breast pains

Hi everyone first time I have posted on this website. I should have joined when first diagnosed as I am rather private and hate talking about myself and never wanted to burden my family with my worries. So needless to say they think I’m brave and sailed through my treatment with only minor issues. I was diagnosed in April 2011, I had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. July 2012 I had a mammogram and it gave me the all clear, but I was still having pains in my breast which the doctor said was scar tissue healing, but now 21 months since my operation I am still having them. they worry me because I only found out I had breast cancer in the first place by the pain I was having in my breast. Does anyone know if it is normal to still experiance pain after so longer time.

Hello love dally’s

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A colleague at work told me today that she STILL gets pains in her treated breast even now; she had a lumpectomy 10 years ago and has been NED (No evidence of disease) ever since. So if your mammograms are clear don’t worry.

I had WLE & SNB Feb 22nd 2012 and some days my boob is really painful and other days it’s fine. My surgeon says this is scar tissue pressing on nerves but he said they didn’t know why the pain comes and goes, but it is VERY COMMON.

I hope that helps. x

Hi, I was actually going to post this question myself today! I had my WLE and SNB last April, follwed by 3 FEC and 3 Tax and then 25 rads finishing at the end of October. But in the past couple of months the pains near my scar areas have been really painful. I had my scars completely under control with Bio Oil, but the rads have definitely affected then badly. I had no pain or blistering when having the rads though, so assume it is all under the skin that is the problem. Sometimes these areas feel hotter than the other side too. My pain is definitely much worse during the night and often wakes me up in the middle of the night. Is yours like this too? I wonder if it something to do with not wearing a bra in bed and having no support. I always used to sleep on my side or front but this is impossible now as it is simply too sore. I really don’t want to take painkillers all the time but sometimes I just have to. It is sore during the day too but because I am busy at work I don’t notice it so much.
I would be really interested in hearing anyone else’s stories and how long this is likely to last, and what they may have tried to help the pain.,

K M xx

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TOO, DITTO, PAIN IN BREAST AND UNDER ARM SOMETIMES REALLY PAINFUL, NOW ITS GOT REALLY HARD AND JUST DOES NOT FEEL REAL , PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS NORMAL XX

It honestly is normal to get quite substantial breast pain after treatment, some of it is to do with surgery affecting the nerves, some to do with rads, I have had intermittant breast pain since finishing active treatment in August last year, sometimes its just niggly others its quite sharp , hard sections are normally scar tissue , I have lymphodema in my breast too so that dosent help, very hard to try and breast check as it feels so hard/lumpy/thick you name it, if your really worried see your bcn but many ladies have pain for years unfortunately

xx

Thanks - I was at the hospital today for a bone scan (for letrazole) and popped in to see the breast care nurse. As a result of my query my yearly check up was brought forward 5 weeks to this Thursday. I thought she would just reassure me and say it was normal and send me on my way! So I am so see my surgeon then, I am not looking forward to getting my mammogram done on the sore side though. Will let you know how I get on though.
K M x

Good luck x the mamogram wasnt nearly as painful as I expected and that was with lymphodema swelling my poorly breast as well so dont worry too much- although Im sure you will :frowning:

x

thankyou ladies for your replies. I don’t have another mammogram till june but you have put my mind some what at rest.

hi, I don’t wear a bra either at night and sometimes in the day at home because I have yet to find a bra that does not cause some pain. My scar has healed fine but 6 months after I finished my radiotherapy I had a rash come all over my chest which looked like hives, this was a side effect of the rad. I some times think I’m paranoid and that where the pain is I feel a lump but I know its only scar tissue. I just didn’t think the pain would continue for so long ,but it looks like its something you have to learn to live with.

Hi everyone, so glad so hear that I’m normal with my breast pain. I struggle to find bra’s that fit comfortably, find it difficult to find seamfree bra’s, the staff at Debenhams looked at me as if I’d got two heads when I aasked for advice. Had two fittings at M&S, the staff are lovely but obviously not experts on post surgery fittings. Can anyone sugguest anywhere or brand to try ?

You need to find a t-shirt bra have you looked at bras for mx patients they can be used for normal boobs as well well you know what I mean
amoena
nicola Kane
chantilly rose
or google mastectomy bra
marie xxxx

BHS do a good selection of seamless bras, I have brought 4 recently and all are great fit and true to size x

Thanks. Will give them a try

Hello love dally’s. I had mc Nov 2011 and reconstruction May 2012. I still get pain on the inner side of breast where the nerves are. Sometimes feels like tingling other times feels nippy or like a razor blade. The tissue expander prior to reconstruction rubbed against the site where they removed the breast and I got a lot of scar tissue which they removed on reconstruction. New scar tissue has formed though not as bad and there is still some associated pain from this. I also had problems with getting something comfortable to wear. Still not satisfied but did get some comfort from those all in ones’s you can pull on. See shopping channels for the Gennie Bra, Comfortisse Bra, There are a number of different brands on the market. They are quite small made so go for larger size. Also tried a bandeau bra. Pull on no straps, just a wide band accross bust. They are quite comfortable. Cheap from likes of Primark. I chop and change to get some comfort but like other ladies cant wait to get restrictions off at night. Comfort in bed is also a problem as lie on side. Use a pillow when need to keep me from putting too much weight on other breast which I am experiencing pain with at moment. xx