Hi can anyone help only am really worried. I had a mastectomy in feb this year and had a course of rads. Since having the mascetomy i have had major pain in the middle of my chest wall. I wake in the night from the pain if i have to move at all and struggle if i have to get out of bed.
I have been back to see the specialist and surgeon and have told them of my concerns but they have put it down to the healing process. I saw my GP and i now have an appointment for a scan on my chest.
Has anyone had the same problem, if so, does the pain ease or is this something i just have to cope with.
I had awful pain for weeks earlier this year. Normal movement was impossible and certain movements would aggravate it. It was quite debilitating and a pain like none I had experienced before. I too couldn’t get up from lying down, I couldn’t push up with my arms as it hurt my chest too much.
My oncologist thought it was damage from my treatments but as it went on for so long and seemed to be worsening she sent my for an MRI to check that nothing was being missed. That was clear thankfully. Then, my pain, stopped. I can’t attribute it to anything I did or stopped doing, it just got better. I did make an effort to take some good pain killers and to take them regularly for about a week. I think that helped as before I was playing at taking them then stopped until it got too much again. I remember for a long time after the pain went, it would hurt to make certain movements still - I couldn’t do things that would strain my chest area/neck. That seems better too now!
Hi, The bad news is yes - I think that it is something you will have to live with - the good news is that I don’t think that it is anything to worry about. I had a mastectomy in 1999 and have experienced and still do excrutiating pain at times on movement - it is a bit like a cramp. It happens when I move in a certain way …but I am still here nearly 16 years later and still getting the pain. it’s bearable but did worry me early doors.
I had a mx a year ago and at this very moment have an achey chest wall. From time to time it aches, itches, stings, goes numb and just irritates me in general. Did you have radiotherapy as well? I attribute much of this to my chest wall radiotherapy. I do think however that surgeons are very economical when discussing side effects before mx and quite resolved when discussing after, but i don’t think you should be in this much pain. It certainly should not be waking you at night. I think you should pursue this with your surgeon, just because there’s no more cancer there, it doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to have it fixed. Perhaps try a specialist physiotherapist for some exercises. Massaging is very good too, but I can’t bear to touch, or have anyone else touching my chest. I played netball before and I bought a netball and hoop for my garden, just to do some shooting on my own. I think this was the best thing I could have ever done, and I can really tell when my arm has been ‘lazy’ for a few days.
I had a mastectomy in Oct '09 with immediate diep recon. After a couple of months, I started to suffer with quite severe pain in the recon and on the chest wall. Saw plastics team who informed me that there is a “post mastectomy pain syndrome” that exists. Quite a few ladies suffer with this, but few are informed that this occurs prior to surgery. The result was I was referred to the chronic pain team and was prescribed both Tramadol tablets and Emla cream to rub in 3 times daily. I then had further surgery to the recon in April and the pain has got significantly better but has not gone completely. At least I do not have to take pain relief so often now. Maybe you could ask your team about some help to get relief. There is also an earlier post regarding this syndrome that may be of some help to you. Please try and get some appropriate pain relief as when pain is under control, life seems a bit easier.
Do hope you get on ok,
Yes I had radiotherapy on the area of the mastectomy sight. It’s been 17 years I still get severe pain in chest wall, where I get admitted to. Hospital each time
Thanks my surgery was 2001 I am still having these episodes each time I get admitted to urgent care, I had a pep scan and ct scan to check for abnormalities, they only found a lesion on my lung, they have told me to put up with it lolxxx
Hi, iv just signed up to this site I had a double mastectomy 6 years ago, I have the normal tightening paying ect, but last night I woke up with what I can only describe as cramp in my chest and back on my right hand side, was in agony iv never had pain like it before, its not the side I had cancer on thou, I had right side removed due to precautions of recurrence. So nice to read I’m not the only one, very scary thou thought it was a heart attack!! I’m not great with pain killers is there anything else anyone can suggest Thanku lisa
Hi Debbie61 thankyou for replying I did think it was something worse,iv been resting all day with hot water bottle, not done much, is just when you think I’m OK I’m getting on OK, and then something reminds you that we’ll actually I can’t do as much as I’d like too, Thankyou so much for the reply I really appreciate it, lisa
Hi my name is Pete I am 63 I had a mastectomy on my left side 3 years ago.The morning after I had a cardiac arrest they thank god saved me but by doing so they split my wound open causing a haematoma which was massive the surgern didn’t use a drain after the mastectomy .Guess what they needed the bed they throw me out back home after three days of care from my loving wife the nurses turned up .OMG you have an infection you should be hospital…
10 days later rushed in Emergency operation No left in a corridor for 48 hours then an operation.
Then thrown out again.
I am in constant pain three years later Morphine Evey day 6 tablets and pregablin twice a day 75mg.
No nearve ends it feels like a heart attack all the time and I have cramp pins and needles all the time in my hands always dropping things…
Then last year gangrene in my gall bladder massive scaring huge pain …I won’t go on …
Love to you all wished I had people to talk to who have suffered like me please get in touch…
Lol Pete xx…
Sorry you are experiencing chest pain. I am four weeks post mx and still experiencing a stinging feeling across the scar site and into my armpit. I also occasionally experience a sharp shooting pain in my armpit, as if coming from inside out. Is this the same kind of pain you are experiencing? My wound is healing properly apart from this; I didn’t have a drain when I left hospital, but have had the wound drained once (at around the 10 day mark).
I’ve been told that this is nerve pain and that it is good, because it means the nerves are healing and knitting back together. I’ve been advised to keep taking regular pain killers and also to massage, but I think it is too early for you to do this at one week?
What has your BCN said? Ask them to check the wound if you’re unsure.