Hi everyone. I’ve been reading through this forum for the past day or so and looking for people who have been in the same situation as me. I’m 24 and have noticed a few changes with my right nipple. I currently take Cerelle but the issues I have experienced are not a side effect of this medication
I’ve noticed the nipple on my right breast has changed in the past few weeks. The skin surrounding it is more wrinkly and my nipple has gone really flat. This didn’t concern me much at first but on Saturday night i took my bra off and my nipple had completely inverted on itself. I’ve never ever had this happen and I have no family history of BC or any issues like this so it really frightened me. Since then I have been checking on it more regularly, trying to feel for lumps etc. I can’t feel any lumps but my right breast is really tender and feels a bit sore compared to the left one. I initially just put this down to wearing a newer bra but now even with wearing my old worn in bra I am still feeling discomfort. I have also been extremely tired as of late, which again I didn’t think anything of as a few years ago I had a bad sleep schedule and would fall asleep often after work. I have made an appointment with my GP and they have booked me in for Wednesday morning which i thought seemed really quick but I’m glad because I am diagnosed with anxiety disorder, so I think if I had to wait any longer I would really struggle. It’s hard to distract myself or forget about it as the discomfort is a constant reminder. I have seen a few people with similar symptoms to me have small benign tumours but have also seen other people have been diagnosed with BC. The few people I have spoken to have told me not to worry but it’s so hard, I can’t help but think about it, I’ve been researching all weekend and this morning looking for advice, symptoms and signs, trying to see if my symptoms match to another issue etc.
Just wondering if anyone is currently in the same position as me and if so how are you coping with the anxiety of waiting for appointments? I’m struggling to focus at work because I can’t stop thinking about it. I know the risk of breast cancer is low for my age group but I know of multiple girls my age who have had it, and with me having an increased risk due to my contraception I’m just so anxious and hoping to find someone else in the same situation as me
These symptoms might be something or they might not but it is always worth getting things checked out.
Your GP will listen to your worries and examine you and if they’re concerned they’ll refer you to breast clinic for further evaluation. Another wait I’m afraid and then another for pathology results if they take a biopsy.m
I’m afraid the anxiety waiting around between appointments and test results is generally acknowledged as one of worst bits of finding out if we do or don’t have breast cancer.
We all Google and most of what we read isn’t relevant or useful for our particular situation. I’ve discovered there are many different types of breast cancer with very different treatment paths. Googling also gives us sleepless nights.
Hold firmly in your head that most people who attend breast clinic are not found to have cancer. But if it does turn out to be cancer there are lots of treatments these days and by being breast aware you have increased your chance of a cure.
Thank you for your lovely commentI definitely panicked myself more with google but tried to stick to forums to hear first hand experience! It’s good to know what the appointments will be like because I haven’t experienced it before so I wasn’t sure how everything would go down or what to expect. I’m going on holiday next week so just hoping my nerves can be calmed a little bit on Wednesday so I can enjoy that instead of spiralling with worry. Again thank you for your comment it feels reassuring to hear this! I’ll definitely come back to give an update after my appointment x
A lot of the ladies here posting actively will have unfortunately had the news of breast cancer in their results, but that absolutely doesn’t mean that will be the case for you.
I don’t know you, but I am so proud of you for getting this looked at straight away. I was diagnosed with BC at 33 last year, my nipple had gone flat well over 12 months before I noticed what turned out to be a tumor. If I had realised that was a symptom then I probably would only be going through half the treatment I need to now. I just want to reiterate that you’re doing the brave and absolutely correct thing - too many of us are scared of being a bother.
All that being said, the chances are on your side here. It is statistically unlikely to be cancer at your age - but this process of investigations is going to be nerve wracking.
What you should expect from your GP is for them to do a physical assessment, they might ask when your last period was - menstruation can cause fluctuations in breast tissue. If they cannot definitively say what it is, they should then give you a referral to a breast clinic with a target 2 week wait maximum. The GP in my experience should err on the side of a referral - they aren’t the breast experts.
I hope the appointment goes well, please come back here and update us - this community is here for you and know how scary it can be. Then you can go on your holiday and try to put it out of your mind - there’s very little that can’t wait a week, and you deserve to relax a little
I’m also very impressed you noticed a change in your nipple and are following it up. I didn’t even notice my nipple had changed but instead found a lump and had a GP appt the next day and waited 2 weeks for a hospital scan.
I would push for a referral from your GP if one isn‘t offered. The breast care team are expert at assessing cancer and reassuring you if is or isn’t! Do please come back and update us. Good luck and fingers crossed. Xx
thank you so much, I think sometimes my anxiety can be a benefit because I probably wouldn’t have noticed the slight changes if I didn’t worry so much. I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and truly hope for the best for you. I hope you know how reassuring and inspiring your words are. No matter how scary this is at least this community allows us to connect with one another and it feels way less lonely. what you said about feeling like a bother is so true! I’ve made my appointment and I’m already thinking what if i’m making a big deal over nothing, what if they dismiss me etc so your comment has really reassured me that it’s better to be safe than sorry! Sending love your way this evening
It’s so scary how it can go undetected! I was never taught about things like this when I was younger, it’s only through seeing videos on Tiktok I knew what to look for! The education on women’s health has never been the best but hopefully things will start to change. I will definitely give an update once I’ve had my appointment.
