Hi there,
I had 2 sessions RT so far. After the first one I got warm, slightly redand heavy boob, painful when is moving. I tried to go bra free but had a lot of discomfort.
Is that normal so soon?
They said it is normal, but if I get any fever to contact them.
Is any of you experience anything like that?
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I didn’t have any symptoms like you but have read others that have.
I used Radiaderm R1 and R2 during my radiotherapy which may have helped. One was a cooling gel and a moisturising cream.
Many others were prescribed Flamigel RT by their team, its is specially designed for radiotherapy.
Hope this helps.
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Mine started to become red after 2 treatments - the team said it was ok. It was actually red for quite a few months and a bit swollen - when I went to see my BCN 3 months down the line about something else she was a bit concerned but it settled down eventually without any treatment. It is important to have support while there is swelling and inflammation there so keep wearing a supportive bra and a crop top or something at night if a bra is too much - I was told that this is not the time to go braless you need the support to help with the swelling . If you feel your bras aren’t comfortable and are rubbing then you can put something made of silk or bamboo inside your bra . I also used a Proskins sleep bra inside a normal bra at times which have beads inside which release moisturiser and are very silky. If after your treatment you are worried or struggling with symptoms then contact the radiotherapy team or your BCN for help . Some areas give people creams / skin products automatically but other services seem to be authorised to give out skin products only if people are struggling while others may just recommend something .
Initially you might need something like Flamigel as previously mentioned - I think my mistake was not asking for help I just thought it was normal .I was coping with it and my skin never broke down but it was very red and sore and the area around my nipple and the nipple itself all peeled / flaked . I didn’t get any infection or lasting complications but I think it would have recovered more quickly if I had got some input sooner . My friend who had radiotherapy a few months after me at a different hospital was given Aveeno on prescription and it’s now my go to moisturiser for my whole body - not just my breast . Hope the rest of your treatment goes well . Xx
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I called the radiotherapy team today, they said warm, a bit achy and heavy breast could be normal, but they need to check it. I am not gonna have session today as it is been moved to Sat instead for some reason in the clinic. So they gonna review me tomorrow before my session to see if they need to make any adjustments and advised me to monitor myself for fever etc. Also I am few days before my period which probably could be another reason to make the breast heavy, as my breast are usually quite sensitive before period. For skin care I start using Medi Derma-S total barrier cream. Was recommendation from them.
Thank you! xxxx
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I had very similar symptoms—hot, heavy, sore boob after only a few treatments. I found the lymphedema self-massage techniques very helpful! (There are lots of good how-to videos on YouTube.) Manipulating the tissue was quite painful at first, but once I pushed through the initial pain, it really helped. Those symptoms eased as treatment went on, as long as I stretched an lot and did the massage for ~10 min every day. I’m 2 months out from RT now and still doing these things (when I remember). Can def tell when I skip a few days. Best of luck!
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