Pain after double mastectomy

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dontwantthis
dontwantthis Member Posts: 44
edited April 2021 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I had my double mastectomy on March 9th, I am still in a lot of pain and nothing seems to be helping.

is it normal to be in this much pain?

Please can someone tell me what helped them with pain management. I am taking Gabopentin, extra strength Tylenol and Advil.

Cheers,

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited April 2021

    hello,

    I am not a doctor nor do I have any medical training but are you saying it has been almost two months and you’re in a lot of pain? If so, that is not typical. What does your surgeon say? Did you have reconstruction? Axillary lymph node dissection? There are a few pain inducing possibilities that come to mind but only your doctor can confirm and treat that. So please call your doc and take care.

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  • OnTarget
    OnTarget Member Posts: 447
    edited April 2021

    Hi, it sounds like you are a month out. I think you may need to describe your pain more clearly. Is it all the time, or is it when you do something specific? Do you have Tissue Expanders? Are they being filled?

    I have no suggestions for fixes because I didn't have terrible pain with my tissue expanders except relating to fills and pressure into my pecs. I did have cording, and that was helped by Physical Therapy.

    My BMX pain was only bad for the first few days, and then after that it was only tough when I sneezed or used my arms in certain ways. I was fine by 1 month out. It does sound like you'll need to talk to your doctor.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited April 2021

    Oh dear! Talk about misreading! I apologize as for some reason I was thinking your surgery was in February. You can still call your doc with any concerns!

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited April 2021

    Dontwantthis not sure where you are in your process. Do you have expanders or do you have final implants? Are your drains still in? The reason I ask is the drains can definitely cause increased discomfort. I cannot speak to the expanders as I was direct to implant. I didn't do well with my first surgery. I think my body just reacted intensely to the trauma so I developed a lot of sensitivity (ie pain) and scar tissue. I do well remember that week 5 was very uncomfortable as my body was in intense healing mode. I lived in the surgical garment they sent me home in, I really couldn't tolerate anything else touching my skin.

    Please reach out to your surgeons office and request a consult to evaluate what is going on. My PS had me do massages to desensitize the skin - I think I started out with a washcloth used gently in the shower. But your doctor will direct you and determine next steps needed to get you some relief. Sorry its difficult but I have been there and I totally understand. What i can tell you is that it doesn't have to be this way. My second surgery to remove the scar tissue and change out the implants was unbelievable easy.

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

    It sounds like you are a month out. I did not have great pain- had BMX and one node removed - I didn't use any prescription pain meds once I left recovery. Used a rotation of Tylenol every 4 hours, the Acetaminophen 4 hours later, etc. for about a week then less of each for a few days and then just forgot to take anything b/c I didn't need it... I would definitely call your surgeon, esp. if you didn't have any reconstruction done or more than one or two nodes removed.

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