Burning pain, like a fire poker or wasper sting.

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Troya78
Troya78 Member Posts: 3
edited July 2021 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Sharp burning pain in left breast that comes and goes for last 6 weeks. That prompted me to do a self exam. Found several lumps but unsure if it may be normal lumpy tissue. Some areas are very tender including my armpit and up along outer area of chest towards collar bone. Pain in left arm deap in bone and left shoulder. Scared. Mammogram scheduled for Monday. Ready to get this over with and have answers because this is consuming me. Mother of 6 and 3 beautiful grandchildren. Also have been exhausted for last several weeks.

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited November 2017

    I'm sure you are absolutely miserable, and I certainly hope you find relief soon. Of course you are scared! Who wouldn't be? Good for you for following up and getting this checked out.

    I'm sure pain that severe would make anyone exhausted.

    Breast pain is fairly common, although severe pain like yours is less common. About 70% of women see their doctor for some degree of breast pain some time in their lives.

    This was a study of about 100 women who had breast pain and lumps. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC53514... When they did mammograms, about 3% had a BIRADS 5 mammogram (which means typical of breast cancer). They normally only biopsy women who have BIRADS 4 or 5 scores. (There weren't any women in this study who had BIRADS 4.) This is a rather small study, so I'm sure it would be good to study this more.

    So, thankfully, if you are like women in this study, your chances of breast cancer are pretty low. But good for you for being thorough and getting it checked out. We sure want you to be free of pain, no matter what the cause, as soon as possible.

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  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited November 2017

    I am so glad you are getting it checked! Most likely it is not cancer, but breast pain can be cancer. I know - I had it.

    A year and a half before my diagnosis, I had red hot poker pain. Everything I read said breast pain isn't cancer.

    It was wrong for me. I am a huge advocate to tell women - get checked if you have pain.

    Most women who write to me after getting checked, do not have cancer. A very few do. But you are so

    wise to get checked. I could have most likely saved my breast if I could have caught it earlier.

    Remember - you are doing the right thing for you, those kids and grandkids to get it checked!


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  • Troya78
    Troya78 Member Posts: 3
    edited November 2017

    Thank you for the support. The pains came and went spontaneously for a couple of weeks before I reached out but honestly never thought about it being caused by anything serious. I'm a very active person and my job requires lots of lifting. I am constantly pulling or straining muscles and just take over the counter meds to muscle through it. But this took my breath away and I noticed my activity level didn't affect it. Sometimes I'd be laying down or watching a movie and I'd get this pain that I can only describe as someone sticking a red hot objet to my breast. A couple of times I was in tears because it lasted 20-30 sec. Of course I start pushing around and feeling seeing if I could feel anything or if the pain would happen when I pushed on that spot, then I felt the lump. It is oval not round and seems like it runs like my milk ducts would run. Then I felt a second lump further out towards my armpit. The whole area is now tender, including my armpit. I don't know what thickening feels like but in just an inch or two from armpit towards breast feels like it's swollen but not soft, more dense I guess is the word. My arm has ached for the last several days. I'm not sure if me stressing is makin me feel more intensely. I'm just ready to make sure it's nothing. I called for appointment 3 weeks ago and Dr office couldn't get me in till Monday. That was to get the order for mammo. Well after a week I grew more concerned because I started having pain in my underarm area as well. It is more of a mild burning sensation like you may have with skin irritation or a sunburn but in the tissue not on the skin, if that makes sense. And now it is also tender to touch. My father was diagnosed with colon cancer and it is terminal. Both of his sisters (my aunts) had cancer and passed. One had invasive breast cancer and it spread to ovaries and not sure with the other. Never had a mammo b4 so not really sure if I cystic breast or not. Praying that's all it is.

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  • Jen138
    Jen138 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2021

    so I was wondering if you could clarify what the hot poker feeling. Was it localized? All over? Was there something that bright this sensation on? I've been looking for answers the last couple of weeks as this has recently started in my right breast. It's a very small localized spot that sporadically feels like someone is burning me with a hot poker. I have very cystic breasts and had a mammogram a couple months ago but they weren't able to see anything....now this. Breast cancer does run in my family, and i don't want to think the worst but it's quite frightening as it's very intense and something I've never experienced before.

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

    troya78 and jen138,

    We all understand your concern. I know you both understand that the odds are against you having bc and you’ve both either had or will have medical assessments.

    Let me first say that familial/genetic breast cancers are the exception not the rule. About 80% of breast cancers arise without any known genetic factors involved. If you have family members who have had bc or belong to an ethnic group which has higher levels of certain genetic mutations then genetic testing might be in order. All the best to you both .

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