling, or just painful? Did they give you icing instructions, and advice on painkillers (i.e., Tylenol?)

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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited September 2017

    mine was in the same area. Tylenol every 4 hours and little ice packs in my bra. Just make sure they're not in direct contact with skin. The breast center gave them to me in little baby "pillow cases"

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  • beach2beach
    beach2beach Member Posts: 996
    edited September 2017

    Hi,

    I had one in July before my surgery. Yow. I had about 5 syringes of lidocaine because they were trying to put a marker in my breast. I think I felt loopy lol

    Ice and ice and tylenol.

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  • swg
    swg Member Posts: 461
    edited September 2017

    yeah I tried putting an ice pack on my skin...that did not feel good, ugh

    I feel a lot better now. It's almost like it took a while for the novacaine to kick in :(

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  • swg
    swg Member Posts: 461
    edited September 2017

    YES! I think they stuck me about 5 times as well..I was CRYING..

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  • IntegraGirl
    IntegraGirl Member Posts: 147
    edited September 2017

    My biopsy hurt like a SOB. Supposed to have 12 samples but I cut it off at 9 or someone was going through a wall :). I cannot believe they do this procedure without putting people out

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  • Grammy2be
    Grammy2be Member Posts: 89
    edited September 2017

    You ladies are scaring me! My biopsy is on the 18th of September.

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  • BellasMomToo
    BellasMomToo Member Posts: 305
    edited September 2017

    My ultrasound-guided biopsy hurt like hell. My tumor was right behind the nipple and the Dr. warned me that it will hurt because the tumor was near the nipple. It really hurt, but the dear Dr. kept talking to me about my dogs (both rescues) to keep my mind of the pain. That really helped.

    I assume that biopsies of tumors located in other parts of the breast don't hurt as much.

    ETA: Don't be surprised if you feel (slight stabbing) pain for weeks after the biopsy. I was told by a nurse that the pains are caused by nerves regenerating and it was normal.

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  • swg
    swg Member Posts: 461
    edited September 2017

    oh boy! Something to look forward to. As well as a possible cancer diagnosis..ugh :(

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  • swg
    swg Member Posts: 461
    edited September 2017

    I'm sorry. You might have an easier time depending on where they poke you. My mass is right above my nipple, so they went in through the FRONT.

    The nurses held my hands, which really helped.

    Right now I feel ok. No real pain, just minor discomfort. So glad it got better.

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited September 2017

    Glad to feel you're feeling better swg!


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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited September 2017

    Grammy2be---don't panic! I think it hurting like that is the exception, not the rule. I had an ultrasound guided core biopsy with very little pain (only the numbing shot hurt like any other shot does). Minimal pain afterwards too. My MRI biopsy was slightly more painful, but that was because they had to do extra shots because of the location compared to where they had to go in because of machine positioning, so that got old pretty quickly. I don't remember the actual biopsy part hurting now that I think about it.

    Most people really do fine with these things I think.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited September 2017

    The worst of my biopsies was the 'sting' of the lido/novacaine injections. Well, there was an area be wanted to biopsy that was on the edge of/just out of the the numbed area that did 'smart' a bit but not bad. No pain or bruising afterward.

    We are each different. Some will have existing health issues that come into play with any procedure and some of us don't. There is no way at all to know before hand what any of us will experience.

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  • bew66
    bew66 Member Posts: 81
    edited September 2017

    Grammy2b, don't panic. I had 12 samples taken with stereotatic mammogram.  Other than the indignity of lying on my belly with my boob protruding through a hole in the table, and the sting of the first lidocaine shot, it was not painful at all.  Felt weird, like a tugging sensation with each tissue retrieval, but not painful.  The attending and the nurses were very kind, and that helped.  The attending held my hand and rubbed my back....it is amazing how far a little kindness goes.

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  • Mojojennijo
    Mojojennijo Member Posts: 173
    edited September 2017

    did you get a hematoma? The entire top and sides of my breast was a hematoma after my two were taken, I just kept bleeding and bleeding into my boob. I had it done on the 24th of August and am still purple and sore when I bump it or wear the wrong bra.

    I had a port placed yesterday (today still for me cause I'm still awake but technically yesterday) and The biopsy was way worse! However it's currently 130am and I'm up cause laying down is so uncomfortable. Probably not going to sleep tonight. My port is in my right side of my chest and my not comfy to squish cancerous biopsied breast in on my left.so no comfy side to sleep on tonight. But I think that's the norm.

    Glad you're biopsy site is feeling better!

    Hoping for peace in your time of waiting and for benign results!

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  • SummerAngel
    SummerAngel Member Posts: 1,006
    edited September 2017

    If you're in a lot of pain during a biopsy STOP them and tell them you need more medication! That's what I did for my first biopsy, which was vacuum assisted. The biopsy on the right side was just under the nipple and I told the doctor before starting that I typically need extra medication. He numbed me up so well I had no pain, even though my breast tissue was so dense he had to lean into me and push hard in order to get to the area!

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  • MTwoman
    MTwoman Member Posts: 2,704
    edited September 2017

    SummerAngel, asking is a good idea, but sometimes it isn't possible. When I had my us guided core biopsies, the 2 areas were close enough to my nipple, that even after the maximum dose of med, I still had pretty good jolts of electric pain run directly to my nipple with each punch (ouch!). But honestly, once he stopped, so did the pain. I don't really even remember taking Tylenol or using ice afterwards.

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  • Noratara
    Noratara Member Posts: 13
    edited May 2018

    I’m so scared, I go in one week, 3 biopsies coming. How are you doing now

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  • Recap
    Recap Member Posts: 120
    edited May 2018

    Mine was mammo-guided biopsy. What I remember is the tiniest needles ever for the lidocaine-they did 3 injections, each one deeper into the tissue. Zero pain from the needle, tiny one-second sting (think fresh stick of dentine gum) when the first shot of lidocaine entered the tissue, and nothing thereafter. No pain thruout the biopsy-the core needle entered at the edge of the arreola. 12 samples taken.

    I believe those who have pain is related to breast density/inner pressure, location in the breast, technique, and very possibly the concentration strength of the lidocaine they injected.

    Some dentists numb me up good, some learn their lesson if they didn't, so I am sure it is the same for breast injections. No one should have to experience pain during planned procedures.

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited May 2018

    Mine was US-guided biopsy and other than the initial lidocaine injections, I really didn't have much pain. At one point I did feel some discomfort. All it took was speaking up. They immediately stopped and gave me more lidocaine on the spot. Once that settled in they resumed the biopsy and I had no more pain.

    After my biopsy I had a fair amount of bleeding. The nurse held compression over the site until the bleeding stopped. Unfortunately, no one thought to tell me to Ace-wrap my chest, so I ended up with a sizable hematoma. Live and learn!

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  • EveryTime
    EveryTime Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2018

    I had two, one ultrasound guided and one stereotactic and neither hurt. Just for people reading this getting worried.

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