Burning breast pain and a rash

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DinoBiscuits
DinoBiscuits Member Posts: 15
edited February 2021 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Hello, forum — I’m hoping to get your opinions as to a next step as it relates to my left breast. A little about me: I’m 37 years old, my youngest child is 5 and I’m not breastfeeding, I have no personal history of cancer but a robust family history of breast cancer including my mother, her sister, my paternal grandmother and her sister. I’m already seeing a breast specialist every six months to screen for cancer with alternating MRIs and mammograms.

Just after Christmas, I started having burning pain in my left breast. The feeling has happened before with cysts, so I didn’t think much about it. A few days after the burning pain started, a pink area appeared on the outer portion of my breast. The pain extended from my breast and into my armpit. It felt so angry. I didn’t love this so I went to see my breast specialist. She didn’t seem too concerned about it but ordered a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound since I was overdue due to COVID.

While I waited for my appointment, I stopped wearing a bra. The pain would come and go but the redness mostly resolved. Had my mammogram and ultrasound and everything came back clear. The radiologist consulted with me after my appointment, telling me that she sees women “all the time” with these symptoms and that they “never amount to anything”.

I went home feeling relieved. Last evening, I had a socially distant outdoor appointment with a personal trainer and I had to put a bra on. My breast today is painful and red again. I’m wracking my brain trying to think what could be causing it. I have not switched laundry detergent or deodorant. I haven’t gotten any new bras and my bra is not excessively tight. Plus, sports bras never bothered me before. I don’t have large breasts but I do need a sports bra for exercise.

My breast specialist told me to come back to her if the rash didn’t resolve — but it did resolve for a time until I put that bra on. If you were me, would a follow up with the breast specialist be your next appointment? Would you instead schedule with a dermatologist? Not sure if I have a skin issue or a breast issue because right now it feels like both.

I know that Internet says scary things like IBC can come and go — but I would imagine that six weeks in and some resolution of symptoms would mean that’s not what’s going on here. I would think IBC would come and stay angry.

Any thoughts here? Appreciate your advice!

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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited February 2021

    Hi Dino! I can understand your concern with the family history.... Obviously stay in touch with your breast surgeon. It truly sounds like it would be worth your while to schedule with a dermatologist. This may sound odd though I would suggest you wear the sports bra, whichever you know triggers the pain and redness, before the appointment so they can really see what you're dealing with. May help them decide the best way to evaluate too? Then I'd portal message (if that's an option for you) your breast surgeon just to let her know you're following up with derm... I hope this posts - the site was wigging out on me the whole time I was typing... I thought I lost the post a couple times....

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  • DinoBiscuits
    DinoBiscuits Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2021

    thank you so much for the reply! It did post and I appreciate that you took the time.

    This whole situation has just been so confusing — every day feels like I’m Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the case of the random red breast.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited February 2021

    I agree with LIvin. Schedule with the dermatologist and wear the bra for at least a week before your appointment.

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  • blue22
    blue22 Member Posts: 280
    edited February 2021

    I think the advice so far is great. Wear the bra, see a dermatologist.

    I would think if it is something like laundry detergent causing the rash it would eventually be both breasts....

    You said you have a strong family history. Have you had genetic testing?

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  • blue22
    blue22 Member Posts: 280
    edited February 2021

    And if it helps we have a ton of people who post here thinking they might have IBC, and in most cases their symptoms resolve and they are fine!

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  • DinoBiscuits
    DinoBiscuits Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2021

    Thanks for the reply! My aunt (mother’s sister) tested negative for the full breast and ovarian gene panel. My half sister (father’s daughter from his first marriage) tested negative as well. Given that information, the genetic counselor I spoke with said there was about a 98% chance I didn’t have BRCA or associated genes. I was okay with those numbers given the information I had so I was not personally tested.

    Thanks for the advice regarding the the bra. I’m back at the trainer this morning and we’ll see how it goes.

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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited February 2021

    Let us know what you find out, OK?

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  • DinoBiscuits
    DinoBiscuits Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2021

    Wanted to provide a quick update now that I have one. The unilateral breast pain and redness are still coming on and off. The redness has shifted somewhat to be around my areola; the original spot is gone now, but has flared a couple times.

    I was able to see a dermatologist who prescribed a cream for the itching and provided information I hadn’t considered. I wanted to hear if anyone had anything similar happen to them?

    Three years ago I had a punch biopsy of the breast that currently bothering due to a suspicious mole (benign) — the doctor literally just punched the whole thing out. The new dermatologist I saw said that the pain might be from that? Has anyone had a punch biopsy and had the site (or near the site) hurt years later? I can’t imagine that it would be so traumatic to the area and surrounding tissue that I’d be on the Internet asking about breast pain three years after the fact, but I could be wrong. I’d Google this, but I really don’t love googling any topic related to breast pain and redness since the only results are mastitis and IBC, which I don’t think I have.

    Thanks all for your continued advice

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited February 2021

    I haven't had a punch biopsy, but I've had MOHS surgery on my face. My facial scar (which is extensive, running from the bridge of my nose to the corner of my mouth) is usually paler than the rest of my face but sometimes gets pinker. Most the time I don't feel the actual scar, but sometimes it we'll get all zappy or itchy and drive me nuts. Cortisone cream calms it down and takes the pink out..

    I've had lots of surgeries all over my body and most of them will occasionally ping and zap even after several years. My breast surgeon and I had a good laugh about that because she had an appendectomy years ago and she said it'll still get a bit stabby out of the clear blue and stop her in her tracks. She said it's nerve disruption and can happen anywhere you've had something invasive done.

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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited February 2021

    I think what Alice wrote makes sense and reinforces what your derm theorizes... Even on this site you will see folks with different kinds of breast surgeries struggling with zings at much later points in time from their surgeries.... If nothing else fits then that is your answer... if any new symptoms develop down the road you can re-evaluate.... I hope you're feeling reassured....?

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  • DinoBiscuits
    DinoBiscuits Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2021

    Alice — thank you so much! That does make sense. The punch biopsy seemed like such a small, insignificant thing three years ago it was difficult for me to wrap my mind around it being important now. I do have to remember that they took a decent chunk of my skin and the underlying layers, so it makes sense that there might be some residual issues.

    LivinLife — I do feel better. I wish the whole issue wouldgo away, which it well may in the future — I have an appointment in July with my breast surgeon to discuss my options related to a prophylactic mastectomy due to my family history and lack of interest in paying thousands of dollars in mammogram and MRI costs every year. Insurance deductibles resetting every year — the worst!

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  • ctmbsikia
    ctmbsikia Member Posts: 1,095
    edited February 2021

    Dino, I hope it resolves for you. I also found it amazing that even the slightest trauma to a breast can cause issues long after that fact.

    In 2019 I was at exercise class and did something. Believe it was a weight touching down on my left one. I remember my skin showing red, I had some pain, but it all went away. Didn't worry about it, until it showed on my imaging. It persisted, was biopsied last year as fat necrosis, and to this day is still there, NOT resolving, and yes -costing me thousands in the yearly cycle of deductibles!! I too have MRI and mammograms, both of which are Birads 3 at this time. I'm scared of surgery too, afraid this will all just happen again. I'll cross that bridge next mammo and BS appt.

    Best wishes to you in your decision.

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