Scary new symptom....should I be concerned?

[Jaws]

Hi Everyone

At the risk of sounding completely paranoid and overly concerned, I wonder if I could just run something past you.

This morning I was woken by the most terrible pain inside my right breast/armpit.  I've been out on a course all day, but spent most of it surreptitiously (sp?!) 'feeling around' as best I could, around the armpit area to try to locate the source of the problem.  The area was very tender, and it was slightly painful to breathe fully.

As of this evening, the breast seems better but I have extreme tenderness (pain if gently pressed on) under my arm - about 3 inches down....towards the outer edge of my body.

It's probably nothing, but as there is breast cancer in the family, and I know Sjs is linked to lymphoma, and this is the first time I've had this, I feel very uneasy.  My left hand (the other side, reassuringly) parotid gland was enlarged for the first 2 months of this year, but is not too bad at the moment.  It sometimes still feels like there's something stuck in my throat on the LHS when I swallow though.

One point to note is that I am a few days away from my period, so logically speaking, I would think that this could be one explanation.  In just one breast though.....and so painful?

Any thoughts gratefully received thank you as always!  (Crikey...just had a scary thought....this is one of the drawbacks of having a cute doctor....I would be far too embarrassed to go in and tell him about this, for fear I'd have to let him 'have a feel'!  I might enjoy it too much!)

[Jaws]

Doh...replying to myself here..

Forgot to add that I am feeling a bit shivery today too, which tells me I am probably running a low grade temperature.
I had to put my coat on whilst on the course.  (That is a CFS thing too, so may be irrelevant to my current concerns).

[lynnmarie219]

Hi Jaws,


Its hard to say what this could be and since I'm not a doctor I wouldn't even want to try and guess. I would definitely run this by your doc since it is a brand new symptom. I had pain in the area you are talking about and my rheumy checked my lymph nodes real good under my arm and around the breast area to see if she could feel anything inflamed, lumpy or bumpy. Thankfully she didn't and my mammogram came back ok and the pain also went away shortly after that.

Please let us know what you find out...I wish you good luck in getting some answers!

[Dolly Dimples]

  Hi Jaws, I have had breast pain , also in the armpit for some years now, although I could never say it was a terrible pain.   I go regularly for my breast screening and they told me it was quite common for women to experience pain in breast...  However in view of the fact you have a family history too it would be foolhardy not to see your doctor... We certainly do get some scary symptoms with this curse of ours..  Cheers Dolly

[eyeamdry]

I had a lump that my doc wanted to keep an eye on (several years) and have extra mammograms and ultrasounds.  finally, I said I want the lump out.  It was cancer.  Have any lump checked out.  If it stays very long INSIST they do a biopsy.  Do not take their carelessness and let it become a death sentence.  I never thought I had b cancer for a minute, boy, was I surprised.  I have good prognosis, but am mad at dr and myself for letting this slide.  The doc is the one who found the lump during my annual exam.  Breast pain or no breast pain.......this can go either way and don't let anyone tell you it can't.  Lucy

[wednesday mc haggis]

When checking breats , you cant tell anything pre period, best time is around a week after menstruation.

I get whats called cyclical breast pain, and they are lumpy, swollen and tender in extreme some months. I also get a right going lumpy area yup not far from where breast meets arm pit , feels like i have 15 lumps some months , but mid cycle i am lump free and pain free, yup sinc emy gran had breast cancer i got it checked out by docs ALWAYS get it checked out by docs, but dont get them to examine your breast right now, wait till your post period, and if its still same , go to docs and get it checked.

T x

[Patze]

Hi Jaws,

I know what you mean about it being very tender and painful.  I often get painful areas two to three times a month (sometimes more, sometimes less), and it can be very frustrating.  For me, it also seems to migrate to the shoulder sometimes, and the upper back too.  I don't know what it is, and none of the doctors I've asked seem to know either. 

I wonder if it can be lymph nodes in a small rebellion maybe?  Anyone want to comment on this please?

Take care -

Patze

[Jaws]

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for your very helpful replies (as always, you have all the answers!)  The pain now seems to be only around that under arm area and no longer in the breast, which is good.  I will keep monitoring the situation, and will mention it when I get my hospital appointment for further investigations into whether I have Sjs or similar.

It was a bit of a shock, especially as we have breast cancer in the family.  To be woken up with such severe pain was a tad scary!

I hope everyone is doing okay.

Thank you and best wishes.