Had axillary clearance on monday. The scars are doing well but the pain/feelings in the affected arm are completely bizarre. It can change many times in the day ranging from feeling like I have bees crawling over my arm, to thinking someone is pinching me. Then I can get shooting pains inside my armpit. At points is bordering on unbearable and the only respite is sleep. I was warned about this by bcn but can anyone identify with this and how long it will last? Can do numb but the pains feel like I have I don’t have control. Am taking painkillers regularly but boy is this unnervingly weird. Tell me its normal and passes please!
I had ANC at the same time as my mx in November and what you are describing is pretty much what I experienced. The worst of it wore off after about 10 days and after that it was more intermittent. I still have reduced feeling in the axilla itself but the numbness on my arm has pretty much gone now.
Hope that helps.
Nymeria x
I had 24 nodes removed about 16 days ago and yes to start with would have sudden stabbing pains and was on pain relief every 5 hours. Now I am reducing the pain relief to about 3 a day (only taken 2 today and been doing things in the house), the top of my arm is still numb to touch and swollen but I don’t have the sudden pain any more, so yes it will improve i definitely noticed the difference after 12 days
jenben, it is absolutely normal. When they take out your nodes they have to go through a web of nerves to get there and the pain is caused by the disruption to the nerves.
I used to describe mine as feeling like a really extreme sunburn or as if someone was giving me a Chinese burn. It was all down the inside of my arm and in a wide band around the top of my arm. I couldn’t bear anything touching it.
After reading around it and seeing a physio for cording I found that the thing that worked was to desensitise the area. I used a bit of olive oil and very gently brushed the sore area with my fingers several times a day (nothing too firm in case of lymphoedema - just very light touches). I did this several times a day. It hurt like h*ll at first but really helped to give some relief from the pain.
I can’t remember how long it took to go away completely - probably a few weeks - and now I’ just left with a numb armpit and inside of the upper arm and that extends a little bit onto my back (I had my op on Christmas Eve so almost exactly six months ago).
It WILL get better but it’s dreadfully painful so I really do sympathise with you and really hope it soon starts to settle for you.
If you get more of an achy pain in your armpit and in a line down your arm it might be cording so I’d have a word with your BCN or consultant as you might need some physio for that.
Good luck,
Jane xxx
Thank you all it really helps. Will try the oil I think altho it is so sore to the touch. Its naff really isn’t it? Its times like this when you wonder what life was like before bc! What did I really have to complain about! Hope you ladies are improving and will be glad to get onto chemo in few weeks. Never thought I would say that!
Yes, it really does hurt to touch but I found it got better the more I did it - I just had to grit my teeth, but within seconds it felt better. The effect was only temporary but it did get easier and easier.
By the way, the chief onc at our unit really rates extra virgin olive oil as it helps to promote DNA stability and so has some anti-carcinogen properties. He recommends that you should use it on your operation scars and all over the breast and armpit area following surgery (once you’re healed up). My scars were certainly very neat after doing it twice a day for a few weeks!
Jane xxx
Thanks Jane that’s something we have lots of. Did the desensitisation just now. Managed about 10 seconds and wouldn’t let me OH near it. Won’t be so bad on used to it
If you can bear it then daily light upward strokes on the arm are helpful. Ive been 8 months post ANC and only nowmis there some sensation coming back. I haven’t been using olive oil but it sounds good Alto!
Don’t we have fun on a Saturday night! Not quite sure I am living the dream!
I know, I’m trying to remember life before all this!
hi I had mx last November,
my chest and arm felt like someone was rubbing sandpaper on it, very painful dry ache, is the best way I can describe it,
I couldnt even stand my clothing to touch it, very, very, painful.
My GP prescribed amitriptyline tablets 10mg, I take one at bedtime, the pain went away pretty much immediately I started this tablet,
Its worth a try, I dont know how I would have managed without it the painkillers didnt touch it.
Hope you get some relief from it, its really horrid.
all the best Liz xxx
Jenben, you might like to try cold compresses as well. Either the flexible blue things that you put in the freezer and might also put in a lunch bag (well wrapped) or something like a wet flannel in a sandwich bag, chilled in the fridge. This will help reduce the pain sensations. I found that the post-surgery exercises also helped to reduce the pain sensations on a short-term basis as well as helping on a long-term basis. It may be that encouraging natural sensations helps to over-ride the ones that are coming from the nerves themselves. I’m afraid that some of it just takes time, however. The gentle stroking seems to work in the same way.