I hope you’re well & hope your journey is looking more positive! Sending love, thank you so much for your comment. I hope you know how grateful I am to read your kind words
I’m so glad my reply was useful. It is a scary time while waiting for an appointment or scan.
I used the monthly chemo threads on here and read other women’s experiences and found great comfort in talking to people who were experiencing similar emotions and treatments. I really hope you don’t have to post and that you don’t have cancer, though!
Okay so I just had my appointment. I went in and she asked me what was going on so I explained how over the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed my nipple has gone really flat and inverted on itself. She asked if it had come back out and said because it had come back out it’s less of a concern, she said if it had stayed in they would be more concerned. She asked if I was on the pill so I said yes and told her I was taking Cerelle. She also asked if I had any pain, I said it isn’t painful but it’s uncomfortable and I can feel it all of the time.
She then checked both breasts and said she couldn’t find any lumps. She said some people are born with inverted nipples and she thinks I am just developing an inverted nipple over time, which I didn’t even know was possible! She asked me how worried I am and I said very because I’ve never had this happen to me before. She said she will refer me to the breast clinic but it won’t be treated as cancerous because of my age and lack of a lump (which I don’t completely agree with, because I know from reading this forum cancer can come in many forms and you don’t always have a lump in early stages) but she said I will be seen by them within 2 weeks so I’m just waiting to hear from them to schedule an appointment.
I’m glad she didn’t find anything alarming but am also very glad I am being referred, even if she doesn’t think there is anything concerning I know the staff at the breast clinic will have more knowledge on the situation and I will be able to voice any concerns to them. I’m not exactly sure how my appointment with them will go as it’s not being treated as cancerous but I will definitely push to make sure everything is checked just to be safe and for my own mental health!
Overall I’m not sure how to feel. On one hand I’m extremely glad that she isn’t too concerned but I do have some worries; I know you can have BC without a lump, and one of the first symptoms a lot of people experience is an inverted or flat nipple. If it really is just an inverted nipple and nothing else then I will be fine with that it’s just the overthinking side of my brain which is saying what if it isn’t? However I know I can voice these concerns when I’m at the breast clinic so my worries are a bit more settled. I’m going to try my best to focus on other things until that appointment, however it’s just hard because the physical feeling is a constant reminder.
I will come back with an update once I have confirmation of my next appointment which is hopefully soon! Thank you all for checking in on me and for showing your support, you have really made me feel much better. It’s hard to talk to loved ones because they then worry and don’t know how to talk to you.
I’m going to suggest you stop examining it too. If you’re as firm as me doing this it is possible some of the tenderness is actually due to you pushing on it. Leaving it alone will mean you have a clear picture when you get to clinical x
I think your GP has done a good job here from what you’ve said and I would be happy with this plan if I were in the same situation.
As @bluetit11 says, I’d definitely try to leave it alone now so you have a clear picture of symptoms before your breast clinic appointment without creating any. Easier said than done I know. I’m a bit of a prodder myself and have been reprimanded for this by my breast care nurse many times!
To me that sounds like a great result. I will say when my nipple went flat because of cancer, it really didn’t come back out again - as your GP said. I’m glad you’ve got the referral to the clinic, it’s a bit of a faff and mammograms are generally uncomfortable - but if they give you the all clear then you’ll have done everything you can to check it out and can go on and live your life! The breast clinic will do a physical exam, mammogram and ultrasound - if there’s anything to find, they’ll spot it.
I didn’t talk to my family when I was having my early assessments either, so I understand not really knowing who to talk to.
Agree on doing your best to leave it alone now, but that’s easier said than done!
yes i definitely will stop checking! it felt really sore for about an hour after my appointment from where she had checked it so i’m going to try to leave it and see if the tenderness is still there in a few days x
thank you so much! i am definitely happy now a few hours have passed and my thoughts have had time to settle. i can usually feel it all of the time but it’s only started to feel tender in the last day or so probably because I’ve checked it so many times, i will definitely be leaving it for a few days to see if the tenderness goes away. thank you for your advice x
thank you for that, i feel more prepared now as i know what i’ll be walking in to! it’s daunting when you don’t know what the experience will be like. i will be keeping an eye on it just in case it inverts again but i will do my best to not touch and prod!
Firstly, well done for being breast and body aware. This is so important for staying healthy! I’m really glad you’ve been referred to the breast clinic, as they will do the necessary and proper tests that can reassure you. I really hope you find that appointment helpful - and please keep doing what you are doing and being vigilant. It is those checks that catch any potential cancer early when it is the most treatable. Good luck and keep us posted xx
Fingers crossed that all goes well for you and that you can have a lovely holiday. Please do keep us updated, because no matter the outcome, there will be much support on here. Best wishes
I definitely panicked myself more with google but tried to stick to forums to hear first hand experience! It’s good to know what the appointments will be like because I haven’t experienced it before so I wasn’t sure how everything would go down or what to expect. I’m going on holiday next week so just hoping my nerves can be calmed a little bit on Wednesday so I can enjoy that instead of spiralling with worry. Again thank you for your comment it feels reassuring to hear this! I’ll definitely come back to give an update after my appointment x
The breast clinic will do a physical exam, mammogram and ultrasound - if there’s anything to find, they’ll spot it.