HELP!Changes in Breast from 16 Weeks Pregnant- Red Rash, Swelling, Lumpy, Painful. Worried about IBC

Hi!

I have been spirally a bit mentally. I am 23 weeks pregnant now, and since 16 weeks pregnant I have been developing breast changes in my skin and density, but ONLY in my left breast. For some background, my left breast developed before my right one, was always bigger, and always have had cysts. Sometimes so many cysts it hurt to lift my arm. I have had SO many screenings and they always said cysts are clear and that I just have cysty breasts. So my left boob has always been the problem. First at 16 weeks I noticed kind of a red rash, that kind of looked like lines and looked like eczema in others. Then redness started expanding from my aerola, and swelling around the nipple as well. The rash and skin changes are only on the bottom half of the breast, and to be honest it kind of comes and goes in intensity. I have sent to ALL of my friends and family, and no pregnant female recognizes it, which really scares me. And of course if you go to google, i pretty much have all the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, except that my nipple is NOT inverted, no discharge from nipple. I feel pressurized lumps within my breast now and it feels a lot like when I had lots of cysts. I have been to three doctors and my GP said not to worry about a month ago, then a midwife a week later said to try sudocream, then I panicked one night and went to urgent care and the doctor was like WOAH this is very concerning and he said I should get a breast check but i cant get. an appointment in three weeks. I feel like I will be dead by then haha, I am a hypochondriac at the best of times and I don’t think my pregnancy hormones are helping. Then i worry about the stress of this on my baby from my worrying and feel guilty and then i spiral more. I am 31 and really have had no other health issues in my life, I don’t smoke and drink very little and am very healthy weight and fitness. I know that doesn’t stop cancer. My grandma had lots of cancers from the BRACA gene and I got tested and did not inherit it or any other cancer causing genes. Though that just puts me in the normal % risk. Both breast are tender but the left is definitely more painful to the touch and nipple is very sensitive. I feel like its a balloon that needs to be popped. I read that your breasts start producing milk at 16 weeks, so find it suspicious that is the week this all started. So i am hoping my milk production and cysty breast are combining to cause this issue and it is not inflammatory breast cancer. Please help! any words of kindness is appreciated.

Hi welcome to the forum . The doctor you saw at urgent care is obviously being very cautious but the history you have with cysts plus being pregnant it’s hardly surprising you have breast changes / tenderness . I’ve put on a load of weight in the last year due to the medication Im on , my boobs have gone red with spider like veins ,I had a moment of thinking IBC but routine mammogram and examination said nothing to worry about it’s just the increased weight causing changes .

Once you have a worry in your mind it’s very hard not to be hyper aware of every change/ niggle  , hopefully your appointment will come soon and re-assure you . We are always here to talk . Best wishes Jill x

I just wanted to follow up for anyone who may see this with the same symptoms! I ended up getting a biopsy which returned with inflammation in the skin and no sign on cancer! The symptoms remained through pregnancy and Lo and behold after birth it went away completely! No one knows what it was but was not inflammatory breast cancer. Thanks the gods! But just wanted to follow up to ease anyone’s mind in the same spot!

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I’m so glad to hear your news @Otisisthebest and thank you for updating the forum on how you are.

Wishing you and your family all the best,
Lucy